Morning all: Happy new week.
MARGO: Welcome back!! :-))
Wendy: Thanks for keeping us up to date on Margo's Big Adventure.
dibnlib: How nice to bump into Margo et al.
Lindybird: Yes, June Gloom highly predictable; if you know of anyone planning to come to California in June, tell them not to expect beach weather, but can be pretty hot away from the coast. Re new dark countertops that don't show dirt, have been horrified to find globs of dried up sticky stuff on ours; now have to bend over and catch the light on the surface to see what needs to be scrubbed.
Diane: Only four feet from a deer? Wow. Pretty impressive, especially after looking at the pix! Maybe whistle a happy tune or put bells on your shoes next time?
Jay-Me: Vacation time sounds nice and relaxing!
Lynette: Thanks for clarifying which part of you is hurting! :-) Nice that all your furniture is finally set up; now enjoy it.
OK, off to fix dinner; back later.
Hello all - Message from Margo. She has been feeling pretty rotten and spent most of yesterday in bed. Computer is in for repair, Margo hopes to get it back at the weekend. Billie continues to give Margo and her OH a huge amount of pleasure and affection. I gave Margo a very quick rundown about what has been happening on the blogs including Diane's encounter with the buck and OG's return to the kitchen! Since the cam was down this morning at the time we were speaking I couldn't be descriptive about current events on the nest but reassured Margo that everything is fine with Odin EJ and young ones.
Hi everyone. A blustery and showery day here, and I can see another shower coming up the valley. Did anyone watch the absolutely superb match between V Williams and Data-Krumm, the 40 year old lass from Japan yesterday. Boy, what a scintillating match, worthy of a final. It was only spoiled by Williams winning in the third set!! Murray, sadly, does not look convincing at the moment. despite the Queen's match against Roddick. Time will tell. My heart says Federer, but my head says Nadal for the crown!
I have been croaking like a good'n all weekend, and apparently sounding like a creaking barn door at night, waking with a very sore throat. I think 'stuff' is beginning to move now - better out than in, as they say! Spending all day on my own with no one to talk to, means the voice doesn't get used and lubricated so I have a deep husky voice!
Had a great w/end with friends staying Friday thru to Monday. We spent Saturday afternoon on the banks of the Cam cheering on their college, with a Pimm's in hand, amid downpours. I said I would have my waterproofs with me, and they were needed. Fortunately it wasn't too chilling, and the sun warmed us up later. The formal dinner in the evening was tedious to say the least, with lots and lots of speeches in between courses. So a late night was followed by an early morning for my OH who had to start up the pizza oven on Sunday in time for a pizza lunch for 12 folk. We managed to sit outside to eat which was a blessing as I couldn't seat 12 round our dining table! A few rain drops made us prepare to rush in, but soon passed. I have to say it is lovely to have visitors, but I really enjoyed Monday afternoon!!
HeatherB lovely to hear from Margo, but not good to hear that she is still feeling rotten. Do wish her a speedy recovery from me.
Patricia the evens in Belfast are truly dreadful. What on earth do these yobs hope to achieve. I do so hope that common sense prevails and it doesn't escalate. Do take care.
Osprey how wonderful to see an osprey on your patch. I know it is highly unlikely I will ever seen one where I live - no huge rivers carrying tons of fish! But I was really elated to see two at Findhorn last month. I hope your young charges are infected with ospreyitis too! Yes, having time to stop and stare can reap its own rewards.
Tiger what beautiful pups. A friend of mine had an adult, but I have yet to visit her to see it! Opal looks a beautiful dog too. I bet Poppy will have an impact not only on her, but on the whole family. A bottomless food bowl will be required! Loved the Dubliners. Takes me back to my young and the round of folk clubs I used to go to. Can't sing now at all, but I still enjoying listening.
Chloe/Tiger pushing car out of ditch????
OG I think Bern, Switzerland, is, or was, also well known for captive bears. I was absolutely horrified to witness the bear pit in Bern probably 15 years ago now. People were throwing buns in for it to eat. It was a pit, with railings around the top. Concrete walls and floor. Unless there was an outlet/tunnel that I missed I assume this poor bear lived its life in it. Awful. However, I have just Googled and found this report: Bear in Bern
TerryM so sorry to hear about your MiL. It is difficult living so far away, but she clearly had a long and happy life. My thoughts are with you and your husband.
Oh, and by the way, the house looked lovely after all my hard work. But it needs attention already. So what was the point!!!! Surely dust will get only so deep when it will no longer show the difference!
