Weekly Chat, Sunday, January 24 2010

Have just finished watching the second part of a prog about Sibelius, one of my favourite composers. Lots of film of pine trees covered in snow...

Forgot to say earlier that it has been a lovely sunny-but-cold day, 3 deg C, but quickly down to freezing at 4.30. We have chopped down another large poplar tree and put the hedge back up where it fell through into next door field, fortunately no sheep in it at the moment.

Also forgot, AQ, yes please to more history, very interesting.

The weather map looks like snow all around the edge of the land, weird. Take care, all.

Hi everyone.

A very happy Friday to all.

There was a wee bit of snow here this morning but only small amounts have landed.  Hope there isn't anymore as the stuff we had in December and the first part of  January was enough for me.  I mean it looks nice at first but you tend to get annoyed with it after a while.

AQ:  Brilliant post on the history of SA.  Hope there's more to come.

Lindybird: Looks like you have a weather patern similar to ours.  Sometimes it just can't decide what it wants to do.

Alan:  Sorry to hear you had a power cut.  I bet that felt like a long hour and a half.  Thanks for the Photo odf the year link.  Brilliant images.

OG:  The big golden orb, tends to play a brief visit in these parts at the moment.  If my Big Garden Bird Watch is anything like last year, there is a guarantee that at least one species will hide during the count and then make an appearance just after I've finished the count.

Paul.

Paul I know what you mean about the disappearing birds on BGBW day.  We've had fewer birds than usual this year (hope they haven't all died of cold) but over the last few days we've had visits from a dunnock, a female blackcap and a redpoll, none of which have visited for some time.  Bet they hide tomorrow when I'm counting!

Just popping on to say, don't forget to look at the moon, with mars to the left NOW. It is very clear. The experts say to only use binoculars or a camera with 100mm zoom as the moon and mars are so close together. It is easy to see here with the naked eye and the sky is so clear, but excellent through the bino's.

Brenda H: What a coincidence! I was just typing a post saying that tonight's full moon will appear larger than any other full moon of 2010. This full moon will look 30 percent brighter and 14 percent larger than any other moon this year. The moon is at its closest perigee, the nearest it gets to Earth during its egg-shaped orbit. Happy viewing to you and everyone! http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/01/100129-biggest-full-moon-2010-mars/

Thanks Brenda & Diane: Too often whenever astronomical events occur we in Britain suffer from adverse weather ... but tonight the skies are cloud free and the air, at least here in the East Midlands, and I suspect in most of Britain, is crystal clear.

Well worth braving the cold and nipping outside for a view.

Brenda and Diane - thanks for notes about Moon.  Haven't got any socks or shoes on to go outside so tried looking through the window.  A bit strange - double glazing gave me triple vision - or was I cross-eyed but two co-incided in the middle?  Good view of geological (lunological?) features, but didn't look particularly big to me - not as big as the full moon we had in November.

Adelaide 10.28 am Sat morn. Dry, hot & sunny, expecting 35 C <sigh> I don't want to see that golden orb in the sky - wish it would go farther away.

Diane - Thanks for magpie link - it set me off Googling. We think the hard ground/drought explanation is a furphy*. More likely a lack of calcium in their development stages. We live in metro area and many people feed birds with bread. The Australian Magpie is omnivorous, eating earthworms, millipedes, snails, spiders, scorpions, cockroaches, ants, beetles, moths, caterpillars, bees, wasps, larvae, skinks, frogs, mice & other small animals as well as grain, tubers, figs and walnuts. * Furphy = Australian slang for a rumour, or an erroneous or improbable story.

I can't remember who said what. Knitting - I tried to teach Daughters – no joy. Grand-dau actually wanted to learn a few years ago, but since she didn't master it within 5 mins, she gave up! Young people today have no stamina, sez she in a quavering aged voice. LOL. Accents - When I was in UK, many people asked if I was from New Zealand. Apparently our accents are similar, but NZers get more upset at being called Aussies than Aussies being called NZers. I guess Scots would feel the same when called English.

Lindybird said:

My father would have said to you "You deserve a wooden medal for that!"

A lady I used to board with would have said "You are worth your weight in bottle tops". I never asked if she meant soft drink tops or those foil milk bottle tops. . . .

Delighted you are interested in our history - I shall continue as and when I get A Round Tuit (get around to it).

Evening all:  Fabulous moon tonight; crystal clear and bright.

What's that you say?! Magpies eat ants? Sign me up!  Actually, the ants have retreated for the moment, but I'm sure they can't have gone far.    Took Shadow home today - she was so cute, sitting up on her hind legs wondering what was going on, her little nose twitching away. As soon as we got in the car, she buried herself in her shavings until she got home.  Daughter could get the okay to drive in another week, which will please her mightily. After the docs, we got wood and fencing to extend Oro's run outside her apartment since she won't be able to walk him for another few weeks.

Spent this evening watching a wonderul 2007 documentary (from Netflix) called "Note by Note: The Making of Steinway L1037," which follows the making of one particular concert grand piano from raw wood to its sale.  Just as interesting as the actual process that goes into making a Steinway (handmade and the only pianos in the world that are still tuned aurally rather than by computer) are the people who make them.  Big burly guys who look like they ought to be on Ice Road Truckers, long-haired ex-hippie-types in Grateful Dead T-shirts, immigrants from all over the world for a total of 25 different cultures.  Fascinating, with each piano a unique product resulting from the combination of so many skills.  The program also follows various musicians, classical and jazz, as they try out various models in order to find the one instrument that "speaks" to them. 

Anyway, I'm heading off to bed. Have a nice Saturday. Hope AQ stays cool and everyone else stays warm! Take care all.