Now see here.

Every day, unless its blowing a gale,(forecast tomorrow 30 mph winds gusting to 45 mph) I walk on Fraserburgh Esplanade. The locals deride the Esplanade term despite it being on all the sign posts. 

To them it is the Prom.  

Now I can and have managed to walk 20 gusting to 30mph although it was hard work.  If I let go of the chariot which I did when pausing to take a photograph the chariot goes off on its own and leaves me stranded until kind dog walkers fetch it back.

The pink balloon  is part of my rubbish collection on my walks.  I hate and detest balloons and want them banned. They damage wildlife and farm animals.  Why people let off balloons in memory of someone is beyond me as they are just sending up something that will kill some more.  Add to the banned list the flaming lanterns or whatever they are called. That do even more damage such as setting things on fire.

Today I did not manage my usual .58 of a mile as yesterday I went for my (ir)regular blow job check up at the chest clinic.  They could hear a 'crackle' .  Which indicated yet another chest infection/pleurisy start of. Now I had gone into that clinic feeling as high as a kite.  I was going to knock that blow job into the stratosphere but was not then allowed to blow.  and am back on antibiotics AND told to take it steady.  So I did half the walk and found out that I could take a video and download it.

So here it is for your delectation.

Turn the sound up and you can hear the wind.

At the end of the day the central heating goes off and the wood burner is lit.  Cait Sith our 13 year old cat Sith enjoying.

Cait Sith is Gaelic for Fairy Cat.  When we got him from the Cat Protection he was a wee skittery thing - hence the name but then he just grew and grew. So now he is Sith.  Being from Yorkshire I now call him Sithee which means now see here.  

Crovie, just up the road.

I am going to show you why I live here.  

Youngest daughter, Sydney, walking along the path in Crovie.

Crovie. 

Many people come to The Banffshire Coast to get away from the stresses and strains of everyday life and for those who want to relax and unwind, there is no better place to visit than Crovie. There are no shops, no mobile phone signal and – incredibly – no roads.
Crovie – pronounced Crivie – is a collection of houses which appear to emerge from the sea and are precariously sandwiched between the water and the bottom of a cliff. Access to Crovie is by a very steep hill and locals have to transport their shopping and bulky goods by wheelbarrow from a car park at the top of the cliff. If you are visiting by road, you should leave your vehicle here.

There’s nowhere else on earth quite like this enchanting little village – it truly is a spellbinding place. As well as being the best preserved fishing village in Europe, it also has the distinction of having the narrowest space between shore and cliff of any Scottish village.

Room exists only for a handful of cottages and a narrow footpath, but in the 19th century more than 50 fishing boats operated from the tiny harbour and it provided homes to more than 300 people. The village was nearly swept away by a fierce storm in 1953 and many residents sought to build a new life in nearby Gardenstown.

The harbour and a number of the original properties did survive, and many of these are now holiday homes and self-catering accommodation. Keep an eye open for the unusual house numbering system of brightly painted pebbles or maritime ‘art installations’.

Just to the east of Crovie is the RSPB reserve at Troup Head, where thousands of birds swoop to and from their nests on the red cliffs. Make a point of stopping off at Cullykhan Bay – a sandy cove near the remains of Fort Fiddes, which is thought to be one of the earliest industrial sites in Europe, as well as Hell’s Lum where sea spray escapes from a cave cut into the cliff like smoke from a chimney.

(Credit www.banffshirecoast.com)

Troup Head Gannetry.

One of my paintings of Gannets , not long now before we see this sort of behaviour !

You can actually drive down the cliff to Crovie and park your car. Albeit a small car park. You cannot take your car any further, only back up the hill.

BROADSEA WALKING.

Broadsea is a community situated in Aberdeenshire in the North East of Scotland. It is a long-standing fishing community at the north edge of Fraserburgh.  Wikepedia.

My daily walks along the prom at Fraserburgh have continued.  But today I fancied a change.  Broadsea js as said above.  There is no gap between Fraserburgh and Broadsea.  You just turn off the main road leading to the town centre and immediately the houses are the typical fisher persons cottages.

There is a 'main' street which I drove down.  This leads eventually to the sea.  Past a sign that says 'Road Closed' (It didnt look like it was so I ignored it.) which led me to a pull in car park.  

Facing the sea.

I could then go left or right.

I went left.  Arrived at a slope.  Ok a gentle slope but the way the ice cold wind had already sliced my legs off at the knee I knew I would have difficulty getting back up the slope.  So I turned the other way.  Serious house envy with the position of these 'new builds'.  Looking out over the sea.  

As I got back to where the car was parked I was frozen through to the bone so decided to call it a day and come back another day to go the other way.

When I come back from my walk I go to the shedudio and with last remaining light I draw and paint.

Here is one I finished .  Mute Swans.

But whatever I do I can never compete with Nature.  From about 6p.m. last night we watched in awe.

Aurora Borealis.

Normality?

Time to re-join the human race.  Pleurisy all gone.  Lunch with the DP at The Dunes Golf Centre, Fraserburgh.

This is now my favourite refreshment stop. On the ground floor with easy access to loos, disabled or otherwise, and the most delicious food and one of the best cappuccinos ever.

The views are not as exciting as from the Lighthouse Cafe, on the first floor with stunning sea views.  But I can no longer face the lurching stair lift which by the time it gets upstairs everyone else has been served, and finished......

