Weekly Chat, 6th December 2009

See that Annette has been too busy perhaps, to start a new week, so I'm doing the honours. Rather wet in this part of the world this morning, so doing lots of tidying & Christmas preparing stuff.

  • Hazel b said:

    Thanks Diane. It shows that ospreys are on the horizon. Only 105 days to go assuming EJ follows her usual routine.

    Someone should rig up a countdown clock!

    Much more interesting than the countdown to Christmas which seems to be bombarding us everywhere we look!

    Ospreys Rule OK, but Goldfinches come a close second!

  • Morning/afternoon/evening all.

    Margobird/Patriciat, stay dry, sounds so wet in the gardens at the moment.

    OG, good luck with the workmen today. We do have snow at the moment. It is meant to snow for a few more hours then turn to rain!! So no idea how much will be left by this evening. Being without power isn't fun. Over here , outside cities , almost all power cables are above ground (as Diane said) so in a bad ice storm, when whole trees/large branches fall on power cables it can take a while to clear up. In Connecticut we don't get in as bad as many parts of the country, including Caerann and Diane. Hope you two are safe and warm:)

    Alan, good luck with the shopping mission

  • Hello everyone. 4.30pm here and still relatively warm, temp about 0C and no snow. Weather forecast says that it will probably get colder next week.

    I was wondering what kind of winter tires you use? I know that Gary has some and I suppose that Caerann and Diane would need those too. But what about in UK? Do you change your car tires for winter?

    TerryM: Ted is wonderful. How on earth you can shave him? Doesn`t he try to run away? My cat loves brushing and I sometimes use scissors to cut some tangles off. But only where she allows, if I try to turn her to another position she gives me a "sharp handshake"

    Take care everyone and stay safe and warm/cool

  • Auntie :

    There is no need for snow tyres in UK as we very rarely have enough snow. Maybe in parts of Highland Scotland they could be needed. I remember when I lived in Scotland my dad had a set of snow chains which were used about once a year.

    Tiger : It is indeed "A life of ospreys" and I would recommend it to anyone. I also think that the idea of a countdown clock is a good one.

    Shopping mission completed sucessfully and the outside lights project just requires a bit of tweaking when darkness descends which could be soon as it is a bit dull here now.

  • Cheers, Alan.

    I have been thinking to get that Roy Dennis` book, but been hoping that it could be payed by credit card, `cause it seems quite complicated to get a check or something and send it by post there or something... But maybe I will sort the procedure out someday

  • Hi Aunite, stay warm. I'm sure winter will hit soon.

    Alan, good job on the lights!

    It has snowed about 3 inches here but now raining and it will keep raining for a few hours so may wash all the snow away. Very mucky, slushy miserable day at the moment.

  • Aunite, I can recommend that book as well. Last year watching the cam was my first full year so I'm still new to it. Roy's book gives an excellent history of Loch Garten as well as osprey's in general.

  • A picture of Clover enjoying the snow, while eating her mineral block.

  • Gary that is such a stunning photograph of Clover in the snow. 

    Margobird

  • Ooh Yes!   Lovely pic, Gary.  Clover seems quite happy with her warm coat on. (we once had a very special cat, I called her Clover because she had been a stray & I told her that she had 'landed in clover' when we got her- she lived to a ripe old age for a cat & was, as I said, particularly special)