The BB cafe

[Kazzl]

The BB cafe is open for business!
Welcome all to a new chill and chat place for everyone on the forum.

The BB cafe is whatever you want it to be. There are comfy sofas, tables and chairs, coffee machines, a kitchen stocked with everything. There's a pool outside, a bbq area, an annexe with comfy beds for a quiet sleep, tv, dvd, books and whatever else you would like to have here.

Most of all, it's a place to meet friends and fellow travellers for a bit of company. Talk over problems, tell jokes, share your day, escape into a world of your making. Grab a coffee and pull up a chair ... 

So, with a nod to the wonderful Carole King (Hard Rock Cafe) ...

Now if you're feeling just a little bit lonely
Don't sit at home just mopin'
Come on down to where the friendship flows freely
You know the door is always open

At the BB cafe
Come to the BB cafe
They will help keep your blues at bay
At the BB cafe

Important Message from ModSupport: 
The main intention of the BB Cafe is to encourage light conversation. Please look after your fellow community members by nuturing the BB Cafe as a place to escape some of the more pressing issues in life and save those conversations for personal threads. 

[mmMekitty]

Hello Quirky, Fiatlux & everyone

Believe it or not, as a kitten, I didn't like any seafood! Then one day, quite out of the blue, I felt a strong impulse: I wanted fish. & after taking the first nervous bite, it was very enjoyable. Although there is still some seafood I haven't tried, I hav eaten various kinds of fish, squid & octopus, what ever is in a seafood salad, & prawns  - well not so sure about the seafood salad & prawns, but the other seafood I have liked.

I haven't tried the mussels, clams & such, yet... gotta get some off of Croix to do that! I like salmon, now, but is so expensive, I wonder if I might try them this year.

*

Tiramisu is one of my favourite desserts. Love to come to your place, Fiatlux, if only for your tiramisu,& the trifle, too, for the cherries.

Alas, I too might find my citizenship revoked - I still don't like vegemite! Liking salt  as much as I do, you might think I would, but no. I've tried. i don't even like it with cheese.

😿Oh, please even if my citizenship is revoked, don't deport me!

Hugzies

mmMekitty

[Fiatlux]

Good evening cafe friends,

I am finally chilling in the backyard listening to music. The late Eva Cassidy has an amazing soothing voice. I dipped my toes in the pool earlier to cool down. It was such an awful humid day. Had to dry mop the floors a few times with aircon and fans blowing to dry it up. That’s my housework done already.

As it’s Friday I really had a craving for fish and chips but I settled for a delicious boneless Korean chicken. While waiting for the delivery I made a coleslaw. Washed down with a white wine spritzer followed by coffee gelato. 

Feels good to get through this week. 

mmMekitty, the best fish and chips I’ve ever had was in Rockhampton. Delicious piece of barramundi and chunky chips. Also the best oysters I’ve ever had too. They were fat and juicy. 

[Paw Prints]

Hello Everyone,

Well if people have been feeling the humidity lately you are not imagining it... from the ABC news site...

2023 vs longterm average

Melbourne   70%  vs 47%  = 23% increase

Canberra      57% vs 37%  = 20% increase

Adelaide       53 % vs 39% = 14% increase

All the other capitals had increases of less than 10%

OK so now I want everyone to pop over to the nearest coastline & lets see if we can paddle Oz south into some less humid airflow.... at the count of three... one... two... three... & paddle away   

Paws

[Fiatlux]

Good morning cafe friends,

Paws, I am not imagining things then. The dehumidifier I bought actually measures the humidity and it’s often above 70% inside the house. It should be 30% or less. What have we done to the planet? I am in Melbourne so can run a dehumidifier on cooler days. As it does blow warmer air out to assist with drying out the room. When Hobart experiences a heatwave we may actually get that there’s nowhere to paddle. We literally are up that creek without a paddle.

Today is humid and overcast but sitting outside with my coffee there’s no breeze.

[mmMekitty]

Paws, Fiatlux & everyone,

We may change the weather pattern ourselves with our combined paddling effort. That could be interesting .... just give me a sec to grab my floaties!

