What I did and what I am going to do.

During my sorting (making a total mess) of the shedudio,  I found some solar powered outdoor lights I purchased for almost nothing from Lidl some time ago.  I followed the instructions until it showed a diagram of the on/off switch.  This is encased in rubber so how you know when it is actually on or off ....?  Anyway I pressed it a few times and then left.

Later that night the DP was watching out for an aurora.  Which everyone else saw.  But we got this.

Well impressed.

This morning I finally got to grips with registering for NEOS.  This stands for North East Open Studios.  An annual event.  

Every year Artists in the North East of Scotland open up their studios.  I have exhibited my work as part of a group for NEOS.  

Then in 2015 I went solo in the shedudio.  It was great fun, although tiring.  With my health issues I never thought I would do it again.  But - I have been talked into doing it again.

Hence the big sort out and the desperate search for a joiner to insulate and board the interior of the shedudio so I have a proper hanging space.

This afternoon saw me visiting my favourite cafe at the Dunes Golf Centre.

Well, any excuse.



I met my fellow artist Marie Buchan.  Do check out her facebook page, Marie Buchan Artist.  Her studio is in St Combs just up the road from me.  St Combs was a fishing village. Marie's studio backs on to the beach.

Mary J Torrance is also in the village of St Combs.  She paints and is also a sculptor. We 3 are the only artists in the Fraserburgh area that are to be part of NEOS this year.  Marie and I were plotting various strategies to get people to visit our studios.  The area we live in is often called 'The Hidden Corner'.  North of Aberdeen ?  Stagecoaches.

So I may bore you over the next few months.  

I just hope no rat appears during that week.

April? What happened to March?

Well March was spent mostly in bed groaning and coughing, but enough of that...

More family visitations over the Easter weekend.  Eldest daughter and two grandsons.

The weather has been incredible.  Warm, no wind, sunshine from dawn to dusk. 

St Combs beach is good for rock pools, golden sand , and seals.   But none this day. ( Not good for Zimmer frames, even with wheels.) (The new header to the blog shows Killer Whales off the beach here, last year.)

Takes 3 to build a sandcastle.

An excellent rock pool find - Long Spined Scorpion Fish.  Good job they didnt pick it up or touch it.  Grandmas are good for some things, I have been asked to do a painting of it.

So what was Grandma doing while they were all off with the Dawn Patroller visiting Museums, Aquariums and many, many play parks?

Painting of course.

The above is Fluffy.  Been dead for 20 years.  Owner (ex?) well pleased.

Mountain Hare from a photograph by Adam Caird, who liked my painting so much of his photograph he posted it on his facebook site!

And I watch the birds while waiting for the paint to dry.  There were 2 Redwings in the garden outside the shedudio.  Now that is a first.  The DP was quite miffed he had missed them.  (There are some kudos for an old infirm Grandma. Ha!)
 

Working title for the above is rather rude, "P*** Off." But thats me.

I am painting, painting, as we are coming into the exhibition season.  You are seriously going to get bored my friends.

Hope the weather was kind to you this holiday weekend and you have all had a good time.  I really do not want you to P*** Off.

Lighthouse Keepers Cottage, part 2.

The Northern Lighthouse Board not only had to provide their keepers with cottages in which to house their families, but also land on which to graze a cow and grow their own food.

The (empty) greenhouse is , of course, a fairly modern addition.   These photographs show the 'garden' area as it is today.

  Some of the garden is under cultivation.  Thanks to the local Banff and Buchan College, based in Fraserburgh, which sends along a team of young adults with special needs to cultivate it.  They appear every Friday in term time along with their tutors and plant seeds, weed, and cultivate.

During the school holidays, well, back to nature.

Some things survive.  The rhubarb crop is amazing.  And I am sure that they all get a great deal of satisfaction from watching seeds germinate, flowers appearing.  But I have a sneaking suspicion that they get far more enjoyment from going berserk in the Museum shop and buying far too much rock than is good for them, and spending a lot of time sitting on our cannons outside having a fag.  And, sadly, we do not have a cow.

So second plan for me is to, whilst working alongside the local college, to involve volunteers, either retired folk in sheltered housing  who miss their garden and still have the knowledge, bit of energy, delight in gardening to join in with the young adults.  Or anyone else I can drag in!

