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Cat Forum / Cat Anecdotes / May 2006Could I move to Scotland?!
Please.... with my cat and my small parrot :) Love you guys! Jill > Please.... with my cat and my small parrot :) > > Love you guys! > > Jill Why do you want to move to Scotland? Very cold weather, no work. Nice scenery. Think again. Tweed (half Scottish herself) >> Please.... with my cat and my small parrot :) >> [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > Tweed (half Scottish herself) Well, ya know... McQuown, Douglas, Brown (Broun) Jill >>> Please.... with my cat and my small parrot :) >>> [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > > Jill Not a good enough reason. Stay where you are. I'm more Scottish than you are and I wouldn't dream of going to live there. Note my words. IT'S TOO COLD UP THERE! Tweed >>>> Please.... with my cat and my small parrot :) >>>> [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > > Tweed Rather be to cold than have 90 degrees 8 am wake up calls >>>>> Please.... with my cat and my small parrot :) >>>>> [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] >> > Rather be to cold than have 90 degrees 8 am wake up calls Phew. Has been a year or two since it's been 90 here and when it is we all faint from the awful heat and the temp drops the next day to 70. Then it rains for two weeks just to put us in our place. Ah.. British weather.. you have to love it. Tweed >>>>> Please.... with my cat and my small parrot :) >>>>> [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] >> > Rather be to cold than have 90 degrees 8 am wake up calls Try 100F degrees in the shade with tornados, earthquakes and did I mention 100F degrees? I do have the tornadic weather last week to thank for this cool spell, though. It only got up to 82F today! Jill > Note my words. IT'S TOO > COLD UP THERE! Too cold? From a page about Scotland's climate: "January and February are the coldest months, averaging 41°F to 45°F (5°C to 7°C), and summer has average temperatures of 66°F (19°C) during its warmest months of July and August." The hottest months average 66 and the coldest average 41? Sounds like paradise to me. Chak  SignatureIn religion and politics, people's beliefs and convictions are in almost every case gotten at second hand, and without examination. --Mark Twain > > Note my words. IT'S TOO > > COLD UP THERE! [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > every case gotten at second hand, and without examination. > --Mark Twain Interesting. I think we have here a difference of opinion with a fact in the middle. How to explain this discrepancy? Just what is the range and the cities being used for the temps? > Interesting. I think we have here a difference of opinion with a fact > in the middle. How to explain this discrepancy? Just what is the range > and the cities being used for the temps? Glasgow and Edinburgh. Chak SignatureThere is something wonderful in seeing a wrong-headed majority assailed by truth. --John Kenneth Galbraith >> Note my words. IT'S TOO >> COLD UP THERE! [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > Chak Ok that is it I am selling everything Booking a flight :-) >> Note my words. IT'S TOO >> COLD UP THERE! [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > >Chak Also, keep in mind that there are very long days in the summer and very long nights in the winter, due to the high-latitude location. SignatureJohn F. Eldredge -- john@jfeldredge.com PGP key available from http://pgp.mit.edu "Reserve your right to think, for even to think wrongly is better than not to think at all." -- Hypatia of Alexandria > Too cold? From a page about Scotland's climate: "January and February > are the coldest months, averaging 41?F to 45?F (5?C to 7?C), and summer > has average temperatures of 66?F (19?C) during its warmest months of July > and August." The hottest months average 66 and the coldest average 41? > Sounds like paradise to me. Wow, that's even more temperate than where I live! Here it ranges between low 40s (4-ish C) and high 80s (30C), sometimes hitting the 3 digits (100F = 38C) in the middle of the summer. So occasionally it gets a little too hot for my comfort (which is why I finally bought a car with A/C a few years ago), but usually it's quite comfortable. Sounds like Scotland doesn't have a lot of variety in temperature, and it stays right in the middle. Very pleasant-sounding to me. Joyce > > Too cold? From a page about Scotland's climate: "January and > February > are the coldest months, averaging 41?F to 45?F (5?C to [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > Joyce It rarely gets very cold in Britain due to warming by the gulf stream, other parts of the world at the same lattitude get much colder during the winter. SignatureAdrian (Owned by Snoopy and Bagheera) Cats leave pawprints on your heart. http://community.webshots.com/user/clowderuk > > Note my words. IT'S TOO > > COLD UP THERE! [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > Chak Me too!!!!! >> > Note my words. IT'S TOO >> > COLD UP THERE! [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] >> >Me too!!!!! Not if you consider how many days are gray and clammy. It rarely gets below freezing, true, but there's a really biting chill. Theresa Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh My Blog: http://www.humanitas.blogspot.com Make Levees, Not War > Not if you consider how many days are gray and clammy. It rarely gets > below freezing, true, but there's a really biting chill. Fine by me - Chicago is generally a high-humidity location, too. You learn to dress for it, no? Chak SignatureThere is something wonderful in seeing a wrong-headed majority assailed by truth. --John Kenneth Galbraith >> > Note my words. IT'S TOO >> > COLD UP THERE! [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] >> > Me too!!!!! Me three! Sandy >> Note my words. IT'S TOO >> COLD UP THERE! [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > and August." The hottest months average 66 and the coldest average 41? > Sounds like paradise to me. I hope your idea of paradise includes rain. One of my friends visited Scotland once and it rained almost nonstop for the two weeks that he was there. He was staying at a B&B and looked out the window one day to find it pouring again. He asked the hostess if it always rained so hard. She said "Rain? Och, no, it's just a wee Scottish mist!" Now, apparently the amount of rain varies considerably depending on which part of Scotland you are in. I think the west coast is far wetter than the east coast, although I might have those backwards. But you should definitely be aware that it rains there a lot before deciding to move there permanently. I know for a fact that some people find constant rain harder to take than cold. One of my friends was born in Scotland and emigrated here (Canada) when he was 28. He much prefers the Canadian climate; he says the slightly colder temperatures in Southern Ontario are far easier to take than the frequent rain