Warmth.

This morning in Tescos.  The DP and I had volunteered to man the RSPB/Tesco Save the Rainforest charity collection.  We had been issued with buckets, sashes, which kept falling off, stickers, which didnt stick.  When we arrived there was no stand, no banners.  No nothing, and no-one at Tescos knew anything about it.

Fortunately the week before, the DP had met a (paid) lady on a stand with banners, monkey masks and colouring in cards in Tescos, who very kindly had said she would leave us all that .  So after a bit of hunting by Tescos staff the stand was found and we wheeled it into place.  Otherwise we would have been stood with buckets, juggling stickers and leaflets, and worrying about the strict instruction, YOU MUST NOT SHAKE THE BUCKETS.   How else people would be aware we were collecting money just stood there carrying a bucket and juggling leaflets and stickers I know not.
So we stood there for three hours and the lovely people of Fraserburgh and around threw money in the buckets in droves.  The leaflets were for them to hand over for all their green points, for using their own bags, to be handed over to charity.  (Tesco staff did not know anything about these leaflets, and when I tried to use one spent ten minutes reading everything on said leaflet, including very small print.)  Hey ho.  We were actually supposed to be their for four hours, but as we were by this time freezing cold, (and  it was the time when lunch break customers were hurtling in for a sandwich and a fizzy) we decided to call it a day.

Our afternoon was spent visiting more studios involved in NEOS (North East Open Studios).

We went first to Pennan.  This was the village hall following a mud slide from the cliffs above.  It is now completely refurbished and inside were the craft group and artists.

There was a wood turner, jewellery, knitted stuff, preserves, paintings, plus home bakes, coffee and tea, superb.

Pennan.  There is the Pennan Inn, pub restaurant.  The village is where the film Local Hero was filmed, starring Burt Lancaster, and has the, now listed building status red phone box bu the harbour.    You can just see it in the picture above, the film is excellent and if you get the chance do see it.  No sex, no violence, just a warm feeling.

How the hell did they build this house (above). And it is above, could not work out how you got to it.,.,,

The harbour from above, Pennan.

Next we went to Crovie, pronounced Crivie.

In Crivie there is no road access to the houses.  Everyone has a wheelbarrow.  They park their cars at the far end and barrow everything to their home.  We saw a coal delivery.  The lorry parked at the end of the houses, put the sacks of coal onto a trolley and staggered off to deliver to the customer.

This is where you park.  I got out and said to the DP, "You do it."  This is him trying to park the car, bear in mind, when you wish to leave you have to do a three point turn.  I did consider reversing all the way back up the hill but as it is something like one in 27 and there's a steep edge at one side of the road, you must do a three point turn here, avoiding the sea, so ok a 77 point turn.

But there is here also a red phone box.

These amazing rag rugs made of recycled clothing and blankets in the most delightful cottage.

We returned home safely!  And found Kurt, one of our neighbours with a trailer full of logs.

As he said, "Wood is great, you get warm chopping it down, warm chopping it up, warm loading it, warm unloading it, warm moving it to your wood store, warm moving it from the wood store to the house and warm burning it."

All in all its been a warm day.  Warm welcomes from all the artists and crafters, warm craik discussing our variety of interests, and warm neighbourly feeling.

Pit at Lecht oot.

Christmas card number 2.  Rattray Lighthouse.  Santa is shouting to put the light out.

From within the artists studio (you know the rest) it was good to see that despite our offerings of tons of bird food our birds still work for their food, and do not always treat us as a fast food outlet.

This blue tit worked its way round all the windows gobbling up spiders.

Meanwhile Cait Sith utilised the trellis to see where it had gone.

He has never been the brightest of lights.

This wee robin just glowed like a little flame.

Yesterday, after my stint causing chaos in the Lighthouse Museum, I took these photographs of the weather putting the sunlight out.  There was a hail storm too.

The days are getting shorter.  I now need a light to read and knit in the evening.  In the early morning I need the light to move around the kitchen.

For the moment, early evening, the lecht is oot.  But the fire is glowing.  Along with the shortening of the daylight, its also coooooooooooooold.

Where to start?

This week - it is only Tuesday! - I am galloping.  
Quick reminder, SATURDAY MORNING  that was the art exhibition at New Deer, see last post.  Didn't win anything, didn't sell anything.

SATURDAY AFTERNOON  the DP went off to the Open Day at Forever Grateful.  It was Open Day in Scotland, was it anywhere else?  No charge to visit all manner of things.   Forever Grateful is a fishing boat.

A big fishing boat.

The owner, William Whyte.

Each part of the tour had a different member of the crew.  Captain, fishermen, cook who spoke about the different parts of the boat.

The sonar shows where the sea bed is, where the shoals of fish are......

Inside the ship was this fantastic work of glass engraved art.  Through you can just see the dining room for the crew.  I think I would like to be a fisherman.

It was so spotlessly clean.  Everyone had to put on the shoe coverings.

