Post a good thing that happened in your life today

[Allan Bell]

50 minutes ago, Betty LaRue said:

I made a delicious potato soup yesterday. All of my life I have used regular milk in my potato soup. It was always good. But yesterday, I had some heavy cream and some half & half in my refrigerator, and I used a combination of the two. What a difference it made. It took the soup from very good to fantastic.

Just ask my hips.

 

I seem to have developed an intolerance to milk just lately so now use the local supermarket cheapo soya drink on my ceral and it tastes much the same. At least I do not get "white tongue" any more.

 

Allan

 

[Michael Ventura]

7 minutes ago, Allan Bell said:

 

I seem to have developed an intolerance to milk just lately so now use the local supermarket cheapo soya drink on my ceral and it tastes much the same. At least I do not get "white tongue" any more.

 

Allan

 

 

My vegan daughter, really prefers oat milk over soy and almond milks.  You should try those, unless they are too pricey....I don't know since I am not the one who buys them.

[Allan Bell]

42 minutes ago, Michael Ventura said:

 

My vegan daughter, really prefers oat milk over soy and almond milks.  You should try those, unless they are too pricey....I don't know since I am not the one who buys them.

 

The soya drink I get is £1 per carton. Others are more expensive.  At £1  I could get a lot more volume in cows milk.

 

Allan

 

[NYCat]

It's a beautiful day here and I spent some time in the garden. We are getting birds frequently now.. This morning, a dove, sparrows and what I think is a grackle. Our robin nest now has wee ones. I saw two sticking up over the edge today... They are all mouth now, of course, wide open.

 

Paulette

[Allan Bell]

1 hour ago, NYCat said:

It's a beautiful day here and I spent some time in the garden. We are getting birds frequently now.. This morning, a dove, sparrows and what I think is a grackle. Our robin nest now has wee ones. I saw two sticking up over the edge today... They are all mouth now, of course, wide open.

 

Paulette

 

Called "Gapers". Add it to your keywording.

 

Allan

 

[Betty LaRue]

6 hours ago, NYCat said:

It's a beautiful day here and I spent some time in the garden. We are getting birds frequently now.. This morning, a dove, sparrows and what I think is a grackle. Our robin nest now has wee ones. I saw two sticking up over the edge today... They are all mouth now, of course, wide open.

 

Paulette

Wonderful!

I saw a hawk being chased by other birds yesterday. Reminds me of when Echo escaped years ago. The last I saw of her, at dusk, she was being chased by birds. She has a hooked beak, you know. Bless her, she had to have been so frightened. Glad we found her the next morning. She sat on my shoulder, hugging against my neck all day, muttering, “it’s okay.”

I blame myself for not checking that her wing feathers clip had grown out enough to fly before taking her to the patio.

[Bryan]

I have been making pizzas for years, they were a favourite of our sons, but my wife prefers the shop bought product. On Friday I was home alone and decided to experiment a bit. This time I added a single teaspoon of baking soda to the mix and went for a thick crust. The result was more like bread with an open airy structure, and had less of a yeasty taste than my previous efforts. Topped with some tomato and basil sauce, chopped onion, and a generous helping of a mozzarella and cheddar mix, a definite success. Not sure if it would get approval from the spouse, but very much to my taste.

[Betty LaRue]

I was surprised to see a huge number of zooms this morning. The whole week has many. My average has shot to 2.17.

Most of them are specific to Oklahoma, farmland, business, trees, a lot of different subjects with most having Oklahoma in the search term.

I need to make a trip back there to shoot fresh content. It’s only an hour trip in the car to be back in Oklahoma, but 2 hours 40 minutes to Oklahoma City.

The odd thing, there’s no searches with Kansas, where I live now, in the search terms. I do have flowers and trees here that have sold, but the search is almost always by the scientific name, not specific to Kansas.

[spacecadet]

We have bluetits nesting in a small cavity where the side door meets the house wall. There is at least one chick but there may not be photographs unless I can devise a way of not spooking the parents. I've got a webcam app on the smartphone so I can see when they're away so I might chance a snap.

 I happened to notice one the other week trying out the nest box and deciding against because it has no lid (my next DIY job then) so maybe they just popped round the corner.

Very exciting, what with twins expected in the family as well, God willing.

