Weekly Chat, Sunday 22 May 2011

Back in 2006 the DPOF chicks were called Star, Stripe and Flag. Flag was a superstar as seen here.

He certainly was Tiger. LOL that clip brings back so many memories :)

Last viewing & reading. So glad Chick  Whatever-No hatched before I go. My 'puter threw a tantrum this morn - I had to boot up 3 times. OG I have butterflies in the tum. Should be fine once I get started. Your garden pics almost make me change destination. More farewells than Nellie Melba. See you next month.

aquilareen said:

Last viewing & reading. So glad Chick  Whatever-No hatched before I go. My 'puter threw a tantrum this morn - I had to boot up 3 times. OG I have butterflies in the tum. Should be fine once I get started. Your garden pics almost make me change destination. More farewells than Nellie Melba. See you next month.

So you are off very soon?

Have a happy happy time AQ  :)  I'm off to roost

I believe she's off now Tiger !

Yes Tiger I leave for airport in half an hour. (We are only 10 mins away.) Thanks all. I am logging off now.

Evening all: Have gone all day not remembering whether it was Monday or Tuesday; seems like it really ought to be Monday. Hmmm.  

Lindybird: I had nice lunch with friend today and no dessert  :-(   Ate way too much cheese while on visit to g-daughter.

Alan: Thanks for photo of Milford couple.

Cirrus: In the greater scheme of things, building noise is okay, especially since they can't start until 8 and must be done by 5 - and no weekends.

OG. The California Poppy is our state flower!  Those gardens look very well behaved.  Oh yes - I saw that item on the fake tiger; thanks for explaining.

Cirrus: Not sure about those names - sound a bit celebrity-ish. I think I like more traditional  names that reflect their place of origin.

Hallo to everyone else; really good Frontline program tonight on Wikileaks that I need both eyes and ears for.

Hi, all. I see that AQ was around right up until she left. I hope everything goes well on her holiday.

I hope that all of you -- especially those in the north -- are safe and that the gale-force winds are dying down. I also want to emphasize that I sincerely hope none of you are affected by the volcano ash. Both my parents contracted severe lung diseases, and I know what fragile organs the lungs are. That volcano ash is so destructive. Please do everything you can to keep that stuff out of your systems. Don't be embarrassed to wear masks over your mouths. OK, end of lecture. LOL

By the way, here are some stunning streaming webcams from Iceland. I think that this cam is closest to the volcano that is currently erupting and sending out the ash cloud: Grimsvotn . Some of the other cams have beautiful landscapes.

OG: Beautiful photos, as always. My favorite pic of today was that grand eucalpytus tree. That tree had such character. It looked so wise; I would almost expect it to speak. I would definitely frame that pic and put it on my wall. I really liked that woodland glade at Dunskey. I loved "the tunnel" path at Castle Kennedy, and was that handsome lad in the photo Eagle-eye? I loved the picture of the ferns under the western red cedar. Near my front door, there used to be a bed of heirloom, old-fashioned ferns that my ancesters planted. Over the years, the climate and conditions have changed on this land, and the ferns died. I was devastated. But I have found a patch of them in the woods and they are spreading and look healthy. I think next year, I will try to replant some closer to the house. I was delighted to see them.

Annette: I have always adored Joan Baez and her music, and I saw her live in Indianapolis a few years ago and got to meet her. She is a remarkable woman. Did you see the PBS American Masters biography of her? I've had a love-hate opinion of Bob Dylan over the years. I love some of his music, but hate that he's always been such a woman-hating sexist. He did write some important and brave political music when he was young. I resent the fact that he's never given Baez the credit she deserves for starting his career, which I think is incredibly arrogant on his part. On another subject, I'm really happy that the whale-counting season turned out to be so successful. Well done to you for your efforts!

Patricia: I am so glad that you weren't near that tree when it fell. Sheesh. Kind of makes one feel humble, doesn't it? Take care of yourself and stay safe!!!

Lindy: Congrats on your shopping trip. :-) Hope you're getting the washing machine sorted.

George: I'm sure you were a great comfort to Diesel during the gales -- and he to you. So glad you two found each other.

So, Tiger, are you a cuddly toy?! LOLOLOL

Wendy: I hope you have a wonderful time tomorrow at LG. I'm sure your visit with Sheila will be terrific. That sounded like a lovely walk you had today.

Margo: Hope the volcano ash doesn't hamper your LG trip. Regarding email notifications (in case you haven't worked it out). Go to your personal page. Beside your name, click "Edit Profile." When the page opens, scroll about halfway down. That's where you can tell the site that you want to receive email notifications. Click the boxes to indicate which kinds you want to get.

Jay-Me: I love camping and used to do it all the time when I was younger. I miss it. Enjoyed your post.

All: I got a message from Bettyboo indicating that she is still having difficulty signing on/remaining on the site. I gave her some links to help her navigate.

Hi to Lynette, Joan, Brenda, and everyone I've missed!

I apologize for the above too-long post. I probably won't be on the site for the next 48 hours at least. A massive line of super-cell storms is moving east right now. It's spawning tornadoes in several states, and more people have been killed.  This monster storm is capable of producing enormous multiple-vortex tornadoes like the one that hit Joplin, Missouri. The storms are going to track across Indiana tomorrow, according to all projections. I have received an automated telephone call -- from local disaster preparedness -- warning that I should take precautions now. Sometimes our news media get their knickers in a twist and blow risks out of proportion, but I have to admit that this time, I'm scared (which is rare for me).

Tonight, I'm building a small tornado shelter in my back bedroom. I'm constructing it out of strong wood and reinforcing it with some old iron bars I found in my garage. I'll lash two mattresses around it. I don't have a basement, and my only closet has a window in it. :-( So I thought I should do something. I'm so very sorry to whinge, once again, about the weather, but we could experience long-term power outages here. I was afraid that if I didn't answer PMs, emails or posts that you all would think I was angry about something. I didn't want to just disappear.

Everybody have a good week and take care in your challenging conditions.