in his native Glasgow. -- Rhino <snip> > One of my friends was born in Scotland and emigrated here (Canada) when he > was 28. He much prefers the Canadian climate; he says the slightly colder > temperatures in Southern Ontario are far easier to take than the frequent > rain in his native Glasgow. People vary so much in their climate preferences! I've always prefered rain, mist and fog to the climate of southern Ontario, which I find too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter. People who aren't used to it, or who simply dislike wet weather, seem to find the climate in coastal regions (which are often rainy) rather trying. During the extremely short period I was able to spend in Scotland, I found the climate very pleasant, but as I spent a couple of summer days in Edinburgh, and my experiences cannot be generalized to the summer or Glasgow or the Hebrides.... SignatureCheryl (from Newfoundland) "Rhino" <no.offline.contact.please@nospam.com> wrote in news:AC96g.3479 $ix6.246949@news20.bellglobal.com: > I hope your idea of paradise includes rain. nodnodnod Especially if there's thunder and lightning. Chak SignatureThere is something wonderful in seeing a wrong-headed majority assailed by truth. --John Kenneth Galbraith >>> Note my words. IT'S TOO >>> COLD UP THERE! [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > hostess if it always rained so hard. She said "Rain? Och, no, it's > just a wee Scottish mist!" "It's good Scottish rain, falling straight down. Well, just straightly to the side-like. (Quote from Braveheart... featuring an actor whose bones I'd jump but he wasn't Scottish.) > Now, apparently the amount of rain varies considerably depending on > which part of Scotland you are in. I think the west coast is far [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > I know for a fact that some people find constant rain harder to take > than cold. I like rain. I sleep better. It's raining right now. Persia seems to sleep better when it rains, too :) > One of my friends was born in Scotland and emigrated here (Canada) > when he was 28. He much prefers the Canadian climate; he says the > slightly colder temperatures in Southern Ontario are far easier to > take than the frequent rain in his native Glasgow. My Mom's parents were from Kirkintillach and Twechar (respectively) but they were married in Glasgow. Jill >> Note my words. IT'S TOO >> COLD UP THERE! [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > Chak OK. Take no notice of me, I've only been there three times. Every day we get weather reports on the TV for the whole of the UK. Every day it's colder in Scotland. Have you been to Scotland yourself? Tweed > OK. Take no notice of me, I've only been there three times. Every > day we get weather reports on the TV for the whole of the UK. Every > day it's colder in Scotland. > Have you been to Scotland yourself? I wish. I've never been out of the US, and even here, not far afield. I'm told I went to the Grand Canyon once, but I was three and don't recall it. :-p I'm mostly an armchair traveler, and I've been some wonderful places online. Chak SignatureThere is something wonderful in seeing a wrong-headed majority assailed by truth. --John Kenneth Galbraith >> OK. Take no notice of me, I've only been there three times. Every >> day we get weather reports on the TV for the whole of the UK. Every [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > I'm mostly an armchair traveler, and I've been some wonderful places > online. I know. You believe what you read online. Scotland in the winter is not 45f. More like -8C or even lower at the coldest. Scotland is freezing cold for ages in the winter. I don't understand why anyone would try to say otherwise. Oh <idea just occurs> it couldn't be that they would like to attract tourists, could it? by telling a tiny fib? Of course not, perish the thought. I cannot think why I even suggested that Scotland was cold as it's obviously proved otherwise by those who've never been there. Tweed <snip> > I cannot think why I even suggested that Scotland was cold as it's obviously > proved otherwise by those who've never been there. 'Cold' is both objective, as in measured by a thermometer, and subjective, as in experienced by people. Some people find -10 C icy, others find it quite moderate. I generally find my home area, often compared to the more rugged parts of Scotland as to climate, quite comfortable, but when I returned in midsummer after several years in a much hotter climate I nearly froze until I re-adjusted, or at least it felt like I was freezing. I find southern Ontario and Quebec winter temperatures far too icy - many people find ours far worse although by the thermometer readings here are generally higher than in Ontario. In the winter, that is. The extreme dampness and high winds gets to people and makes them feel colder if they aren't used to it. So it is perfectly possible for Scotland to be cold, and not to be cold at the same time! I'd probably find most areas quite pleasant. Someone from a milder climate or a downright tropical one would probably find it too cold. SignatureCheryl ><snip> > [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] >milder climate or a downright tropical one would probably find it too >cold. Well, I swear, I was there twice and felt cold all the time. Maybe the temperature seems moderate, but it feels cold. I'm not from a tropical climate. It is also dark and damp many days out of the year, which makes it seem colder-- not a lot of sunshine, overall. Finally, until fairly recently, people in the British Isles simply did not have the same notions about heating their dwellings as Americans do, so it was cold indoors, too. Not, of course, if you wore a sweater (or two), but who wants to wear a sweater all the time? Theresa Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh My Blog: http://www.humanitas.blogspot.com Make Levees, Not War > Well, I swear, I was there twice and felt cold all the time. Maybe > the temperature seems moderate, but it feels cold. I'm not from a [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > was cold indoors, too. Not, of course, if you wore a sweater (or > two), but who wants to wear a sweater all the time? Oh, I believe you. And you'd probably find it cold in Newfoundland, too. I think the fact that when I read your last sentence, I wondered what was wrong with wearing a sweater all the time? Or, at the very least, rarely leaving home without a sweater or sweatshirt in the backpack. I think that shows that different people experience the same climate differently. SignatureCheryl >> Well, I swear, I was there twice and felt cold all the time. Maybe >> the temperature seems moderate, but it feels cold. I'm not from a [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] >leaving home without a sweater or sweatshirt in the backpack. I think that >shows that different people experience the same climate differently. Well, I know a lot of people say "There is no bad weather, only bad clothing." But