Early Risers.

[grandadbob]

yes Elder Lurker is also sitting 24 exams in total (9 GCSEs). I agree that there were less O level, but I am sure a good proportion of them were 3 hour jobs, whereas the exams Elder Lurker is doing average about 1 hour 30, with the longest being 2 hours 15 (English Lit paper 2, English poetry since 1789 and Jeckyll and Hyde).

 

Sounds about right but two of Joe's were photography and I believe they took 5 hours each!

[BoD]

Regarding sad tales of lost pets.

 

Our son has a black Labrador, no relation to other dark canines sadly seen here, quite charming in fact.

You may recall that we have 'dog sat' for him in the past when they have been on holiday. Because of a change of circumstance for our son and the strange shift patterns he now has to work, the dog lives with us at least half of the time.  The dog adapts well and we love having him. However, given that he is already nearly 12 years old, I am trying hard not to become too attached to him.  It is difficult.

[45156]

Afternoon All

 

Late on parade, though I am fully caught up, and all posts since my last are read and rated. 

 

Jonn (CB) - so sorry to hear about losing Sandy - 16 plus years of companionship is a lot, but it has to be said that it was a good innings.  We dog owners (well, in reality we don't own them, we look after them, and give them all the love and care that we can) - and when that final call has to be made, it is never easy, even when it is evident that it is the only answer.

 

Generic greetings are, of course, on offer to everybody else, and I too saw that Debs was online - good news indeed.

 

Back on Thursday.

 

Regards to All

Stewart

[The Stationmaster]

And currently sitting on the next door neighbour's tv aerial is - a Red Kite

 

 

 

[Andrew P]

And currently sitting on the next door neighbour's tv aerial is - a Red Kite

 

DSCF0324cr.jpg

I had a Red Kite once.

 

And that one got tangled around a TV Ariel.

 

Boom Boom,    The old ones are the best.    

[PhilJ W]

I had a Red Kite once.

 

And that one got tangled around a TV Ariel.

 

Boom Boom,    The old ones are the best.    

Where's that GROAN button.

[laurenceb]

  

 

 

 

 

1 I sincerely hope the diagnosis from the quacks is not anatidaephobia

 

.

 

 

 

 

2 I passed my six-month review with flying colours and the advice that I should consider a Team Leader or Trainer position within the next year. We’ll see.

 

Best wishes to all.

1 Had to look that one up

2 Congratulations

[Ian Abel]

Chewsday, a bit late, but oh well...

 

Nothing of note from yesterday, and today looks to follow the same pattern <yawn>

 

17 and sunny this morning expecting 27 for the high.

 

Have a good approach to HUMP day.

[Gwiwer]

And currently sitting on the next door neighbour's tv aerial is - a Red Kite

Good Lord. I had thought the nearest free-flying examples to our general neck of the woods was the Elenith population in rural mid-Wales. I watched them soaring above the hills on a visit to the Dolaucothau gold mine. But a Red Kite in Outer Commuterland? There’s one for the book.

[andyram]

Good afternoon fellow ER's. I hope that today finds you well. Thank you for all of the good wishes and advice. The atmosphere here is much improved I am pleased to see. I am certainly aware that the issues I am suffering from do not just impact on me, but on the rest of our household too. Sarah has, in the main, been very understanding and it is to be expected that her patience may wear thing at times. What is not helping is the high pollen count which does not help her own sinus issues.

 

  This morning started well with Sarah needing to take a load of her eBay packages to the Post Office. She did this whilst I dealt with the Tesco shopping delivery. Then we both strolled over to the coffee morning at the local church. Sarah collected plenty of Avon orders from the old ladies whilst I enjoyed a model railway related chat with some of the regulars. They are such a supportive group that I always find my time there helpful. 

 

 Sadly the afternoon was less positive. I walked over to take my consignment of parcels to the Post Office, and felt the start of a panic attack during my short time in the queue. I managed to control it, but the subsequent tiredness made the walk back feel much longer. The feeling remained all afternoon and I have just had to extract myself from the park to come home, leaving Sarah and Amber at play, because I was not feeling good again. It looks very much like I will need the medical certificate extending after all.

 

 Tonight I am due to be at the church model railway group. Hopefully I will feel up to it.

 

Meanwhile I hope that we hear from Debs soon. Good wishes to all - hoping that Andy.P is taking things easy and that ChrisF is keeping his own black dog on the leash.

 

Best wishes

 

Andy

[Barry O]

Herself was passed fit by the doctor but we await her scan results.

 

Red kites are seen regularly around Leeds as there is a breading pair at Harewood. Their offspring are now traversing the Yorkshire countryside.

 

I have been informed my game tomorrow has been cancelled so off out for a pint or three.

Enjoy your evening!

Baz

[Gwiwer]

Where's that GROAN button.

Found it!!!

 

[The Stationmaster]

Good Lord. I had thought the nearest free-flying examples to our general neck of the woods was the Elenith population in rural mid-Wales. I watched them soaring above the hills on a visit to the Dolaucothau gold mine. But a Red Kite in Outer Commuterland? There’s one for the book.