Anyone like rice pudding? I have made some, because I had put too much water in with the rice, then added lime juice, (for a salmon salad), so it was over cooked, but still had some water, so I added some brown sugar & powdered milk... I'm not really into rice pudding, but the lime juice has given the goopey mess  a fresh taste & is quite enjoyable.

the BOM said a shower or two, with more to areas south-south-east of where I am, but last night I think we had 5, maybe 6 heavy rain showers. There could have been more light rain after I'd gone to sleep, for all I know, but it is sunnier today, but still humid.

I've thought taat when it's humid like it's been lately, the temperature may as well be 3-5°C higher, & also thanks to something I heard on ABC, this, as far as our bodies are concerned, may as well be true. So, take extra care to keep cool, & to keep drinking water throughout the day, every day.... but not directly from the river/ocean.... you know, while you are paddling, carry drinking water.... 

Hugzies

mmMekitty

[Fiatlux]

Good afternoon BB Cafe friends,

Paw, mmMekitty and all, I had floaties of a duckling kind this morning. As I suspected, we had hatchlings hidden in the garden by the pool. Only three survived. By the time I got up today and noticed them, 1 had drowned. I removed that poor baby and set up the ramp for them at the shallow end. Mother and 3 little ducklings are still swimming around quite happy to hang around today. 

A couple of weeks ago I invested $10 in a blow up crocodile pool toy to try to discourage the ducks from nesting here but I was a little late with this idea. Considering we had spent a small fortune cleaning the pool this summer I was hoping to scare away the pool polluters. 

What is unusual is that we’ve never had ducklings in January. We’ve had the pool 18 years and we’ve had ducklings for the last 15 years but they’ve always hatched by October. We had 13 ducklings last October so this small nest is baffling. 

I am giving my crocodile a rest until these duckling have left. Mother duck usually walks them out through the side gate, across the street and down to the wetlands. They are so cute but I don’t dare touch them as this panics mother.

I am enjoying a very late brunch watching tennis.

Have a lovely Sunday dear friends. FiatLux 🙏🏼

[mmMekitty]

Hello Fiatlux & everyone

I would be interested to know if the blow-up crocodile does worry the duck enough for her to take her ducklings off to the wetlands, which, I think would be a better home for them, anyway. I was just thinking about all the pool chemicals in the water, which I can't imagine are good for ducks.

So sad that one duckling was lost..

& yeah, I also think it is a good idea to not try to pick up the ducklings, no matter how cute they are. These are not any domestic pet ducks, but wild & it's better for them to not become too involved with us humans.

If I had a pool, I have just decided it would be better to not have the cute ducklings & their mum swimming in it, for their sadke, at the very least, especially when ther is a natural habitat nearby.

Had a lovely sunny day here, today, but evidently the fine weather is not due to last. 

Today I have a ham, cheese & tomato salad, with lettuce & mayo. Anyone care to join me?

Hugzies

mmMekitty

[blondguy]

Hey Hey everyone! New posters/members too!!

The Beyond Blue Cafe is a friendly and safe place where you can say hello and have a chat...Even if you dont wish to post on the main forums....which can be difficult to do sometimes when we are stuck.

There are many super gentle people that can be here for you!  Talking about food isn't necessary even though it is the Beyond Blue Cafe.. New posters are always super welcome! 

my kindest always

Paul

[Fiatlux]

Good morning BB cafe friends,

My ducks have gone to the wetlands where they belong. I am sure that as we live so close to the wetlands, these ducks have found my backyard safer to nest. Living so close to their natural habitat we’ve all had to only plant Native gardens, that and there are snakes in the wetlands area. I haven’t come across a snake in 18 years but have seen shedded skins around. 

mmMekitty, although ours is a salt water pool, it’s still not good for the ducks. Yesterday I put out a large dish of fresh water for the babies. What is a little concerning is the occasional cat that wonders about. It’s rare to find cats in our area. Although they are not banned by the council, others are expected to keep them enclosed in their own yards. But cats can climb as we know.

Have a great day dear friends. Fiatlux 🙏🏼

[quirkywords]

Just dropping by  and waving to everyone. 
mmMekitty and Fiatlux  I think I started reading halfway through your chat but it sounds interesting and different 

I have noted a few coincidences recently ,do others  see coincidences or do you think there is a reason.  thanks Paul for your welcome.