Weekly Chat page, Tuesday, September 1, 2009

OK, let's see how this goes. Maybe use this page for general chat, which can include ospreys, but also non-osprey related chatter? It also doesn't have to be Daily, but time will tell. It may not take shape until after the Diary goes away.

As Carol noted, Tiger set up the "Tracking Rothes and Mallachie" page, which might be the best place for serious observations about our girls and their progress. There's also a "Tracking Other UK Ospreys" page .

In the meantime, we can twitter on about ospreys, dogs, guinea pigs, kids, vacations, etc., - and post poems - here without boring the "osprey only" members of the community.

Feel free to boo loudly and make suggestions if you see any problems. Thanks everyone!

  • What poem Wendy Lol, it was one of  the Friday sillies from work.

     

    Can anyone help with GE h ave just went to GE just now and cannae get to fly, ( mind you a couple of Brandy's tonight and I will be),  think I may have deleted something yesterday, sorry, I mean I think the Gremlins are back : ) can someone talk me through it again please, if they get some time

    Ta

    All I ask is the chance to prove that money can't make me happy.
    Spike Milligan

  • Soosin your poem describes me perfectly and I will be sending this on to some friends who will also laugh as we are always saying that we are losing it now we are getting older.  I can't get the pictures either.

     

    Margobird

  • Tish will be keeping my fingers and everything lese crossed for you and hope that the bad weather will move off very shortly.  Enjoy your break although I know this will be on your mind.  Take care.

    Margobird

  • Soosin

    Click on the name of the Osprey whose flight you want to follow.   Then click on the icon that looks like 3 dice in a box at the bottom right of the Places section.  The flight should start.  If you don't want to watch it all click on the map and move the slider along on the player bit that opens up bottom left.   Then click on play to start the flight again at the point you set.

    Hope this makes sense and helps you.

    Use whatever talent you possess: the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sing the best.
    - Henry Van ***

  • Wow. Just caught the bit about Mallachie in France. What a girl!

    Tish, do hope things stay dry - but is a burn like a creek? When I first saw it I thought it was an injury and couldn't figure out why a burn would be so wet.  Also, gather you're off on a vacation? Have a lovely time!

    Soosin: Did you figure out GE? I'm not anywhere near an expert on that so can't help and not sure what happened.

    Barbara: Two years to get over a flood (and seriously, this was in Switzerland?)  Doesn't sound lilke anything I'd wish on anyone.

    Off to read Richard's latest.

  •  

    Very excited!  I saw an osprey 6:45pm flying around, low over Annan, Dumfriesshire - approaching the Solway Firth!  During its flight, it alighted momentarily in one of a group of tall deciduous trees (with difficulty due to wind) before heading off towards the water.

    Ospreys Rule OK, but Goldfinches come a close second!

  • SOOSIN:   Great poem, never heard that one before! - must copy it quick, or I'll never remember it.....

    TISH:    Have a great holiday, and hope your neighbours and you all stay dry at home.

    What wonderful news, dear Mallachie is doing her marvellous parents proud. I'm sure all this success for the girls is due to their great upbringing, and the fact that they always cleaned their plates at mealtimes.

  • GOLDFINCH:  You are the envy of all of us who have been looking skyward for the last few  days, hoping to catch a glimpse of one of  'ours'. Even if it wasn't, how exciting for you.

  • Goldfinch, you are most certainly the envy of me.  I am so pleased for you - what a wonderful sight that must have been. I'm sure you almost didn't believe it and then the reality came crashing in that yes, it WAS an Osprey and lots of joy with it . :)

    Tish:  I am so very very glad you have good neighbours and may your holiday prove to be a tremendously happy one despite wind and weather and a drowned business. I don't know what business you conduct Tish but my hope is that it is one that doesn't have a lot of products that could be ruined by the water.

    Annette: yes a Burn is a stream, a brook, a beck (in The Lake District) a rhyne (in Somerset) a small river and er, yes, one could even say a creek !   :)

    Soosin: what a great poem, it did my heart good.

     

     

  • Hi Annnette, and everyone else.

    Annette -- Had to laugh at downhill to Italy!! I guess looking at the map it seems like that. In winter theres a lot of snow here and when it melts, many places get a lot of flooding and mud slides because of the terrain, usually in May or early June. Berne is the capital and a few years ago they called in helicopters to rescue people from flooded properties.

    My 'wet patch' was about a foot deep due to the heaviest rain I have ever seen in my life. For 45 minutes it was like someone throwing buckets of water continuously, it was really localised and many friends and neighbours had the same thing. The drainage system just couldn't cope. Traditionally Swiss houses have a basement that is living area,bedroom, kids lounge, laundry room, freezers etc so really it's like the ground floor of an ordinary house .. except being below ground level the water couldn't run out. Fire brigade spent more than 3 hours pumping out and then even de-humidifying the living area took weeks as the windows are lower than the garden. Anyhow, structurally we are OK and all redecorated,new carpets and furniture but it takes ages to re-do one third of your home and sort out all the stuff rescued and carried upstairs to save it from being ruined. We lost lots of precious photos, books and keepsakes. Husband says I am a hoarder but this aided the clearance of a good deal of things! Problem of living in one place for 15 years is acccumulation! Continue to discover things I can't find that must have been waterdamaged and thrown out.

    Just writing about it brings back the memories, even the dog goes into trauma now in a storm or heavy rain.There-s still a sensense of trepidation going downstairs after a rainstorm just in case I have to paddle. Strange feeling when the bottom of a staircase is underwater.

    However in comparison to many parts of the world my experience is nothing but it does put things into perspective ..... hurricanes and tornadoes must be far worse.

    Count my blessings each day, Looking out on the Alps toward Mont Blanc one way and to the Jura mountains the other way , I consider myself lucky, all I need is a passing osprey.

    Gosh, just realised how much I  have rambled on. SORRY, off to bed now.

    Take care, sleep well.