 

We have plenty of them round here Rick.  One of the original 'resettlement' pairs' was based at a house just round the corner so plenty have bred locally and we usually nowadays have anything between four and half-a-dozen around at meal times while the most I have ever seen at one time from the garden without moving my head to widen the field of view was 18 (yes, eighteen).   We stopped off at a so called 'nature reserve' at Christmas Common up near the M40 on the scarp slope of the Chilterns a few years back and it was supposed to be 'an excellent place for watching Red Kites' - we saw two!

 

I think the one on the tv aerial is possibly the one that sat on the ground just outside our back door the other day eating some bits of chicken pie - very unusual behaviour as they normally swoop down, grab the food, and are off again - far too quick to get a pic.  But this one seems to be a bit confused about his behaviour as sitting on a tv aerial near a pigeon is definitely odd for a Red Kite.

 

This one used to be a regular in a tree a couple of doors down from us (click on the pic to enlarge) -

 

 

And you can sometimes catch them in flight - cropped shot taken from our back garden using a telephoto lens with two different levels of lighting - edited to help show the plumage  (again click to enlarge)

 

 

[andyram]

Forgot to say in my previous post - I am loving the bird pictures.

[Simon G]

Good Lord. I had thought the nearest free-flying examples to our general neck of the woods was the Elenith population in rural mid-Wales. I watched them soaring above the hills on a visit to the Dolaucothau gold mine. But a Red Kite in Outer Commuterland? There’s one for the book.

There seem to be loads of Red Kites in Berkshire and Oxfordshire. I always seem to see them when driving on the M40 between High Wycombe and Oxford, and also at my mothers in Wokingham. However, last year, we saw dozens all at the same time at Rhayader in mid Wales, where there is an organisation that feeds them , so they were all circling, waiting for the feeding. It was an impressive sight.

 

Today’s plan changed somewhat and we didn’t go to the RSPB reserve, but to Loch Katrine instead. Mrs G and I walked for about 3.5 miles along the road on the north side of the Loch, while son and DiL did a higher level walk, and we met back up for lunch at a superb viewpoint. The weather was cool to start, but became warm and sunny, so was perfect for the day. In total, I have walked nearly 8miles today, the most I have walked for months. I now feel rather leg weary, but otherwise good, and now ready for a visit to a Chinese Restaurant in Balloch!

[trisonic]

Ooops! Train Time.

 

Interesting one to try and model. Union Pacific Office train (i.e. days out for the directors). Led by #1943 US Armed Forces Tribute  (at Horseshoe Curve PA):

 

 

In haste, Pete.

[grandadbob]

 Having a couple of celebratory beers       at the moment as earlier I was told that my recent PSA test was satisfactory and no need to return to see the doctor although I have another appointment in a couple of weeks for another non urgent problem.

Edited June 5, 2018 by grandadbob

[pH]

I now feel rather leg weary, but otherwise good, and now ready for a visit to a Chinese Restaurant in Balloch!

 

If it's the one my sister-in-law and her husband patronise, you should enjoy it!

[bbishop]

I suffer from a pigeon / dove that sits on my chimney stack, sticks its head down a chimney and intones "K - Kooo Koo" ad infinitum.  Can anyone send a brace of red kites to SE12?  Please!!

 

Bill

[PhilJ W]

Evening all from Estuary-Land. The sun did make an appearance this afternoon but not enough to bring on the poppies though some of them are seemingly raring to go. I don't expect them to flower until the weekend now when the weather is predicted to warm up. I sometimes spot raptors when I'm driving but though they are obviously so I am unable to identify the species from a quick glimpse.

[Horsetan]

I suffer from a pigeon / dove that sits on my chimney stack, sticks its head down a chimney and intones "K - Kooo Koo" ad infinitum.  Can anyone send a brace of red kites to SE12?  Please!!

Sounds like you need a "coo" d'état.

[PhilJ W]

Sounds like you need a "coo" d'état.

 

 

Found it!!!

 

BABA610C-3684-4D7D-8C1B-09D33B16FB82.gif

Most definitely needed.

[Gwiwer]

I suffer from a pigeon / dove that sits on my chimney stack, sticks its head down a chimney and intones "K - Kooo Koo" ad infinitum.  Can anyone send a brace of red kites to SE12?  Please!!

 

Bill

Are you sure that isn’t a cuckoo?

[Simon G]

I suffer from a pigeon / dove that sits on my chimney stack, sticks its head down a chimney and intones "K - Kooo Koo" ad infinitum.  Can anyone send a brace of red kites to SE12?  Please!!

 

Bill

I have the same problem. For information, yours is a dove from that call. A pigeon goes K - K - Koo - Koo - Koo, so they are quite easy to tell which is which. Sadly red kites haven’t got to CA27 either, although we do very occasionally get sparrowhawks here, but they seem to go for smaller prey than the pigeons and doves.

[Simon G]

Are you sure that isn’t a cuckoo?

We heard plenty of cuckoos today at Loch Katrine. I think that they were trying to compete with each other at times. It was nice to hea them, as we don’t get them at home either. The nearest ones that I am aware of are at Ennerdale.