Hi everyone. Happy Sunday! As usual, check out the last few entries of the previous week's chat to find out who left a plant at the supermarket checkout counter and ate a bag of chocolate donuts for lunch.
Brought Oro for home visit today; was lovely and sunny and daughter sat in the garden feeding him treats. He had a little snooze and then while my daughter took a nap Oro and I went to the beach and walked along the grassy area behind the sand for about a mile or so. (No trash cans to crash into!) Marvellous afternoon with brisk breeze and big surf, but now they're forecasting more rain for Monday through Wednesday!
A busy day. Well, busy morning. Shopping mission for grand-dau's birthday gift & grand-niece's christening gift. Plus some tedious, long-neglected stuff for yours truly . . . and the new Sara Donati novel. I spent the afternoon watching tennis and knitting. I guess a few of you will watching the next match. So will I. I shall give you a wave from my seat on the lounge. LOL. Must away to get tea.
Morning all. Absolutely definitely disgusting weather here now, temp around -17C snowing tiny "needles" and very windy so feels much colder than the numbers, blaah. But what can one do...
Must be getting ready for the day, take care all and see you later
my photos in flickr
Have been working on my sink all night. Mission finished and successful. Will catch up with everyone tomorrow. Happy Thursday everyone!
Annette: Patriciat is in Northern Ireland.
Haven't been on here for a while (corresponding that is!!) Since mid December have been away from home for various reasons, including Christmas and New Year. As I have no doubt others on these pages will have found the same problem as I have, and that is catching up with all the entries - I suppose the moral here is don't miss a day reading if you can avoid it!!
Annette:- I think your account of the walks with Oro would indicate that he might have had a whale of a time at last weekend's Husky Sled Races at Aviemore! Hope things continue to improve for your daughter. Am sorry you have problems with ants - I have a nest under my heating boiler outside and I just hope they stay there and don't decide that inside is better!!
Diane:- That was some day you had last week - the sort you couldn't even wish on your worst enemy (well maybe not!!), but you recounted it with some humour, which must have been due to telling it later and not at the time. Also liked your tales of the old homestead and the pioneers of the past.
AQ:- Do they have the "fun" bike ride every year as part of the Tour Down Under, or is this the first time? Hopefully the organization will be better in future - sure hoped there was enough water supplied. Sorry the heat has been so intense - when I was in Oz - wow ! nearly 3 years ago already! - I came from mid Feb to mid Aug so was able to avoid the really hot weather. It's funny how we get used to the cooler temps, and I actually find it very difficult to get a good night's sleep when it is too hot. Enjoy your stories about the past - when I was out there I spent 28 days driving round Tasmania and saw quite a few of the places where the penal colonies had been - really hard times for them, but the making of a great nation was the outcome.
GeorgeG:- Where was the farm shop you had coffee? I was at Muddy Boots in 2008 - good coffee, cake and food to buy in the shop.
Alan:- Good quote re dog - especially the bit about sitting on the hillside on a glorious afternoon - just what we need to think about now. Glad the car passed it's MOT - why is it we always feel like celebrating this fact?!!
Cirrus:- Glad to see you back on line.
Wonder what this weekend's Big Garden Birdwatch will reveal - feel numbers will probably be down, but some surprises may well show up. Personally, I have not had many birds to feeders for some time - hopefully this will improve in Feb/March.
Point of Interest:- Countryfile on BBC1 on Sunday at 19.00hrs is supposed to be from the Cairngorms.
Request:- Would it be possible for those of you outside the UK to put your time on your blogs for a week or so - as this will let some of us know the time lapse behind/in front of the published blog time. Many thanks
Lastly what do you all feel about continuing this blog in this weekly format instead of reverting to the Daily Chat we had during last season? We would still have the opportunity to put comments on the LG page, but I feel this weekly chat has been an absolute boon. Three cheers for Annette (who I think originally suggested this format)
That's all for now - off to bed as it is now getting light. I have been on Night Shift since the Open Tennis started in Melbourne last monday week!!!!!!!!!! Never mind I think it is only evening matches from now on (which means the morning here!)
Good morning – stay-at-home Thursday here, no latte and cakes. About to start the day with my porridge. Got a certain tennis match to dip into this morning while catching up with some friends’ correspondence.
TerryM – have been watching Michael Portillo on his train journeys – very much enjoying them. I think it’s a pity they didn’t give him a whole hour and explore a bit deeper in some of the places.
Caerann – thanks for the lovely links – wish there were more hours in the day. As you say, the wild classroom has loads of material to explore!
Annette – pleased you took some time out before you started rushing about! Back to the chocolate digestives, I see!
Auntie – sorry about your uncomfortable weather. I thought you worked nights, but are you working on the day shift now?
Ospreys Rule OK, but Goldfinches come a close second!
Morning OG! I have to work roughly only one night-shift every three weeks, otherwise I do mornings (7am-3pm) and evenings (2pm-9.30pm). Have a nice day!
For Liz, I`m two hours before UK, so it is 10.30 am now
Liz LFW – missed your long post while composing mine – good to see you again! Our bird numbers are quite fluid right now – a lot will depend on the time we choose for BGBW on Sat/Sun! Very slight frost here this am, so more blackbirds again today. Never miss Countryfile but will watch with added interest this week since Son will be moving up there very soon. Agree about weekly chat for general conversation – as you say, daily blog will be there for Osprey comments. Are you not watching Andy’s match??!!
Auntie – enjoy your morning, and safe journey to work for the evening shift – thanks for explaining!
Morning all. Another day nearer 'The Return of the Ospreys'! It's dry here so far, will have to see what develops. (Couls always look at the Met Office website.)
OG So pleased your son has had confirmation of his job - you (and he) must be really happy. Can you not go out for more latte and delicious stuff?
Annette I'm not in the US - Northern Ireland - just a bit smaller! We've been enjoying having our own local Assembly again but it's hit a big bump in the road.
Thanks OG, will drive carefully.
Urban birds: this sea eagle was photographed last Sunday in marketplace in Helsinki (our capital)
patriciat Nice to hear that you are from N Ireland. I grew up in N Ireland a long time ago. I was back there for the first time in eight years in September. I hardly recognised the place. What part are you from?
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