Evening all: Happy New Week!
Thanks Julie.
Spotted eagles make the news:
http://birdmap.5dvision.ee/index.php?lang=en
Good morning all and thank you Julie for the reminder about Feed the Birds day, saw a bit about it on TV this morning. It is Feed the Bird Day every day in my garden as we get towards winter it wil be Feed the Birds two or three times a day.
My sister had a much better day yesterday albeit she slept most of the day. Phoned this morning and she and BiL managed about 8 hours sleep in total. BiL just had to give her pain relief once through the night. He says she is not making much sense at all when she speaks but the main thing is she is not suffering. He worries that she is not getting enough fluids down her but says she has had 2 cups of tea this morning and he was just about to make her some porridge for her which will be easy for her to eat. Doctor is coming in to see her again today and all the support BiL is getting is helping in. I can't fault the way he is taking care of her and today he sounded a lot more relaxed knowing that she is not suffering so much. My other sister and I are going to make a decision about a visit over the weekend. The 10 days that have passed since she finished the radiotherapy will have elapsed and BiL was told that things would get better, so fingers crossed they do. Of course we do know that she is not going to be cured but there is always hope that we will have her for a while longer.
OG realise I have missed you but do enjoy the Bird Club conference and I am sure you son will cope while you are away. At least he has all the comfort of a good home. Looking forward to the pic of the goldfinches when you return. Once again thank you for your continuing throughts and prayers.
Lindybird your usual good film report and what a healthy looking holly bush. I am sure the birds will home in to all those berried soon. Love the pics of Buzz enjoying his swim, hope you stood well out of the way when he came out and shook himself.
dibnlib have been thinking of you and wondering how you were so it was a nice surprise to log in and see a post from you. I can hardly believe it is a year since you broke you leg, time just flies by. Thanks for your thoughts for my sister and the family it has been a very traumatic few months for all of us and of course it is ongoing. Hope your neighbour's wife will be able to cope but if she has the support from MacMillan nurses etc who are very good, I am sure she will be OK. So kind of you and OH to help out and I am sure it is greatly appreciated. Wonderful photo proving once again what beautiful scenery Scotland has to offer.
trish 2 thank you and pain control is much improved I have to say and being managed properly with help from the carers, dsitrict nurse, MacMillan nurse and the doctor who is calling in regularly.
Heather B don't be sorry for being frank, we all realise that we must see her soon and will make a decision this weekend. She had a much better day yesterday albeit she slept most of the day and only needed pain relief once during the day.
Lynette you are the same as me apart from my last holiday I am always packed well in advance. OH leaves it all to the last minute and then worried that he will get to our hotel and find out he has missed something. I think mnay of us had an awfully miserable day yesterday, it rained non-stop for over 24 hours here but today it bright and sunny. Pain control for my sister much better now although BiL says she is comatose most of the time at the moment but the main thing is she is not suffering. Many thanks for the captures from Djuma again. Can't remember when you are off but do have a great holiday and take care.
Heron so nice to see a post from you about your little Wren visiting. We have all missed your wonderful sense of humour.
AW thank you for hugs and prayers. Have really enjoyed the magpie saga but what a shame about Momma and Auntie, wonder how long they can survive like that. Thanks also for Friday Smiles and pics. Do enjoy your weekend awayl
Sandra many thanks for your thoughts and kind of you to look in to keep up to date with things. I do hope you will pop in now and again especially as you manage to post lovely captures of the owl family.
Alan thanks and as you can see my sister did have a better day but is not really with it at the moment due to all the medication. I watch that programme but have got very upset about some of cruelty cases that have been featured.
Just managed this before afternoon arrives so have a good day all and hope the sun is shining for you, take care.
Margobird
MARGO glad your sister had an improved day and hopefully it will get a little better now she is further on from the radiotherapy.
On packing, I always pack very early, then have to unpack and repack to make sure I have everything I need, what a waste of time!
Did my volunteering today. I am now back to helping people with learning literacies difficulties which I enjoy. What I was doing previously had become very multi media orientated which is not really my thing. It means catching the bus into Inverness but I am happy to do that for the better tutoring environment.
