Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey Topics), 10 June 2012

NiteOwl

Mary GK  I hope you have a lovely holiday (again) LOL :)

You too NiteOwl

By the way I watched your video on Sunday morning, lovely photos with nice calming music (just what you want early on a Sunday Morning)

Thanks Alan for the link, I hope they get chance to find out what happened to the chick.

I am going.

Night all.

http://www.cnn.com/video/?hpt=hp_c2#/video/tech/2012/06/11/evexp-automatic-bed-makes-itself.cnn

Yeah, but can this thing clean floors? And iron? LOLOLOL Roll on, technology!

Geez Diane; that's weird - and the bed is so tidy to start off with, I've been looking at those self-propelled vacuum cleaners - Romba or something? - in Costco and wondering how good they are. I'd probably trip over the darn thing and I'm sure Lightning would be freaked out by it.

Had nice breakfast/visit with daughter, then did some errands, which got me home later than planned but - hurray! - don't have to report for jury duty tomorrow, but do have to call in again in the late afternoon to find out about Wednesday.  Anyway, tired and will catch up tomorrow.  Take care all.

Can't believe I am the first here since Annette - what is everybody up to?  I have been busy helping put a mulch of shredded bark on the Grasses bed - waited for it to settle and get well rained on, then to dry enough to hoe for weeds already coming through!  Looks really neat now.

Continuation of Monday two weeks ago!  Abernethy Forest paths:

This view of Loch Garten through the trees is especially for Patricia:

On the dry forest paths were lots of Red Damselflies, mostly males, sunning themselves on stones:

This one shows how well they are camouflaged among the dropped Pine Needles, even when sitting on the bright green Sphagnum Moss:

Now need to do a bit more outside - then inside!

How quiet it is on here today! Felt that I had to post in order to fill the gap!!

Funny weather here today, sunny spells, then showers. I have been attempting to do some outside painting while OH is fishing but have been hampered by rain. OH phoned at lunchtime with the news that he had caught a 12lb salmon but had to return it because of the conservation advice. However, the Fisheries Board have sent a supply of smoked salmon sides to the ghillie, and everyone who returns a fish gets one of these sides which are vacuum packed but not sliced. The slicing is the bit I have trouble with - but eating it, no problem!  Later in the year, OH will get to keep a fish (or every other one) if he is lucky enough to catch some. Our friends in Bavaria sent a beautiful pic via email - a rose climbing up into a cherry tree. I cannot help but feel rather envious, our roses are struggling - need a little sun, maybe :-(

Afternoon all,

OG : More lovely pics from your holiday especially the ones at Loch Garten. Thanks for those.

Linda : Thanks for the pic of the poppy, that's one flower we dont have in the garden. Glad you had a nice day out with buzz.

Heather : Sorry the weather interfered with your outside painting. I started to paint the fence in March and it still is not finished due to the weather and other stuff.

Annette : I thought you might be interested in this report from Rutland Water: http://www.ospreys.org.uk/a-friend-from-across-the-pond/

Thanks to everyone else for the chat etc.

This morning decided to go on a haircut mission to my Scottish barber in Oundle. Mission accomplished and then it was time for the shopping mission to T. Mission accomplished and then it was time for lunch. After lunch decided to catch up on the gardening mission as there has been a lull in the rain today. Mission accomplished and now I have sat down to enjoy the tennis from Queens and later the footie. 3 missions completed in one day must be some kind of a record.

No sign of summer again today. It is cloudy with a cool breeze. Temp is 12 or 13c.

ALAN PETRIE

Heather : Sorry the weather interfered with your outside painting. I started to paint the fence in March and it still is not finished due to the weather and other stuff.

This is so sad, is our chat thread going to disappear? I know that I am one of the semi lurkers but I do miss some of our regulars :-((

Where did you pick this up, Heather?  I haven't seen it anywhere!

Sorry OG - I just have noticed less and less postings on this thread- I know that we are all busy but ------ has anyone else noticed it?

Ah, I see!  I shall go on posting, and other regulars; maybe we are only a few, but others will reappear when the Ospreys have flown!

Got more done this afternoon, both outside and inside, and then out again after dinner to feed Veg plants, Geraniums and Fuchsias.  Didn’t do a major watering as there was a short light shower – but will have to do it tomorrow if no longer showers.

Still in Abernethy Forest on the Monday of our holiday - Forest Bog Pool.  This habitat is fascinating.  It is surrounded by ancient but dwarfed Pine trees, inhabited by ancient plants such as horsetails, and enjoyed by various Dragonflies and Damselflies.

The Pool:

Four Spotted Chaser on it’s perch, from where it flies out to grab its prey of smaller invertebrates:

 And another:

Damselfly pairs:

Pine Branch with immature cones:

Emerging Dragonfly:

We couldn’t stay to watch longer as we were setting off for our evening meal before going to BofG to meet with others to hear Roy Dennis – you have already seen a photo of us with him.

The Tuesday was not very productive for photos – more Kites but further away, and a Robin in the garden.

Sorry about what happened to the font in my previous post!  I will now make some replies.

Linda – I seem to have had more energy today.  I guess you have been busy again as you haven’t appeared today!

BTW anyone – is it right that Mary and NiteOwl are both on hols yet again?!

Diane – didn’t get to see the bed thingy – I think the CNN page had changed, so I tried looking in the technology section, but no joy!  Just can’t imagine how it can do it.

Annette – pleased you got a free day before checking again re Jury service.

Heather – sorry rain disrupted the painting – well done your OH catching Salmon in the rain.  I don’t like smoked Salmon – tried to eat it once, to please my aunt, but finally asked for cheese instead!

Alan – how busy you have been!  Our fence painting never resumed – but that was partly because J got some work – maybe he’ll resume in the school hols if he doesn’t get much paid work.

I’ll be back tomorrow, take care everyone!