Weekly Chat, Sunday June 5, 2011

Hi again all: Daughter made it back to AZ fine, in spite of major detour through Phoenix due to missing a vital turnoff!  Weather here in SoCal cool and mild  - very English! More drizzle due tomorrow.  Got grandson packed; now have some of his stuff in our garage' til he moves in with girlfriend on the 14th, then there'll be another flurry of activity.  Did start off the day with nice breakfast with three friends at wonderful local bakery - Jeannine's - (scrambled eggs, fresh fruit, and a lemon and blueberry muffin). Very yummy.    

Alan: Long time since we've seen "Thunderdog" - handsome as ever. How's his paw; has it completely healed?

Diane: Thanks for the red X tip.  Hope it doesn't stay hot and muggy.

Brenda: Haven't been relaxing lately, that's for sure, and daily whizzing about doesn't necessarily make for a good routine (dietary or otherwise). We used to have eiderdown comforters (duvets?) when I was a kid.

George: Good to see you; sorry about your fridge, but good that you're enjoying Diesel's company.

Lindybird: Maybe eldest's garden will get some attention when the tiling is done?

Terry: Great shot of the stones! Shall have to Google them for more info (and to find out what a Broch is).  Chilly eh, in that last one?   :-)

OG: Oh dear, there you are, pickling and freezing goodies again - bet the food at your house must be marvellous.

Heading to bed soon; have a good Sunday all.

My grateful thanks to everyone, for the past weeks info and pics.

You are all amazing!!!!!

I do so love catching up with all your news.

Looking forward to another eventful week.

Mind you there was one occasion this week,I worried that the little ones , were far too close to the edge, but Mum cleverly coaxed them back to the centre, with a food drop.

Kate

Morning, Everyone.  Cloudy here and not as warm as the last few days.    :-(     Still, can still get out and do more gardening.  We don't have a large garden but there is always something waiting to be done.  Will post some pics of our flowers, later.

Have a Good Sunday!

Good morning all just a quick post while OH is out shopping yet again.  Had a little rain overnight and first thing this morning but much cooler than of late.  I think Billie found it all bit much and just slept somewhere cool all day.

Thanks for all the pics and Alan for the latest pic of Hamish,  such a lovely dog.  Good to hear from george g again.

Have a good Sunday all.

Just a few replies to start with:

Annette:  Glad your daughter managed not to get too lost on her way home!   See that your garage has come into use once again as storage - hope its only temporary!  My Eldest hates gardening, and I told him he should have bought a flat!  He does most of his actual 'gardening' in one big effort, when the grass is probably too long for the mower to cope, and all the little weeds have grown into actual trees.  He would probably have done it earlier if he had known I was coming to call: he hates me going on about it.

Terry:  Love the pics of the Stones!  Those circles are endlessly fascinating - so old, and its not really known what they were for. Also the little Broch - wonderful that it still there after all these years.

george:  good to hear you and Diesel are getting into routines and enjoying going out together.

Alan:  Great pic of The Thunderdog - he's so handsome, in his red collar!

Kate:  Nice to hear from you - yes, they are a great bunch on here. We think its probably unique!

Good Morning ALL. Spotting with rain and cooler. Heavy rain and thunderstorms promised for this evening, overnight and tomorrow morning, so that should soak the very parched ground.

Annette, I remember eiderdowns as a child when we all had blankets. Duvets then replaced the blankets and eiderdowns.

Alan, Hamish looks very handsome. Lovely photograph. Thanks for your beautiful baby blackbird pic. too.

George, We always carried water for our dog during hot weather and his walks were always shorter and very early in the morning and late at night. Sorry you had trouble with your fridge, what a pain.

Terry, Loved your photographs. If only those stones could talk.

Wendy, Enjoy your walk today.

Diane, I am sure I wouldn't have been gardening in those temperatures. Far too hot for me.

OG, I have never frozen any herbs. Do you lay them on trays to freeze before you put them in bags ?

We are going out for lunch so will 'see' you all later.

Alan good to see Hamish looking as distinguished as ever!

