How was your day?

[amanda]

Addendum to my message upthread:

At 10 pm or a bit later we had a light shower of rain

[tetsabb]

Yay! sallycarr should be on the way home after her heart surgery this afternoon.
I have advised her that the cats may spurn her fir a few hours, but then suddenly gi "Muuummmmmm"

[crissdee]

Healing waves heading to Suffolk as we speak...

I should at least be warm tonight. I finally got round to wiring up my electric blanket. I built a new bed frame a while ago, and fitted a switch to operate the blanket and some lighting underneath, but wiring is one of my few weaknesses in DIY. I just have a blind spot when it comes to electric string! Some advice (and a new switch) from a local supplier got me over that hurdle, and having stripped the bed to do that job, I thought I might as well change the bedding, and having stripped off the duvet cover, I thought I might as well put the 15.0 tog duvet on that has been sitting in my airing cupboard since I bought it. End result is I have an electric underblanket, and a 15 tog duvet in a fleece cover, so I should be toasty warm!

[Bondee]

Oct 12, 2024 10:40:28 GMT Bondee said:

I need to clear some space in the living room for the sideboard and remove an old chest of drawers so I can replace it with a new(er) chest of drawers.

We got the drawers sorted, no problem, but the sideboard was a) too big to fit in my mate's car, and b) too effing heavy! I didn't realise that they're made of oak. I've hired men with ven to move it tomorrow.

This morning saw a visit to the hospital for a blood test and an x-ray. The temperature is a little warmer than I expected, and as a result, I'm effing knackered.

[jenny]

We have a sideboard that belonged to Woodsman's mother so dates back to the 1930s. I think it's ugly but he likes it so it stays, and in any case it goes with the rest of the dining room furniture that also belonged to his mother. It is also oak and I would not like to have to move it. When we moved house, we also hired men with ven.

[tetsabb]

Do men with ven require a diagram?
😉

[celebaelin]

So tired.  No idea why.

[amanda]

Two evenings ago, my cat suddenly became interested by something in between two tightly packed boxes, on the floor in front of the arm chair. I moved a few things but found nothing.
Last night by the armchair/window, when moving things, he was interested again and I looked this time, seeing a tiny brown skink on the carpet. Managed to pick it up and put it outside. How it got in, nobody knows.

[Bondee]

One of said men with ven has just called. Due to illness he is back to being a man with a van.

Does anyone know where I can find a can of spinach at short notice?

[Bondee]

Oct 16, 2024 22:18:06 GMT amanda said:

Last night by the armchair/window, when moving things, he was interested again and I looked this time, seeing a tiny brown skink on the carpet.

Coco has taken a keen interest in the box of records that I brought back from my A&U's house. I'm not sure why. I've opened it and removed the contents so she could investigate thoroughly. I really hope there's not a skink in it!

[amanda]

The way my cat's been acting around/under the coffee table (stuff shoved under it), I wonder if there's another skink in here.

This morning, having a spare shopping jeep full of empty bottles/cans to take to the recycle place for cash, I thought I'd walk up there. Found about six more bottles/cans on the way, so thought my total would be around $7.70 or so.

Walked up the side street of the warehouse and hearing no noise of the machines going, I thought that there were no customers there (they turn the machine off when no one's there), only to see a queue out the door, bottles/cans on a machine and staff in a huddle.

The woman ahead of me said that due to a brief power outage a short time before, the machines had stopped. This had also affected the shopping centre a km away.
Staff tried pressing a blue button on the side of the machine, opening up the power box and checking. The main woman said to turn all the switches off ,then on again.

I was contemplating having to walk back home with this load, but luckily the machines restarted and once mine was put through, it was $8.20.

[Bondee]

Oct 17, 2024 9:03:44 GMT amanda said:

The main woman said to turn all the switches off ,then on again.

[amanda]

I don't know if that was the final kick/reminder the machines needed, but that seemed to work and the four of us there (plus the man who was after me) could all be served.
We had a brief chat on how reliant we are on power and what cannot happen if it is not there.

[Bondee]

Oct 17, 2024 8:47:06 GMT Bondee said:

One of said men with ven has just called. Due to illness he is back to being a man with a van.

Does anyone know where I can find a can of spinach at short notice?

Only took about 20 minutes. Spinach wasn't needed, but I'll feel it in my arms tomorrow.

edit to add: I was wrong in calling it a sideboard. It's a dresser.

[tetsabb]

Kes

Wendy called me to the kitchen, to look out of the window. She just managed to get a picture before it flew off

[celebaelin]

Wow!

Is that as close as it seems or do you have a lens/lenses for bird pics?

