Evening/Morning all: This week should bring more interesting news about Mallachie. Check the last few entries of the previous Weekly Chat for another photo of Queenie and other input from bloggers!
Hope you all got your clocks, microwaves, coffee pots, TVs, etc., organized for the next six months. And when did BST replace GMT, at least in the summer. In the US, standard and daylight savings time have had a long and fascinating (and apparently often confusing) history, given that we have three times zones for the contiguous states. DST is another matter, with most states changing but some not, but at least we don't have 30 minute increments like they do in Australia!
TerryM: The GE Help window is pretty clear re tours. I do recall that it took several "clicks" to get the thing started. Other folks commented on that and I had the same experience in the beginning but then it was okay. I tried to copy and paste some of the info onto your page, but it included boxes with images and they didn't copy. I'm sure other folks will have more helpful info. Good luck. Too bad lovely Queenie isn't around any more. When my daughter and I were away the other week, we stayed at a place which is a favorite "drop off" spot for folks wanting to "lose" cats. They had three cats when we were there, which hung around the garden entrance to the dining room waiting to be fed (by the staff). One night, the cats were served prime rib, all nicely chopped up for easy digestion!!!!
Alan: So. Are you treating us all to a trip to Loch Garten next year with your lottery winnings or will we be depending on the webcam again? :-)
Gary: Dying to hear about your English food outing (what was it really like?)
OG: We grow tomatoes outside here but my friends who do often fence them and other veggies in to keep various critters, including deer, from snacking on them; not to mention snails. My sister has expressed some frustration with EU rules - specifically not being able to buy French cheese off a market stall (I think that was it). Is following EU rules a bore or do you think it's generally for the good?
Just went out to top up the birds' drinking bowl and spotted our lodger snoozing in the late afternoon warmth (6.45 pm - 30 C). She was better camouflaged that this pic shows. Suddenly she did a U-turn and disappeared under the log.
Annette: Have a good, safe journey to Sanger. Sounds lovely there. Post pics when you get back! Oh, and more than once, I have gone to work with two different shoes on -- back when I was working too many hours at the publishing house. We editors could look a little rag-tag. LOL
Margobird: I am so happy that you had a good time at Denbury. You must have found the emu, rhea, and swans engaging -- and, of course, Dennis the turkey! I know that Arnie must have been so glad to see you. Please take good care of yourself and recover from your flu!
LIndybird: I so loved the pictures of the leopard and mouse. Whenever I need to summon up some courage in my life, I'm going to think about that wee mouse. LOL!
dibnlib: That A A Gill guy needs a serious attitude adjustment. :-(
aquilareen: Your story about the blue-tongued skink was riveting! So enjoyed it. You need to write a book. And what a wonderful beastie! Are they endangered? The cobalt blue tongues make them look amazingly psychedelic -- like a hippie poster from 1969! I looked at some other pics of them. I think you should name your skink "Lizardo da Vinci". LOL Oh, and thanks for your offer to send me some sunshine. You send me sunshine, and I'll send you rain and cool breezes.
Ok, I think I have caught up with everyone. I haven't been online much -- battling the flu. If my fever gets any worse, I'm going to be seeing blue skinks...and purple leopards...and green elephants. LOL
Oh, Gary, for you -- LOL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbHc69dllwA
Good evening/morning everyone.
I've been keeping tabs via my emil notifications today, as i've been busy. I don't have time right now to make comments to everyone, but i thought I'd better let you know I'm still around.
AQ:, Your blue-tongue is a lovely lookng specimen! In much the same way as frogs, there's not too much wrong with your environment if you have them. We have a colony of about 8 bearded dragons on our place, but we also have a couple of blue-tongues.I've only seen ours a couple of times this spring though. Not really surprising, since I've been avoiding the garden as much as possible because of my hay fever. If you're a little timid about yours, there's something you should know. They can't move backwards, only forwards, so no matter how much they want to slip away quietly if you happen upon them, they must move forwards a bit to turn around. Just give him enough space to do that. He's not trying to charge at you! ;-) If you're thinking of providing a bit of habitat for him, a length of hollow log or sewer pipe gives him good protection from cats and foxes. Just make sure it's open at both ends, or it becomes a trap. Scatter some mulch over it to disquise it, make sure there's some clean water at ground level for it, and you have a very happy skink.
Smiles, Jan.
Diane in Indiana sorry to hear you are battling with flu. It seems to be the time of the year for all these viruses that go around. I was feeling a little better until I fell flat on my face on the patio. Now have black eye and bruising all down the right side of my face. Gave my knees and ribs a good old wallop too. Goodness knows what my husband is going to say when he comes in tonight. I will looking as though I have been in a boxing ring. Perhaps I put a bit too much brandy with honey and lemon last night LOL.
Still apart from this mishap happy memories of Denbury and will be going again next year. It is such a lovely place and to get hands on with all animals is right up my street.
Hope your fever goes soon, take care of yourself.
Margobird
aquilareen what a good picture I love snakes and have done ever since I was a child.
oeiginal goldfinch as you will see from a previous post perhaps I took too much of the brandy with the other ingredients. Only joking got my foot caught up in the hose. My patio looked as there had been a massacre out there. I have to take aspirin every day and when you cut yourself it is very hard ti stop the bleeding. Have a good weekend.
Thanks Lindybird great pictures. My word that mose was brave.
Lindybird I took honey, lemon and brandy mixed together last night and it did help but will try your remedy tonight. Will have to go easy on the whiskey though as this morning I fell flat on my face on our patio. Husband is going to get quite a shock when he comes home, black eye, split lip and bruising all down one side of my face. I don't think I had too much brandy just tripped over the garden hose after filling by bird baths.
Margobird: Oh, Dear! - you are 'in the wars' as my dear mother used to say. Do take care of yourself. That black eye will get worse, too, before it looks better! Wish I could send you something nice to cheer you up.Tell you what, here are some flowers!!! ::
Diane: Sorry to hear your flu is still taking hold, too. It's not much fun when you have a fever, everything you do seems like Everest to climb. Hope you are over the worst by time you read this.
AQ: Your skink is gorgeous! Was going to say, lets have a competition to name him, but the one suggested is great, isnt it??
Weather cloudy here today, and a little colder- lots of rain forecast for the weekend, which will put a bit of a dampener on the Halloween revellers. Off now to prepare veggies for tonight, as much loved sister-in-law is coming to dinner, but pudding will have to be just raspberries as we are all on diets. (again - ugh!) At least the dog lost weight, but then he didn't have much choice in the matter!!!! He is still young enough to run about and burn up the calories, but my running days are over, if they ever existed.
Have a good day, All.
Margobird, very many commiserations on your fall. It must have been a real shock to the system. How kind of Liindybird to send some flowers. All I can find is me at Westonbirt Arboretum last Sunday - but I hope you can enjoy the colour.