Happy new week folks! Don't foget to check the last few posts of the previous week. Heron posted a photo of a female reed bunting, AQ saw a "ginormous flock of corellas" (must Google that!), OG has found a nice B&B for her trip, Alan posted a nifty shot of the changing of the guard at the eagle nest, folks are wondering how Diane is doing with the storm the big storm back East, and much, much more! :-) We had almost 2 inches of rain in Santa Barbara today, which is brilliant. Still sorting files and likely to be doing so for a day or three to come. Take care all.
Spring is on its way, & so are our beloved ospreys!
Goodnight All.
Good news that Diane, Gary & our US friends are safe from storms & the explosion. Haven't heard anything here yet about the latter, maybe tonight's news. Diane – I love your description of the wind chime woods. On our farm we had a plantation of gum trees with one huge pine tree close to the house, outside my bedroom window. The sound of the wind in the trees was soothing. How inconsiderate of NASA!!!
To all who had to look up corellas – Sorry I don’t realize what you don’t know about our birds. Yes, OG, they are Little Corellas. I heard them screeching this morning while I was hanging the washing. Probably in the same spot but it is too hot to venture out on a photo mission.
I have mentioned before that Himself’s family has this strange custom of the birthday person supplying their own cake. This is the marble cake that Miss 14 & two friends baked and decorated for us (we gather at m-i-l's nursing home, a dozen of us take over one of the lounge areas, much to the amazement of staff "what a big family you have".
Skink news – Lizarda was sunning herself yesterday morning in the back garden. We haven't seen her for months. Spotted by Himself, by the time we had grabbed our cameras, she had retreated. There is a suspicious tunnel in the pile of vegetation we call a compost heap.
Thirteen months after the bird bath was installed outside our kitchen window, the New Holland honeyeaters have discovered it. Late in the day 1 or 2 or 3 may be found splashing furiously, out to perch on rim, and repeat. I have tried for days to catch one "in the act". This is the best of my attempts – on different days.
Now, where did I put my towel?
AQ, great photo's thanks so much
Stay cool.
Ladies and Gents:
I give you the avian Jeff Beck:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/willgompertz/2010/02/40_wild_birds_play_a_gibson_le.html
Hello again to all:
Getting ready for snow here on Monday night through the wee hours of Wednesday possibly with 6 to 10 inches expected so not too bad when compared to our east coast.
I had tried to report last week that the Eagle cam project at Fort Saint Vrain has lost both their overhead cam and their backup overhead cam so if you've noticed the difference in viewing, that's what happened. The overhead cam will be out until next season so let's hope our luck holds and the current cam remains functional.
Gary: This is my official welcome back to you and I'm glad to hear you had a good holiday and the snowstorm missed you.
BrendaH: Happy belated birthday wishes to you! =O)
O.G. Please take good care of yourself and rest, rest, rest. =O)
Happy Whale Watching to Annette. Sounds like a wonderful way to spend time!
Diane: Such a poet you are with the icy tree description and all. Glad you fared the storm safely and have time to prepare for the next one.
DibnLib: You are absolutely correct about the nameless wife #2 in Rebecca! How nice that Hitchcock didn't take liberties and change that for the movie version. Watched the Hitchcock Hour TV program this evening entitled "Final Performance" which was very, very creepy. The synopsis said "While a past vaudevillian hits the comeback trail, his youthful fiancée frantically maps plans to escape from him" but he ends up murdering her in a weird twist at the end.
So on to the wedding which was very, very lovely. My neice held her ceremony at Kemper Chapel in Kenosha Wisconsin, which is right on the shore of the very cold and blustery Lake Michigan. The reception followed at the Founders Hall which connects to the chapel by an interior hallway so we never even had to leave the building. We did have a ceilidh of sorts, we call them "receptions" here but this one had no dancing and loud music so after dinner all were able to socialize in a civilized way, not shouting at each other. Not sure why she had no dancing, guess it was to be have something different and not for any religious reasons. Anyway, we had a very grand time seeing my siblings and their children and meeting a whole new group of our family through the marriage.
I'll sign off for now then at just midnight here local time. Take good care everyone until we meet again. =O)
Caerann: Oh, my stars, that's funny! The birds seemed so drawn to the guitar. And the one little fella was so intent upon weaving that stick into the strings just so to create the right effect. One of my best friends is a guitar guy and plays in 3 bands, so I know lots of musicians. I've sent them all this link. Thanks!
Evening/Morning all:
TerryM: You and Brenda H are welcome to join the count! :-) For the first 1/3 of the count (it ends mid-May) we see mostly adult and juvenile whales. The adults pass anywhere between the channel islands (about 22 miles offshore) and just beyond the surf; the juveniles tend to stay close in (some memory of their first trip north). The mothers and calves come later and they can pass very close in - in some cases right where the waves start to break - both for the protection the shoreline provides from predators (Orcas) and for the kelp beds, where they feed.
Hi Maureen: It's interesting to hear about conditions at Loch Garten in the "old" days (before us newbies joined the group).
Alan: Wonderful shot of Phoebe in the sun
OG: Maybe snowdrops when you feel better? Take care. I just checked Pete's Pond and the folks on their Facebook page are commenting that the webcam is "still down."
Diane: Space Shuttle is now set for 4:30 a.m.-ish tomorrow (Monday). I know I'll be fast asleep! If you're up, hope they don't delay it again.
AQ: What!? You have to bring your own cake to your birthday party! Who started that custom! Still, Miss 14 and friends did a super job. Love those hearts! Our TV news showed two young women being rescued from their stranded car during floods in Australia. Which part of the country had the floods?
Caerann: What a brave bride, organizing a January wedding by Lake Michigan!
Off to bed here. Take care all.
Happy Monday to All. Thanks to Caerann for that musical start to the working week! Did enjoy them, its a great bit of film. Glad to hear you enjoyed your niece's wedding: it sounded very nice, we've certainly been to a few weddings & celebrations where you couldn't hear yourself speaking, which is so annoying when you are seeing people you havn't met for ages.
OG: Hope you're over the worst now & feeling a bit better.
AQ: Thanks for great photos: what a jolly cake, made with love! Always interested to see your so different from ours, flora, fauna & birds!
Was sad to hear at the weekend of the death of the great Sir Johnny Dankworth- the passing of a great artist. His wife, the amazing Dame Cleo Laine, actually appeared and sang at a concert only a few hours later, as she said it would be a tribute to his work.
Off to do boring Mondayish things now, officially we now have Mondays off as part of our weekends, but I always end up doing floors & stuff as it all looks dirty everywhere. Husband has gone off to look at the allotment, but that's a hobby, not work or housework!
Weather: dull & cloudy, fairly cold but not so bitter now. (birds are all looking at me thru the window, saying "where is it then?" as I'm not dressed yet & have to go fill up the feeders.)
Have a good week/day, All.
Hi, all. Not much time to post. Have to do a bit of hurried housework before furnace repairman gets here (ah...don't even get me started on that story. Sigh...). Just wanted to say:
OG: I hope you feel much, much better, dear. Drink lots of fluids and get some good rest. I'm sending you healing energy right now!
Annette: Will log on later today to answer your post about our trumpet flowers. Thanks very much for the info about the shuttle launch -- I got distracted and missed it! I think I just wasn't meant to watch it. LOL!
AQ: Loved the photos!!! I look forward to some expressions from the Lily book after you finish your library books. Later, all. Good Monday!