My battery is low and my eyes are tired so I'm going to say goodnight now yogi, I hope you get some rest tonight even if you don't sleep, and here's praying for the result you want in the morning
Sweet dreams

Thanks Summer. Sleep well and sweet dreams.

Good morning
I just seen the news yogi I'm very happy for you and so glad all the stress and worrying is to be put behind you

Thanks Summer. I am exhausted but elated - and still British.

Great news yogi I'm so pleased for you and hope you can relax today

 I'm going to chill out and enjoy the fact that we are still a united kingdom.

Good morning everyone

 

It's been raining here overnight quite heavily, there's more forecast in my area throughout the day and there may be thunderstorms later.

 

We're still a United Kingdom Yogi, you must be relieved with the result and can relax

 

A get well for Moonie.

 

I'm delighted and very relieved, El.

By the way, in that other Scottish vote yesterday, in case you didn't see the result, 85% of those who voted said yes to allowing women members to The Royal and Ancient Golf Club at At Andrews for the first time since it was formed in 1754.

 

Good morning everyone, cloudy and a little chillier here with a little drizzle forecast.

 

Yogi I am glad the result went the way you want.  It will be interesting now to see how they rearrange things so that the question of who decides on matters concerning their area alone is decided upon only by MP's for those areas, for each part of these islands, in view of the promises made in the last week or so.

 

Enjoy your day everyone

Now that the Highlands result has come in the final result is:

 

No 2,001,926 votes (55.30%)

Yes 1,617,989 votes (44.70%)

Total 3,619,915 votes (84.59% turnout)

 

Squiggle, it will be very interesting to see what happens. How much of the intended changes can be agreed and brought into law before the next general election which is less than 8 months away - that's not a lot of time to do this.

 

 Good result, El.

 Yes, a lot of promised changes in a short period of time.

Thanks to one of my larger clients emailing me today saying that their accounts are required by the end of the month for their meeting.

i've had the records for a couple of weeks now but he could easily have told me this then rather than leaving it until today.

As a result I am going to be very busy for the rest of the month. It's just as well my brother's not visiting me this weekend or next.

 

That sounds very inconsiderate EL, I hope you don't put too much pressure on yourself

 

 

For 50 years, Raju the elephant was abused, held shackled in spiked chains and forced to live off scraps from passing tourists. All that changed when he was rescued last weekend by wildlife conservationists who said the animal cried when he was finally set free.

Wildlife SOS, a group established in 1995 to protect endangered wildlife in India, set out to rescue Raju on the night of July 2. Raju is around 50 years old and was likely captured as a baby and bought and sold many times over the course of his life. He was forced to work as a begging elephant in Allahabad. His legs were bound in spiked chains that made walking difficult and left him with chronic wounds. He was also beaten.

Wildlife SOS found out about Raju's story through India's Forestry Commission. When the group attempted to rescue Raju on the night of July 2 in the Uttar Pradesh region of India, his owner and mahout -- an individual who rides elephants -- apparently attempted to dismantle the effort with a standoff, Nikki Sharp, the executive director of Wildlife SOS-USA, told The Huffington Post Monday.
 

Raju's captors layered tighter chains on him and attempted to confuse him by shouting commands, but their efforts proved futile. A team of 10 veterinarians and experts from Wildlife SOS along with 20 Forestry Commission officers and two policemen managed to rescue the abused elephant, according to the Mirror.

“Raju was in chains 24 hours a day, an act of ­intolerable cruelty. The team were astounded to see tears roll down his face during the rescue," Pooja Binepal, a spokesman for Wildlife SOS, said, per the Mirror. "It was incredibly emotional. We knew in our hearts he realized he was being freed. Elephants are majestic and highly intelligent animals. We can only imagine what torture the past half a century has been for him."

 

Squiggle, I've just had another email from that client - he's back tracked on saying he required the accounts by the end of the month and says he was just joking. That's a relief but the way he had worded the earlier email I couldn't tell if he was being serious or joking.

 

 

 

Is he a bit of a joker, El?

What a sad life he had, but that's over now that he has been rescued. I hope he has a long and happy life.

I love elephants, they are fabulous animals.

Squiggle, there is considerably more about Raju on the Wildlife SOS website blog.

http://www.wildlifesos.org/blog

The mahout is fighting to get Raju back in the courts - hearing is set for the 22nd. At the same time Wildlife SOS are in the process of getting criminal charges brought against him.

 

There's an online petition to keep Raju free:

https://www.change.org/p/keep-...crying-elephant-free

 

There's another petition to keep another elephant Laxmi free as well - similar story to Raju's:

https://www.change.org/p/shri-...-her-previous-owners

 

Thank you EL I have signed both petitions.

What an odd joke, it could have lead to you working all hours EL.

You may get an email back asking you to promote the petition for Raju on Facebook. I don't have a Facebook account but others do.

 

I think he worded it intending to be joking but as I'm busy with other work, it didn't strike me as funny.

 

Yes I did thanks.  The link button didn't work so I copied and pasted onto my FB page, we must save both these elephants.

Squiggle, I agree with you, we must try to save those elephants.

 

Yogi, I've just spotted your post - my client is another accountant so he knows what life can be like for accountants. He's currently on holiday in Portugal so may have been partaking of the local brew when he emailed me Or he may been a bit annoyed that I had asked him a query whilst he was on holiday. But it wasn't a query which I could leave until he came back as it could have had quite an effect on the accounts and I did say in the email "please let me have your thoughts on this in due course" rather than requiring him to reply immediately.

 

 I think you could be on the right track.

Evening all

Oh Crikey, those elephant stories are so sad and sick I could cry. I did see the raju story on fb recently but have just signed both petitions. It should absolutely impossible for previous owners to claim back their elephants and they should be both prosecuted and banned from ever owning another animal. I can only pray they will be free and happy for the rest of their lives, bless them

El, your client is not funny, I hope he apologises when he sees you next.  I love a practical joke but that's not on

Evening Summer. I'm awake but fading fast.

Have you had a good day?

Yes thank you yogi, I had my hair coloured & cut! *twirls* it was only 2 months overdue

Have you had a nap at all?

Lovely hair, Summer.

No nap, and I can't stop yawning.

In that case I think you've done amazing to stay up this late!

I'm fading fast, so I'm going to get off for a bath and go to bed. Goodnight and sweet dreams.

No Velvet today? I'll leave him a night owl hug, in case he is here later.

Hugs for Ros and Moonie.

Goodnight yogi, sleep deep & peacefully, you've earned it

Leaving goodnight hugs for velvet and moonie and an extra for our absent friend

night yogi - soo pleased we are still united

Good morning everyone

 

Low cloud here, not raining but I wouldn't be surprised if it started.

 

Yogi, I hope you had a long and refreshing sleep

 

A get well for Moonie.

 

I'm over to the moon and so relieved.

 

Good morning everyone.

Weather is dry but cloudy.

Youngest son, middle son and DiL visiting today.

Hope you all have a good day.

Good morning everyone, it definitely feels a little chillier today, and very cloudy.

 

I hope your day goes well everyone

After yesterday's heartbreaking picture, one to warm your heart An elephant orphanage in Nairobi.