February - already?

The days are now noticeably longer.  

The sun sets.  You can just see the shedudio at the back of the photo.  Earlier the sun was shining right into my eyes....Photograph taken from our dining room patio doors. And yes I am still learning how to use my new camera.....

 

Here is a similar timed one taken by a proper photographer.  This is Kinnaird Head Fraserburgh.  The original Lighthouse came into being in 1787.  Only lit on special occasions now.  To its left is the working lighthouse, boring wee edifice but necessary.  To the far left is the Fog Horn.  Which is a listed building, but sadly does not work anymore, not even on special occasions.  Pipes gone.  A bit like me.

 I have had an extremely tiring month.

 This chap's fault.  My mate I referred to in a previous post and some of you thought he had died.  Well he didnt.  He went on to another job in a much bigger museum than our Lighthouse.  

Though some of the cursing I have done since he went he should be pushing up daisies by now. 

 Full time job and more it has been managing the Museum.  In the last few weeks I have felt as if I was totally on my own.  Chair of the board sadly ill. Me - vice chair. Get on with it!

Howsomever. Tomorrow we have a new Museum Manager starting.  I can resume my normal life.

Filling up space in the Art Gallery at the Museum. I managed that. Tick.

Also the odd painting.

A Mountain Hare.  From a Photo by Paul Cain.

 

 And the Torville and Dean of the Swan fraternity.  From a photo by Avril Reid.

I am blessed with so many friends who are photographers and allow me to be inspired.

Not only that through being able to paint when possible has kept my sanity, well only just.

Then I realise - its February. Already.

Last Weather Report - for this year,, heres hoping.

Environment Minister Paul Wheelhouse described the conditions as a "perfect storm" of south easterly gales, low pressure and high tides. Richard Lochhead, Rural Affairs Secretary, will visit Lossiemouth, Peterhead and Fraserburgh harbours on Monday to asses the damage.

 Paul Rattray photograph.

John Cardno photograph.

Whilst the Shags and Cormorants kept well out the way!

How the Golden Horn looked before the storm.

What the storm did, no idea what its like from the other side where the waves were actually coming from.

Inland we had no idea what was occurring just a few miles away.

Homes were evacuated at Peterhead where the old fishermens cottages are near the shore line and in other fishing villages around.

Men in yellow jackets are everywhere trying to clear up the debris and make everything safe.  We just hope the Golden Horn can shine again.

Happenings.

First the good news!  My granddaughter has not got meningitis.  She is back home.  She still has the rash.  And she has to return in two weeks for another blood test to ensure all is back to normal.  Phew.

 Our days have been sunny, but cold, and that leads to perfect clear skies in the evenings and - the Northern Lights!  This photograph was taken by my friend Lesley, who lives at Rathen, and is an expert, nay ace, capturer of the Northern Lights.

In the very early morning light, which is now about 7.30a.m. (please, please, let us carry on with the clocks going back as it would be misery otherwise), the deer gathered in the field behind us.

The Dawn Patroller (DP) is able to get oot and aboot.  This pond is just down the lane.  And the Whooper Swans have taken it over.

The Teal wheel about and also come into land - if there is room.

The DP is considering going freelance.  I think this means he might get paid for his photographs, but then, he enjoys doing it.  Last weekend he did the photographs for the Fraserburgh Herald on the Lighthouse Museum's Halloween event.  Last night he was asked by Theatre Modo to photograph the parade and fireworks which took place in Fraserburgh.

There were 600 teenage children from all around taking part.  They had been involved, over the last few weeks, with costumes, learning how to handle fire, drum, handle puppets 3 storeys high, walk on stilts, and so on. This has been going on for weeks at various venues, their getting ready.  One place used was the fish market at the harbour.

Then, last night, they paraded.  Above are the drummers.

 A stilt walker.

The evening finished with a firework extravaganza paid for by Mr Shell.  We make the most of our oil rich tycoons, milking our seabeds. Huh.

The theme was about the Lighthouse, in 1556 the Edward Bonaventure ran aground, carrying the Russian Ambassador, and all his gold, which was never recovered (!)   So they needed a lighthouse!




Fantastic happenings in the North East of Scotland.

Normal Service is Resumed.

Well now the clocks have gone back the DP is back on patrol.  He has been out for his early morning walk, but wearing his flashing arm bands did not make it light enough for any photographing.

Having a wind from the North he shot off to the harbour, sheltered in the Four Corners, mentioned in a previous post, he was able to catch these images of the waves.

Our fishermen  are so brave, this one looks as if the boat is being well propelled back into the harbour.

On shore is this Herring Gull, a juvenile, but he has learnt how to do the hokey cokey.  

"You put your left leg here, your right leg there, you do the hokey cokey ...

Could it be?

Yes, a worm, success!

A Curlew does not need to jig about.

Not with that beak.  Altho he might say, in out, shake it all about. (sorry).

The Robin has the right idea.  He follows the DP into the garage, watches him fill up the bird feeders, while sitting on the lawn mower, and then follows him out, to be served breakfast.

Normality for me too, getting my perspectives slightly better?

Buchaness Lighthouse.  Just look at them rocks, (amazing what you can do with a credit card.)

And finally my favourite lighthouse, Rattray, as dawn breaks.  

Both now framed and ready to be hung for my first solo exhibition at the Lighthouse Museum Cafe on Thursday.

Not normality - madness.

It is nearly Christmas.

The  Challenge I set myself was getting the poster translated into a variety of languages.  Here in Fraserburgh we have people living with their families who are from Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Russia and Portugal.  In my naivety, following volunteering in the primary schools I thought I could obtain translations in Polish and Lithuanian, not realising there were so many more, and I bet I have missed some. (Yorkshire for example), and I probably should do one more in Doric!