I just hate the feeling of wearing heavy clothing, layers, being bundled up. I hate it. Summer, no matter how nasty-hot it gets, is always better than winter for me. It may be as uncomfortably hot as winter is uncomfortably cold, but the difference for me is that in the summer, I can be in a t-shirt, shorts and flip-flops. I'd rather die of heat dressed like that than freeze (or sweat to death) swaddled in layers. The best day of the year for me is the first one I leave off my socks. The saddest one is when I put socks and closed shoes back on. I also have SAD, seasonal affective disorder, and get depressed promptly as we turn the clock back in the fall. I hate darkness and short days. Theresa Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh My Blog: http://www.humanitas.blogspot.com Make Levees, Not War > I also have SAD, seasonal affective disorder, and get depressed > promptly as we turn the clock back in the fall. I hate darkness and > short days. Nancy also suffers from that, but I'm the opposite. I really, really like my dark hours. I get really bummed when the time change means that it's still light when I get of work and get home. > Well, I know a lot of people say "There is no bad weather, only bad > clothing." But I just hate the feeling of wearing heavy clothing, [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > is the first one I leave off my socks. The saddest one is when I put > socks and closed shoes back on. I prefer not to have to wear heavy clothing, but doing so doesn't bother me much - and I actively prefer it to be too cold than too hot. I can always put on more clothing if I'm too cold, but if it gets too hot, there's a limit to how much I can take off and appear in public. Moreover, it is *entirely* possible to be stark naked and *still* too hot! I also dislike the situation that exists in some places in which in the summer I leave an overly-air-conditioned store to be hit in the face by heat and humidity as I move to an overly-air-conditioned car or overheated bus; repeat for workplace, home, etc etc. It's terribly uncomfortable and I think very unhealthy. The only time I spent much time in a tropical area, in was in an area without air conditioning, and my body adjusted better than it ever did during visits to more modern and urban areas in hot climates. > I also have SAD, seasonal affective disorder, and get depressed > promptly as we turn the clock back in the fall. I hate darkness and > short days. That must be a burden. SignatureCheryl >>> Well, I swear, I was there twice and felt cold all the time. Maybe >>> the temperature seems moderate, but it feels cold. I'm not from a [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] > is the first one I leave off my socks. The saddest one is when I put > socks and closed shoes back on. I used to think that, when we lived in Canada. Oh how I yearned for summer each year! I also hated being bundled up, shoes, socks all that stuff. Then we moved to Thailand. O. M. G. I will never yearn for heat again. Ever. It is *way* worse to be wearing as little as humanly decent and still be sweating buckets. It is incredibly draining to be hot all the time. It's depressing to start to fear the sun, to feel locked into your airconditioned house because it's too damn hot outside. To have a lovely yard that you never step foot in because it's too hot. After 5 years of that, all I can say is hallelujah, it's over! Even though moving to Australia at the start of winter is probably making the transition a bit harder than it would have been. And I'm freezing cold in the evenings and mornings and drink copious quantities of hot tea and have a chair in front of my heater. And I'm bundled up even indoors (I even bought some of those Aussie sheepskin booties!). But you know what? I've finally got *energy*. I'm not sluggish anymore, I can get out of my chair without groaning! I've been zooming around all day long since I've been here and not stopping till bedtime and it's *wonderful* :-) Mind you, I still think it will be nice when spring comes. I've yet to experience a summer here, but from what I hear it's a lot cooler down here than in Perth. At least it wouldn't be nearly as humid as in Thailand and you'd know there was an end in sight! My favourite temps are low to mid 20's. > I also have SAD, seasonal affective disorder, and get depressed > promptly as we turn the clock back in the fall. I hate darkness and > short days. Dennis has that, badly. It was the worst in the winter we lived in Yellowknife. Only 3-4 hours of daylight just about killed him. Vancouver was bad for him too, too many overcast and rainy days. He was fine growing up in Calgary. Even though it gets much colder there, it's much sunnier. He never had a problem with it in Thailand either, obviously. I think he'll be all right here, it's much sunnier than western Canada. SignatureBritta Purring is an automatic safety valve device for dealing with happiness overflow. Check out pictures of Vino at: http://photos.yahoo.com/badwilson click on the Vino album > I used to think that, when we lived in Canada. Oh how I yearned for > summer each year! I also hated being bundled up, shoes, socks all that [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > too damn hot outside. To have a lovely yard that you never step foot in > because it's too hot. Sounds the way I felt about cold after three years in Anchorage. Now we have many summer days over 100 F. I do have a painting in my living room of a lake in Alaska where we used to camp. Snow covered mountains in August and the works. When it is really hot here I can look at the picture for a while and actually feel cooler. Jo > Well, I know a lot of people say "There is no bad weather, only bad > clothing." But I just hate the feeling of wearing heavy clothing, [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > is the first one I leave off my socks. The saddest one is when I put > socks and closed shoes back on. Though I love our climate, cold and dark winters included, I agree with you on this. I hate wearing socks. I also hate wearing gloves and hats. I avoid it as long as I can in the autumn. But when it drops down to freezing, I have to give in and pull on the socks. When it drops down to -10 C (14 F) I have to put on gloves. When it drops down to -20 C (-4 F), I finally have to put a shawl around my head (a little better than a hat). But I don't have to wear any of these things inside, because we build our houses for the cold weather here in Finland. ;o) The down side is, if it gets hot in the summer, there is no way to cool down (a/c is very rare here, except in shops and the like). SignatureMarina, Miranda and Caliban. In loving memory of Frank and Nikki. Stories and pics at http://koti.welho.com/mkurten/ Pics at http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/frankiennikki/ and http://community.webshots.com/user/frankiennikki > I also have SAD, seasonal affective disorder, and get depressed > promptly as we turn the clock back in the fall. I hate