The fish are vacuumed on board, no messy nets swinging over and everyone getting wet.  The latest technology sorts them into different areas.  I thought of my friends in their 80s who remember the hard, wet, cold, arduous tasks of being a trawlerman.  

But they all had to go out of here and onto the cold, rough, North Sea.  Ships do still sink and trawlermen do still die.  Just to put that langoustine, herring, sea bass on to our plate...

MONDAY.  North East Open Studios.

Jill McWilliam, Cruden Bay, photographer.

Paul Woodburn, photographer, Pitullie.

Isobel Gregory, artist and crafter, Pitullie.

Doreen Macrae, Artist and Worker in stained glass. Fraserburgh.

Elaine Ellington, Crovie, rag rugs.

Pennan Craft Group.

Woodturning.

Jewellry.

Painting.

And so much more, tis exhausting, exciting.  Wow.  

So today was Tuesday.  The DP went off with youngest daughter to view more and return youngest daughter to the train station for her to return home to Edinburgh.
Me - well I had my coffee with the Geriatric Group, Community Crafters, those who were not tied up with NEOS and then spent the afternoon causing chaos and mayhem at the Lighthouse Museum.

Tomorrow I am doing a presentation at the art group on making your own cards.  Well thats the plan.

Where to start?

Exhibitions.

Deer, Old, vil., Aberdeenshire, and par., partly also in detached portion of Banffshire -- par., 27,363 ac., pop. 5104; vil., 1 mile SW. of Mintlaw sta. and 9½ miles W. of Peterhead; P.O.; has remains of St Mary's Abbey of Deer, a Cistercian monastery founded 1218-19; all traces of the previous Columban monastery, founded by Columba and his nephew Drostan (close of the 6th century), have disappeared; according to the Book of Deer, it retained its Columban and Celtic character down to the reign of David I. (1123-1153).

As regards the previous Columban Monastery, it may have disappeared, but it is still being looked for.  The picture shows Michael Wood (is on the tele) and local school children having a look see.  Digging up around Old Deer. Which, I am assured by local historian, Derek Jennings, will continue till they find it.

The Book of Deer.

And a very sun tanned St. Drostan, who was a follower, and nephew of Columba and after whom the church in the village of Old Deer is named.

However.  The visit today to Old Deer by the DP and moi was to view the annual Exhibition of Art at the Kemp Hall, Old Deer.

An old picture postcard of Kemp Memorial Hall.

I have to say that despite having my camera with me, as always, I did not take photographs of the magnificent floral displays that abounded throughout the village.  Could kick myself.  Nor have a more up to day photo of Kemp Memorial Hall.

This huge tub was just outside the hall.

Inside was the exhibition to which both the DP and me had put in some work.

Also inside was Viscount and Viscountess Petersham, or William and Candida, (well they are neighbours) who were the judges.  Now I didnt know that.....they were the judges.  I thought they had just come to have a look.  So I am dragging William round and saying, "Thats mine, and thats mine and....", till I was told, "Jill, shut up, they are the judges."  Well, it was quite obvious that Candida wasn't into birds.  So I slunk off.

We then went to Strichen, another delightful village, though not with as much of a floral display.

This is the start of the North East Open Studios week.  

This is the cafe based in the Lodge at Strichen Community Park.  Wherein three artists were displaying their work.  And a palm was flowering which I had never seen before.  What you have to do apparently, according to the person in charge is, "Overwater it, "  with a glare at the culprit.

So we returned home and I continued with painting stuff that will never win a prize, or be bought, or appreciated.  And overwatered all the outside plants, and the inside plants and made a total exhibition of myself, possibly down to the glass of red to win(e)d up the day.

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.

A new day dawns.

My favourite lighthouse, Rattray.  All lit up.  First lit 1895.  Flashing white light every 30 seconds. Range 24 miles.  White tower of granite and brick 34 metres high.  Foghorn 2 blasts every 45 seconds.

Kinnaird Head where the Lighthouse Museum is now had a flashing white light every 15 seconds, has a white tower 23 metres high.  Foghorn, one blast of 7 seconds every 1.5 minutes.

The differences between the lighthouses was known to the fishermen, the sailors, so they knew where they were.

Back to earth, here is Mr Toad again.  Discovered underneath the wood that the Dawn Patroller was to use to create the new wood shed.

Nearly finished.

While he was doing that I suddenly found myself back at work.  Staffing crisis at the Lighthouse Museum, led to a very swift induction and staff training and I was let loose.

Meeting and greeting customers, taking their money for tours and gifts, books, cards, pictures, etc,etc,  from the shop.  I expect the tills are unbalanced, the visitors think they employ mad women, and anyone I spoke to on the phone is convinced they employ a mad woman.  But I did get an ace t shirt with STAFF printed on the sleeve.

And really enjoyed the glass of red with which I ended a very strange day.

There will be another tomorrow.