[RLDavies]

I'm just back from picking up this month's prescriptions. While I was at the pharmacy, I got the double jab -- COVID in one arm, flu in the other. So I'm looking forward to a not very pleasant weekend.

[tetsabb]

Oct 17, 2024 14:16:39 GMT celebaelin said:

Wow!

Is that as close as it seems or do you have a lens/lenses for bird pics?

That was across the garden, as close as it got, about 25 feet/8 metres. Taken on phone camera on full zoom.

Not the first raptor to visit our garden. Some years ago, there was a godawful racket out there, and a kestrel or similar was turning a pigeon into lunch. We were picking up grey feathers for ages. 
And, one Sunday morning I looked out the window to see a raven strutting across the lawn. Very impressive creature.

[suze]

My day was long.  Since it was a warm day by mid-October standards, I did my lap of the campus at lunchtime.  I did not encounter anyone smoking.

To make it even longer, I must go back to school within the hour.  I don't really know why my presence at the evening for prospective parents is essential, but apparently it is.  Perhaps it's so that I can prompt the Head if she forgets part of her speech. I have little doubt that it will be much the same speech as every year, and I've heard it enough times that I probably could prompt her.

We have a red sky as the Sun sets to the west.  This is a delight, it is often said.

[jenny]

I went swimming this morning, discovering after I got there and had had my swim that on my last visit to the pool I had left two shampoos (one for chlorine removal and one for regular use) and a conditioner there. Some kind soul had put the conditioner in the locker I usually use, but the shampoos have gone. Luckily, they were running pretty low and I already had replacement products at home so I just had a shower when I got home.

[celebaelin]

Oct 17, 2024 17:00:58 GMT tetsabb said:

Oct 17, 2024 14:16:39 GMT celebaelin said:

Wow!

Is that as close as it seems or do you have a lens/lenses for bird pics?

That was across the garden, as close as it got, about 25 feet/8 metres. Taken on phone camera on full zoom.

Not the first raptor to visit our garden. Some years ago, there was a godawful racket out there, and a kestrel or similar was turning a pigeon into lunch. We were picking up grey feathers for ages. 
And, one Sunday morning I looked out the window to see a raven strutting across the lawn. Very impressive creature.

The first time I knew there was a raptor in this area was a snow day at my parent's house when there was this dark lump in them middle of the lawn.  I stood at the window looking at it for a minute or three trying to figure out what it might be before it flew off - a (marsh?) harrier carrying the body of a male blackbird I think.

Later I saw the/a harrier again rather more closely and overhead and the distinctive black and white stripes under its wings gave it away as a Montague's Harrier.

After some years now I can be more precise...

Second plumage 2CY.

I have since seen its like around upon occasion but never as clearly.

[crissdee]

Raptors are quite common round these parts, it is a rare day I don't see one in the sky. I don't recall seeing one perched anywhere, but I am not sure I would have taken much notice if I had.

[Bondee]

There's a breeding pair of red kites around here. I quite often see them soaring above the field on the other side of the main road. One of them was flying around the bus station while I was waiting to go to the hospital on Wednesday. Looked like pigeon was on the menu.

[Bondee]

Oct 17, 2024 9:45:02 GMT Bondee said:

Surprisingly, my arms are fine, and I had the best night's sleep I've had in ages. I feel ready to take on the day, but I don't have anything that needs to be done. A stroll along the river, and possibly up to the chippy, may be in order.

[amanda]

Possibly due to all the rain, I have discovered more ants on my kitchen bench but with so many gaps between the wall tiles/bench/sink, they could be getting in anywhere.
Have also discovered deteriorating chipboard in the cupboard under the sink, flaking onto my things below. I'd swear there's a chipmonk in there if we had such creatures here.

(the original cupboards from when the place was built in the '70's. Cheap fix of laminate-look sticky sheets has been placed at the base of the cupboards, but maybe not by my landlord)

[tetsabb]

Red kites have made quite a comeback in this part of East Sussex, too. Magnificent creatures!

[amanda]

While on birds of prey, there are two peregrine falcon nests in Australia, both currently with eyasses, one in Melbourne city, the other in Orange, NSW. Both are on FB and with cameras so we can see the daily action, feeds etc.

[RLDavies]

Cel, you've reminded me of this.

[jenny]

We get red-tail kites around here, but I have also seen a bald eagle (the American eagle) near where I used to live, and once when I was staying near Seattle I watched several of them flying around the nearby cliffs. Wonderful sight!

[efros]

IIRC Red tailed kites are European, pretty sure we don't get them in Maine.