The Dunes is a Driving Range separate but next to the Fraserburgh Golf Club.  A driving range  is where you can go and hit a ball and not get wet.

There are also screens elsewhere so you can pretend you are on one of the famous golf courses, reality t.v?  You swipe and it records your accuracy, distance etc. Weird.

The Dunes also does a lot to get young people involved in the game of golf which I applaud.  Not necessarily the golf in particular, but anything that gets them off their proverbial.....

My daily exercise continues.  Ploughing up and down the prom - and a plough might be needed.  I am sure whoever works out how to affix a wine glass to the chariot could make me a plough to affix also!

At the grand age of 66 I finally find pleasure in walking.  Which is quite a shock to me.  I am now addicted and get twitchy if the weather looks as if it is going to prevent me.  Only very strong winds prevent me.  Mainly as I do not weigh much and have been literally blown over!  We are so fortunate in the North East of Scotland that most days are like today.  Bloody cold tho.

Surfers are present most days.  We had a few words when I first started walking as they parked in 'my' disabled spot.  I hate confrontation.  But it was also my marker for the distance I walked (petty?)  Now its big grins all round and 'How ya doin.' which I much prefer.

Had my hair done, back at Art group, it snowed.

Normality.

Flood Alert!

Warning issued this afternoon for the whole of Aberdeenshire.  Just a little late for the Hidden Corner where I live.  As usual we are left out of it  But not being totally stupid when water comes in above the window and into the house, down the wall, filled the sill, which is as you can see quite a deep one and pools on the floor.....

(This a posh photo taken when we had the house up for sale.)  The water was dripping off the wooden edge of the ceiling of the window.  Of course this was discovered in the evening when it was dark.  The wind was strong and blowing the rain horizontally.  Towels out, three big bath sheets replaced three times during the night.

This morning the DP ventured out to do his morning tasks, feed the birds, bring in the wood etc and saw the gully up the lane was blocked and therefore all the water from fields, the lane across was hurtling down to us, into the drive and into the garage and was inches away from entering the front door.

He went and cleared the gully and I watched the 'flood' ebb away.

The road our lane goes to.

I wont bore you with loads of pictures of floods.  Suffice it to say Fraserburgh is now cut off with all roads in and out closed.

Apart from our little lane.

Passable with care.  So as the rain eased off and the wind disappeared I got out.

And walked.  

Till stopped by the blown sand.

It was still bliss.  Me and him/her the only ones on the very sandy and wet Esplanade.

So.  Flood alert.  We got off lightly.  Many others did not and my heart goes out to them.  Its scary when Nature takes over. But there is always a cessation.  More rain tonight. But I see a break another  cessation for a few hours tomorrow so I shall be out.  

As will the DP of course checking the gully is clear.  We are on flood alert!

Blowing in the Wind.

Since New Years Day I have been confined to the house..  Due to the strong winds, driving rain, and it continues.

My walk is now a 14 lap trundle round the dining room and kitchen.

Pretty boring. 

The Dawn Patroller has been out and about as have many of his photographing friends.

Fraserburgh beach and the esplanade covered in white foam.

Waves breaking over the 'Golden Horn' (Harbour lighthouse.) Andy Winton.

The harbours, Aberdeen, Peterhead, Fraserburgh are all full with boats sheltering.  Those that cant get in go round the corner into the Moray Firth, anchor and wait it out.

James Alexander.

The wind created a sand dune on the esplanade.

This photo - the walkway from the road towards the beach normally has grass on either side.  

Here come the Council to shift the sand back!

Severe gales forecast tonight.........

Sadly many sea birds are suffering.  This Shag was blown into the village.  Confused and disorientated .  The DP could do no more than take a pic.  All the drivers were slowing and going round it.  Sadly some idiot later ran over it. In a 20m.p.h zone.

Many Little Auks are having to be rescued and taken to the New Arc our local wildlife rescue centre.  Many have died.

So I am not complaining.  Well - just a bit.  Although my walking has, I am sure, meant my current bout of pleurisy is no way as bad as it has been before.

The blowing is to ease on Friday.  Oh and there's snow forecast tomorrow. Bored?  Never.

Live anywhere else?  Never.

The Queen is a bit worried.

The road from Ballater to Braemar.  The latter is the place the Queen likes to live in her castle there.  And rumoured where she wants to retire to.  (As if!! Retire?!)

This came up as 

"The road from Ballatar to Braemar is closed. Its gone."


A castle nearby to the Queen's is now feet away from the river.

(Daily Mail)

Surely now Mr Cameron will have to start throwing some money at flood defences.  Proper money and flood defences that work.  Or at the very least listen to what Nature is telling him.

We have been listening to nature since yesterday.  The wind is currently in the 40mph bracket, gusting to much more. This has been forecast to be with us most of the week.  Half of our house is old and has granite walls.  The other half and the upstairs is far more modern.  Guess which bit howls and shakes.

The Dawn Patroller was out this evening.

Waves as high as two double decker buses.  So they closed the road to stop idiot photographers getting drowned.

Or getting their feet wet.

And this is where I would park before walking the esplanade.  Foam from the pounding waves.

I dont know about the Queen being worried but I am not amused.

Happy New Year everyone.