Weekly Chat, Sunday, January 24 2010

Hi everyone,

A little "technical update". I raised a query in Technical Problems on the main forum, about the fact that forum threads were getting archived and disappearing, once they'd been inactive for 2 months. I've finally got a reply that this was unintentional, and they've now made all the threads, dating back to when the Forum started in July 09, visible again. So, we don't need to worry about losing stuff any more. 

However, within the Loch Garten Ospreys group, there's a twist. To see all the threads, you need to look at the LGO Forum page, not the LGO Home page (no, I hadn't realised there was a difference either). The correct address to bookmark is:

http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/groups/lochgartenospreys/forum/default.aspx 

Thanks very much for that info Sue C and thanks for explaining how to access all the old threads on the LGO forum. I have just had a look and it is all there. You're a star.

FAB

Hi everyone.

Cleaned the windows today, well tried to and the seemed to look cleaner but after taking some pictures of bird through them, I discovered I could've polished them with a better cloth.  Turns out the camera doesn't lie after all.  Either that or I need to get the camera serviced.  I bought it in the later part of 2007, so I'd imagine there's going to be some wear and tear in the workings.  Not sure if the cover plan is still active (really hope so as cash situation isn't great), so I'll probably just have to wade through a piles of paperwork to see what I can find.  In a way I'm hoping it's just me that's no good at window cleaning.  Good result for Andy Murray in the Australian Open.  Didn't see the game but I reckon that's probably a good luck charm, Murray seems to have a poor game whenever I watch.  So I'm making a concious descision not to jinx the guy. 

Alan:  That's sad news about the humming bird chick.  I suppose it's just nature's way though.  Nice pictures of the wild pig, eagle, and oprey.  Thanks for posting.  Great to see the list of February osprey sightings.

Annette:  I'm having the same problem as you getting on this forum.  Have to go through email notifications so I can post this.

Diane:  Thanks for posting the Estonian ecotourism link.  Brilliant information there.  Thanks for the web cam link, it's now been bookmarked.

Caerann:  Great scarey owl pic.  Thanks for posting.

AQ:  Fascinating info about settlement in SA.  Thanks for posting.  Hope you had a good Australia Day, apart from having to do the domestic chores.

OG:  Good news there's lot more space in your study since tidying up.  I didn't know I actually had a writing style.  Usually I read te email notification, then log on and read the posts since I last posted, procastinate a bit before deciding what to write.  Then I just plod around the keyboard and hope something half decent comes out. :-)

Lindybird:  Brilliant holiday story.  Amazing tale, brilliantly written as usual.  Glad the Ancient Auntie Mission went well.

Stay safe and happy everyone.


Paul

Evening all: Phew. What a day. Cleaned daughter's apartment while her friend took her to the docs; she's now safely and happily tucked up in her own space.  Grandson was very pleased with the job he'd done keeping the place clean and did a stellar job of vacuuming the visible part of the carpet and dusting the edges of the furniture and surfaces - which only emphasized the undusted parts!  Still, for a 19-year-old boy (dare I say?), it was a good effort. The bathroom had, unfortunately, escaped his attention entirely, so that took me the best part of the morning. Tiny bathroom; kept bumping into myself.  All sparkly now. Then went to local supermarket to stock up her fridge. OH has just cleared the dinner table (got take-out tonight) and is tidying up. I may spend my entire Wednesday in bed eating bonbons and watching telly, except I seem to have acquired a basket of dirty laundry in my travels!  Hmmm.  Oh. Very funny story - last night, at our house, daughter was feeling restless and wanted to help and I came in from the store to find she'd done a wonderful job of folding all the dirty laundry!  I thought I'd lost my mind. Couldn't remember putting anything in the dryer; then thought, "Wait a minute, I don't even remember putting anything in the washer."  We all had a huge laugh.