More tennis this afternoon. Rain anticipated so the roof is closed on Centre court. Serena already a break down against Halep, Romania who won French Open juniors two/three years ago. 1-4 first set. Could be interesting.
Birdie's DU Summaries 2018 https://www.imagicat.com/
SheilaFE: Sounds like you had a really busy weekend. I saw the Date Crumm v Serena match and was disappointed at the result. I see Serena has now lost the first set against Halep the Roumanian. I always want the Williams sisters to lose as it is unfair to have men in dresses playing in the womens game.
I'm not getting into that sort of dialogue Alan!! However, I have never supported the sisters. I could admire their talent, but not their attitude. Date-Krumm was amazing and a more scintillating match between women I don't think I have ever seen. (Married to a German racing driver!) I have just seen Heather Watson's interview following her match last night, and her tears were truly genuine - not out of self-pity but more of frustration. She was, I feel, going to win her match yesterday, but for her injury. It was such a shame, but it was a gutsy effort. I like the look of the British girls at the moment, and although Ward has failed I still think we have some talent coming on from both male and females.
Come on Halep!!!
Alan, how refreshingly un-PC that remark is! I'm never keen on the Williams sisters when they're playing but they come over well in interviews.
Tiger, thanks again for Pale Male, you make it easy for us to catch up on the latest without having to search for ourselves (lazy as I am).
Chloe, lovely siskins, we had three males plus various wives/offspring at Bassenthwaite the other week, but I don't have any at home just now (I think they've gone to OG's). I don't usually keep up with Daily but I'm so glad I saw your stats website, a great reminder of Orange VS, Henry and Odin's fishing line/Tesco saga.
I had instructions from OH to cut the grass this morning but he's in the warm, dry south and has already forgotten that it is cold and wet here. Might do it after this. Yesterday morning's rainfall was nearly an inch for the previous 24 hours. MiL funeral next Friday, my chance to see the red kites that are around there these days (Chilterns). On another note completely, OH found a bird leg plus ring in his rucksack which he picked up some time ago and forgot about. Looking at the bird ring site it seems to be a pigeon so I have reported it to the racing pigeon people. I think he'll be disappointed it's not something exotic.
Terry in Cumbria
Wow. Here we are slap bang in the middle of the longest day and mid-summer day, which ought to suggest clear blue skies and sunshine. Not so. That rain I could see coming is torrential, with hail too.
Coast of Lewis, Outer Hebrides, May2011 (need camera with viewfinder so OH can get horizon horizontal)
Butt of Lewis lighthouse
South west of Harris
Lews castle
Leaving Stornoway harbour. As you can see, most of the time it was not sunny!
Stunning photos TerryM. My ex MiL came from Lewis and I have visited on a few occasions in the 70s - one visit coincided with the second marriage of an uncle of my ex. He lived in California, but the couple decided to celebrate a marriage on the island. I remember having to find something suitable to wear and bought a long plaid kilt - regrettably I can no longer tie the two leather buckles - something to do with putting on weight I believe! My second boss at the company I worked for in Cambridge also came from Lewis. He always said on his CV that he was bred, born and brought up on the island - agriculture was his subject at Glasgow. Sadly his younger brother died in Stornoway harbour as a child. I also have a friend who lives on Scalpay an island, now joined by a bridge, on the south on Harris. A beautiful, but rather stark part of the UK. The white sands against a blue sky turn the sea aquamarine.
Nice photos of Harris and Lewis Terry, I dont think there was a lot of sunshine anywhere in the UK during May. Its just luck of the draw with the weather in this country.
Here are a few photos taken on Harris last February - we had snow but sunshine too, the Outer Hebrides are so beautiful I love them no matter what the weather. So thanks for bringing back the memories for me.
EJ's Memorial Balgavies Loch Ospreys 2023
Afternoon all ... a cool day here, with rain on and off. I've been out and about with my new camera this morning, trying to get to grips with it! Here are a couple of pics ... just because!
Mary GK and TerryM - lovely photographs of the Isle of lewis ... I've never been there.
Sheila - sorry you have a bad throat ... hope it doesn't get worse.
HeatherB - thanks for letting us know about margobird - sounds like she has a real bad dose.
OG - lovely photo of the siskin ... you certainly get a great variety of birds visiting you. Thanks for your kind comments about my photographs. OH is a very good photographer, but of the 'arty' type, and he is encouraging me to find out more about what my camera can do, rather than just 'point and click'!
Linda - great pics of Buzz in the water ... love the one of him all wet ... shame we didn't see him all dried out and fluffy!!
I've wittered on for long enough ... thanks to everyone for chat etc.
Take care.
Joan - avid bird and nature watcher in Northumberland!
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