Hi folks: Don't forget to check the last pages of the previous chat for links, comments, and all the usual twaddle. :-)
I think it was a good thing we stayed home for Christmas - we were able to keep feeding all the many blackbirds (up to 15!) as well as starlings, dunnocks, robin, sparrows, goldies, chaffies, doves, bluetits ... Family out the back, who never normally feed birds, kept putting out huge chunks of food after each meal so we had flocks of gulls around, but the real garden birds came back each time, when the gulls moved on.
Just done the phone the family Christmas thing - daughter #1 has snow falling now, daughter #2 had her boiler break down last Tuesday - can't repair, will need replacement but probably after New Year! They have an immersion heater and several fan heaters and convection heaters so should be OK. Grandsons have been building an igloo around their garden bench!!
We have enjoyed our quiet day - and I won our traditional game of Trivial Pursuit as usual. Hope everyone has enjoyed Christmas Day - and is comfortably warm (or cool where necessary) and safe.
Ospreys Rule OK, but Goldfinches come a close second!
aquilareen said: . . . and that means the cook doesn't have to cook tomorrow! Yet I am. Because one daughter was missing yesterday, daus (& appendages) are coming for a simple lunch tomorrow. They won't expect or want a big meal.
. . . and that means the cook doesn't have to cook tomorrow! Yet I am. Because one daughter was missing yesterday, daus (& appendages) are coming for a simple lunch tomorrow. They won't expect or want a big meal.
AQ - pleased you had a good family day. I agree, it is hard to grasp that you are now in Boxing Day, we are just ending Christmas Day, and Annette etc are in the middle of Christmas Day! I assume it must be Sunday 27th that you are feeding daughters and "appendages"? OH did a good shop on Christmas Eve - he had a list and found everything, but also bought some profiteroles which were a good ending to our dinner - and some left for tomorrow! Shopping for just the two of us,we've managed not to have huge amounts of leftovers - just things which will augment planned salad lunches for the next two days.
OG - glad you were able to be positive about missing your planned Christmas. Yes Sunday is our next feast (but mini-feast). I like having leftovers so I can be lazy this coming week. I bought a very wee ham which will go nicely with salad as our temps are going to warm up again, creeping up to high 30s over the next week.
Before . . .
. . . after
AQ, what great pictures , thanks. How lovely the table looked. Love the little dogs:) Glad you had a nice day, and you as well OG.
We had a lovely day here, dry and bright and had too much to eat, couldn't manage any christmas pud but will try for tomorrow.
Hope everyone has had a lovely day doing their thing. Happy Boxing day:)
Phew! All survived here; hope everyone else did too. Now sitting with cup of coffee and contemplating a slice of warm apple pie and ice cream. Had lovely - oh wait - the Queen is on our evening news with parts of her annual Christmas message! Anyway, had lovely day - grandson brought daughter down yesterday and she stayed the night so we had a nice quiet morning sitting about chatting, then the usual phone call to the UK family and several calls to and from granddaughter in Arizona, who was working a 12-hour shift today (she's an Emergency Medical Tech with an ambulance company). She was busy tackling some ham and other goodies that some thoughtful people delivered to the station. Then grandson showed up with really nice gift (picnic basket full of yummy cheeses, chocolates, coffees, teas and crackers), which we were thrilled with since he's been a bit indifferent to the family for a year or so, so all in all a very good day. I drove my daughter home while grandson went off to see his girlfriend and OH tackled the dishes! Glorious golden afternoon for a drive to daughter's house with green hills one one side and blue ocean on the other. We are so fortunate. Now the Christmas lights are on and the dishwasher is humming softly in the kitchen.
AQ: The before-and-after photo looks very, very familiar! Glad you had a nice day with no cooking on the horizon for a day or so. OG: I'm not much of a game person but loved Trivial Pursuit and also Pictionary. We don't have Boxing Day here, which should've been included in our BIll of Rights! Love profiteroles! Do they have chocolate icing?
Off for pie!
Anybody around? Just thought I'd report that there are lots of animals at a very sunny Pete's Pond in Botswana right now. An aggressive Kori Bustard displayed all of its grand plumage and scared away an entire herd of impalas! It made absolutely clear that it wasn't about to share its portion of the watering hole with a bunch of four-footed critters. http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/wildcamafrica/ Also, an adorable baby wildebeast frolicking about.
Thanks for the reminder, Diane. This is the busiest I have seen Pete's Pond. Going back to watch some more.
AQ/Diane: I can't get Pete's Pond right now - how about you guys (if you're still around)?
Drat. They've all gone. Dau#1 gave me a book for Xmas, Twenty Chickens for a Saddle by Robyn Scott about her growing up in Botswana. What's more, her home was at Selebi Phikwe, near this Game Reserve. It's a small world. Ooh, they're back, warthogs too. Gotta go again. .
Yes, Annette I can still get Pete's Pond. I'm much better organised now I have set up my split screens with them & chat page. There are impala (?) and warthogs. And lots of strange sounds. How is your Xmas day going?