Re: The Happy Thought Thread Part 4
 

My Japanese banana palm has produced a large bud, about 6" long and 3" in diameter and still growing. Looks like it's going to flower and make fruit for the first time. :)

Normally they require a year+ of weather with enough warmth to keep growing. The mild winter and recent warmth have kept it growing for long enough.

It also has four smaller palms off the same root, one's about 10' tall, two are about 3' and the smallest is 1'

Re: The Happy Thought Thread Part 4
 

Both families turf their kids onto the street in all weathers. Not into their own (large) back gardens. And they never seem to be taken anywhere like the local park. :confused: Six weeks of them would have been too much for anyone, let alone the shift workers that live around here.

Gawd help us when they turn into teenagers....

Re: The Happy Thought Thread Part 4
 

I used to love taking my children out when they were small we used to go to Edinburgh Castle, Stirling Castle among other places as we used to be members of Historic Scotland which we found to be great value for money plus it gave us lots of fun day's out for our children and sometimes we took their friends. I have never understood why some just let the summer holidays go by and not do anything with their children.

https://members.historic-scotland.gov.uk/home

Re: The Happy Thought Thread Part 4
 

This is thing I would have enjoyed, ;)

Re: The Happy Thought Thread Part 4
 

I know this is disgusting but my happy thought is I managed to get a urine sample from my dog grant you more urine on my hand :eek: than in the plastic cup but at least the vet has his sample.

Re: The Happy Thought Thread Part 4
 

They have kids of their own and repeat the cycle of defective parenting and HMG will instruct our teachers to do even more of their upbringing for them. :spin:

---------- Post added at 13:10 ---------- Previous post was at 13:09 ----------

You have a dog called 'Grant You'? :D

Re: The Happy Thought Thread Part 4
 

Goldfinch babies have fledged this afternoon. Seven hungry beaks now competing for the bird feeders so 5 must have hatched and survived. Not bad going.

Re: The Happy Thought Thread Part 4
 

Lovely. A few years ago I notice a blackbird nesting in our garden hedge and decided to run a golfball sized CCTV camera to it so we could record and view the footage of the eggs hatching etc. It was fascinating to watch and in the end 4 chicks hatched but sadly they started to disappear. Normally predators like magpies and squirrels would take the whole lot so we knew something odd was happening and after reviewing lots of footage we discovered that a male was taking the nestlings out of the nest and dumping them.

On another occasion I discovered some wrens had nested in the same hedge when I heard the feint call of several young birds coming from it one afternoon. I went to have a look and could hear them but not see anything at first. Then, with my head buried in the thick hedge, I spotted these tiny fledglings amongst all the woody stems and the male adult started creating a right old fuss trying to frighten me away. He was only about the size of my little finger but very feisty!! :)

Re: The Happy Thought Thread Part 4
 

Ah the male Blackbird might have realised that there was something wrong with those chicks so dumped them to give the healthier ones more of a chance. Less mouths to feed and all that.

The goldies tend to come into the garden in singles or a pair at a time during the nesting season but you get a good flock of them once the last lot of young have hatched. I think there are 3-4 pairs visiting my garden but it's not unusual to see between 10 and 20 at a time after the nesting season has finished. They fight over the sunflower hearts so I've just bought another feeder for them with 4 ports.

Ours will eat pretty much anything you put out though:

Attachment 27047

Re: The Happy Thought Thread Part 4
 

LOL

Good news my wee dog has just got a infection thank goodness, so hopefully once his medicine starts to kick in he will be back to his usual self, then back to the vet in a fortnight just for a follow up check up.

I was pleasantly surprised at the bill £74.39 that was for 3 injections, his urine sample checked, course of antibiotics and the consultation. As a family we hate it when our dog is unwell we just knew that something was wrong with him :(

Re: The Happy Thought Thread Part 4
 

Hopefully it'll do the trick and he'll be up and at 'em very soon. :)

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Yep, nature can be very cruel. Thankfully some neighbours have moved recently and we have a few less cats around now. They kill so many birds it's a real shame.

Re: The Happy Thought Thread Part 4
 

Cats are evil, they just kill stuff for fun, not interested in eating it. They've more than once destroyed birds nests in my garden, smashing the eggs. Plus they crap everywhere. Cats and their absent uncaring owners need culling. Sod hunting foxes, go for hunting cats...
Why won't any political party go for it ?

Re: The Happy Thought Thread Part 4
 

You appeared to have misunderstood the thread title...

Re: The Happy Thought Thread Part 4
 

The thought of a cat cull is a happy thought Hugh ;)

Re: The Happy Thought Thread Part 4
 

Only if you are a heartless pet hater...