Edited May 10, 2022 by spacecadet

[Bryan]

On 09/05/2022 at 06:55, Bryan said:

I have been making pizzas for years, they were a favourite of our sons, but my wife prefers the shop bought product. On Friday I was home alone and decided to experiment a bit. This time I added a single teaspoon of baking soda to the mix and went for a thick crust. The result was more like bread with an open airy structure, and had less of a yeasty taste than my previous efforts. Topped with some tomato and basil sauce, chopped onion, and a generous helping of a mozzarella and cheddar mix, a definite success. Not sure if it would get approval from the spouse, but very much to my taste.

 

Made a second pizza having previously frozen half of the dough.   My wife liked it,  success  !!!! 

 

Home made pizza back on the menu.

[Bryan]

9 hours ago, spacecadet said:

We have bluetits nesting in a small cavity where the side door meets the house wall. There is at least one chick but there may not be photographs unless I can devise a way of not spooking the parents. I've got a webcam app on the smartphone so I can see when they're away so I might chance a snap.

 I happened to notice one the other week trying out the nest box and deciding against because it has no lid (my next DIY job then) so maybe they just popped round the corner.

Very exciting, what with twins expected in the family as well, God willing.

 

Great to see them. We. have two bird boxes, one which in recent years has been occupied by wasps, but the other always sees a family of bluetits.  I've not managed to get a photo worthy of an upload here as yet. The  favoured box faces NW and hardly sees the sun. 

 

Congrats on the forthcoming additions to your family Mark, we have another, and probable final,  grandchild due this summer. 

[CAROL SAUNDERS]

The Swans eggs at my local park hatched today, I managed to get down there for about half an hour about 6.30pm as I won't be able to go tomorrow as I have my niece's wedding.  We think 5 have hatched and I may have managed a few clicks before they huddled down under the parent.  They are very cute.  Hoping to go again on Saturday as there are lots of baby waterfowl around as well at the moment.

 

Carol

[gvallee]

After almost a year in Western Australia, we crossed back into Northern Territory. We stopped right after the border in Keep River National Park for a stay in nature with no comms whatsoever. Pure detox. We followed the recently graded dirt road to our campsite, offering the best of the Bush. 

 

We did three very scenic bush walks of varying demanding levels: one on sand through savannah, one boulder hopping along a creekbed, one up and down through majestic sandstone formations.

 

Early morning was a delight to set out for a walk, the scent of dew on tall grass, a faint background smell of woodsmoke from backburning, and the melodic calls of butcherbirds. Pure magic!

 

In the north of Australia, topping up on solar is not as quick due to the angle of the sun. The aim is our aircon of course. We stewed in the Bush, dreaming of a swimming pool. Now that we treated ourselves to a campsite with one, the water is too cold! I didn’t go in. That girl is ever happy…

[CAROL SAUNDERS]

Delighted that we now have 7 baby swans (signets) a swimming at my local park.  Cute is understatement😃  Also lots of other birdlife and a very obliging Grey Heron today.  So lovely to see this gorgeous little signets, only 3 days old and they've already been taken on tour of the lake...

 

Carol

[Ed Rooney]

 

7 little grey sweetie pies!  Don't get too near them. Mama and Papa will slap you in the head with their wings.

 

Edited May 14, 2022 by Ed Rooney

[CAROL SAUNDERS]

1 hour ago, Ed Rooney said:

 

7 little grey sweetie pies!  Don't get too near them. Mama and Papa will slap you in the head with their wings.

 

No fear Ego, their nest when they are occupying it, is very safe from humans, not so from other birdlife.  It's amazing whatching these little ones, after a swim they dry out and go fluffy extremely quickly.  Alas exposure has been a complete nightmare, white birds/bright sunshine etc., but I'm really not complaining it's great to see them😃. 

 

Carol

 

 

[spacecadet]

The bluetits are missing, presumed fledged. Empty nest (visited according to BTO code of practice) and no sad little corpses underneath. Seems very quick, though.

Hoping this turns out to be a Good Thing.

Edited May 16, 2022 by spacecadet

[NYCat]

I bought a flat of impatiens today. They have been late coming and the farm stand where I usually get them still doesn't have them. Someone else had them and they were very small and mixed in color so not quite what I wanted but I'm excited to start my planting tomorrow. I really love the pink ones most of all so I tried to make sure I had some of those. My cat sitting will take me near the greenmarket in a couple of weeks so I'll be able to see about getting more. We are supposed to get a big storm later today so that will give me nice wet soil for planting tomorrow. So I am joining the gardening conversation.

 

Paulette

[aphperspective]

Starlings fledged today from the nest box I built during covid lockdown. Took all morning of coaxing and calling from the parents to get all 3 out onto the garden wall then of into the woods. Very satisfying to watch.

