If my brain is working and I remember to check,I will drop in for a chat. I'll likely show up while someone is still vaccumming the room,before the party starts.

I'll be the one in the jammies... all wrapped up in a nice blankie and asleep in the corner...

[Bobbie is usually up at 5:30am, just in time for the chat session!!! See Bobbie, you can make it!]

Bobbie is usually up at 5:30am, just in time for the chat session!!! See Bobbie, you can make it!

Hey, Donna-Girl! I can be up at 3.30am your time - no problem!!

A virtual party? Oh my! I can wear my jammies! And if you think I will be awake when YOUR New Year comes in, you are crazy, as I will not be awake for OURS!

Blackberry brandy? Eeeee-uuu! A similar thing in our family is the plum wine... we always get together on Christmas Eve with my Dad, all the siblings, their kids, and their kids... and we do a huge Chinese take-out. One year, when The Brother and one of the nephews went in to the takeaway, the person at the desk went into the back shouting: "Beeeg ordaaah! Beeeg ordaaah!" Since we, on our very own, had taken their business into the black, they gave us bottles of plum wine. The Brother has been fermenting these in his basement ever since.

So... along with the mandatory watching of "A Christmas Story", we all look forward to taking part in the "Beeeg ordaaah"!

Maybe I was a bit glum to begin with, but seeing the doomed Downy Woodpecker sent me into a deep period of self-reflection, even on Christmas morning.

[/quote]

Strange, isn't it? A BoP takes a sparrow or starling... and it's just "Bye-bye". Take something else and we cry.

Our "worst" - tho perhaps the most interesting - was a Sparrowhawk in pursuit of a Swallow. ("Our" Swallow - same as yours... Sparrowhawk, I think, fills the niche here of your SS Hawk.)

I missed all this, but Rod was outside and saw the whole thing. We are often graced with a brood of Swallows in the shed, and in this particular year, they had hatched and raised a brood of four. What caught Rod's eye was the swooping Sparrowhawk, then he saw it was chasing the Swallow. Swallow went right under the picnic table - and so did the hawk! This time, the hawk was successful, and of course we mourned the loss of "our" Swallow.

What fun, Ei! Wish I could attend... tho I would be bringing beverages with caffeine! (...and perhaps a wee dram? After all - it IS Hogmannay!) What does everyone get up to? Where do you meet? I love details, even when I cannot come!

Slainte to all!

BOBBIE

 

Wow, Donna! Close encounters like that are sure to cheer Jeff up! My little heart is pounding with excitement for him - and not a little envy!

I am voting with the rest, Annie - but once this "challenge" is over, what else can we do? I would be more than happy to go on a list of people who will send packages, write letters etc. Not sure how to do that, tho, as one obviously wants to go through a bone fide organisation. You mention people who have no one to send such things, which makes me cry! So if there is something you could suggest, I'm in! (Hope they don't mind things coming from Ireland...)

You guys r so funny ! MAK wishing u a wonderful vacation. You do such a great job keeping track of Beauty & I thank you so much . 

We all thank you, MAK - we surely do!

TMI, Donna-Girl! TMI!

[Chirpy Bird-Day, Ginha!Slainte!Bobbie]

Chirpy Bird-Day, Ginha!

Slainte!

Bobbie

 

  Hi everyone from Bentonville, Arkansas. You guys are too funny tracking Sue and I. It was a long trip on the bus, but so worth it to see my sis and family. I have limited internet access here so I won't be on too much. I'm glad all y'all had fun watching our progression. I'm glad the Beautyful one showed up on Mercury so we know she's ok. Bye.

MAK! Good to hear from you in faraway Arkansas! Here's to a wonderful time for all of you. We have had a laugh "tracking" you and Sue. There is no escape from the Forum!
 

Slainte for now -

Bobbie

Notice the banner? On the left side

Yep, rolling out the new changes under the hood just in time for 2011.

Lookin' good! Thanks, Shaky!

Good little piece, Jeanne. Looks like it was the only excitement in the whole game... should we suggest this type of diversion to the Bills??

Two good pieces, Donna - this and the woodpeckers - on this lazy Irish day. A Jammies' Day for me! Woo-hoo! Nothing to do... nowhere to go... no one to feed...

We should now change the title of this post to "Tracking MAK" (as someone else said). Jeez, a person can't do a thing on this Forum without everyone else sticking their nose in! She will have a stack of posts to go through on her return so she'll see just how much we miss her!

Sure hope she and Sue did not encounter the bad weather... I can't find a post that mentions this... probably did not look hard enough.