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Good day, Elle!
I have not looked at the loch's goings on today.
I hope your "incidents" are not too important?
Dry and cloudy here, but....we have a "rain and floods" warning in place from SEPA.
I think it is tomorrow, and Miss L-B and me are going to Pine Cone.....so!
I have just cut my hair and have an airy light headed feeling!

Hi, Rusty!
I have looked in on the osprey blog again...and this time all the video clips are functioning.
Click on today's "Daily life on the nest", and you will see......it's worth a look.
And on the main webcam, Lassie is feeding all three chicks right now!
There are a few problems within near and extended family, Rusty.
Some are serious enough to be worrying, though hopefully not endangering.
I would tell you, but this is too public a vehicle.
I'm jittery though , today......
A haircut! Wow! It must be ages since you last had shorn locks!
You will get Miss L-B's opinion tomorrow!
What is SEPA?

Hi elle
I agreed with you about Pooh on the Times Jumbo thread in fact, I said
"The Pooh books were perfectly targeted, as children liked having them read to them and parents liked reading them!"
I may have mentioned that I regularly re-read my Arthur Ransomes.

Hello, Elle!
Lassie and Laddie are doing a great job with the young ones.
No, absolutely, Elle, these are private family matters and best kept to yourself.
I think it was last year some time that I cut my hair, I think.
SEPA (Scottish Environmental Protection Agency).
Goodness knows where they get their info, for there are no alerts from the weather forecasters!
We have had little rain for weeks and I can't see the rivers bursting their banks.
Hope not, anyway!

Hello, Chris!
I have "Winnie- the -Pooh : The Complete Collection of Stories and Poems"
A wonderful volume!
Yes, you have told me about your penchant for Arthur Ransome's books.
I unearthed quite a few of my very old copies, when I did my mammoth sorting out of books last year.
They are on my "To Read" list when I have time.
I think quite a number of children's books are better when read as an adult?
Do you agree?

Hi, Rusty!
Yes, Lassie and Laddie are fantastic parents!
Did you see how patiently Lassie was feeding the young ones this morning?
I was feeling a bit down earlier....
I seem to have done a lot of listening of late.....but is it enough?
I just wish I could wave a magic wand and make things right for everyone!
Ah well.....I guess everything gets "coped with" in its own way.
SEPA is new to me.
I hope the prophesied "rains and floods" do not happen!
And that you get your outing tomorrow.....
You are doing well for visits to the Pine Cone!
Have you done your crossword today?
I thought it quite a nice one after my abysmal efforts on Saturday!

Hello, Elle!
Lassie is a super Mum!
I know your feeling about the magic wand.
But life is life and it will go on with or without a magic wand!
You have the "EA" down there. Environmental Agency.
EA and SEPA are in cahoots in the Borders as rivers cross the border.
Like the Tweed and Border Esk.
I finished my puzzle this morning and was pleased to find an old hero of mine, Hopalong Cassidy, in it!
Who is Mitford in 1a?
I have heard of several sisters of that name.
I think one became the Duchess of Devonshire.
I don't like the homothingy in 22a, and I have not heard of 25a before.
A good puzzle, though!

Hi, Rusty!
I remember Hopalong Cassidy......wasn't Dennis Weaver in that?
I couldn't do 1a, which was the clue featuring a "Mitford".......I was going to ask you about that?
I have A?T?P?O?
And have no idea how to solve the clue
Please will you explain?
There were six Mitford sisters..... I don't know if the clue relates to one of them?
The only one that I know of is Nancy Mitford; she was a journalist and novelist.
I have a feeling you are right about one of the sisters becoming the Duchess of Devonshire...I think perhaps the youngest one?
Yes, "weather" and "whether" are not said exactly the same...but I've come across worse homonyms!
I hadn't heard of "Commonplace book" either......but I got "placebo" straight off, so it was easy after that.
A good puzzle for me , though, compared to that of the w/e!

Hello, Elle!
William Boyd played Hopalong.
1a, the clue appears to refer to one Mitford sister, but which?
I have "antiphon" as the answer. A "psalm".
The "idea" is "tip", leaving "an hon".
Would "an Hon" be an aristocrat, as in Rt Hon?
I could be way off, though.
Yes, Debo was the youngest, and became Duchess of Devonshire.
You did better than me!
I did not see "placebo"!

Good evening, Rusty!
I have been talking to my daughter for just over an hour...she rings on her way home from work.
It is one of the highlights of my day!
Ah, I am confused...so in which Western TV series was Dennis Weaver?
I think he played "Chester"?
Was that Matt Dillon's sidekick?
I have never heard of an "antiphon".....
Yes, I would think that an "Hon" is an "aristocrat".
Your parsing sounds good.
Thank you!
My favourite clues were 8d: hayloft; 12d: trencherman; 16d: contempt. and 25a: Commonplace book (even tho' I'd never heard of it!)