Lindybird: That's an amazing holiday coincidence!!  I took my daughter to Europe in 1974 and we were in the Anne Frank house in Amsterdam when we bumped into a lady who lived down the road from us in Long Beach, California.  Small world!   But beyond that, isn't it funny how we all used to troop off to Europe on vacation without a second thought? I went to Rimini with my girlfriend when we were 17!!  No chaperones; flirted like crazy wtih all the boys; burned ourselves to crisps (must've used the same suntain oil); then tootled happily home, never having done anything remotely naughty (we didn't even drink!).   Good that ancient Auntie had a good day.

Margobird: I stick with wine these days; hate to think of how much "hard"  stuff I used to be able to handle - and then - horrors - we'd drive home!  My mother used to drink shandy's - beer and lemonade????

Alan: That's an interesting list of sightings. I wonder when they'll turn on the cam at Loch Garten.... thanks for all the pix!

Patriciat: Oh my, mouth-to-mouth on a puppy - congratulations.

Sue: Thanks so much for sorting out the archives - a good thing since they were apparently unaware that it was happening.  Are you still a regular on Facebook?  I just can't keep up with all the pages and webcams.

Heron:   Hope it's the windows that are fuzzy and not your camera.  If Andy Murray loses; we'll know who to blame! :-)

Hi, all. Caerann: Loved that owl picture. Awesome! Are you covered in snow up there?    Paul Heron: So glad you're feeling better. Hope it's the windows that are fuzzy. By the way, Whitley Strieber (author of The Wolfen, The Grays, Communion, 2012, etc.) has a website that is wild, weird fun. I like to read his "News" section late at night.  http://www.unknowncountry.com/news/month.phtml   Sue C: Thanks for the technical fix!    Alan: Thanks for the great pics you posted today. FAB!    Margobird:  I'll bet your army stories are wonderful! What was your "job" in the army?     Lindybird: Really, really loved your "holiday coincidence" story. Life's synchronicities are amazing and sometimes powerful. I've often thought that it would be fun to write a book on the subject.    Tiger: Thanks for the astronomy link. Very interesting story about your father and your connection to America. He was here during a very rough time for the country.    AQ: Enjoyed your information about early Australia. And you're right. I think pioneers everywhere were hardy souls. I feel a real obligation to live up to the courage, resilience, and grace of my ancesters, but I fear that I'm not successful.    HeatherB: I was so interested to read about your West Highlands grandmother. We should, indeed, be proud!

OG: My goodness, are you busy. You're making me feel guilty. I'm going to have to step up my efforts on this house. I know what you mean about the accumulation of papers. Where does it all come from? I'm still going through mine. I just found a plastic container full of keys. Have no idea at all what most of them open. LOL!    Patriciat: Hope the crisis with your government is resolved in the best possible way.    Annette: I'm not having any trouble at all with the images on the Estonia Forest Cam 1 or 2 or the Window Bird Feeder Cam. My streaming images are reasonably clear and steady. I haven't been able to access the Seal Cam, but I just assumed that it's down. The weather can be soooo brutal there on the Baltic Sea. Lovely little birds on Pete's Pond last night. Hope your daughter settles back home okay. You were busy, too, today. I think you deserve about a week of eating chocolate and watching really mindless TV. Speaking of mindless, did you see that frightening, awful Supreme Court decision? What is wrong with our country?

Diane: Yes indeed; did take note of the Supreme Court decision. It gets pretty disheartening - and now we have two other Senate seats open.  I feel the public in general is just too impatient for the economic situation to ease. Simple for me to say, of course, since I'm not unemployed or facing foreclosure.    I like the idea of a week off!  Am watching Nova program on Monarch butterflies - a very gentle sort of program; sootthing dialog and music and lovely images.....      Pouring with rain at Pete's Pond right now.

Hey Everyone!

I hope you all are doing well and thanks for all the photos, links and stories of house cleaning, and trips abroad.  =O)

Annette & Diane:  I have a book recommendation for you as to what the heck is going on in our country. It's called Deerhunting With Jesus (Dispatches From America's Class War) by Joe Bageant. Published in 2007 it's a scary eye-opener to the world of the poor class in Appalachia and the south and the influence they have on our politics, religion, economy and culture. (And the pitiful delusions they live under as well.) I'm sure you'd find it an interesting read.

http://www.amazon.com/Deer-Hunting-Jesus-Dispatches-Americas/dp/0307339378/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264571546&sr=1-1

I'm off to bed now. Take care all!

