LG Osprey GABFEST - November

October has come and gone and once again it is time to open a new thread for the Gabfest..

During October we did finish the movie WILD MOUNTAIN THYME, complete with musical score, as planned. We launched it into distribution with its own World Premier. The Stars and most of the Supporting Cast were there appropriately dressed for their glitzy walk down the red carpet. Unfortunately co-stars EJ & ODEN and family were unable to attend as they are all currently on migration to Africa.

Keith surprised us with some very interesting bird & wildlife reports direct from the Sahara Dessert and from his own equatorial Island in the Sun. His on-the-spot factual reports helped us to understand the dangers our osprey face once they complete their long hazardous journey.

Our first music night was a smashing success that left everyone eager for the second.

Then we ended the month with a wonderfully thoughtful and caring discussion of the benefits or possible harm of the tracking of osprey and other birds.

NOVEMBER will bring continued reports and DISCUSSIONS of our own “Special Three“, Tore, Bynack and Rothes who have arrived safely in Africa. We will be watching especially for news of Bynack who has been in an area that seems to be potentially dangerous. We will be watching also for updates of young Ozwold who was VERY reluctant to leave Bonnie Scotland, but is finally taking a stopover in Spain where Roy Dennis says he can safely winter. So, will Ozwold stay in Spain? or will he move south?, on his own unique time schedule? We will also be following the adventures and misadventures of other tagged osprey, including Einion who had us holding our breath while he made a huge circle over the Atlantic, his siblings from the Dyfi nest and others that may come to our attention.  All this and much more is discussed on the Gabfest.

We expect to have The Second Gabfest Music Night toward the end of the month. The theme is yet to be discussed & determined.

This is the Freedom Forum, where fun, fact and fantasy combine to make a very unique thread. So come on in and chat a while with us. Our fire is bright and the latch is always open.

  • Hope you Diana and June are ok  that the tornado does not too much damage. Take care.

  • Thanks, Diana.  Nothing here yet.  Even mycomputer  Weathr Bug is quiet.  You take care & stay safe.

  • JUNE - AN ANNOUNCEMENT TO ALL US CITIZENS FROM HM QUEEN ELIZABETH

    To the citizens of the United States of America from Her Sovereign Majesty Queen... Elizabeth II

    In light of your failure in recent years to nominate competent candidates for President of the USA and thus to govern yourselves, we hereby give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective immediately.

    (You should look up 'revocation' in the Oxford English Dictionary.)

    Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will resume monarchical duties over all states, commonwealths, and territories (except Kansas, which she does not fancy).

    Your new Prime Minister, David Cameron , will appoint a Governor for America without the need for further elections.

    Congress and the Senate will be disbanded. A questionnaire may be circulated next year to determine whether any of you noticed.

    To aid in the transition to a British Crown dependency, the following rules are introduced with immediate effect:

    1. The letter 'U' will be reinstated in words such as 'colour,' 'favour,' 'labour' and 'neighbour.' Likewise, you will learn to spell 'doughnut' without skipping half the letters, and the suffix '-ize' will be replaced by the suffix '-ise.' Generally, you will be expected to raise your vocabulary to acceptable levels. (look up 'vocabulary').

    2. Using the same twenty-seven words interspersed with filler noises such as ''like' and 'you know' is an unacceptable and inefficient form of communication. There is no such thing as U.S. English. We will let Microsoft know on your behalf. The Microsoft spell-checker will be adjusted to take into account the reinstated letter 'u'' and the elimination of '-ize.'

    3. July 4th will no longer be celebrated as a holiday.

    4. You will learn to resolve personal issues without using guns, lawyers, or therapists. The fact that you need so many lawyers and therapists shows that you're not quite ready to be independent. Guns should only be used for shooting grouse. If you can't sort things out without suing someone or speaking to a therapist, then you're not ready to shoot grouse.