darkness and > short days. So does my DH. I got him a lightbox last year and it has worked *wonders* - highly recommended: http://www.outsidein.co.uk/index.htm Deb. Signaturehttp://www.scientific-art.com "He looked a fierce and quarrelsome cat, but claw he never would; He only bit the ones he loved, because they tasted good." S. Greenfield > I also have SAD, seasonal affective disorder, and get depressed > promptly as we turn the clock back in the fall. I hate darkness and > short days. My friend said I am a different person come spring and summer. During the colder months, I just want to stay home and sleep. Winnie > Theresa > Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh > My Blog: http://www.humanitas.blogspot.com > > Make Levees, Not War > > I also have SAD, seasonal affective disorder, and get depressed > > promptly as we turn the clock back in the fall. I hate darkness and [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > Winnie That's okay; you're just hibernating! Sherry >> My friend said I am a different person come spring and summer. >> During the colder months, I just want to stay home and sleep. >> >> Winnie > > That's okay; you're just hibernating! Of course , Winnie the pooh is a bear and bears hibernate. Winnie > Sherry >> <snip> >> [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] > was cold indoors, too. Not, of course, if you wore a sweater (or > two), but who wants to wear a sweater all the time? That would be me. I LOOOOOOVE wearing sweaters. > I know. You believe what you read online. Now, now, don't be patronizing. > Scotland in the winter is > not 45f. More like -8C or even lower at the coldest. Scotland is > freezing cold for ages in the winter. -8 C at its coldest is quite acceptable - if it never got colder than that here, we'd think it was spring. Chak SignatureThere is something wonderful in seeing a wrong-headed majority assailed by truth. --John Kenneth Galbraith >>> OK. Take no notice of me, I've only been there three times. Every >>> day we get weather reports on the TV for the whole of the UK. Every [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > > Tweed Well, I'll ask my friend Ian. He's heading off to Scotland in a few weeks to visit family and friends. I gather there's a reason he's going in the summer ;) Jill > > Note my words. IT'S TOO > > COLD UP THERE! [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > and August." The hottest months average 66 and the coldest average 41? > Sounds like paradise to me. I live in Buffalo. We have a saying locally; there are two seasons around here; winter and the Fourth of July. 45 fahrenheit in January? Around here there are many who would sell their souls for it! Not the football fans though. Our stadium was built purposely to align with the very cold and nast winds that come down off Lake Erie southward from Canada; this was done solely and specifically so the Buffalo Bills could intimidate visiting teams. There's a story...many years ago, we had a game going with our biggest rival, the Miami Dolphins, and our side had a fellow named Bruce Smith. Big, bulky, brawny Brucie; one of those guys whose neck is wider than his head. It was mid December and a very nasty day. Snow was blowing around and the temperature had dipped far below freezing, and there was Bruce before the game walking aound bare-armed in a T-shirt. A fan near the Bills entrance hollered down at him, "Yo Bruce! Aren't you freezing your a$$ off?" "Yeah," Bruce Smith said, "but Miami don't need to know that!" Blessed be, Baha > Chak > > -- > In religion and politics, people's beliefs and convictions are in almost > every case gotten at second hand, and without examination. > --Mark Twain > I live in Buffalo. We have a saying locally; there are two seasons around > here; winter and the Fourth of July. 45 fahrenheit in January? Around here > there are many who would sell their souls for it! The 2 seasons here are winter and construction. So many road work these days. > Not the football fans though. Our stadium was built purposely to align > with [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > your > a$$ off?" "Yeah," Bruce Smith said, "but Miami don't need to know that!" The Buffalo Sabres are coming to town to play the Ottawa Senators Friday in the Stanley Cup playoff. Of course I am a Sens fan. Finally became a hockey fan after all these years in Canada. I think there is another poster in the group that is a Sens fan. Winnie > Blessed be, > Baha [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] >> every case gotten at second hand, and without examination. >> --Mark Twain > >>> Please.... with my cat and my small parrot :) > >>> [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > > Tweed That only makes it appealing. It is not cold enough for me here. I want to move somewhere where summer is about a month long and doesn't get higher than 75 at the most. I feel robbed when there is not a lot of snow in winter and we don't get spring and fall rain and drizzle. I could absolutely NEVER live down south. Ugh. > That only makes it appealing. It is not cold enough for me here. I want to > move somewhere where summer is about a month long and doesn't get higher > than 75 at the most. I feel robbed when there is not a lot of snow in winter > and we don't get spring and fall rain and drizzle. You should move to Finland. ;o) Seriously, that sounds exactly like Finland. SignatureMarina, Miranda and Caliban. In loving memory of Frank and Nikki. Stories and pics at http://koti.welho.com/mkurten/ Pics at http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/frankiennikki/ and http://community.webshots.com/user/frankiennikki > > That only makes it appealing. It is not cold enough for me here. I want to > > move somewhere where summer is about a month long and doesn't get higher > > than 75 at the most. I feel robbed when there is not a lot of snow in winter > > and we don't get spring and fall rain and drizzle. > > You should move to Finland. ;o) Seriously, that sounds exactly like Finland. Iknow. I've always liked your weather! >>> Please.... with my cat and my small parrot :) >>> [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > >Jill A LOT colder than Memphis. ;) Theresa Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh My Blog: http://www.humanitas.blogspot.com Make Levees, Not War >>>> Please.... with my cat and my small parrot :) >>>> [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > > Make Levees, Not War But not nearly as hot as Bangkok. BTDT. I was born in southern California and have lived in New Jersey and South Carolina and all those other places in between. Besides, this is just a "for fun" post. Dad wants to buy me a house; hey let me goof around with the idea a bit! Jill OK, win the lottery and then move to Scotland. Sandy, who is going to win the lottery just as soon as she figures out how to do it without buying tickets >> Please.... with my cat and my small parrot :) >> [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > Tweed (half