Yesterday I mentioned Fingals Cave and lo and behold I found a pic of it on this weeks Scotlands pictures. For anyone interested these are published weekly on a Friday. Go into the BBC news page, then click on Scotland and find pictures. There are often some real beauties. Anyway here is Fingals Cave but not from Scotlands pictures as I couldn't insert it
Managed to get the first after all.
Wonder if I can post this pic taken by my friend yesterday. Actually think that the other dog is a Pomeranian not a Papillon. Must ask friend when I see her next week. Think it is fairly obvious which one is Dillon!!!!
LINDY Meant to say that Buzz and Dillon are 2 of a kind. Water just has to be paddled in or preferably deep enough to swim in!
Morning all:
Sandra: Potted Plant Owl a hoot - and to think I've been wasting my time on succulents and roses! :-)
Lindybird: For some reason Oro (daughter's dog) doesn't like diving into ponds or playing in the surf. Too bad reallly as Buzz obviously has a great time.
Alan: We have the same animal rescue programs here. Was at the Humane Society the other day with my daughter (making reservations for Oro over the holidays) and saw three thoroughbreds, just sickeningly emaciated, that had been removed from their owners due to neglect. They weren't on view but daughter and I asked if we could see them since daughter thinks she might know the previous owners. Anyway, they were being very well cared and will be put up for adoption in a few months; however, many people are giving up their large animals due to the economy. We have a bunch of small "ranchettes" over the hill in the Santa Ynez Valley and I think a lot of "wannabe" weekend ranchers thought it would be neat to own horses; now these folks are losing their homes and we have these kinds of situations. Just awful. No spotted eagles in my neck of the woods!
Julie: That little video is so cute! Thanks for the smiles.
Margo: So glad your sister and BiL had a good day; what a relief for all of you that the pain can be controlled.
dibnlib: Marvellous photo of Fingals Cave; fabulous geology, must now Google to find out more. I'm trying to remember who wrote the piece of the same name....but can Google that too! Good for you with the volunteering; it's amazing how many people have literacy problems; we have many similar programs here run by the local libraries, etc. I think I figured out which dog is which in the photo. :-)
Off to start the day; take care everyone.
FINGAL'S CAVE per Wikipedia:
It is formed entirely from hexagonally jointed basalt columns, similar in structure to (and part of the same ancient lava flow as) the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland and those of nearby Ulva. In both cases, the cooling surface of the mass of hot lava cracked in a hexagonal pattern in a similar way to drying mud cracking as it shrinks, and these cracks gradually extended down into the mass of lava as it cooled and shrank to form the columns, which were subsequently exposed by erosion.
Its size and naturally arched roof, and the eerie sounds produced by the echoes of waves, give it the atmosphere of a natural cathedral. The cave's Gaelic name, Uamh-Binn, means "cave of melody.
AND....
Romantic composer Felix Mendelssohn visited in 1829 and wrote Die Hebriden (in English, Hebrides Overture Opus 26,) (How could I forget good old Felix!)
Sorry, it's me again. I keep meaning to ask the Scottish and OZ contingents if anyone knows anything about Scottish and NZ (sorry if not technically part of OZ!) salmon. We have a huge fish market at the pier and along with U.S. West Coast fish, they also have "Scottish salmon" (which I assume is farmed) and "sustainably farmed" New Zealand salmon which implies, although perhaps incorrectly, that Scottish salmon isn't sustainably farmed. We really like Wild Alaska King Salmon, but the price is always higher.
ANNETTE Knew how Fingals Cave was formed but did not realise the Gaelic was "Cave of Melody" how lovely is that, thank you. When we visited, there were some Americans on the boat with us. They played the flute on the way over, then went into the cave much deeper than we did and continued to play the most wonderful haunting tunes. When we got our next puppy OH had the great idea of naming him Fingal. When we moved here 16 years ago we came accross a Newfoundland of the same name, but that has been the only time we have met another 4 legged Fingal.