When we had the "Big Thaw" and the temp went up to 50f here outside
Swansea the birds were singing their heads off but the last few days
they have calmed down, and I thought that they had realised the error
of their ways, but today comming away from Tesco I was stoped at
trafic lights and looked at a hedge at the side of House by the road,
I thought that the mass of twigs looked strange, then a Magpie flew in
with yet another twig and inserted it, fussed around with some of the
twigs before flying off for more, so thats one bird well into nest
building.
Does it know something we don't?
David

Dave Hill wrote:

a Magpie flew in
with yet another twig and inserted it, fussed around with some of the
twigs before flying off for more, so thats one bird well into nest
building.

You posted that just to annoy we American lurkers, right?
In the northeastern U.S., winter is just getting her boots on!

I've got an 8'X12' greenhouse almost ready to go up on the end of the
house, having fastened the several bundles of metal bits together for ends
and side, so that will count as a very early sign of spring, I hope!


Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at home.earthlink.net/~garygarlic
Zone 5/4 in upstate New York, 1420' elevation. NY WO G

EEk. I've just got back from the shops here having slipped over twice on
the ice. My other half's too stingy to pay for a barber so I have to cut his
hair. I save it all in bags and put it out for the nesting birds in the
Spring. Too early for that here by far.

Joan

"Dave Hill" wrote in message
...
When we had the "Big Thaw" and the temp went up to 50f here outside
Swansea the birds were singing their heads off but the last few days
they have calmed down, and I thought that they had realised the error
of their ways, but today comming away from Tesco I was stoped at
trafic lights and looked at a hedge at the side of House by the road,
I thought that the mass of twigs looked strange, then a Magpie flew in
with yet another twig and inserted it, fussed around with some of the
twigs before flying off for more, so thats one bird well into nest
building.
Does it know something we don't?
David

On Thu, 6 Jan 2011 10:45:02 -0800 (PST), Dave Hill wrote:

I thought that the mass of twigs looked strange, then a Magpie flew in
with yet another twig and inserted it, fussed around with some of the
twigs before flying off for more, so thats one bird well into nest
building. Does it know something we don't?

Well spring is a long way off here. The snow has gone where the
snowdrops and daffs appear but there is no sign of either. Only about
half of the big drifts have gone and tonight it's hovering around
-6C, it hasn't been that cold since Christmas Day. This month has
struggled to get above 0C so far.

--
Cheers
Dave.

It's been snowing steadily here all morning :-)

And the garden is full of redwings and waxwings. I can't go and empty the veg peelings on to the compost 'cos I don't want to disturb them!

In message , Joan Edington
writes
EEk. I've just got back from the shops here having slipped over twice on
the ice. My other half's too stingy to pay for a barber so I have to cut his
hair. I save it all in bags and put it out for the nesting birds in the
Spring. Too early for that here by far.

Joan

Here's a product which might be of interest. I've bought a pair but must
confess I haven't tried them yet in anger I tend t wear walking boos in
winter which are good on ice.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Get-Grip-Eve...dium/dp/B002LW
DCCS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1294431270&sr=8-2

Alternatively go to Amazon and search on ice grabbers. There are several
types available.
--
hugh
"Believe nothing. No matter where you read it, Or who said it, Even if
I have said it, Unless it agrees with your own reason And your own
common sense." Buddha

In message o.uk, Dave
Liquorice writes
On Thu, 6 Jan 2011 10:45:02 -0800 (PST), Dave Hill wrote:

I thought that the mass of twigs looked strange, then a Magpie flew in
with yet another twig and inserted it, fussed around with some of the
twigs before flying off for more, so thats one bird well into nest
building. Does it know something we don't?

Well spring is a long way off here. The snow has gone where the
snowdrops and daffs appear but there is no sign of either. Only about
half of the big drifts have gone and tonight it's hovering around
-6C, it hasn't been that cold since Christmas Day. This month has
struggled to get above 0C so far.

There's still ice on the canal here in Cheshire although it has almost
gone now.
--
hugh
"Believe nothing. No matter where you read it, Or who said it, Even if
I have said it, Unless it agrees with your own reason And your own
common sense." Buddha

From an easrlier post on this group, I suspect you may be the Martin that
used to idle his time away in the EE newsgroup that I perused occasionally
when on the dole, having nothing better to do. I never imagined you with a
beard, if it is you. If so, are you still in Belgium/Netherlands or wherever
foreign field it was?

Joan

"Martin" wrote in message
news
On Thu, 6 Jan 2011 19:58:26 -0000, "Joan Edington"
wrote:

EEk. I've just got back from the shops here having slipped over twice on
the ice. My other half's too stingy to pay for a barber so I have to cut
his
hair. I save it all in bags and put it out for the nesting birds in the
Spring. Too early for that here by far.

Luxury! The birds nest in my beard.
--

Martin

"Joan Edington" wrote in
:

EEk. I've just got back from the shops here having slipped over twice
on the ice. My other half's too stingy to pay for a barber so I have
to cut his hair. I save it all in bags and put it out for the nesting
birds in the Spring. Too early for that here by far.