Scottish herself) Obviously I'm being facetious, folks. I do hope to visit there one day, though. I have some family there. Of course they have no idea who I am, but what the heck :) And some of them might even have cats. Jill > OK, win the lottery and then move to Scotland. > [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] >> >> Tweed (half Scottish herself) > Obviously I'm being facetious, folks. I do hope to visit there one day, > though. I have some family there. Of course they have no idea who I am, > but what the heck :) > And some of them might even have cats. Or a house. :) Joyce > Obviously I'm being facetious, folks. I do hope to visit there one day, > though. I have some family there. Of course they have no idea who I am, > but what the heck :) > > And some of them might even have cats. The Brits are famous over much of the world for being animal lovers so I feel sure you will find many cat-lovers there. -- Rhino >> Obviously I'm being facetious, folks. I do hope to visit there one >> day, though. I have some family there. Of course they have no idea [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > The Brits are famous over much of the world for being animal lovers > so I feel sure you will find many cat-lovers there. This thread has started me thinking about a former neighbour, he was a Scot and pretended not to like cats. One day he said "that blooming cat of yours, Smokey" I said "what about him" he said "he's been asleep on my bed for the last three hours". I miss them both, they died within three months of each other, my neighbour three days after my brother. :-( A picture of Smokey: http://community.webshots.com/photo/419644006/1419790568075823146tInHpD SignatureAdrian (Owned by Snoopy and Bagheera) Cats leave pawprints on your heart. http://community.webshots.com/user/clowderuk >>> Obviously I'm being facetious, folks. I do hope to visit there one >>> day, though. I have some family there. Of course they have no idea [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > A picture of Smokey: > http://community.webshots.com/photo/419644006/1419790568075823146tInHpD Smokey looks a LOT like my Bebop! I'm sorry to hear that Smokey, your neighbour and brother are all gone. Condolences.... -- Rhino > This thread has started me thinking about a former neighbour, he was a Scot > and pretended not to like cats. One day he said "that blooming cat of yours, > Smokey" I said "what about him" he said "he's been asleep on my bed for the > last three hours". I miss them both, they died within three months of each > other, my neighbour three days after my brother. :-( > A picture of Smokey: > http://community.webshots.com/photo/419644006/1419790568075823146tInHpD What a pretty boy he was! Your neighbor was a hoot. I get a kick out of people who pretend not to like cats, but then you see them playing with the cat, or cooing at it. :) Joyce > > This thread has started me thinking about a former neighbour, he > was a Scot > and pretended not to like cats. One day he said "that [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > Joyce He was a nice man, he was only 65 when he died, only just retired, it was one hell of a shock when he died. I still miss his friendship.:-( SignatureAdrian (Owned by Snoopy and Bagheera) Cats leave pawprints on your heart. http://community.webshots.com/user/clowderuk > He was a nice man, he was only 65 when he died, only just retired, it was > one hell of a shock when he died. I still miss his friendship.:-( That is a shame. I'm sorry! :( Joyce > > This thread has started me thinking about a former neighbour, he was a Scot > > and pretended not to like cats. One day he said "that blooming cat of yours, [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > >Joyce Count my mom in. When I first got Stinky, she was NOT happy, and called him every name in the book when she saw him (he WAS an absolutely amazing, gravity-defying hoolikitten). In front of me, that was. I'll never forget the day I heard her from the other room, cooing at him "How are you, sweetheart?" ;) Theresa Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh My Blog: http://www.humanitas.blogspot.com Make Levees, Not War > > This thread has started me thinking about a former neighbour, he > was a Scot > and pretended not to like cats. One day he said "that [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > Joyce My father pretended he hated dogs, Joyce. After I was divorced I moved back in with my parents for a year to get back on my feet. At first he told me, "You will absolutely clean up after that dog; I don't want it crapping in the yard." Took about a week, I found him on the floor tickling the dog and yes, cooing at him. And then Mom started making him scrambled eggs for breakfast after I left for work. I said, hey! You don't even make *me* eggs for breakfast! She replied, "Well, he likes eggs." Uh, yeah, I do too. But I'm not going to make him eggs every day before I leave for the office and no wonder he won't eat his dog food! Cut it out! I finally found out the reason Dad didn't want me to have a dog. He had a dog that was killed when he was a child and was killed by a neighbor with poisoned bait. He had a springer spaniel when he grew up in Pennsylvania. I didn't know my father had a dog until 1984. I wasn't allowed to have any pets except for birds and a goldfish. I still have a bird; I like birds and Persia doesn't pay attention to Peaches and Peaches nods her head at Persia but that's about it. Dad also allegedly hates cats. Now when I talk to him on the phone he asks me how Persia is. Go figure :) Jill > I finally found out the reason Dad didn't want me to have a dog. > He had a dog that was killed when he was a child and was killed by > a neighbor with poisoned bait. Your poor father! :( Losing a pet is hard at any age, but it's so heartbreaking when you're a child. And especially when someone appears to have done it deliberately - that is just incomprehensible. (Was the neighbor intending to kill your dad's dog, or was that bait set out for some other animal, that the dog happened to get into?) Anyway, after an experience like that, it's understandable that your dad would harden himself against loving another animal. That's not what I did as a child - I was always ready to love another cat. But I have known people who would never take that risk again after such a painful loss. (Did you ever see the movie "My Dog Skip"? It's a story about a young boy who's a bit of a misfit among his peers and is lonely. So his mom gets him a puppy for his birthday, but dad puts his foot down and says NO PETS, he's not old enough to care for it, etc. His reaction is so extreme and unreasonable that his mom sticks up for the boy, and he's allowed to keep the puppy. Soon afterward, we find out that the father had lost a beloved pet as a child and never wanted to feel that grief again. It's a very sweet story - and I haven't really spoiled the movie by telling this much, since this all happens at the beginning. The movie is