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!
Morning all: Ugh. Problems signing in again. What's going on!
Caerann: Fab shot of owl. Thanks.
AQ: Ah so. Had to laugh about Col. Light arriving to survey the land after the first settlers arrived. Was it OG who said something about not being able to organize a booze-up in a brewery? :-)
Tiger: Thanks for astronomy link; always amazing.
OG: You have spare computer parts that OH can't part with? I'm sure I could find those tiny floppy DOS start up disks somewhere in our garage, along with the very first Windows Operating Manual. I'm still jealous of all that organizing you've done. What a nice start to the year. Sneezes gone; thanks, must've been an allergy thing.
Brenda: Thanks for update on electricity fund! Still a ways to go and not many days left. Oh dear.
Lindybird: Hope ancient Auntie had a successful appointment and maybe a little happier about being here.
Alan: Thanks again for photo - never boaring.
Today is going to be busy. Off I go! Take care all.
Quiet here again, today. Sorry if I sound a bit depressing in the above post: feel better now I've said it!
Thanks to Caerann for the lovely owl pic. Have been looking at the Galleries again, & there are always some interesting pics on there. Will try to post a photo myself, later.
Would you like to hear about some of my 'Holiday Coincidences' tales? I'm sure if I put some on here, you can all add to them yourselves, as these things are surprisingly common.
When I was the tender age of 19, I horrified my parents by going away on holiday, on an aeroplane , for goodness sake! with a group of friends: 3 girls & 3 boys, all only 18/19. We booked a package in Majorca, the Spanish Balaeric Islands, which included the flight & all the hotel + meals. We shared two rooms - 3 girls in one, 3 boys in the other, and had a jolly time! We smeared ourselves with lots of oil (cringe now!) & duly got burned within the first couple of days. We tried to work our way across the strange looking bottles on the shelf behind the hotel bar, but had to give up (drink was very cheap in those days). We explored around the capital, Palma, near where we were staying, & saw the magnificent Cathedral & the exciting Port. After a few days, the boys, being more adventurous, decided we should rent some mopeds & drive north to see some of the spectacular bays. We collected a packed lunch from the hotel, & set off. The road became more & more winding & steep as we rode, one girl behind each boy, several miles across the island. It was hot & tiring. When we reached the bay, we enjoyed our lunch & then returned. Our parents were no doubt relieved to see us all get back to UK in one piece, eventually, but we didn't tell them about the mopeds until much later!
Fast forward to over 18 years later. I have married, & with two children in tow we go to Majora for a beach holiday. As we have hired a car, I suggest we go to the other side of the island to our Hotel, to explore the bays I saw all those years ago. As we wind our way over the mountainous winding road, I describe my previous holiday there, as a young woman. We find the main resort, walk along the front, then step onto the sand. We have not gone 5 yards before I hear someone calling my name! Of course, I know no one here, so I ignore it until a woman grabs my arm- it is my very good friend from all those years ago, & she is here with huband (No. 2!) and 2 boys also. She has been describing the very same holiday to her family that morning, & is astounded to see us. They are not staying in that resort either, as they have rented a villa in the hills. We have not seen each other since our early 20's, when we attended each others weddings & then lost touch... I pointed out that we could all have been staying on the island for 2 weeks without seeing each other, very easily. We found out later that we had in fact been on the island previously, but not on the same dates.
Missed you, Annette, as I composed all of the above ramblings. glad you & daughter are OK. Thanks to Alan for nice boar pic., it looks cold there. Agree that Murray looked on good form in the tennis match, & we thought he could probably have won it, anyway. Off to collect Auntie now, 'bye.
Linidybird it is quiet today guess everyone is busy. Loved reading your holiday stories. the first time I went away at the age of 17 it was with the boyfriend and his parents. We went to Guernsey, first time I had flown while the parents went by boat and had a terribly rough journey and it took them a good 2 days to get over it. My next flight was to Malta when I was in the Army and I could tell some tales about the time I spent in the army. My Mum would have had a fit if she had seen me at times. I celebrated my 21st birthday there but I really can't remember a lot about it. It all seemed to be about partying in those days and there were many, many times when I was more than a bit merry. I hardly touch a drop now just a glass of wine now and again as I don't like the way too much of the hard stuff makes me feel. My OH is a bit put out when we go in a pub and I ask for a lemondade.
Hope Auntie got on OK but I know what you mean about the quality of life. The last 10 years that my Mum was alive there was very little quality to her life and it broke my heart to see how she was.
Margobird
Just been watching Storre mosse webcam for a change and got this pic of an eagle:
Return of the ospreys is getting closer. This is a list of sightings in February for the last 7 years.
Data taken from Birdguides website:
Osprey on the nest at Cape Coral in Florida
http://69.69.158.131/view/index.shtml
Nice to see an osprey on the nest, Alan.
Ancient Auntie Mission sorted out, & she has another clinic appointment next week, too. She said she felt much better today, so we shared a cup of tea when I delivered her home, & she seemed OK. (she has seen the new little puppy I mentioned, so I am jealous now & will have to go & see her too, soon or I'll burst!)
Off to cook dinner & write some letters.
Here is a photo that my daughter Lorraine took at the sled dog racing at Aviemore on sunday:
Hi folks. Haven't even had time to read the blog for a couple of days - Saturday, Sunday and Monday all have dog training sessions to be fitted in with everything else! - then I got a long newsy email from my cousin in British Columbia, Canada, and wanted to reply. We tend to leave long gaps in our 'correspondence' and then have much to say.
I'm glad to hear that most of you who have been ill are feeling a bit better. All take care anyway.
Lindybird so the puppy is to be called Meg. We had a Meg many years ago. She was one of a litter from our very first BC. The first pup was too long in transit and alas I couldn't revive him, so when the third-born didn't breathe I was frantic. Dropping her onto my hand didn't work so in desperation I resorted to mouth to mouth resuscitation and that did work. Needless to say, we couldn't part with her although the rest of the litter were sold. Meg was a very pretty dog with a beautiful nature and, if her namesake is as good, her owners will be blessed.
Hilary H ountry folk in the east of Northern Ireland use 'sleekit' in the sense of 'sly'. There is quite a strong Ulster-Scots element and great efforts are made to keep 'the hamely tongue' alive.
Must go to watch the Gaelic sheepdog trials!