Joan

Frugal is a much nicer word.:-)
I used to pay 10 quid every 6 weeks or so to get my hair cut and had to
wait in a queue, always on a Saturday morning because I worked all the rest
of the week. What a waste of that part of my life. Bought electric clipper
to do it at home and it's one of the best investements ever made. OK, I
look a bit of a bugger but I always did after leaving the barbers shop
anyway, but now I'm a bit better off financially and don't hear the words
'anything for the weekend, sir?' or 'going to the match today, sir?'.
Always wanted to say f*** off after I leave your bloody shop there will not
be any effing time left.

Been on my arse more times this year, quite embarrasing sometimes int it.

Take care
Baz

Martin wrote in
:


2/6 in Reading during the 1950s. One place handed you a raffle ticket
and you returned when you thought it was about the right time.
Hospitals & GPs could copy this idea.


I bought a professional clipper/ beard trimmer via my
barber/hairdresser. Sheep shearing next.


12 and a half p!
My goodness, how times have changed.
What was the average wage in those days?
My grandad used to tell us that in WW2 he paid tuppence farthing for a
pint, and only the rich went to the barbers shop.

Raffle tickets are used today just like you describe, but at the GP only
the lucky bugger with the right number gets the correct treatment.

Baz

Sacha wrote in :

On 2011-01-06 18:45:02 +0000, Dave Hill
said:

When we had the "Big Thaw" and the temp went up to 50f here outside
Swansea the birds were singing their heads off but the last few days
they have calmed down, and I thought that they had realised the error
of their ways, but today comming away from Tesco I was stoped at
trafic lights and looked at a hedge at the side of House by the road,
I thought that the mass of twigs looked strange, then a Magpie flew
in with yet another twig and inserted it, fussed around with some of
the twigs before flying off for more, so thats one bird well into
nest building.
Does it know something we don't?
David

Haven't seen any nest-building but two pigeons seemed to be doing a
'trial mating' the other day! Ray just watched some lunchtime telly
and says there's thick snow in Ediurgh. I really do hope it doesn't
come this way!

Fingers crossed.
Lets hope we have had the worst of it now.
Talking of trial mating, now wheres the missus......Oh headache:-(

Baz

"Martin" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 08 Jan 2011 15:11:11 GMT, Baz wrote:

Martin wrote in
m:


2/6 in Reading during the 1950s. One place handed you a raffle ticket
and you returned when you thought it was about the right time.
Hospitals & GPs could copy this idea.


I bought a professional clipper/ beard trimmer via my
barber/hairdresser. Sheep shearing next.


12 and a half p!
My goodness, how times have changed.
What was the average wage in those days?

GBP500/annum ???

My grandad used to tell us that in WW2 he paid tuppence farthing for a
pint, and only the rich went to the barbers shop.

Beer was 1/- a pint in 1958


During the Suez crisis of 1956, petrol doubled from 2/6 a gallon to 5/= a
gallon. I had just swapped my Lambretta for a Matchless 500 cc G9

and now? Petrol is at its highest and I go an buy a Triumph Bonneville T100
http://www.myalbum.com/Album=AQ6WL3IW over 800 cc!!!

Mike


--

....................................
Don't take life too seriously, you'll never get out alive
....................................

Martin wrote in
:

On Sat, 8 Jan 2011 15:56:17 +0000, Sacha wrote:

On 2011-01-08 15:17:27 +0000, Baz said:
snip
Talking of trial mating, now wheres the missus......Oh headache:-(

Baz

Can you blame her - if it's only a trial?? ;-))

She remembers the tribulations after the last sheep dog trial.

Very good. But how did you get to know? Hehe

Baz

Martin wrote in
:

On Sat, 08 Jan 2011 15:17:27 GMT, Baz wrote:

Sacha wrote in :

On 2011-01-06 18:45:02 +0000, Dave Hill
said:

When we had the "Big Thaw" and the temp went up to 50f here outside
Swansea the birds were singing their heads off but the last few days
they have calmed down, and I thought that they had realised the error
of their ways, but today comming away from Tesco I was stoped at
trafic lights and looked at a hedge at the side of House by the road,
I thought that the mass of twigs looked strange, then a Magpie flew
in with yet another twig and inserted it, fussed around with some of
the twigs before flying off for more, so thats one bird well into
nest building.
Does it know something we don't?
David

Haven't seen any nest-building but two pigeons seemed to be doing a
'trial mating' the other day! Ray just watched some lunchtime telly
and says there's thick snow in Ediurgh. I really do hope it doesn't
come this way!

Fingers crossed.
Lets hope we have had the worst of it now.
Talking of trial mating, now wheres the missus......Oh headache:-(

Are you expecting the Inquisition?

Well, she IS a witch.
Baz

On Sat, 08 Jan 2011 15:11:11 GMT, Baz wrote:

12 and a half p!
My goodness, how times have changed.
What was the average wage in those days?

Donno but the 3 bed 1930 semi that I was born in was bought by me Mam
and Dad for, IIRC, £2,600 in 1953.

My gross annual salary when I started work in 1978 was £2,500 and
that was a good wage for a 6th form leaver.

--
Cheers
Dave.