Weekly Chat, Sunday November 29,2009

Annette: That's very funny because I was on the Cornell Univ. Ornithology Lab website today. Great minds think alike! :-)

Re: the fast and simultaneous departure of the hummingbird chicks.  I missed the fledge, but I tuned in to the site just after they left. People on the chat there were talking about the fact that the branch with the nest shook fairly violently right before they fledged. Some people were saying that a snake or lizard may have been climbing the branch to the nest, and the chicks were frightened. The mother hummingbird could be seen flitting under/behind the nest, and some felt that she was aggressively protecting the chicks from a threat. That's why the chicks left exactly together. Others said that the wind shook the branch/nest, and the chicks took advantage of the stronger wind to aid them in their first flight.

Gary: Things have returned to what passes for normal here. Thanks for asking!

Auntie: I saw your post about this week's full moon. Wasn't it just wonderful?!!! It appeared huge in the sky here, and very bright.

By the way, everyone, we will enjoy a rare Blue Moon (the second full moon in a month) on 31 December, New Year's Eve. (Not true for aquilareen and Wattle. In your locale, the full Moon will occur on 2010 January 1, and your Blue Moon will be in January of 2010 -- that's what I read, anyway :-)

Take care, all. Sorry I couldn't acknowledge all the chat comments. Always enjoy everyone's postings.

Hi everybody!  No, I haven't fallen off the end of the earth - just busy with pre-Christmas stuff.  I've now finished all the decorating I'm going to do.  My daughter and her family will be visiting us for a couple of days about a week before Christmas, so I had to do the decorating early.  Now I only have to hide the packing debris from the decorations somewhere until 6 January, and give the floor a really good vacuum!  I've sent the couple of overseas cards I had to, and updated and printed out my Christmas card list last night, so I'll make a start on the cards tomorrow.  I've done some Christmas shopping, but need to make my Christmas cakes and other goodies yet, and do our major food and Christmas shopping on Friday.  Having cooler weather has made my work so far SO MUCH easier!!!

There's been far too much going on here to even attempt to respond to any of it, except to thank Dianne for the info on the Australian Blue Moon!  The usually tell us about these things the day after the event.  I took some photos on Thursday morning of the full moon setting just after sunrise.  Hope you like this one.

Nice picture of the moon Wattle15.

Here on Tracy Island the sun is shining once more after another night of rain.

I have just planted my Rowan tree and sent the picture of me planting it to the BBC website for the attempted world record. Fantastico!!!

Weather:

Sunny , temp 8.4c , wind SW 13mph , vis 30kms , pressure 997hPa rising

Wattle, thanks for the super picture.

I love the shadows of the trees leaning towards the moon:) Beautiful.

Hi Folks, Join the Haggis hunt, Prizes to be won!

http://haggishunt.scotsman.com/camera.cfm?camera=1

If you see one click 'I saw a haggis'.

Good Luck!

See Above.

Eilean Donan Castle

Originally built as a defence against the Vikings, Eilean Donan, or Island of Donan, is a 13th century castle which sits on an island in Loch Duich in the western Highlands of Scotland.

The island is home to a large colony of Hielan Haggi who thrive due to the sparse human population and lush heather vegetation.

In 2001, the island had a population of just one person and countless Haggi. An aggressive species, it is noted for taking few prisoners and is described by Ghillies around the world as one of the more difficult to spot.

The origin of this Haggi is unknown although their uncompromising attitude is in line with the island's turbulent history. In 1539 Iain Dubh Matheson, chief of the Clan Matheson died whilst defending the castle against the Clan MacDonald of Sleat on behalf of the Clan Macrae and Clan Mackenzie. In April 1719 the castle was occupied by Spanish troops attempting to start another Jacobite Rising. It was recaptured, and then demolished, by three Royal Navy frigates on 10-13 May 1719. The Spanish troops were defeated a month later at the Battle of Glen Shiel.

The castle lay in ruins, abandoned and open to the elements, for 200 years, until 1919 when the island was bought by Lt. Col. John MacRae-Gilstrap.

Thanks JSB. Going to join in the "hunt" now

diane thanks for the humming bird site. i watched for a while yesterday but missed them fledging. it all happened too fast.

checked out creature comforts and it wasn't that. i think it was on at the same time but on bbc. they used footage of real animals and put appropriate words to their actions. A critic said that they could just imagine the people doing the voices in a room together just curled up with laughter and i could too.

Good Morning/Day!

Cold morning here at -4c with wind chill at -9c but sunny.

Wattle: Good to hear from you and thanks much for the moon photo, it's been overcast here at night so I haven't been able to see it.

Dibnlib & Diane: I love Creature Comforts too and have the DVD "Merry Christmas Everybody" which is absolutely delightful. I used to watch the show when it was broadcast, ever too briefly, and of course I love Wallace and Gromit, too.

I'm off today for a lady's day out at a rock and mineral open house offered by the Chicago Gem and Mineral Society and then we're working on craft projects. I've been a total rock hound since childhood and have built up quite a collection but my young grandniece loves crystals and such so I may find something for her there. For my craft project I'm crocheting a 52 in. x 65 in. blanket in 4 shades of blue for my folks, but for next X-mas as it's very time-consuming so I need another year on it. 

Happy Saturday One & All!