COLD DARK ROOM

[Tidgy's Dad]

Jane?

Yup, points to Linda! ! ! ! !
(if i were still doing points).
Jolly Jane from Derbyshire it is!
Hopefully she'll be posting in a while, as well.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

@ZEROPILOT Ancestry has just re-evaluated the DNA profiles now there’s more data.

Mine has definitely confirmed that I am English and Welsh/Celtic (the Norwegian is a Viking invasion of Wales)
View attachment 251318

JoesDad has an Indian aberration in his (Gujarat), but India was a British colony. It basically proves what we knew from his family tree... his family is English and basically lived in the same area for centuries!
View attachment 251319

Very interesting.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

I'll look into it
Most Americans are much more diverse because we are children of immigrants from all over the place.
However, my grandparents had relatively pure bloodlines. What I have is a serious mixture of people on the wrong side of world war 2 and some surprising mystery nordic blood.

Hi, Ed!
Hope you've been keeping well!

 

[CarolM]

Beautiful pics.
When I see a rainbow I always think that there is the soul of a dead pet just walking over the rainbow ( bridge ).

[emoji17] I think of a pot of gold

 

[CarolM]

Well said.
When I was a child there where no computers, no game boy, no handys. How did I overlived ????
Really fine ! I was playing outside with my girlfriend when the weather was fine and inside when it rains. I loved riding a bike or taking my roller skates. I`ve played in a little forest near my parents house, climbed trees or build little cabins out of branches. I collected snails, build them a nice home in a bucket, watched them for some days and then set them free again. I loved being outside.
TV ???? My parents had a TV but I only watched Star Trek Enterprise or some series with animals ( Lassie, Flipper ). TV was not important in my childhood and it is not important for me now.
I am thankful to have had such a beautiful childhood and I never missed anything.
Today it is great to have the I-Net to talk with you, but I am still an old dinosaur that hates to write sms and often forget the handy at home.... I have no I-phone or smart phone, no whatsApp....... and I am still not missing these things.

Lol. Sounds like my childhood.

 

[CarolM]

Good evening/morning all..

I know not too many of those lurking and living in the CDR own Desert torts, but this is a great article on desert tort hibernation/brumation, fresh water, food storage, mating, etc. and how torts as reptiles cope with various environmental changes.

Link to the article - http://www.naturalhistorymag.com/htmlsite/1202/1202_feature2.html#back

Wilk have to read later as doing a quick catch up. It is past my bedtime.

 

[CarolM]

There will be a quiz tomorrow for you.....

Whahahaha

 

[CarolM]

Lola is fine thanks Carol but still not eating much while I am at work.
I have been trying to avoid hand feeding but it's difficult not to.
When I come home and sit on the floor and he practically climbs in my lap.
The Housing Association have not been on touch with me but I think they may have written to neighbours as they haven't touched my plants since. They have hung out 4 cushions with letters on them on their washing line spelling a 4 letter word beginning with c. and only raised high enough for me to see, so I'm pretty sure that was aimed at me, but apart from that all quiet on the western front.

Oh that is good news. NOT the word but the rest of it. I think that Lola is really stubborn but he will eventually come around.

 

[Bee62]

And I’m done. Just need to avoid those germs for the next couple of weeks

I arrived back to a delivery of the latest thing for my garden
View attachment 251287

It’s an Italian Cypress. The variety is Totem which grows slowly and is very narrow, 50-100cm/2-3ft, and tall. It is also suited to the dry conditions we have here in the extreme south east of England.

JoesDad’s job at the weekend will be digging a hole for it while I make sure it is planted straight!

I think I have two of them in my garden too. Have to take a pic tomorrow.

 

[CarolM]

Wasn’t too bad for a Monday..productive work day even though it’s been very rainy all day. Stopped long enough when I got home for the Shell Babies to go outside for about 45 min . Now we are snuggled in with Loaded potato soup... The new tortoise is sweet.i thought she might be depressed over the change and not eat or something... definitely not the case.. she loves the outside area we built and constantly grazes. She likes to be petted and talked to (yes you can see her react[emoji849]) and she even ate out of my hand [emoji4]

Oh that is really good news. I am so happy for you Heather.

 

[CarolM]

Okay, but the stars were the same as today.

Probably a bit brighter.

