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Good morning, Rusty!
We have brilliant sunshine and bright blue sky here.....it was already 25C before 8 am.
It is going to be another scorcher!
We have all our fans going.......
Lassie and both chicks were in the nest, when I checked a few minutes ago.....
It is some time since I spotted Laddie?
What a shame for Aila and Louis to have had their eggs stolen by a pine marten!
But he looked a nice little fellow....and his family needs to eat too!
As you say, such is nature!
Is the pine marten related to the squirrel?
I thought they looked similar?
What to do now there is no tennis?!
I shall be getting withdrawal symptoms....!



Hello, Pigale!
Thank you for your Congratulations to BB.........
I shall pass them on to him!
How are you bearing up under the heat?
It is nearing 28C here now.......and only 10 am!



Yes, JG, another leftie in the family...my son is left-handed, as are a couple of cousins.....
Don't forget Goran Ivanisevic, Martina Navratalova, Henri Le Comte; and the Doubles players , Bob Bryan, Mark Woodeforde......
I am sure there are other famous left-handed players , who I cannot bring to mind right now!

I saw all four ospreys on the nest this morning. It didn't last long. I don't think the nest is big enough for them all now!

Hello, Elle!
Turned into a lovely morning up here!
Yes, just nature in the raw.
Now, don't take this as gospel, as I am no expert.
I think squirrels and martens are unrelated.
Martens, to me at any rate, are related to weasels, and otters, probably.
Carnivores.
I have seen otters in the wild, but never seen any martens.
I am glad there is no sport today, but my thoughts are turning to the Open Golf Championship which is getting played at Carnoustie, not too far from me.
The lad who is part owner of the garage I go to, has rented out his house for Open week.
Quite profitable, I believe.
Just finished my puzzle.
1a is a new word to me.
A good puzzle today!

Hi, Rusty!
Yes, it is indeed a lovely day, but far too hot!
I am feeling a tad grim this morning...heat does not "suit" me...and I have a bad headache!
I do so hate taking medication..... but I am finally about to succumb, and go and take two paracetamol tablets!
Enough is enough!
I have been looking up pine martens.......it would seem that they are lethal around the grey squirrels as they kill and eat them!
But they leave the red squirrels strictly alone......
So pine martens are welcomed, as the "saviours" of the red squirrels!
I haven't even started the crossword.... I took one look at 1a ........and gave up this morning!
Right, some tablets and a glass of water.....



You were lucky to see Laddie in the nest, Kenyatta.
I think he usually perches in a nearby tree.

Good afternoon, Elle!
Not very hot here.
Hope your paracetamol tablets are helpful to you.
The reds and the pine martens seem to co-exist quite peacefully up here, anyway.
The greys are treated as vermin (Scots law, I believe).
Just watched Jordan Spieth hand back the Open trophy (the claret jug) as his year as champion is coming to an end.
Some of the players practicing at Carnoustie are wearing fleeces.
This sure ain't Florida!

Hi, Rusty!
I am fine now, thank you!
A bit ashamed of myself for moaning earlier about the heat........
There could be far worse things happening!
I have just heard from my Canadian friend (well, ex Brit) who recently went cruising round the Scottish Isles and Iceland.
She spent a couple of days in Edinburgh, and then Aberdeen, too, as part of the trip.
She had a wonderful time!
I am somewhat amazed, though, that having lived twenty odd years in Bolton, she had to come all the way from Calgary, Alberta, to visit Scotland!
But she said it was well worth it!
My grey squirrel has just called round for his nuts....
He is very tame and taps on the window to get my attention!

Hello, Elle!
You are allowed to moan!
It was only a wee moan.
Glad your friend enjoyed her trip!
I have been glueing the cover of my Chambers back on.
Seems to have worked.
And...a mystery!
My phone called my daughter-in-law and I did not know!
No idea how that happened.
So, I have scanned phone for viruses and malware and it is "safe"!
But had a nice chat with my daughter-in-law as we pondered the mystery!

Hello rusty
I hope you don't mind me helping here.
Your mobile appears to have "pocket-dialled" someone on your contact list. See the link below.
It happened to me some years ago, when a friend's phone started calling me (I was the first name on his contact list) even though his mobile was inside a jacket, hanging on a hook in his hallway.
When I answered, all I could hear were muffled noises and him chatting with his son in the lounge. I phoned his landline to ask what happened.
His jacket must have been jostled, as one of them had walked through the narrow hallway. His son fixed the problem, but I don't know how. Hope this link helps

http://internet-access-guide.com/what-you-should-know-about-pocket-dialing/

Good evening, Jazzgirl!
Thank you very much for your helpful information!
In the past, I have "pocket-dialled" folk by accident.
My phone being in my jacket or shirt pocket at the time and I must have inadvertently banged or knocked it somehow.
But today, my phone was sitting on my desk as usual.
I was repairing my Chambers with glue, and then went to kitchen for a few minutes to make my tea, came back when my phone rang and it was my daughter-in-law calling, thinking something was wrong.
She said I had called her but did not speak!
So, I am at a loss to understand how it happened.
The call lasted 8 minutes.
I almost never use my mobile phone for calls, but prefer texting and WhatsApping.
Anyway I set the anti-virus app loose on the phone, and Malwarebytes, and it seems to be fine now!

OOh-er rusty
That is a mystery. You have done all possible to check for viruses.
So all should be well now.