General Chat

Hi Barbra: It's not helping the overall water situation, but it does mean that we don't have to water the garden for a few days, particularly if it doesn't become hot and windy.

Allan

How are you Allan? been shopping today in m~~~sn just loads of Christmas stuff now . buy one get one free on a lot of items & A~~~~da if you spend £40 you get a voucher book for £40 .. thing is brilliant for familys but two folks all alone . . , i remember my sil & I use to shop & buy one get one free halved our shopping bill . very handy that .do you bargain buy & store things. or just shop as needed ? Barbra

Barbra, it all depends.

Mainly just shop as needed but if any good food bargains, we may stock up and freeze them.

We don't bother much with Christmas except for a few presents, and food.

We bought a new artificial tree last year, so that should see us through.

Allan

Allan we are trying to go and see family this yr for a few days . weather permiting it snowed last yr couldnt get down . . would be nice if we could as havent done it for a few yrs now . . have a G`Day , & its Goodnight from me Bye Barbra xx ps we got a fibre optic tree . sad as i dont have the same patience now to decorate, just put it up. plug in. all done. lol

Barbra, we are fortunate as both son and daughter live relatively (no pun intended, but I'll take the score) close.

Our new tree is also fibre optic and like you I no longer have the patience to decorate the tree as such. Christmas is different since the kids have grown up. If we had grandchildren it might be better but..... :0((

Allan

Morning
A bit blustery here today. heavy rain later .
Bye for now Barbra x

Well Hello Ethics . glad the winds have died down . . done some damage on the prom in Blackpool . Illumination boards blown down, 100mile an hour winds , will cost 1 million pounds to repair . sad remember them well !!.

Hello Barbra,

I hadn't realised that the weather was so bad in the UK.

A shame about Blackpool; I remember the Illuminations so well.

Allan

Allan Gail force winds all around western coast & inland it has broken a couple of trees the garden .the river in the village was over the banking they closed the road yesterday . but open again today . a poor woman in yorkshire her car was hit by a tree. she didnt survive .it seems to have calmed down now . not a bad day today . how is it were you are ?? Barbra

Barbra it has been cool here the last few nights. In fact on Thursday night we had some papers to burn in the fire and ended up lighting it properly. Nice and mild during the day with temps in the low to mid 20's.

No wind, and no more rain forecast until later next week.

Allan

Allan That sounds pleasant enough for me .not to hot !! beats heating on & hot water bottle for company ;0)) well of now enjoy your Day . Night Barbra x

Good night Barbra. Stay warm and sleep well

Allan

Morning from a rather wet Melbourne city.

Yesterday....37c ( Air-con on )
Today ...18c cold and wet

Just aint ethical.


A'aahhhh....Victoria, bewdiful one day.....rotten the next...lol


C'mon summer...only two weeks to go.



Tony..:>))

Hi Allan, Barbara and Tony, loverly day in Sydney. Can't last.
There is a currawong* nest just outside my window at work. Each year for the past three it has started building a nest, but abandoned it two years ago and last year. This year it seems to be nesting at least one egg, and yesterday I saw its partner feeding it, in that rather disgusting way that birds do.
Today (I am at work for a few hours) it has been in and out of the nest. I don't know whether it is warm enough for the egg(s) not to need constant care or whether it is still getting the hang of being a mum or dad.
* Currawong: about the size of a smallish crow, mostly black with white on tail and rump. Wiki says "not to be confused with the magpie" which in Australia is rather confusingly not the same bird as the British crow.

Our magpies during nesting season have the rather alarming habit of dive bombing people, especially those on pushbikes. They can deliver a nasty peck. I have't had a problem but probably because I don't go near their nests. I have been dive bombed by Indian mynas though.
Colin

Good morning
lovely sunny Morning. a bit nippy but hey its Autumn . hello to Tony & Colin .dont see many magpies were we live , a lot of crows . this yr there seems to have been an increase in ring doves . & finches ..sparrows . feed the birds everyday . have two bird tables on the back garden & one on the front .enjoy your wk end ~~~~~~~Allan. Tone & colin .
Barbra

Good morning Barbra~~~~~~~

You have a great weekend too...:>))

G'day to Allan and Colin.

Colin, we don't get to many Currawong where i am.
More-so Magpies, and yes they do get quite aggressive around this time of the year ( Spring ) nesting.
Our cat knows when not to sniff around their nests...lol

Up to 17inches in height from beak to tail feather.......and he has been dived bombed to the extent he crouches and looks over his shoulder when passing a suspect nesting tree in the street. Between them and the large crows he keeps a watchful eye out....lol

I am closer to the Dandenong ranges ( outer Melbourne ) so we get a large variety of native birds. Grey and Pink Galah ( or Major Mitchell ) White Cockatoo, Rosella, Urban Lorikeets, Kookaburra, Wild Budgies, Barn Owl, are the main stream along with the Magpie and Crow....and during the evening at the moment we are getting a large influx of flying fox fruit bats. The tell us because of the recent flooding up north they are moving south as the floods had destroyed feeding grounds in northern NSW and Queensland .


Tony..:>))

just a quick message i watch an oz programme about animal & bird rescue. there was a bat caught in a tree & it looked really frigtening to me dont iike them!!.. but they got it better & released it . you have got a lot of exotic birds. the colours of the feathers are beautifull , had a woodpecker once in the garden . must have lost its way as there are a lot .up in the scottish highlands not round here Bye for Now Barbra x

Hello Allan ((((((((hug))))))) in memory of your mum 18th .november .
Hope you are alright & your family ~~~~~~ to all
Barbra x

Sadly. the currawong seems to have deserted the nest. It was quite warm but not hot on Saturday, so the female was on the move. Monday was cool, wet windy and miserable. The poor bird was hunkered down in the nest on Monday morning but had gone by Monday afternoon. Maybe, bettyer luck next year.
My interest was that I so rarely see a nest at eye level, so to speak.
Colin

Colin shame about the birds .nature can be cruel sometimes .maybe next yr as you say .. poor Allans` comp bit the dust . . will have to wait untill he gets another one he could be gone a while ;0(( Take Care Colin Bye for now Barbra