    5. Therefore, you will no longer be allowed to own or carry anything more dangerous than a vegetable peeler. Although a permit will be required if you wish to carry a vegetable peeler in public.


    6. All intersections will be replaced with roundabouts, and you will start driving on the left side with immediate effect. At the same time, you will go metric with immediate effect and without the benefit of conversion tables. Both roundabouts and metrication will help you understand the British sense of humour.

    7. The former USA will adopt UK prices on petrol (which you have been calling gasoline) of roughly $10/US gallon. Get used to it.

    8. You will learn to make real chips. Those things you call French fries are not real chips, and those things you insist on calling potato chips are properly called crisps. Real chips are thick cut, fried in animal fat, and dressed not with catsup but with vinegar.

    9. The cold, tasteless stuff you insist on calling beer is not actually beer at all. Henceforth, only proper British Bitter will be referred to as beer, and European brews of known and accepted provenance will be referred to as Lager. South African beer is also acceptable, as they are pound for pound the greatest sporting nation on earth and it can only be due to the beer. They are also part of the British Commonwealth - see what it did for them. American brands will be referred to as Near-Frozen Gnat's Urine, so that all can be sold without risk of further confusion.

    10. Hollywood will be required occasionally to cast English actors as good guys. Hollywood will also be required to cast English actors to play English characters. Watching Andie Macdowell attempt English dialogue in Four Weddings and a Funeral was an experience akin to having one's ears removed with a cheese grater.

    11. You will cease playing American football. There is only one kind of proper football; you call it soccer. Those of you brave enough will, in time, be allowed to play rugby (which has some similarities to American football, but does not involve stopping for a rest every twenty seconds or wearing full kevlar body armour like a bunch of nancies).

    12. Further, you will stop playing baseball. It is not reasonable to host an event called the World Series for a game which is not played outside ofAmerica. Since only 2.1% of you are aware there is a world beyond your borders, your error is understandable. You will learn cricket, and we will let you face the South Africans first to take the sting out of their deliveries.

    13. You must tell us who killed JFK. It's been driving us mad.

    14. An internal revenue agent (i.e. tax collector) from Her Majesty's Government will be with you shortly to ensure the acquisition of all monies due (backdated to 1776).

    15. Daily Tea Time begins promptly at 4 p.m. with proper cups, with saucers, and never mugs, with high quality biscuits (cookies) and cakes; plus strawberries (with cream) when in season.

    God Save the Queen!

  • Hey, I have been on holiday Friday and Monday.  What a thrill to come home to my letter from RSPB with confirmation that I can volunteer at LG next July for a week - how excited am I :0)

  • Hee Hee Hee Keith - very funny.  Hope you are feeling much better

  • HEY!! AREN"T WE CUTE!  WATCH IT, BUB!!  I can take back all those nice things I said about Scotland.

    Now I"LL go back & read the rest of what you said!

  • LMAC, BIG CONGRATULATIONS on your confirmation as a volunteer.

  • HI LMAC - Yes feeling alot better but may not be after June finishes reading the new constitution and gets hold of me - may be I will end up in hospital again.

    Congratulations on your appointment to LG in July - I visit there regularly and speek with the volunteers and they all thoroughly enjoy it. July is a great time to be there - mid July is fledging time and prior all the flapping so you will be well entertained.

  • lmac fabulous news for you and maybe the week a chick fledges. So happy for you and also envious. :)

    Keith that is so funny and June surely you wil not take back those nice things you said about Scotland :) I know you have a SOH and sometimes I wonder about that Keith Rodgers, he must be feeling better :)

  • "Congress and the Senate will be disbanded"  To tell the truth, sometimes we'd kinda like to disband em ourselves.

    "Using the same twenty-seven words interspersed with filler noises such as ''like' and 'you know' is an unacceptable and inefficient form of communication," Agreed.   If YOUR Queen can accomplish that for our younger generation, we'll hire her as teacher immediaely. Very attractive picture of YOUR very nice queen, BTW>