based on a book by Willie Morris, who also wrote a wonderful book about his cat called "My Cat Spit McGee". Wish they'd make a movie of that, too.) I'm glad that in your dad's case, his attempt to stop loving animals was only partially successful! Joyce > > I finally found out the reason Dad didn't want me to have a dog. > > He had a dog that was killed when he was a child and was killed by [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > neighbor intending to kill your dad's dog, or was that bait set out > for some other animal, that the dog happened to get into?) According to Dad the dog was killed deliberately. They lived out in the country so it was normal to let dogs run loose. The neighbor claimed the dog was going after the chickens, which is pretty funny considering Dad's parents had their own chickens. Maybe the neighbors chickens were much more attractive? I don't know. > Anyway, after an experience like that, it's understandable that your > dad would harden himself against loving another animal. That's not > what I did as a child - I was always ready to love another cat. But I > have known people who would never take that risk again after such a > painful loss. I never intended to get another pet after Sampson (my dog) died. He lived almost 18 years; that's like raising a child, you know? But a year later, up showed this cat, demanding to be let into my apartment. I had no intentions of keeping her. I did all the right things; put up "found" posters around the neighborhood. Called all the area vets and shelters checking for lost pets. About 5 days later I decided I couldn't just keep calling her "cat" and she told me her name is Persia :) > (Did you ever see the movie "My Dog Skip"? It's a story about a young > boy who's a bit of a misfit among his peers and is lonely. So his [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > also wrote a wonderful book about his cat called "My Cat Spit McGee". > Wish they'd make a movie of that, too.) I haven't seen that movie but I'll look for it, thanks! > I'm glad that in your dad's case, his attempt to stop loving animals > was only partially successful! > > Joyce I know I make Dad sound rather harsh at times, but really he's a softy at heart. I think it's his military training that makes him come across that way. I think I've told the story about how there was a baby bunny living in the hole in the bricks on the front patio when my parents still lived in Memphis. Mom and I didn't want Dad to know about it, thinking he'd try to get rid of it. Turns out he absolutely melted when he saw it. His reaction was, "Awww! It's a baby bunny! Hey, do we have any lettuce?" LOL Turns out his older sister had a rabbit as a house pet; the rabbit was litter box trained! Jill > I know I make Dad sound rather harsh at times, but really he's a softy at > heart. I think it's his military training that makes him come across that > way. > I think I've told the story about how there was a baby bunny living in the > hole in the bricks on the front patio when my parents still lived in > Memphis. Mom and I didn't want Dad to know about it, thinking he'd try to > get rid of it. Turns out he absolutely melted when he saw it. His reaction > was, "Awww! It's a baby bunny! Hey, do we have any lettuce?" LOL LOL - my dad is similar. He doesn't have a military background, he just gets very blustery at times. When I was a kid, he was always making us get rid of the stray cats we seemed to collect, so I remembered him as The Evil Cat-Hating Dad. Turns out that wasn't true, he just didn't like having as many as we would have had if we (by "we" I mean my mom and all three of us kids) had gotten our way. He now has two cats and is absolutely crazy about them. In fact, one of his cats, Baxter, goes for long walks with him every day, so he calls Baxter his "dog in a cat suit" - which is where that nickname for Smudge came from. Joyce Are we talking about Scotland here, or Upstate New York? Blessed be, Baha > > Please.... with my cat and my small parrot :) > > [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > Tweed (half Scottish herself) > Please.... with my cat and my small parrot :) > > Love you guys! > > Jill Just remember that our ancestors were a sensible sort. And they emigrated. Jo >> Please.... with my cat and my small parrot :) >> [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > Jo My Dad's ancestors were actually sold as indentured servants. Fascinating story, really :) Mom's parents, yes, they emigrated. Just a couple of years after the Titanic sank, and yes, in steerage. They must have been rather brave to get on a boat crossing the north Atlantic shortly after hearing about that fun ship, eh? Jill > Please.... with my cat and my small parrot :) > > Love you guys! > > Jill Why? Cold Wet Midges that eat you alive before breakfast But the scenery is nice :-) And the place where I was racially abused for being English... Cheers, helen s (part-Scot) >> Please.... with my cat and my small parrot :) >> [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > Cheers, helen s > (part-Scot) How about because I like scones with clotted cream? <G> Jill >>> Please.... with my cat and my small parrot :) >>> [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > > Jill The best place for those is, Devon or Cornwall. Of course you can get good ones anywhere in Britain. SignatureAdrian (Owned by Snoopy and Bagheera) Cats leave pawprints on your heart. http://community.webshots.com/user/clowderuk > >>> Please.... with my cat and my small parrot :) > >>> [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > The best place for those is, Devon or Cornwall. Of course you can get good > ones anywhere in Britain. I've always thought Cornwall sounds interesting too. > I've always thought Cornwall sounds interesting too. I'm a resident (of 12 years) in Cornwall, just above the Tamar Valley, and can guarantee it. History drips from every lichen-encrusted tree-branch and decaying granite mine-engine house. Y'all'd be welcome for a visit :) Purrs Gordon & the FF > > I've always thought Cornwall sounds interesting too. > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Y'all'd be welcome for a visit :) I keep swearing someday I am going to take a "real" vacation where you actually get to go somewhere new. Seems like most of my "vacation" is spent on sick days. >> > I've always thought Cornwall sounds interesting too. >> [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] >actually get to go somewhere new. Seems like most of my "vacation" is spent >on sick days. Yeah me too. My vacations are spent with specialists. I'm getting to THAT age (if it's Tuesday, it must be the podiatrist). Jane >> I've always thought Cornwall sounds interesting too. > [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >Purrs >Gordon & the FF My father's mother was from Cornwall. I've often wondered if I had family left there. Jane >> I've always thought Cornwall sounds interesting too. > [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > Purrs > Gordon & the FF They say y'all in Cornwall? And here I thought that was just the southern U.S. By the way, do you have a recipe for Cornish pasties? Jill >> Y'all'd be welcome for a visit :) >> [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > southern > U.S. By the way, do you have a recipe for Cornish pasties? No, that was just a compliment to my correspondents' location. Some of the locals might say it as 'yorl' but there aren't many of thos left around 'ere. I'm not into cookery much (I'm a veggie & happy to live on plantlife) so can't provide a recipe - if after googling you present me with a few alternatives I might be able to tell you which is the proper traditional pastie but that's about all. Sorry. Purrs Gordon & the FF >> I'm a resident (of 12 years) in Cornwall, just above the Tamar Valley, >> and can guarantee it. History drips from every lichen-encrusted [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] >They say y'all in Cornwall? And here I thought that was just the southern >U.S. By the way, do you have a recipe for Cornish pasties? I have my grandmother's recipe, as remembered by my father. Take a pie crust and roll it out. Put raw sliced potatoes into the middle, with some pieces of raw ground beef and chopped onions. Salt and pepper to taste. Seal it all up and bake until done. Sometimes he put mushrooms in it. I've seen versions that are deep-fried, but we've never done that. Check out pasty.com for lots more recipes. I have never seen one like my grandmother's. Jane - owned and operated by Princess Rita >>> I'm a resident (of 12 years) in Cornwall, just above the Tamar >>> Valley, and can guarantee it. History drips from every [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] > Jane > - owned and operated by Princess Rita I'll trust your grandmother's version :) Sounds good to me! I absolutely suck at making pie crust, though. Guess I'll have to buy some ready made stuff. Jill >>>> I'm a resident (of 12 years) in Cornwall, just above the Tamar >>>> Valley, and can guarantee it. History drips from every [quoted text clipped - 28 lines] > >Jill That's what I do. And you can handle it a bit, because you're not looking for light and flaky here, just something that'll hold together long enough to get baked. You can make one big one and slice it up to serve, or make smaller individual pasties. According to my father, these were the lunches that the guys would take to work. Sometimes they'd put fruit at one end so there would be dessert at the end of the meal. We loved them as children. I still love them. My brother puts catsup on his. (eewwwww) Jane - owned and operated by Princess Rita >>>>> I'm a resident (of 12 years) in Cornwall, just above the Tamar >>>>> Valley, and can guarantee it. History drips from every [quoted text clipped - 44 lines] > Jane > - owned and operated by Princess Rita You want to hear absolutely awful... my father put ketchup on watermelon. > >>>>> I'm a resident (of 12 years) in Cornwall, just above the Tamar > >>>>> Valley, and can guarantee it. History drips from every [quoted text clipped - 46 lines] > > You want to hear absolutely awful... my father put ketchup on watermelon. That's pretty awful. I love ketchup, but not on fruit. (OK, watermelon isn't technically a fruit, but I still can't call it a vegetable)... Jane's recipe sounds really good to me. Boy Scouts used to cook the same thing in tin foil and call it a "Hobo Dinner", but the pastry part sounds wonderful. Sherry > That's pretty awful. I love ketchup, but not on fruit. (OK, watermelon > isn't technically a fruit, but I still can't call it a vegetable)... It's not a fruit? But it has all the characteristics of fruit - rounded container of seeds, and filled with sugar. (I know some fruits, such as avocado, aren't very sweet, but most are.) What about other melons? Cantaloupe, honeydew? Joyce > > That's pretty awful. I love ketchup, but not on fruit. (OK, watermelon > > isn't technically a fruit, but I still can't call it a vegetable)... [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > Joyce They're in the same plant-family as squash. Sounds wrong, doesn't it? I'm not sure about canteloupe. I would imagine it's the same. They both grow on vines and produce blooms in about the same fashion. Sherry > > It's not a fruit? But it has all the characteristics of fruit - rounded > > container of seeds, and filled with sugar. (I know some fruits, such as > > avocado, aren't very sweet, but most are.) > > What about other melons? Cantaloupe, honeydew? > They're in the same plant-family as squash. Sounds wrong, doesn't it? It does, but actually, when I was posting the above last night, I was thinking about squash, which is also a round container of seeds, yet is a vegetable. So, I guess I can accept that a melon is a veggie. :) But what is the world coming to? Melons are vegetables, but tomatoes aren't?? :) Joyce > > > It's not a fruit? But it has all the characteristics of fruit - > rounded > > container of seeds, and filled with sugar. (I know some [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > Joyce Tomatoes are a fruit. So are melons. And I have absolutely no idea why Dad likes ketchup on watermelon. Of course, I also don't understand mustard and onion sandwiches; he likes those, too :D Jill > Tomatoes are a fruit. So are melons. Well, that's what I would have said, but according to some of the other posts on this topic, melons, apparently, are vegetables. Joyce > > Tomatoes are a fruit. So are melons. > >Well, that's what I would have said, but according to some of the other >posts on this topic, melons, apparently, are vegetables. > >Joyce Melons are fruit. Squashes are fruit. Pumpkins are fruit. Tomatos are fruit. Cucumbers are fruit. It doesn't matter how or if you cook it. It doesn't matter how it tastes. If it has seeds in it, it's a fruit. Theresa Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh My Blog: http://www.humanitas.blogspot.com Make Levees, Not War > Melons are fruit. Squashes are fruit. Pumpkins are fruit. Tomatos > are fruit. Cucumbers are fruit. It doesn't matter how or if you > cook it. It doesn't matter how it tastes. If it has seeds in it, > it's a fruit. Thank you! That's what I have always believed: seeds = fruit. The meat of the fruit is the protective and nourishing environment for the seeds. The world now makes sense again. :) Joyce > Thank you! That's what I have always believed: seeds = fruit. The meat > of the fruit is the protective and nourishing environment for the > seeds. Except that technically, strawberries aren't fruit - the seeds are on the outside. It is a very fine nitpicky point, but there you are. Chak SignatureThere is something wonderful in seeing a wrong-headed majority assailed by truth. --John Kenneth Galbraith > > Melons are fruit. Squashes are fruit. Pumpkins are fruit. > Tomatos > are fruit. Cucumbers are fruit. It doesn't matter how [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > Joyce But strawberries are not a fruit, does the world