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?
AQ: Thanks for the story about your resident skink- you tell a good tale. Wonder if she/he will breed? You will know when there is a loud patter of many tiny feet, I suppose. I'm not frightened of snakes but would not like to think I may come across one suddenly, in the garden, as you could.
Alan: Hope your shopping mission was successfully completed. Saw the osprey shown all too briefly on the film, was looking out for other kinds of wildlife but I suppose they could not divert from the bears as it would have had to be a 3 hour film otherwise; such a lot of interesting scenes and creatures were just glimpsed. Have a good day, love to Hamish the brave! FAB!
Thanks Lindybird I am intending to stretch out this afternoon and get some sleep, trouble is I keep coughing. Looking forward to watching the programme about the bears, I think animals can teach us a lot given the chance. I read a very interesting book last year about a man and his bears. For the life of me I cannot remember what it was called and who wrote it. Will have to do some research on the internet to see if i can find out as it is a very interesting read.
Margobird
Margobird, sorry you are feeling worse. As others have said, if you can get a nap (between coughs) that may make you feel better.
AQ, what a great story and well told! Had me hooked. That skink looks very interesting. As long as it doesn't bite me I would be quite happy with it in the garden.
OG, enjoy the day with your daughter.
Not much more to add, so won't!! Not raining here (sounds cold where you are Caerann/Annette) . Big snow storm near the "middle" of the country, with up to a couple of feet of snow!
Shopping mission accomplished and on the way back LadyP said "lets go to Fineshade and have a walk and lunch in the Top Lodge Cafe". It did not take much persuading as half term shopping in Tescos is a bit depressing. Had a nice walk at Fineshade and visited the hide. Not much wildlife around just a few squirrels and a Greater Spotted Woodpecker and some coal tits. On driving back we saw 4 Red Kites from the car, one was being mobbed by some crows. Lady P gave we a running commentary as I was driving. Well that is 7 Red Kites in 2 days so they must be thriving in this area. Home now and Hamish has had a walk and a play in the garden. Weather has been amazing again today for late October. Latest temp 16.5c.
Morning all.
Margobird: Don't you just hate that? You're already tired from the bug, then on top of it you get more wiped out from lack of sleep. Any point in calling the doc to get something that might help before the weekend?
Re bears: Has anyone seen Werner Hezog's documentary on Timothy Treadwell, aka Grizzly Man? Treadwell was an amateur naturalist/film maker, among other things, who lived with the grizzly bears up in Alaska for 13 seasons. He took his girlfriend along with him (she was more enamored of him than the bears). Anyway, in 2003 the pair were killed by the bears in a particularly gruesome attack that was recorded on his video cam, which was apparently in his sleeping bag at the time, so the audio was the only "witness" to the event. The recording has never been released (thank heaven!). I guess it just goes to show that bears, like all wild animals, can revert to their less cuddly state at any time.
What a cheery note to end your day/start mine on! Hope all of you who are out and about had a lovely day.
Margobird: I feel for you. You poor thing. I am almost ok, but I did`t have any bug, just a reaction to the flu-shot. Anyway feeling ok enough to go to a night shift...blaah... Hope you can get some sleep after all.
my photos in flickr
Just had a lovely day at Hauxley Nature Reserve - saw the usual geese,swans and ducks. Also had my first ever sighting of goosanders - 6 of them flew onto the lake when we were in one of the hides - they gave us a lovely display of preening and fishing! We also saw a small group of snow buntings beside the sand dunes.
Margobird - I hope you have managed a sleep and are feeling a bit better.
Joan - avid bird and nature watcher in Northumberland!
Index Thread
hi lindybird
i have gone to work with different earrings in each ear. no one mentioned it and discovered it myself when i went to the loo. kept them in for the rest of my shift anyway
hi terry m
what the red arrows look like geese!!!! no get your meaning really LOL it is definitely best to stop whether it is geese or the red arrows
Back from Caerlaverock - didn't have soup because it was ham and lentil and I can't stand meat in what I think should be a veggie soup! So I had a very good cheese and onion toastie and then (sheer indulgence) a scone with cream and strawberyy jam)
Plenty of Geese (Barnacle and Greylag), assorted Ducks (Tufted, Teal, Wigeon, Mallard), Hooper and Mute Swans (no Bewick at present), Snipe, Blacktailed Godwit, Heron, Kestrel and a Marsh Harrier on the way home! Will have to sort photos - on more than one camera. All three of us enjoyed a relaxing day out.
Ospreys Rule OK, but Goldfinches come a close second!