Well we were woken by such a racket this morning, blackbirds alarm calling.  OH looked out and said "oh hello Mrs SH"!  She was sat on the hedge at the top of the garden.  It's quite a few weeks since we have seen her so we were pleased but the other birds definitely were not.  Late yesterday we had a poorly looking blackbird in the garden.  Couldn't get near it to catch it as it paniced and ran off but clearly did not seem to be able to fly and seemed to be breathing rather heavily.  He looked like a few feathers were missing too.  I was really worried about him as he settled in the corner near the shed.  We threw a few sunflower seeds to near where he was. Sure enough this morning he'd gone. was it a cat I wonder of Mrs SH. Maybe the cats didn't visit last night and some rest, peace and quiet was all he needed to recover from whatever trauma he's suffered.  I wondered what had happened to him  in the 1st place.  We've certainly had quite a few blackbird fights this Spring.  I will have to watch out for him - the missing feathers should be enough to identify him.

Right, back to the vacuuming then I'd better go and help OH at the allotment.

Afternoon all,

Annette: Hamish is back at the vets tomorrow for a check up on his foot so we will see what she says then.

Everyone else thanks for the chat and pics.

Just had an amazing morning at Barnwell CP in the Kingfisher hide. We have not seen kingfishers there for a couple of years but today there was not one but two diving in and out of the water. Normally they are just a flash of ble but I manage to get a couple of pics when one was still on a branch:

Well done Alan.  As you say all I've managed to see is a flash of blue whizz by.

I started this last week and never got finished but I'll post it here and continue below it :

Thinking of you organising for your visit to LG Margo - not long now. So pleased the concert was all you hoped for and that your dear puss is being thoroughly spoiled. That's what pets are for.

Talking of pets - Alan , how is Hamish?

Oh Heather. It's so disappointing isn't it. Wind and rain and..... hailstones. We've had lots of rain here today. Patio plants looking soggy. We haven't had drought conditions that really matter cos my bedding plants and hanging basket are not planted yet and the garden shrubs just have to dig deeper. But, when we do I use the hosepipe - so far we have never had a ban . Well, not for years and years

My thoughts will be with you Dibnlib - I so hope this therapy course will be a) shorter than longer and b)  thoroughly successful. You'll be missed. If you can , as Annette says, do stick your 'head in the door' if you possibly can.

Thanks for the news re the Derby Peregrines, Alan

Ok That's as far asI got           I  began the post during last weeks Chat and then got caught up in gardening and goodness knows what and never got topost it thinking, ''I'll finish up to the current date (whenever that was ) and then do a post.''  And somehow the whole week went by and i never got caught up with you all, sigh. Never mind - the bit I typed ready in Quick note I'll post and then post this which will begin with Today's Chat otherwise I will never keep up the pace of everyone's posts    LoL.

Lovelyp ic of Bobbie Alicat  - how she's grown!

OG, cow and swan so peaceful looking . And simply super pics of greenfinch and goldfinches

Oh Lynette, what a coup ! Many thanks for the pics from Pete's pond,

Just concentrating on the pics curerntly so  I can ''catch up''  -  So I'm sure to be  asking questions about things everyone knows about  - sorry in advance.

Yes, Alan , a very lovely young blackbird and Ahhhhh- a most attractive looking Thunderdog!  Trust tomorrow's  visit to the vet has a positive conclusion. Simply STUNNING images of the Kingfisher - just lovely Alan

Terry, how splendid - how interestingly historical - great holiday pictures, thank you. I note your warm clothes   .....

What a yummy breakfast Annette -  particularly the muffin 

Kate - you'll have to steel yourself for when the chicks are young adults then !!!  But , take courage. we haven't ever  lost a check over the side   :)

Yes, cloudy her too Lindy - and LOTS of rain so can't continue my gardening today. Hope yours goes well.

So glad the blackbird rallied Trish. It was probably traumatised and needed a safe place to rest and
recouperate

Ah the 'pips' are sounding again (Mr Cuckoo doing his 'thing')