I really hate racism in any form and thought at the very least it showed we welcomed everyone into the museum.  I met this lovely lady called Magda.  She is Polish.  And she knew other people who are not Broch born and bred and they, together, have provided me with translations for the above poster.  And what is more will do so for anything else I want to put out.  

It was a bit strange to go into one of the shops that sells Polish food, sausages looked really yummy, to be met by a chap who appeared to go into shock when I asked him if he could put up the posters.  There must have been one of them he could read!  Unless he was from somewhere else, perhaps I should have asked that first,......

So this week I have been arranging printers to produce the actual winning Christmas Card.

And rounding up the troops for the Kids Activity Mornings (one tomorrow and one next Thursday).

We gathered at the Lighthouse Museum a merry gang of volunteers, most of them spent their time directing the hanging of Halloween Pumpkins and other scary stuff from the ceiling.  The few of us remaining went into the store and tried to sort out and have everything ready that would be required tomorrow.  (And were also left to put everything back in the store room as the ceiling decorating gang decided it was coffee time.)

Later in the afternoon I was doing my stint at the front desk in the Museum.  The children who were visiting the museum with their parents had great fun bringing me all the pumpkins, bats, broom sticks that had fell off the ceiling.

I leave you with my latest Christmas Card pic.

Unfortunately I am too old to enter the competition.
And way too old to be organising Kids Activity Mornings.

Theres nowt so queer as folks.

I hope that most of my followers know that I do not take things seriously.  Something in my make up leads to me trying to find a humorous slant to just about everything.  (I am also aware that this has on occasions upset some people.)  But as the butt of all of my jokes is me, most of the time I try to lighten the spirits (and get in first.)

My Wednesday art class is now packed to the gills.  In fact we are having to bring another table in to make more room for budding artists.  And we have fun.

My 'new' art class, I have begun to go to on another day, was, I was led to believe a step up.  More experienced artists, bit more class, definitely more serious.  Not many of these 'serious artists present.  How strange.  And every time I opened my mouth, not often, it was made obvious that serious artists do not , NOT, bring levity into the room.

Well, could you get excited about this, and feel desperately, I must paint this.....
No neither did I.  Comparing the shapes to my bosoms........well, lets not go there.  I did and was frozen out.

So  - back down the shed .

I think I should stick to lighthouses and miss out the humans.

Oh boy did it rain, and the wind, well horizontal rain it was.

And it got darker, so, I turned up the opera, put away the paints, looked in the mirror and had a good laugh.

I may never be a great artist, but by gum I enjoy it.

Wednesday Witterings.

This morning our art group were given guidance on oil pastels.

We were given loads of information, were able to have a go at different manufacturers oil pastels, shown examples of art work done in this medium.  Then we were let loose to have a go ourselves.

Valentine Rose by Eric.  Taken from the internet.  No, we did nothing as exquisite as this.  But quite a lot of us thought we could. 

 Our topic was actually to portray the Northern Lights.  Our tutor is passionate about sky viewing and takes very good photographs of the phenomena which appear in our skies.  So not just art but sky watching lesson as well.  Apparently we are now heading into the season of being able to see the Northern Lights.

Back to ground level.  Which my lilies do not appear to want to leave!

Huge buds/flowers on very short stems.  What on earth is going on?  Normally i.e. with a normal summer, they would be taller than I and have been scenting the air months past.

Some of us are lucky enough to meet up with other bloggers.  Such a joy!

Last week I had my friend Marina whose blog is mbfullemptyquarter.blogspot.com come to visit for coffee and cake.  Marina now lives in the UAE so her blog is fascinating and concerns living there, the camels, the customs, the weddings, shopping, just everything.  You also get a lot of pictures of sand dunes as she enjoys driving up 'em.  In fact is is a major sport out there with all nationalities enjoying it and the barbecues after.

Marina gave me this exquisite bowl.

She has returned to the desert now, but I have a lovely reminder and her blog to read.

Although my homework tonight and reading matter is.....

I will witter off now.

Artistry with brush and scissors.

The Wednesday Art Group at Dalrymple Hall, Fraserburgh, is growing.  For many weeks we were lucky to have five of us, but today we had 12!  From beginners to experienced painters we encourage each other.

The lady in blue bending over the lady in white is the most experienced artist among us,  www.louisemhewitt.co.uk and occasionally wanders round and advises us.  We are very, very lucky to have her amongst us.

In the main we all enjoy the session, no matter what our expertise or talent.

But always we share and more importantly have fun.

The last two weeks our task has been to use only three colours.  And to mix them if any more are needed.

Last week I used ultramarine blue, a green, and I think(!)umber. (brown).

Well, apart from the odd looking sheep, I kept chopping off a leg here and there, and then having to put one in again, sheep have four legs, other wise they fall over.  I was quite pleased.  
(Which reminds me of a poem I didnt learn when I was small, which went something like, "  A horse.  Has four legs, one at each corner.")

This week I had a go with Ultramarine Blue, Viridian Green and ( just as I thought I could remember some colours)  a sort of orangey brown.  This one I will do more work on.  The wave splashing up I was quite pleased with so will carry on.  Yes, I know that makes four colours with the white but that is the paper colour, so doesnt count.

In the afternoon I went and had my hair done.  At last I booked myself in to a hairdresser in the Broch.

Coming out - this was the view.  Always give a deep breath in appreciation.  Harbour, lighthouse, boats and sea.  After many years being inland, surrounded by industry, I give a deep breath in appreciation.

And as they say in the Midlands, which we escaped from, "Tara a bit."