 

[CarolM]

Greetings...

Was out doing some garden and yard cleanup today before the heavy rains come later this week with Hurricane Florence. While trimming my Brandywine tomato plants I came across one of those cool things in nature... tomato horn worm larva that has now been attacked by a wasp that lays it’s eggs inside... kills the larva...etc.

Pix of the caterpillar that is hanging on my tomato plant

View attachment 251213

Here is whats going on there on the back of that caterpillar

The parasitoid wasp, Cotesia congregata of the family Braconidae, also kills M. quinquemaculata.

Here’s How: Adult wasp females lay their eggs inside the skin of the hornworm caterpillar. After hatching, the wasp larvae use the organs and tissues of the caterpillar as food sources before burrowing out of the skin and pupating on the back and sides of the caterpillar. (The white wings on the caterpillar). Once the wasps have emerged from their cocoons, the weakened caterpillar dies. These wasps have also been suggested as a means of biological control of the tomato hornworm

The Moth’s Lifecycle

View attachment 251214

Anyhow, just thought I’d share what’s going on in my backyard...

Gives me the hibbies jeebies. Just the thought of being a food source while still alive......

 

[CarolM]

Good mornooning, roommates! Sorry I was unable to check in yesterday. Hope everyone is doing well, and all the new critters — torts and dogs — are settling in well. Also hope everyone’s work week will get easier now that we’re at the half mark.
I guess it’s Adam’s birthday in about a week. Have you made any diplomatic progress, @Bee62?
Oh, I dreamed of Kristoff and Elsa last night. Made me so happy! I thought, while still dreaming, I must tell my roommates that I got to see them... Amazing how one little shelled friend (Kristoff, because he came in our life first) changed my entire attitude to reptiles. [emoji173]️

That is such a sweet story. They are still with you always.

 

[CarolM]

Step away from the knives Bea... step away... yes, that’s right.... and don’t touch that axe...

Come on Bea, let’s have a nice cup of tea... nothing to see here... come on....

Lol [emoji23] [emoji23] [emoji23]

 

[CarolM]

And I’m done. Just need to avoid those germs for the next couple of weeks

I arrived back to a delivery of the latest thing for my garden
View attachment 251287

It’s an Italian Cypress. The variety is Totem which grows slowly and is very narrow, 50-100cm/2-3ft, and tall. It is also suited to the dry conditions we have here in the extreme south east of England.

JoesDad’s job at the weekend will be digging a hole for it while I make sure it is planted straight!

Beautiful tree.

 

[CarolM]

What a nice dream.
Good evening, Lena!
10 days til the first day of my birthday, I'm very excited.
Life's good.

And welcome back again.

 

[CarolM]

On Sunday a Roommate arrived in Morocco for a ten day tour, on my recommendation.
She spent a couple of days with her tour group visiting some of the cities en route and on Monday night arrived in Fes, unfortunately too late to meet up.
Staying just for two nights at the Hotel Splendid. (which really isn't) .
The internet and WIFI were dodgy so it was hard connecting, but she would be doing the tour of Fes Medina the next day, and knowing where they go, I would try to locate her.
The next day, I set off went down the steps into my local veggie souk and who should be coming down the next set of stairs but the Roommate in question!
Amazing!
Just 5 minutes from my house and so we spent half an hour chatting, got on very well, I was pleased to hear she was very much enjoying Morocco.
I also met her tour guide and some of her travelling companions who were very nice.
But then the local tour guide (different from the country tout guide) asked me to leave, though I was not interrupting him or criticizing, but he didn't realize I knew one of the group and declared me a security risk, thinking I had just latched on. I offered to pay, but he sent me away. (he later apologized to the group when he found out I knew someone there.
Never mind, all that walking in the heat would have done for me, so we met up in the late afternoon, after the tour had finished, at the Hotel Splendid.
The lovely Roommate brought me some gifts from England!
View attachment 251306
.

Oohh. Nice. So who was it that you met up with?

 

[CarolM]

Anyway, here is a photo.
I'm the bloke.
Recognize the lovely lady, anyone?
View attachment 251307

Jane?

 

[CarolM]

Jane?

Snap

 

[CarolM]

Well. All caught up. But it is a work night and already 00.35. So sleep time for me. Chat soon and not see you later.