still make sense? SignatureAdrian (Owned by Snoopy and Bagheera) Cats leave pawprints on your heart. http://community.webshots.com/user/clowderuk > But strawberries are not a fruit, does the world still make sense? What are they, then? Joyce I googled it and this is what I found: "The strawberry is not a multiple fruit but rather an aggregate fruit with accessory tissue. A multiple fruit is derived from multiple flowers (e.g. pineapple, mulberry), whereas an aggregate fruit is derived from a single flower. A strawberry develops from a single flower with numerous ovaries and accessory receptacular tissue." Robert Kiger Director, Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation So ... it appears that strawberries *are* fruit, since he calls them "fruit" several times in that excerpt. To be honest, I find it hard to care about the precise definition - botanically or culinary, of fruit and vegetables and I'm sure plants don't care much either! Tish > > But strawberries are not a fruit, does the world still make sense? > >What are they, then? > >Joyce > > But strawberries are not a fruit, does the world still make sense? > > What are they, then? > > Joyce They are accessory fruits, the seeds are the actual fruits on a strawberry. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accessory_fruit SignatureAdrian (Owned by Snoopy and Bagheera) Cats leave pawprints on your heart. http://community.webshots.com/user/clowderuk > > Melons are fruit. Squashes are fruit. Pumpkins are fruit. Tomatos > > are fruit. Cucumbers are fruit. It doesn't matter how or if you [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > Joyce No!! You're screwing with my psyche. It took years for me to come to grips with the fact that watermelon is a vegetable. It helps me deal with the fact that me, a watermelon purist, lives with someone who puts *salt* on watermelons. At least I can justify this abhorration by telling myself, "Well, it's a vegetable, after all." Don't make me google, Theresa. :-) :-) :-) Sherry melons, pumpkins, cucumbers, tomatoes, zuccini (courgette), eggplant (aubergine), okra are all fruit - botannically speaking, as far as I am concerned. They contain the reproductive units of plants (i.e. seeds). Of course, since we use them in savoury dishes, rather than sweet dishes (for the most part), we called them vegetables - in culinary terms. A clash of paradigms! Tish > > > It's not a fruit? But it has all the characteristics of fruit - rounded > > > container of seeds, and filled with sugar. (I know some fruits, such as [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > >Joyce > melons, pumpkins, cucumbers, tomatoes, zuccini (courgette), eggplant > (aubergine), okra are all fruit - botannically speaking, as far as I [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > Tish If you want to get all technical about it, there are male and female eggplants (aubergines); the female variety contains more seeds and isn't nearly as nice to eat unless you cook them when they are very young. Now ask me how to tell the difference. ;) Jill >>>> It's not a fruit? But it has all the characteristics of fruit - >>>> rounded container of seeds, and filled with sugar. (I know some [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] >> >> Joyce >> melons, pumpkins, cucumbers, tomatoes, zuccini (courgette), eggplant >> (aubergine), okra are all fruit - botannically speaking, as far as I [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > >Jill I'm afraid that's not biologically possible. The one with the seeds in it is, technically, always the female. The seeds are analogous to embryos in animals and, as you know, the embryo is always associated with the female (except for sea-horses, which are just, plain *wierd*!). Most vegetables are hermaphrodites - their flowers contain both male and female parts. Aubergines are like this. One exception that comes to mind is the kiwifruit (a.k.a. Chinese Gooseberry), where the plants are dioceous (spelling?) - there are male plants and female plants and you *have* to have both present in order to get fruit. Many nuts are like this too. The fruit are produced on the female plants. Of course, plants can also have the issue of obligatory out-crossing, whereby a flower *has* to be fertilized by the pollen of either another flower (on the same plant) or by a different plant entirely. This is a different issue. As far as I know, the thing about seeds in aubergines is related to the variety of aubergine and the age of the fruit - older fruit have larger, harder seeds and are more likely to be bitter than younger fruit, but varies enormously according to variety. My very favourite kind of aubergine is an Asian hybrid called Kermit, but I can no longer get the seeds, so I have to live without them. I generally prefer the small, white or green Asian eggplants to the large purple or purple-and-white European varieties, but they're harder to get hold of and are more expensive. OB cats: Spock and Persephone don't understand my obsession with vegetables, but pay close attention whenever I'm in the kitchen, just in case some meat "accidentally" flies off the chopping board onto the floor. Tish >>> melons, pumpkins, cucumbers, tomatoes, zuccini (courgette), eggplant >>> (aubergine), okra are all fruit - botannically speaking, as far as I [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > with the female (except for sea-horses, which are just, plain > *wierd*!). Okay, so (without getting too technical or descriptive here) males don't have seeds. So I don't know what you call sperm, but I call it seed while the females (at least of the human species) have eggs. > Most vegetables are hermaphrodites - their flowers contain both male > and female parts. Aubergines are like this. One exception that comes > to mind is the kiwifruit (a.k.a. Chinese Gooseberry), where the plants > are dioceous (spelling?) - there are male plants and female plants and > you *have* to have both present in order to get fruit. Many nuts are > like this too. The fruit are produced on the female plants. Eggplants have either a cross cut where they separate from the vine or an elongated split. If it's a cross it's a male; a split, it's a female. > Of course, plants can also have the issue of obligatory out-crossing, > whereby a flower *has* to be fertilized by the pollen of either [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > or purple-and-white European varieties, but they're harder to get hold > of and are more expensive. I've never seen a green eggplant but that's probably a factor of where I live. > OB cats: Spock and Persephone don't understand my obsession with > vegetables, but pay close attention whenever I'm in the kitchen, just > in case some meat "accidentally" flies off the chopping board onto the > floor. > > Tish Persia watches closely while I cook anything, just in case. And she bats at my hand just in case I lose my grip on a cheese cracker or something like that :) Jill |
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