Who knows, we might then get a cow!  No, even I am not that daft.

Produce from the garden would supply the restaurant at the Lighthouse Museum, we are already using the rhubarb.  Aaaah Rhubarb Crumble with our wonderful chef's artistic twists.  To die for.

So, there you go.

Now in between all the planning and plotting for the Museum of Scottish Lighthouses to make it more user friendly and such a wonderful place to visit!!!!  I did manage something I have never done before.

Art 'En Plein Air'.  This is just a posh way of saying, "Get outside, draw, paint, but get outside.!"

The Art groups I belong to have all been booted out of Dalrymple Hall this week as it is the Junior Arts Summer Show.  They take over the whole building.  For a week. Their Summer Show is based on the Ugly Duckling......

So our Wednesday Art Group went to St Combs.  Plonked ourselves on the beach, or in my case on a grit store box, quite comfortable actually.  And painted, drew, sat and just looked.  It was overcast, but it was warm and no wind, which is heaven up here. After two hours we moved to the Community run cafe and had lunch.

Then today - well it was like being in the Med.  Our Thursday Art Group started with lunch, much more civilised.  And then moved on to Rosehearty Harbour.

I sat on the floor here and drew some of the boats, pen and ink.

Did a lovely study of the lobster pots.

Watched the other lot, across the harbour, with deck chairs, paints, water, creating a finished picture. I really must get more organised for this 'En Plain Air' activity.

And then just looked at the amazing view.  Life in the North East of Scotland, you cannot beat it.  When it isnt windy, raining, misty.  Just wonderful.  

Ey up, I havent finished.  Last night whilst lighting the wood burner I hear a dull thud.  On looking out of the window I saw that the front garden wall was now laying on the lawn.

And a Land Rover with a trailer pulling away.  I shot out. Apparently the bloke in the landrover had stopped to have a chat to the farmer examining his Neeps (Swedes/big turnips) in the field opposite and wanting to chat face to face had reversed his landrover so to do, his trailer then did a sharp left wheely and demolished our wall, "I forgot I had the bloody trailer on!"

Anyroads, demolisher and friend are currently rebuilding wall.  While the DP  and I mutter about should have demolished the lot and then we could have a nice picket fence, as really the wall is an abomination......made of breeze blocks and some sort of ghastly 'dressing' which wouldnt be allowed on any self respecting DIY tele programme.  

Ah to be in a Lighthouse Keepers Cottage. With a lovely white wall, or a harbour wall, such artistry.....

Temperance Marches.

Each year the North East of Scotland Aberdeenshire villagers of Inverallochy, Cairnbulg and St Combs take part in a temperance walk to shake off the winter cobwebs. Each village in the Buchan Rathen Coast takes turns to host the walk which has been happening for over 160 years. 

The history of these walks dates back to an evangelical time in the villages when they were regenerated after a bad period during the 19th Century when there was much village fighting and drunkenness which only ended after an outbreak of cholera in 1847. After this epidemic the communities grew and turned to religion. The tradition of the temperance walks started at this time. 

Inverallochy and Cairnbulg are two fishing villages, only separated by a road, that once was a ditch.  

Inverallochy has first go and has their Temperance March on Christmas Day.  

Today, New Year's Day, they cross the road and Cairnbulg has their Temperance March.  Which was joined by the Dawn Patroller, and his camera.

Now I, for one, was deeply moved to see that this is not just for the oldies.  Young children, and teenagers, carrying on the traditions of this part of Scotland.

Before they set off a man with a loud voice asked, "Did any o ye hae a drink last night?"

And all the kids shouted, "Yes!"

As they moved around the village various stops were made for local worthies to come out and bash the drum.  One of which, from the DP's description was Count Dracula (not far from Slains Castle) but was probably the local vicar.

Tomorrow the Temperance March is at St.Combs.

None of the three villages had a pub.  Nor did they have 'offies'   Though now there is the local shoppies which have a very good selection of cans, bottles, wines, spirits, oh dear.  And also we have The Tufted Duck, a hotel with a bar situated some hundred yards from the South edge of St Combs.  It is the only restaurant in our corner which has a view of the sea from its windows.

Wee bit further than a march for us, but then we are not Temperance......