April Showers.

Started at 3p.m. and still not stopped.  We now live 3 miles from the coast and never, ever, had this much snow.  This after a week of wearing t shirts and sandals. 

Exciting int it?!

Quackers in the North East of Scotland.

Whoever described the Scots as dour really got it wrong.

For a couple of weeks now the DP and I have noticed these yellow plastic ducks appearing on fence posts on our way into Fraserburgh.  Obviously well fixed as it does get a tad windy up here.  Was it a treasure hunt?  Or what?????

Apart from being a wee bit distracting driving along as one had ones eyes on the side of the road checking for ducks it really brought a smile to ones face.

My travelling has been to the various clinics I attend for the different bits of me leading to blood tests etc.  Each clinic focusses on one aspect.  They never look at you as a whole person.  
Lower your cholesterol.
You need to put weight on.
Being depressed is part of COPD.
Do not take any of your drugs next whenever we are testing you for diabetes.

So for me the sighting of the ducks was just wonderful.

Then the ducks went viral on facebook.

They were not just up and down our country lane but all over around Fraserburgh.

Fraserburgh Area Tourism Group facebook page.

Can you find all the yellow ducks? https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=843510542408736&set=gm.384683061734219&type=1&theater

 Save Fraserburghs Yellow Ducks  facebook page was set up as rumours went round someone was removing the ducks!

It would appear that some person, anonymous so far, bought 200 of the ducks and decided to adorn the countryside to make people smile.

Well it worked. Big time.  Now we are hoping to somehow use the ducks to fund raise in some way for a local charity.  Watch this space!  And keep looking for ducks.

And finally I came across a medical person who looked at me as a whole person.  Who told me to eat what I wanted, drink what I wanted and LIVE.  Changed my medication told me to forget about all the testing until I was rid of chest infections and got to a weight where I could fight them on my own.  With her and the ducks my depression went.

I just might buy her a yellow plastic duck.

April? What happened to March?

Well March was spent mostly in bed groaning and coughing, but enough of that...

More family visitations over the Easter weekend.  Eldest daughter and two grandsons.

The weather has been incredible.  Warm, no wind, sunshine from dawn to dusk. 

St Combs beach is good for rock pools, golden sand , and seals.   But none this day. ( Not good for Zimmer frames, even with wheels.) (The new header to the blog shows Killer Whales off the beach here, last year.)

Takes 3 to build a sandcastle.

An excellent rock pool find - Long Spined Scorpion Fish.  Good job they didnt pick it up or touch it.  Grandmas are good for some things, I have been asked to do a painting of it.

So what was Grandma doing while they were all off with the Dawn Patroller visiting Museums, Aquariums and many, many play parks?

Painting of course.

The above is Fluffy.  Been dead for 20 years.  Owner (ex?) well pleased.

Mountain Hare from a photograph by Adam Caird, who liked my painting so much of his photograph he posted it on his facebook site!

And I watch the birds while waiting for the paint to dry.  There were 2 Redwings in the garden outside the shedudio.  Now that is a first.  The DP was quite miffed he had missed them.  (There are some kudos for an old infirm Grandma. Ha!)
 

Working title for the above is rather rude, "P*** Off." But thats me.

I am painting, painting, as we are coming into the exhibition season.  You are seriously going to get bored my friends.

Hope the weather was kind to you this holiday weekend and you have all had a good time.  I really do not want you to P*** Off.

Today.

".......with the equinox, supermoon and solar eclipse just before , I'm sure thats somebody's attempt at aligning the powers to make sure that you have a wonderful day!"


Inside Daughter number 2 Birthday Card to me for today.

The High Tides were an added bonus.

Shades of Grey.

Five Grey Beards.
This photograph was taken in my framers work shop. That's him in the green t shirt. 

I enjoy my visits here.  Cup of coffee, sort the world out, view the changing display of art work on the walls, and obviously - so do others enjoy their visits.  I have often been there when one of the members of a dynasty of a fishing family is there and out come the old photographs .  Herring boats powered by steam.  Which he can remember," Ah the Steamies."  And away he goes with all the wonderful memories and me hanging on his every word.

I can never understand why people move to a new area and do not involve themselves  with the local community and then complain about feeling  isolated.

Its all interlinked.  The chap in the hat is partner to my first, and only, art teacher here.  He is a stalwart of the Fraserburgh Heritage Society.  A fantastic Museum across the car park from the Lighthouse Museum.  

The one on the right is one of our neighbours and lives in what was the Gardeners Cottage of Cairness House. Large, stately home we can see from our sitting room window.    He is an artist.  He is also from the North of England, as we are.

The one at the rear is the Dawn Patroller.

The chap on the left is a photographer who I have met but obviously not enough to remember his name!  Still time.....

Not sure why I am rambling on - the photograph just set me off!

So this morning was the eclipse.  Sadly I didnt make the Breakfast at the Lighthouse.

But I did see it.  From my bedroom window.

 
 Grey clouds.  

Shortly after blue skies and the birds began singing again. 
 

Solar Eclipse - and mine..

The North of Scotland is ideally placed to see a near-total (c.94%) solar eclipse on the morning of 20th March 2015. If you saw the eclipse in 1999, this will mean that you will be one of very few people who were lucky enough to observe two major eclipses in their lifetime – the next total eclipse visible in Britain won’t be until 2090!

Get the best view in Fraserburgh from the top of the lighthouse, along with a delicious full cooked breakfast on the morning of the 20th March! Tickets will be £12 only. The price includes access to the lighthouse and breakfast which will be served between 8.15 and 8.30 in our Stevenson’s Tea Room!

Am so looking forward to this.  I wont be around for the next one, thats for sure.  

Following on from last weeks chest infecti0n came pleurisy.  Which was even more unwelcome as I had two of my four daughters visit, together with partner of one and my granddaughter.

Plenty to do here so they all had a good time, as did the Dawn Patroller.

At Macduff Marine Aquarium suitable awestruck.

But a bit scary when the diver goes in the tank to hand feed the fish and then comes over to wave at you.

 (The toy dog is Storm which was loaned by the nursery N goes to.  A full illustrated diary of his journeying in return!)

Hoping my eclipse is only partial.  Back soon.

Trouble at Mill.

Been having some stressful times .  They do say March can come in like a Lion.... Well this Lioness has been doing some roaring.  For my sanity, mental health  and beliefs I resigned from the board of trustees at the Lighthouse Museum. 

 I am still a volunteer, and totally committed to supporting the Museum, but at management level there were a number of issues I was uncomfortable with. 

 So while taking a deep  breath from all that trauma I realised I was not actually able to take a deep breath.  Back on the antibiotics and in bed!!

In between lying down and groaning I set about sorting out the shedudio.  I hope to open it up, by appointment, and also join in the North East Open Studios event in September when the studio will be open for a week. Gulp.

Note I have not shown the rear of said shedudio as thats where I piled up all the rubbish!!

Still a lost cause for Kimono(?) actually Marie Kondo, apologies to her, finally googled it.  Still a way to go in sort of applying any method of tidying a working studio.  

Once I have a paintbrush in my hand there would  be serious trouble at mill if anyone interrupted me to point out I hadnt swept the floor.......