Back to school today for all our students. ‘Tis the start of the school year. It reached 33 C in the city. Currently here it is 21 C with 68% humidity. It is thundering lightly and trying to rain. Perhaps I should shut down before the lightning pings my ‘puter.

Lindybird – Your poor aunt. It is all very well prolonging life but quality of life is important. My Dad had diabetes, yet in his last years he would sneak a custard tart when he was down the street.

OG – I have watched episodes 3 & 4 of Beachcomber Cottage. While I enjoyed the scenery, I felt it didn’t ring quite true. Why would anyone kill their ram for meat? No more lambs next year. Surely one would take a ewe that was not producing. And I thought shooting him in front of the flock was cruel. My Dad had a sheep farm and every so often he would kill a sheep for our meat. He did so quietly with no fuss after penning the animal alone. Oh yes, I’m probably forgetting the producer’s need to add drama and suspense to the series.

Annette & others – Lots of the planning was lacking in early SA. Not only did they send the first emigrants before the surveys (and before the site for the first settlement was chosen), they didn’t send any draught animals to assist. The surveyors had for transport merely a handcart! No horses, no bullocks. I'll add more later when no thunder.

Good-Wednesday-Morning.  Dreich but milder (+5) today.  Pootled about, filing etc, Tuesday morning.  To dietician in the afternoon – then (tut-tut) coffee shop for latte and (not carrot cake) lemon and ginger cheesecake – OH had Christmas pudding!  Printed magazine masters in the evening – that’s my part finished – he then takes them to finish in the church print room, and I get a few afternoons to myself while he does it!!

BrendaH – total for electricity fund not good – wish we could do more, but cash is limited for everyone right now – country might be coming out of recession (they say) but effect on individuals takes longer to recover.

Margobird – saw last part of Andy Murray’s match online while multi-tasking – he’s really playing well, but a sad way for the match to end.

Alan – Burns without Haggis?  Shame on you!  I think “they” hope that Cilic will be tired after two five-setters and give Andy the edge – if he needs it.  I guess that was the early boar catching the food – looked like it had just been scattered, so I am sure others came later – I seem to remember a prog where they said the α male feeds first.  Haven’t been to Storre Mosse for ages – must look in soon.  Thanks for osprey dates and other pics too – especially Aviemore sled rally.

Lindybird – loved your holiday coincidences story!  We find here in Scotland, with only about five million population, that the “six degrees of separation” theory really does hold true – often closer than that!  Glad Ancient Aunt is as happy as can be – very difficult when folk are ready to give up – had it with F-i-L for nine years after M-i-L  died, and at first he wasn’t even in bad health!

Patriciat – good that you have contact with your cousin in BC.  Loved your puppy story with the happy ending – well done!

Heron – sorry window-cleaning didn’t work out – ours are bad because we are awaiting w-cleaner outside – couldn’t come when risk of water freezing as he did them.  When he has been, we shall be able to see what is on the inside!

Annette – Am sure all you did at Dau’s flat is much appreciated – and well done G-son for trying.  When we visited G-sons’ student flat in E’burgh, we were actually impressed by the bathroom – but wondered if Girlfriend had taken it in hand!  Loved the folded laundry incident!  Hope you get some good quality rest and relaxation now.

Diane – I have to admit that due to physical limitations I really haven’t done much – but I had to have the vision and then supervise the heavy stuff – although I really did help with filing, archiving and (best of all!) throwing out!  We compost all our shredded paper, so it isn’t wasted.  I claim that paper migrates into our house when we aren’t looking!!

AQ – you sound all hot and bothered in that humidity!  Hope storms didn’t damage anything.  Interested to hear about early settlers – we get stories, but from a very British point of view!

Hello to everyone - do so hope you are all well and happy. Couldn't possible catch up with all  the news but have done a 'speed read'.  I note the rain at Pete's Pond Annette but can't seem to access the camera.

Please could someone give me the link again. 56.12.46 to go !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!