Why I look Chinese.

This is the second photograph I have had taken recently where I look distinctly oriental.

And I dont rike it.

The reason is down to old age - as with most things - nothing to do with the wine.  As I am in my 60s I get an eye test every year, which is perhaps just as well as about 6 months after getting new glasses I can no longer see.  Road signs, whether its a ship - or a whale -out at sea.  So although the glasses still work for things near to me, like the level in the wine bottle, I may as well not have glasses for anything else so they tend to be halfway down my nose.  
Hence the oriental image.

  My new optician (should have/would have gone back to Specsavers had I been able to get an appointment before August) looked at me in disbelief when I announced I was driving round without glasses.  But on examining me had to agree that for some reason my long sight had improved.  So another £300.

Fortunately my hearing is, well not 100%, but I so enjoy a good blast of opera.  My car radio is now permanently tuned into Classic FM.  But this grumpy old woman gets totally p****d off with getting into the car, hearing a piece finish and then getting an annoying advert, so I treated myself to -

Down the shedudio, player full blast, and my painting mojo is well and truly back!

Common Terns.

 Baby rabbit washing itself.  Not finished.

 Lapwings to be finished.

 A Black Headed Gull which will have its reflection beneath ....

A herd of nosy coos.  

Good thing nothing on this weekend.

Ha so.

Gala Time

Not a week goes by without some Gala in some village or town.  Starting in May there is always something going on somewhere.

Fraserburgh has not had a Gala for 20 years.  But this year it came back.

The usual stalls and burgers.  Craft stalls, cupcakes, raffles, hand made soaps, jams, strong men pulling a lorry.  The strong men were having an argument as to which way to pull the lorry so we gave up!
Cricket matches, kite surfing, a baby show (definitely not my type of thing.)  Golf - of course. (no pun intended)
Children Zumba dancing.  Not my type of thing.
Pony rides.  Would have loved to but the queue was l-o-o-n-g.

But as a sideline there was a display of Custom Motorbikes and Scooters.

This brought back so many memories I became almost maudlin.

Back in the 60s I never could make up my mind whether I was a Rocker or a Mod, or even a Beat (nik).  Depended on who I was going out with at the time.

My Father had great difficulty with me growing up.  I remember him chopping the flares of my bell bottoms, telling me to wear shoes as I was going barefoot everywhere, and then when I started going out with a Mod, telling me  I looked like a tart with all the make up on.  Ah happy days.

Now I am older than he ever got to, my ankles swelled in the heat of today,  so the DP and I went off to the beach.  

People swimming in the sea.  Was sorely tempted, but ballooning ankles anchored me to my seat in the beach side cafe.

Could this really be Fraserburgh?

Well its Gala Time.

In sickness and in health.

Saturday morning I awoke and when I looked out at the sky, this is what I saw.  All manner of stuff floating in my right eye.

Now I have had 'floaters' in my left eye for yonks, but these seemed bigger, more of them and came on suddenly.  So, as you do, I went on Google and - frightened myself to death.

Whilst waiting for the 'emergency' optician appointment at 4p.m. today.   One of our cats was took to the vets.

Having not eaten for two days, which has never happened before, this cat lives to eat.
He had his temperature took which was raised so has had a couple of jabs, one for inflammation and one antibiotics.  
He returned and has been snacking on and off ever since.  I do sometimes think I would be better seeing a vet rather than the G.P.


I then saw the optician.  Drops in the eye.  Photographs taken, etc. etc.  Tis just old age, nothing to worry about, just have to forget the tadpoles and spiders webs that are constantly in my vision.  I then had the scary task of driving myself home with one pupil the size of a football.  The optician said, "Make sure you are home before dark."  Whoooo.





 Located off the A975 just north of Cruden Bay and about 25 miles north of Aberdeen in northeast Scotland, the Bullers of Buchan is a collapsed sea cave forming an almost circular chasm (the "pot") some 30 metres (100 feet) deep, where the ocean rushes in through a natural archway.
The cliff scenery here is spectacular and seabirds of many species such as Puffins, Kittiwakes, Guillemots and Razorbills proliferate during the spring and summer, when wild flowers including campion, heather and orchids colour the cliff tops.

Fulmars having a love in.

 Guillemots nesting.

Herring Gull waiting for a mate.

 Shag.

Hopefully lots of healthy birds with lots of healthy chicks.


Puffins will soon be arriving and choosing their burrows.


I have been promised that within five hours I will be able to use binoculars, my eye pupil will be back to normal.


Oh, and I was in before dark.