Harry Potter in Oz

Yesterday morning, before I spent the whole afternoon writing the post on The Hawk Conservancy Trust, Jackie and I followed Becky, Ian, and Scooby to the Beachcomber Café at Barton on Sea.

The angelic, ageing Jack Russel – 17 next month – earned extra Bonio rations and heaps of admiration on the day of our visit to the trust, by controlling his bodily functions for nigh on 13 hours alone in the house because of our travel delays. We searched the house for evidence of leakage or dumping. There was none. I don’t think any of the rest of us could have remained so contained

We were also proud of the fact that he showed no desire to sit at table, which could not be said for a number of younger dogs.

As usual, speckled starlings perched in a row on the fence waiting for

a sight of likely pickings.

In the evening the four of us finished off the Indian Takeaway meal from the day before yesterday. Ian drank Peroni, Jackie chose Hoegaarden and I drank more of the Garnacha Syrah.

Becky spent some considerable time battling unsuccessfully with the interface between our TV and the You View box. She did, however make it possible for us to access Players and Apps from the TV. This will satisfy us until we obtain a replacement device.

This morning she continued offering her undoubted expertise by connecting me to Skype and showing me how to make screenshots during a rather frenetic video link with Malachi, Orlaith, and Sam in Fremantle.

There was competition for books to be thrust at the screen. Sam is currently reading the Harry Potter series to Orlaith who explained that they were her brother’s books. Mal had read them all in a matter of a few weeks when he was five. He is now on the teenage spy series, Cherub, by Robert Muchamore.

Dance routines were performed to the strains of Australia’s number one record. There was some rivalry for the prime screen shot.

My two grandchildren engaged in wand sword fights.

Orlaith donned her Harry Potter outfit

and snuggled up to her Dad for her bedtime story. Then we said goodnight. They are, of course, seven hours ahead of us.

This afternoon I uploaded Jackie’s pictures from the Hawk Conservancy Trust. Here are a variety of falcons in their environment.

She photographed the crowd focussed on the vulture landing beside them;

and watching the displays,

such as Ben with his vulture,

and the bald eagle coming in to land from two miles away. The smudge on the top right of the second image is one of the first heavy raindrops that poured from the suddenly looming clouds.

This evening we dined on minty lamb burgers, creamy mashed potato, crisp broccoli and carrots, and tender runner beans. Jackie and Ian drank Hoegaarden; Becky drank Straw Hat rosé, and I drank more of the Garnacha Syrah.

53 comments

  1. Birds, sweet-faced dogs, sweeter-faced children and other family members–one more could one hope for? Lovely post, Derrick!
    I can imagine all the competition for screen time. 🙂

  2. Minty lamb burgers!!! Yum! I have made lamb burgers, but not with mint. I love the screenshots and must ask whether it is my imagination or Orlaith remarkably reflects Jessica. Once before I thought this and hesitated to ask. As for the birds, I was very entertained by a series of hawking and other demonstrations in Verenna, Italy at a castle above the town. Fascinating!

    1. Thanks very much, Lisa. You are absolutely right about Orlaith. She is a dead ringer for Jessica – especially like her grandmother’s childhood photographs. Well seen

  3. The Jack Russel is truly an angel. Technology can bring a lot of joy usually. You need an update however, which means shelling out more money.

  4. OH! What wonderful memories made! 🙂
    That Jack Russell has lived a long life! What a precious doggie!
    Ha, yes, we would not have been as contained as he! 😀
    YAY for Skye and FaceTime! We use those with our kids and grandkids! 🙂
    YAY for Harry Potter and other great books! Mal reminds me of my oldest…read very early and polished off books so quickly and read beyond his years. 🙂 Having taught Pre-K and Kindergarten, I taught a lot of little ones (ages 3-6) to read and I am so glad I invested in them in that way! 🙂
    HUGS!!! 🙂

  5. Our modern technology certainly has some benefits that redeem it somewhat from all the bugbears. 🙂

    That’s quite an impressive lens you have there, Mr Wolf! 😉

    Jackie’s photos reminded me – i forgot to mention yesterday what a fine specimen that bald eagle is!

  6. In 13 hours I would have gone to the loo at least 10 times. Scooby’s control is monumental.

    Technology is a marvel and how wonderful to be able to stay in touch with your family so far away! Our skype stinks. It frequently crashes and we spend as much time reconnecting the line (or ether or whatever the heck happens out there in the interweb waves) as we do talking. We’ve resorted to Facetime using the tiny screens of my phone in which my husband and I try to squeeze our heads into the frame to talk to our distant daughters. We manage about half a head each.

  7. Also very impressed with your grandson’s reading ability. It’s wonderful to Skype and FaceTime to keep in touch with loved ones at the other side of the world isn’t it. I wish we’d had the technology many years ago.

    Sounds like you had a good few days with your family here.

  8. Is this the first time you have used Skype to contact family abroad?

    I don’t use video when I’m calling (tend to use other apps rather than Skype), partly because of the band width needed. However, being able to make eye contact and show books etc must be great!

  9. You really know how to have fun, Derrick! I love the feathers on that vulture. And Scooby is a very good boy! His face looks a lot like my Marigold who is 17.

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