A sunny day! Yes it was still breezy, but so good to see the sun.
My walk on the Prom . This is much shorter than I have done before. I do hope to make it longer when I am fully better!
The sea was wild. Huge waves and the wind whipping up the surf.
The Surfers made the most of it.
Black Headed Gull having a paddle.
Redshank.
Back home. The DP has a new friend. This is Hoover. A wild Pheasant. A clever Pheasant. As most Pheasants I have come across wait till a car is coming and then cross the road I have never applied the adjective intelligent to any of them. But there you go!
Afternoon in the Shedudio as always. Finished Black Headed Gulls. Ongoing Grey Seal.
Evening, out of the Dining Room windows. Beautiful evening.
Cait Sith giving me the look. I am doing what I am told. But not happy. I like the chair without the blanket......
The DP is away at another photographic society - a competition. Sith's routine has been upset.
I have been watching a taped Virginia Wood -with an invited celebrity audience -
with tears of laughter rolling down my face. Interspersed with amusement how young the celebrities look, some of them dead now too. She was brilliant.
Nae a bad day.
That this is another Winters day.
With the added bonus of watching the professionals.
I did my walk but it took a lot longer ! They were incredible.
I did have a moments panic. I thought my eyes were playing me up.
The white thing you can see in the sky to the left of the boat turned out to be a drone ! The chap controlling it was filming the surfers and could make it stay still So my brain is thinking birds cannot do that - till it clicked!
I had a cataract op last year and now have 20/20 vision in that eye but am waiting for the other one to be done. ( And for anyone ready to tip off the DVLA I am okay for driving. Indeed I have throughout been passed for driving.) Its not an unpleasant operation - although I could have done without the blow by blow account from the consultant while it was going on.
Anyroads I finished another painting.
So today we have mist. Bit of rain, washed all the snow away.
Big surf though.
They make it look so easy.
During my walk I found a Tesco trolley also looking seawards.
And quite a lot of fish boxes. Some of which I loaded up and put in the bin.
Down on the shore line as the tide comes in.... Oystercatchers.
Oystercatchers. Just love Oystercatchers.
What will tomorrows weather bring.
Much better now.
Back to charging up the Esplanade.
And up and down the Path of Doom. I call it this as it took me a long time to actually get to the end which is where the sand dunes start and no through road for my chariot. It measures .59 of a mile there and back from where I park my car. Every bit of fence I know intimately as I leant over and struggled to get control of my breathing again.
There has been some fantastic weather recently. Temperatures into double figures, very little wind and sunshine. Okay not much in the above pic but what a beautiful sky.
Oyster Catchers
Redshanks.
Plenty of material for my paintings!
Although not enough daylight for doing much painting. I do have a daylight bulb in the shedudio, but it is not the same as the real thing.
3.30 p.m. Sunset.
So quite a struggle to .....
crack on and the cheetah looks more like a monkey...
The Dawn Patroller was out doing what he likes to do, and does well, taking photos. He met a fellow bird watcher and photographer and they got talking. Turned out this chap had less lung function than me, had COPD, but was quite obviously fitter. All down to this.
Vaping. I have struggled for many years to pack in smoking. Tried everything including some drug which was guaranteed by the NHS to work and sent me doolally. Obviously as I have COPD I probably was doolally smoking. Well I stopped - 3 weeks ago. Now I vape. The difference is - I feel as if I have got my life back.
Best Christmas Present ever.
The Dawn Patroller had one of his days off and out. He went on a boat trip from Buckie, further up the North East coast.
He was hoping to see a White billed Diver.
Image from tinternet.
What he did see were lots of these instead.
Dolphins. I wouldnt complain!
Meanwhile I did my .59 of a mile which is from the car to the start of the sand dunes.
Although on this photo the dunes have encroached somewhat. This was taken after the last big storm, the council removed the sand. They have some amazing machines. But you cant beat people power. This lot turned up yesterday, and collected an amazing amount of rubbish from the beach. But the council were on hand to remove all the bags etc.
The sea was flat, calm today. There was no wind, it was warm. What this paddle surfer was doing out there I really do not know. Practising balancing?
I did see a seal off the rocks by the caravan site.
This photo was taken on a more normal weather day but thats where I saw the seal. Every time I took a photo as I clicked it sank beneath the waves. Hey ho.
But then I have seen these and the DP hasnt.
Not this day . Sunday, sweet Sunday.
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.