[CAROL SAUNDERS]

The Magnificent 7 mute swan cygnets are still alive and kicking and sticking close by the parent.  So lovely to see them all even if I haven't been able to get a shot of them riding on the parents back.  Lots of other baby waterfowl around also.  The Canada geese goslings were delightful to watch as they tried and failed several times to get out of the water onto dry land.  This did manage it after several attempts.  I think there are around 20 goslings with 2 sets of parents.   Big cuteness overload today😄

 

Carol

[sb photos]

Previously I have hunted for adders to photograph wherever I saw adder warnings without success. I actually finally saw my first adder this afternoon. It had been sunbathing in the extreme heat of the afternoon sun on the coastal path between Sizewell and RSPB Minsmere in Suffolk. I was carrying my full kit backpack, but with only a D750 and 70-300 over my shoulder. It was too fast scuttling into the undergrowth and I was too close for the 70-300. Still, was nice to finally see one in the wild. 5 - 6 miles in bright sun and heat and no drink or hat with me wiped me out. At least I bought some sunblock from the chemist in Leiston before setting off.

Edited May 16, 2022 by sb photos

[Bryan]

5 hours ago, sb photos said:

Previously I have hunted for adders to photograph wherever I saw adder warnings without success. I actually finally saw my first adder this afternoon. It had been sunbathing in the extreme heat of the afternoon sun on the coastal path between Sizewell and RSPB Minsmere in Suffolk. I was carrying my full kit backpack, but with only a D750 and 70-300 over my shoulder. It was too fast scuttling into the undergrowth and I was too close for the 70-300. Still, was nice to finally see one in the wild. 5 - 6 miles in bright sun and heat and no drink or hat with me wiped me out. At least I bought some sunblock from the chemist in Leiston before setting off.

I don't have a marketable photo of an adder, but I've seen them a few times. On the first I was walking with my wife near Rothbury in Northumberland when she almost stood on a snake in the path. We later found out that we had been walking on Adder Hill.  I've also seen them basking in the sun on a very quiet road in western Durham while out cycling. Both occasions were pre Alamy, so no decent photos to show. My brother in law and his Mrs were staying at a camp site in Northumberland last year where there were adder warning signs, but they didn't see one. However the concept of adders lurking in the toilet block would be enough to give me nightmares !

[gvallee]

Yesterday, I had one of the most emotional evenings of the trip. Few people will be able to relate to it because it's quintessentially Australian, but I'll tell my story anyway.

Deep into the Bush at the end of a bumpy stony dirt road criss-crossed by dry creeks, is the historic homestead of Bullita, steeped in cattle industry history. The stockyards with heavy timber rails are preserved along with a few sheds, one being a water tank with 'shower', another a three corrugated sheets area acting as a windbreak for the 'kitchen' fire. Tough old days. No worries about slow internet or Netflix subscription then. Only dogged determination to push through continuous hardship, the pioneer spirit that I admire so much.

Nearby is one of the most wonderful bush camp in Australia set among baobabs by a creek fringed by pandanus. Evening came with a fiery orange sunset on one side and an incredibly bright full moon rising through the baobabs in the opposite direction at the same time. The fragrant smell of a campfire drifted through the air. The last bird calls sounded through the still air. I could not help but being in total awe. No photos. Totally under the spell.

[CAROL SAUNDERS]

9 hours ago, sb photos said:

Previously I have hunted for adders to photograph wherever I saw adder warnings without success. I actually finally saw my first adder this afternoon. It had been sunbathing in the extreme heat of the afternoon sun on the coastal path between Sizewell and RSPB Minsmere in Suffolk. I was carrying my full kit backpack, but with only a D750 and 70-300 over my shoulder. It was too fast scuttling into the undergrowth and I was too close for the 70-300. Still, was nice to finally see one in the wild. 5 - 6 miles in bright sun and heat and no drink or hat with me wiped me out. At least I bought some sunblock from the chemist in Leiston before setting off.

Hope you are feeling better now Steve, I think we are probably not used to the heat this year and it was very humid and carrying a heavy backpack around and all the other gear makes it more difficult.  I was only at my local park yesterday with one camera & lens and felt quite unwell lightheaded and dizzy and had to sit down a few times.  Thankfully made it to the cafe just before it closed and got a coffee put 2 sugars in, and a banana (not in the coffee !) felt better after that.  Note to self: take a bottle of water with😀

 

Carol

[NYCat]

Beautiful doves in my garden this morning. I want to go out and finish my planting before it gets hot but I'll give some time for the birds to finish their foraging. Mourning doves are my favorites. 

 

Paulette