Weekly Chat, Sunday February 14, 2010

Hi Annette, is the weather better for you know? All the rains passed?

Chilly but not much snow here.

Alan   Are you sure that someone has not ospreynapped   Oscar?

Hello all.  First chance to read posts today. Thank you all who have wished my sister well.  She was a bit down today because the other ladies in her bay have come and gone and she's still there.  Also a nurse told her off because she had been too long away from her monitor - understandable when they have responsibility for people with 'dicky tickers' but upsetting when you are feeling down anyway.  Auntie I don't think my sister will be using any big power tools - I'm the one who wields the hedge trimmer and the leaf lifter!

To all who congratulated Tweed.  Thank you so much.  He was wonderful!  Our Winter League doesn't have classes for different levels of competence. We just differentiate between classes where dogs have to run over obstacles with different coloured areas, which they must touch and others which just have jumps, tunnels etc.  He got rosettes for both but the results were given out so quickly and in near darkness that I will have to wait until they are posted on our website to work out the details.  I am thrilled with him anyway.  Hamish, Tweed says thanks for your congratulations.  When I can remember how to do it, I'll post a picture of him'in action' (taken last summer, so will remind us of good days to come!)  Here's a thought for you all:  our next heat is 27 March - EJ will, lets hope, be back by then!

Hey Gary: Yes, in low 70s here today - washed my jeans and hung them up outside and they're dry already! Will be nice again tomorrow; then cloud with chance of rain later in week.

Patriciat  - Best wishes for your sister. A long wait but it will be worth it.

OG  - Grand-daus are difficult to shop for, especially as they don't stay little girls very long any more. I took our Miss 14 shopping, ooh it must 2 years ago. We checked all the dress shops but spent most time in the toy shop. I laughed quietly to myself as I bought her a cuddly toy dog. She was then still on the fence between 19 and little girl. Her gifts recently from her family have been handbag, hair dryer, nail polish, mascara, etc,etc. Obviously tipping towards the 19 now. LOL

Another family gathering yesterday. This time for Himself's birthday. You know our family tradition where the birthday person supplies the cake? Well, not when it is Himself. He wouldn't bother with a cake, nor a birthday either. But the kids would be so disappointed so I baked one. Does that mean I should get a share of the chocs? Weather not too bad, about 30 but sticky. Rising to 37 by end of week. Oh, roll on to April and autumn. Thanks to all for chatter, news, info, pics, links, etc. I must away on a vacuuming mission.

AQ:  Hate that in between teenage stage. I had a terrible time, being the tallest girl in England with the largest feet. My mother used to try to make me buy boy's shoes; we also didn't have much money, so she also had me wearing hand-me-down school uniforms worn by shorter people. Just ghastly. . I used to hunch over until I suddenly realized the top models were all 5'10" and I've never looked back (do look down a lot, but oh well....) Used to practice walking around with a glass of water on my head.  Coming to the states was such a relief - found all kinds of tall people here with same size feet as mine!   You definitely deserve a share of the chocs!

PatriciaT: Do wish you sister well -  I'm sure she'll be fine but it's nerve-wracking, waiting for surgery.

Hi everyone.

A belated happy Sunday to all.

Not much to report from this neck of the woods.  Apart from the fact that temperatures are fairly mild for the time of year, so no need to defrost bird baths or outside taps.

Annette:  Amazing our house sparrows looking just like your house sparrows.  I can only appologise if your house sparrows have been woken at about 2am, with a phone call from Scotland: "Hello!  What are you up to?"  "Sleeping.  It's two o'clock in the morning!"  LOL

OG:  Love the idea of a hedge full of house sparrows being seen as a singing hedge.  When it's not too cold, I love to leave the windows open so I can hear then chirping away.

auntie:  It's a shame how badly owls can be affected by a lot of snow.  I hope they can make a full recovery.

DjoanS:  Thanks for the barn owl cam link.

Alan:  Hope you can get sparrows to come to your garden soon.  Thanks for the fantastic osprey pics.  Love the punk hair dos.  Thanks to the Pelican Harbour eagle cam.

dibnlib:  Hope everything goes great when the finishing touches are added to the decorating and everything's back to normal.  Great news you managed to sell the fire surrond, quickly.

TerryM:  Hope you enjoyed the pieces of chocolate orange.  Brilliant reponse to the Dawn French ad.

Gary:  Hope you don't get too much snow and that the temperatures start to pick up soon.

patriciat:  Sorry to hear your sister's been feeling low.  I'm certain the pacemaker will give her a new lease of life.  Great to think that EJ might be back by the time Hamish has his next heat.

AQ:  You should definately get a share of the chocs for baking OH's birthday cake.

A very happy Monday to everyone.



Paul. 

Hey Heron:  I bet house sparrows have relations all over the world; haven't had any complaints from the locals about untoward early morning phone calls from Scotland - but there was a major kerfuffle in the bushes this morning. We have some Monterey Brush Cherries that have come alive since we moved the feeder to the back of the  house. I was out there and heard this incredible squawking and carrying on and flapping about.  Someone was very unhappy - maybe male house sparrow showed up without Valentine's gift? Who knows.  But also while I was standing back there watering the plants, a hummingbird (Anna's) flew up to the feeder just about 12-14 inches from me. I didn't move an inch, just watched as he/she guzzled happily and flew away.  Marvellous! 

By the way Heron: It's PatriciaT's dog, Tweed, that wins rosettes and competes. Alan's dog Hamish has his paws full keeping Alan in line!

Colin Firth was guest of honor at the Santa Barbara Film Festival, which is winding up tonight, and got a great reception.  Take care all.

Hi Annette:  Good job people don't get woken up in the middle of the night with house sparrow phone calls in the middle of the night.  Although I'd imagine a male house sparrow showing up without a Valentine's gift would cause a major row.  That's a lovely story about the hummingbird.  What a wonderful experience.  :-)

Aw naw! Can't believe I got Tweed and Hamish mixed up.  Most people just have the occassional typo when using a keyboard.  Trust me to get things totally mixed up when it comes to names.  I'm 32, so probably a bit young for a senior moment.  I'll just put it down to me being a bit of a dunderheid.  :-(



Paul.