Thread 8 - TalkLair: “Brewing Russell's teapot”

[Kucinghitam]

Continuation of previous threads (thread 7).

The new lair of JTT escapees is all cosy and homey; we have truly settled here. Outside, the garden is blooming with spring flowers. Inside, the hearth is glowing, pictures are up on the walls, rugs are down on the floors (and assorted pets curled up on them).

We just won’t mention the gnawed bones of our prey over there in the corner of the cave…

Loving the bird chat!

Meanwhile, we're being "terrorised" by Cat Burglar. We're finding that we can't open any of our downstairs windows or doors without being invaded visited. I'm beginning to understand why our other back neighbour never seems to open her windows more than a crack, no matter how hot the weather (not a cat person).

But last night, DDs and I were eating dinner at the kitchen table (miso, garlic and asparagus linguini, FWIW). The window by the table was open - it's a high window, I suppose it was where the sink used to be and was intended to be stared out of while standing doing the washing up, so we can't actually see out of it while sitting and eating. It's therefore even higher from the ground outside.

Suddenly, there was a movement at the window and a large shadow over us, accompanied by a loud EEEEEEEEEEEOOOOOW moan. I'm sorry to report that all three of us yelped/screamed in alarm. At which point we realised that the culprit was Cat Burglar, who had leapt onto the inner sill. She looked thoroughly alarmed by our sudden noise and jumped back outside, turned around with such a hurt expression and sadly walked away.

I wonder if we've so disappointed her that she'll never come back.

It's quite amazing to me that our little elderly sleepy Phoebe had been keeping Cat Burglar out of our house, by her sheer existence, for all these years.

There's a huge cat who lives in our office at work, which is a big old house. His name is Bruno and I'm a wee bit wary of him. He purrs and takes a treat from me, but yesterday I couldn't get him to vacate my chair, which he seems to like especially. I was a bit scared to pick him up, tbh.

I used to have a truly beautiful tabby-and-white called Abby, who appeared one night, a bedraggled kitten in a storm, and stayed. She would love to sit on my lap, get fuss and purr, but would turn on me when I had to move. I miss her very much; she's under the roses now. :(

I ended up tipping the chair til he legged it in disgust.

I use the Merlin app too @DeanElderberry - it identified a wren for me just the other day!

No cat visitors here except wandering in the garden when it’s free (thankfully as cats make me sneeze). The foxes are more frequent garden visitors though but as yet have stayed outside (I don’t leave the kitchen door open unless I’m in there though).

We recently started putting out fat balls as well as peanuts and are now visited by starlings, who demolish the fat balls very quickly. There's a flock living in the church yard not far away. They can be very squabbly, so are entertaining.

We get tree creepers and woodpeckers sometimes, as well as the normal garden birds.

I've just had a hack up to Cresswell, on my bike. I had a coffee in the ice cream shop, where I heard, but didn't see yellowhammers. There were two housemartin nests on a building across the car park and a male bullfinch on a hedge.

Nearly home, I saw what I think was a buzzard, landing on a building site, next to the high school!

Buzzards are wonderful - there's been one circling over the field across the road for the last couple of days - the best bit is if it drifts overhead and I can see the light shining through the wing feathers. They're so elegant and graceful in the air, but look such crumpled lumps of feathers when they're perching.

Just remembered that a couple of days ago a hummingbird hovered very briefly outside my kitchen window, then darted away again. I've never seen one here before (though I have in the Pacific north west).

I think I'd pee with happiness if I saw a hummingbird in real life. Or cry. I cried once at the aquarium at London Zoo because seahorses are so beautiful.

In other news, I had another endoscopy today and was even more off my tits than usual because I needed more sedation due to my habit of coming to and fighting them when they're shoving cameras down my throat. Snoop picked me up and we had a lovely walk back from the hospital with me talking nineteen to the dozen about nonsense.

That Merlin app looks brilliant. I shall have to download it.

Every good wish, Mouse.

I hope the doctors can figure out the issue, Mouse.

It's all good. Every endoscopy gets me closer to them figuring something out.

Merlin is great. Last night it identified for me the bird I often hear but never see along the railway embankment - dunnock.

It's a big download though, so make sure you have enough memory spare and allow about half an hour.

@MouseMinge

I think I'd pee with happiness if I saw a hummingbird in real life. Or cry.

I still remember the first time I saw a hummingbird, it was on a trip to San Diego in 2006. I just stood there, staring at it, for god knows how long. Magical little creatures!

All the best wishes for your endoscopy results too.

MouseMinge

It sounds as though you had something of an ordeal! I hope that they can find your problem and fix it soon.

😃

Britinme · Yesterday 14:18

Just remembered that a couple of days ago a hummingbird hovered very briefly outside my kitchen window, then darted away again.

I saw one in my aunt's garden, in Sonoma County, California. I was amazed, I didn't realise what it was, as it was a dowdy brown colour; she told me it was a female.

Interesting fact from Radio Newcastle, earlier this week - they can lick up to 15 times a second!

The one I saw outside my window was a dowdy brown too. The ones I saw near Seattle were very colourful.

I'm a bit scared of the Style & Beauty board, so I'll ask my question here.

What do people think of those tiny "phone bags" that are just big enough for a phone plus maybe a couple of cards? I'm considering getting a cheap one from Evil Amazon et al, for the summer holidays.

Nice. I think I want the leather one.

I recently bought a leather pouch that clips onto my belt, but in a horizontal dimension, for phone and cards. But the magnetic close stopped working.

I like the brown one too. Is it leather?

Funnily enough I was chatting to a guy in the pub last night, and remarked that, in an inversion of what happens in most cases, mobile phones (IMO) have frankly just got too big lately. If you haven't got a handbag/manbag or something to put them in. They are getting a bit big to fit comfortably into a jeans pocket. I deliberately went for a 'midi' sized one last time I changed. It's more noticeable at this time of year, when it's warm enough to venture out without a jacket.

The leather one definitely looks smarter, but (a) it's quite expensive at £47 (b) I think it may be a bit too smart for swanning about in beachwear.

@duc748 ... mobile phones (IMO) have frankly just got too big lately. If you haven't got a handbag/manbag or something to put them in. They are getting a bit big to fit comfortably into a jeans pocket

That drives me mad too. Last time I changed phones, the smallest I could find that wasn't an iPhone was 6.4". They seem to be starting to realise that not everyone wants a brick, though - I've just ordered a Nokia for MrG which is an inch smaller and I know I'm going to have smallish-phone envy.

I have one which is seldom used in he outside world because I now also have a small cross body bag that holds phone, tissues, clip on sun specs, cards, keys etc. Nonetheless the phone pouch is really good to have for when I have no pockets but want to keep my phone about my person in the garden, say. My last phone got scratched in the pocket of an apron in the garden when I accidentally put my secateurs in the same pocket. I think they’re handy.

My decision about which phone to get is always about the camera but I too wish phones were smaller (even though I do appreciate the size of the screen eh err n I’m using it). I’m firmly in the Apple ecosystem though which limits what I’m looking at but if there are two sizes and the cameras are the same then it’ll be the smaller one; if the bigger one has a better camera then I put off replacing my phone another year.

Mine really needs replacing, but measuring it, it's 46 mm long (5 3/4 inches). I would dread going as big as 6.4".