Weekly Chat, Sunday June 5, 2011

Afternoon all,

Thanks for all the earlier chat.

Margo : I hope you have a great time at LG and the weather is not too 'Scottish'

Linda : Nice new avatar pic, its a pity they have gone so small.

Weather is cloudy but dry, possible showers later.

Earlier went into town to pay in cheque from the pet insurers. Left Lady P to do some lady type shopping and she will get the bus home.

Nice goldfinch on the feeders just as I got home:

OG thanks so much wonderful pic which has now been saved.  Will be a happy memory of what I am going to see and do.

Thanks Alan will have to take whatever the weather throws at me, will just be so delighted to be there.  Cracking pic of the goldfinch.

Just a quick visit while home for lunch and Mia walk.  Have to go back to work this afternoon - I don't usually work on Friday afternoon but BiL is coming in a while for Mia so she won't be alone again for long.

MARGO - I HOPE YOU HAVE AN ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC TIME.   Can't wait to hear about it all when you get back.  The only thing is you won't be able to wait until the next time..........

ChloeB said:

A very quick hello to all and then off again. Going away again tomorrow, up to Northumberland this time. Lots of jobs to do first.

Going away again Chloe? :-)))    Hope you have a great time ... in my neck of the woods!! OH and I are off to Druridge Pools this afternoon ... see if we can spot spoonbills!

Wendy - All I know about Lossie Tornados is that they have to get so many flying hours in a certain period of time. SiL is with 15 (Training) Squadron. If the weather is bad, etc and they have to catch up, then I truly feel sorry for you guys! However, little 2 yr old granddaughter just looks out of the window and shrieks ' Mummy, Daddy's planes!!' when she hears then sees them. Or is it sees then hears them?

Good afternoon everyone: Just back fron my trip to Aberdeen airport to collect OH. Super sunny trip over but some heavy rain on the way back. Flight delayed by half an hour so had to park (most expensive for parking compared to Inverness) OH couldn't let me know as the plane was sitting on the runway all that time.

Yes the fires in Dorset are dreadful the worst for 35 years, OH said he could see the plumes of smoke as he drove from Ringwood to Wool. I remember those fire very well as lived close ro Ringwood forest which was all but destroyed. I think I remember the smell of the smoke as it hung in the area for a very long time. Sad for the ground nesting birds and also the sand lizards. OH was watching the news at the youngests last night and there was a fireman holding a lizard he had saved and it was off to a safe haven.

Margo: This time tomorrow you will be enjoying a trip across Dava moor in brilliant sunshine....I hope.

HeatherB: We live quite high up aloong the Spey and quite enjoy the planes going across they have to practise somewhere so why not here. We have a friend who flew fast jets but only flew over Scotland and then back to base and when we moved here he was one of our first visitors. I find with planes when you have heard them they have already past over.

OG: Enjoy your holiday and await photos.

TRISH I am ex RAF (an assistant air traffic controller) and I served at RAF Wildenrath in Germany in 1975-77 when we had Harriers at the base. I agree they were wonderful aircraft and a very sad loss.  I married an RAF officer (air traffic controller) and he was based at Lossie in 1983/4. It was a very exciting base to work at. In those days Lossie had Shackletons and Buccaneers - famous for their low flying skills. The squadron had a t shirt made up to have a go at the Americans "real men fly THROUGH Beirut, not over it" and crew on board ships were known to duck when the Buccs flew over. Lossie was also the Jaguar operational conversion unit, so as you can imagine the tower was great fun to work in. I would hate to see it close. On the other hand if it is not Lossie, it will be Leuchars, another great RAF base. It was my first tour and we had both Phantoms and Lightnings (amazing aircraft) OH had a tour there in 1985/6/7 when Phantoms and Tornados were based there. Leuchars is now home to the Typhoon which is a wonderful aircraft to watch, and hear. I first saw it display at the Battle of Britain Air Day last year, quite superb. It would be ideal if both these bases could stay open but I fear it is not to be.       Sorry if I have bored those not interested in military aircraft.