Weekly Chat, 20 November 2011

Good morning.  A misty morning is breaking into clear blue sky and sunshine although in the distance to the west I can still see that bank of mist.  I have a wonderful view down our shallow valley and currently I can see six fallow deer sauntering through the rape two fields away.  Six cock pheasants are prowling the garden too.  Their feather colours are beautiful at the moment, really iridescent in the sunshine.

Annette  I must apologise for putting the wrong comments against Lynette - it was a mistake with the mouse position rather than my getting it wrong.  That's what happens when I have two screens open to create my reply, and OH telling me to shut down the lap top as dinner was ready!  It was a case of the hurrier I go the behinder I get!! I too love lavendar and have a lot of it.  It thrives well on our dry and chalky soil, and the rabbits and deer leave it alone.  I have also seen goldfinch taking the seeds.  Your chicken dish sounded absolutely delicious.

Diane what an amazing sequence on the ISS video.  Interesting comments below it too on the amount of night light emanating from earth, and the waste of electricity.  I wonder where some of the 'hot spots' are, long ribbons of light.  Someone asked whether one string of lights was the Great Wall of China, only to answer her own question by saying it was the border between India and Pakistan.  How wonderful to be able to spot certain geographical areas by the light.

AQ I love the reports on your tours, with all the history included.  So Adelaide was named after the German wife of William IV.  Perhaps the folk of the time just remembered the good she did.  Apparently she was very generous to charity, donating up to a third of her income to worthy causes, and lived to the ripe old age of 57 which was I suspect quite a good age to reach in those days.  No doubt you took a lot more church photos to add to your collection.  Really interesting to hear of the German influence in that part of Oz.  Oh, talking about Oz, my younger nephew is currently in Sydney and seems to be having a great time.  He spent his birthday last Saturday on Bondi beach, but claims not to remember much about the end of the day!!  I wouldn't dare comment on that on his FB page!

Lynette I love your elephant photos!  Magnificent beasts and yet can be so tender.

Alan thanks for the link to Dyfi.  AutumnWatch was really was a brilliant programme this time, with a good coverage of the osprey.  Seeing Einion and watching the osprey feed the gull were the highlights for me.  It is about time we had a full hour-long programme on osprey I think!!

I thoroughly enjoyed Strictly last night, from Wembley Arena.  I am not sure who will get voted off tonight.  In theory it should be Russell Grant, as the others are better than he is.  However, he is good entertainment.  A number had mistakes this time, but what a huge space they had to fill.  I really admire the choreography.  I saw Queen at the Arena way back in 1969 or 1970, when their performance started with the thumping beat of We will rock you, which went thru my body!  This clapping and stamping beat went on and on to encourage Queen to come on stage - they were late!

Well done Prince Phillip!!

Edit.  Noisy turbines turned off in strong winds.

Nice one SheilaFE.

Please sign this petition to help stop the persecution of birds of prey in England and bring the law into line with Scotland:

epetitions.direct.gov.uk/.../23089

ALAN  Have done so, and am awaiting the acknowledgement email.  I'll put the link on my FB page too.

Hi dibnlib glad to know your trip down south went well, and that the journeys were equally good.  We have had another glorious day here, and if your walk at Nairn beach was in such conditions I envy you!

Last year I watched a film (The Cove) by a conservation group of trying to stop the vicious killing of dolphin in Japan.  I get the odd news email from them, and was horrified to get this tragic news from them today.  This occurred in Switzerland of all places.   Mind you I remember some years ago seeing a bear in a bear pit in Berne, so perhaps I shouldn't be surprised.  I believe the bears are now in a zoo, but to see people throwing buns to the poor creature really turned my stomach.  I was horrified to say the least.

Good tennis from O2 at the moment  Federer and Tsonga, third set.

This makes dreadful reading too.  Alarming to see the increasing numbers of prosecutions.  I am not sure whether it is because killing/poisoning raptors is becoming more commonplace, or whether the prosecutors are becoming more efficient.  Has the law in Scotland now changed and been passed in Parliament, or is it still going thru the paces?

Oh dear, we heard from OHs father that his sister is unwell and is being readmitted to The Churchill this evening. Seems nuts that they tell her 7 - 10 days, let her out after 4 and this happens. She has had a no of ops over the last 3 years and this has happened before. Makes you think, they haven't read her medical history before letting her out so early. Surely this adds to their workload, rather than keeping her in for the original plan. I know they need the beds but surely this is not the way of going about it.

Hi all,

Diane -  thanks for starting us off and your news, will certainly look at the "spectacular video" as soon as.

Annette -  Dau is staying with you then, hope visit goes well and glad you managed to tidy up the lavender.

AQ - Lovely pictures of your Adelaide Hills expedition, have pictures of two churches for you later from our hols.  Your visit sounded very interesting.

Alan -  Nice to hear from you.Dibnib - glad your visit to see your sister went well and that you were able to see her home. Hope the treatment went well.  Wow, all that distance in one day but as you say, weather and traffic was reasonable and at least you had a couple of stops to break the journey.  I remember coming down from Scotland to Manchester or Nottingham regularly when we lived up there in the 70's and did it in a day, marathon journey!!!!!!

As I said yesterday, OH has been chirpier but frustrated at having to wait for the angiogram and results, still that will definitely go ahead tomorrow so we should hopefully have a better idea of what the damage is and treatment etc.

 If you can all bear it I have a few more wildlife pics to show you,and some of the birds we saw. Playing up so will post some tomorrow.

Evening all: Bucketing down here much of the day. Went off to the gym and then home to start sorting through 21 years of photos of my grandson for his Xmas gift (a collage of his life so far). Now that he has his own apartment (w/girlfriend) he has walls to hang it on!  Also lit the first fire of the season in the fireplace, and it's crackling away and very cozy.

dibnlib: Welcome back but how typical - letting your OH's sister out and now she's back in the hospital again! Is there anyone in charge who knows what they're doing anymore! Glad the (very long) drive wasn't bad but now what....

Lindybird: Good luck with the shower caps; I hate it when something I've used for ages suddenly disappears from the stores.

Alan: It IS late for the lesser spotted leafblower; we haven't seen or heard any this season.

Sheila: I think our kids and grandkids would be shocked if they knew what we got up to back in the '60s and '70s.

Lynette: Do let us know how OH gets along on Monday. Daughter isn't staying with us; she has her own small place about 50 minutes up the road, but spends the night now and then. Look forward to more wildlife pix when you have the time.