An Aaaaa and an Ooooooo

Baby seal at Cairnbulg Harbour today.

Elsewhere in Buchan, in the countryside by Rora, we have Rheas.  These birds chase off foxes.

I am now on, "I want to paint.....................Overload."

Activities of old women.

Yesterday was the last of the Kids Activities at the Museum of Scottish Lighthouses.  For the Summer that is.  Our theme was Sea Birds.

Every time I do this I do wonder why.  Such a lot of effort, planning, downloading, copying, printing, sometimes making a template as there isnt anything on the internet that is suitable, getting the craft supplies, beg, borrowed or stolen, (our bedroom has bags under the bed, in the wardrobe and along the walls with loo roll inners , kitchen paper inners, foil, yoghurt pots, etc.etc.)  My small band of volunteers, has grown, from 4 at the beginning we now have 12 ladies of a certain age who are buzzing with ideas, skills, and also have bags of anything they think can be recycled into ......

 The printed off silhouette gets stuck onto the inside of a clear plastic drinking vessel.  Using Sharpe Pens you then do your own thing, in my case this was a gannet, what else, you remove the silhouette/picture which reveals your own personally decorated pencil pot.

 Masks or Puppets are made with paper plates, templates and lollipop sticks (for a puppet).  We did Puffins and Gannets.  The child decided on the colour.

Making Octopus from loo roll inner, scissors, paint and googly eyes.  Some sea birds will eat baby octopus - well I think they do.
 

 Puffin pals, loo roll inners, templates which one of our volunteers had to create as we couldnt find a Puffin, colouring and sticking by the child.

 We have also made, binoculars, telescopes, flowers, (sea birds nest on cliffs where there are flowers!)  And some beautiful card making depicting seabirds.

Stones from the beach were transformed.  Into all manner of things, but I stuck to the sea bird theme.

Not sure who enjoys it the most, us the volunteers, the kids, the parents, the grandparents. 

For me a lot of satisfaction of seeing the enjoyment. 

Luring in a screaming child playing up and Mum about to give in and depart and the child then beams with pride at creating something. 

A Mum gently chastised (well okay, I said, "I will smack you!")  for trying to do it all and then letting the child do their own thing and giving the Mum all the bits and pieces to do her own thing.

But the best bit for me has to be at the end.  

Story time.  

What you cannot see on this photograph is the circle of Mums, holding babies in their arms, listening too. ......


 

Weddings.

Tis the season to be jolly.....birds singing, and other things, if them two collared doves dont go off somewhere else instead of my clothes' post.......  I am just glad the grandchildren arent here.  

A Meadow Pipit above is eyeing up the talent.

As is the Wheatear.

Big Daddy is wearing himself out trying to keep a track on his harem.

Lambs are popping out all over.

The Konik Ponies at the Loch of Strathbeg have obviously settled in well, as the first foal is born.

And all around new life..... (I love the fact we see calves with cows in the fields round here.)

So what has this to do with weddings?  Well - Spring springing, birds meeting, new life arriving, all has an effect, even on some of our more mature beings.

A couple of our friends who have been together for years..... have decided to tie the knot.

No tootle to the church for them, or indeed the Registry Office.  No, after waiting this long he decides to build a Viking Long House for the ceremony, you cant really plan an outside wedding in the North East of Scotland, no matter the season, your guests will probably need some shelter.  So ceremonial long house made from - pallets.

And, why not the Viking long ship ( not sure I am getting all this terminology right).

Despite it being only just Spring arriving, and all this cooing and other stuff, reminds me that next month, Midsummers Eve, YES ITS ONLY THAT FAR AWAY AND WE HAVENT PROPERLY HAD SPRING YET, is our wedding anniversary.  

When the DP and I wed, everyone dressed up as a character from Shakespeare's Midsummers Night, we had Bottoms, Walls, Titania, Puck, the whole cast list.

What was your wedding like?  Hopefully far better than the 'My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding' rubbish we see on t.v. and much, much more fun.  Like ours was and the Viking one on its way will be.