Teaching an old dog....

I have been up a ladder for quite a large part of my life. I love to transform a room. I am always planning the next make over. I sometimes wonder whether a bit like Edward Scissorhands I should have been given paint brushes instead of hands. I have tried paint rollers before but ended up with far more paint on me, the floor, everywhere but than on the walls. Today I discovered 'they' have vastly improved the paint roller. Rather than take off the radiator in our bedroom which Mike was not comfortable with even though I had found a web site with telling you how easy it was, we bought a paint roller so I could paint without removing the radiator.

Not a drop went anywhere else but on the wall and it covered perfectly and left a fantastic finish. No brush marks, no bits that had been overbrushed leading to a second coat..... This old dog has definitely learnt a new trick.

A bit of a blurry photo, but what do you do? Suddenly realised what I had seen so grabbed the camera. Sparrowhawk with a kill in the middle of the lawn. It was off before I could focus.

A chaffinch. Il mort.

Fraserburgh Harbour, not a nasty oil spill, but a reflection of a fishing boat, a red fishing boat.

With Cormorant waiting for a fish.

Although we live in the middle of beautiful countryside with sea five minutes away we also are near to St. Fergus Gas Terminal, well near enough to see it in the night sky. Last night there was a red sky not down to nature but down to there being a big flare. They burn off the gas sometimes, and you see huge flames coming from the top of the terminals. Its usually in the day. This time it was at night.

Bit scary. But if there is a problem or there is to be a very big flame they usually warn you.

It is quite an interesting fact that we are, here in the North East, so close to where the gas comes in from the North Sea. And yet very few villages signed up to having gas installed as it was so expensive so to do. No discounts were offered. So we are all electric/ oil fired (which yes also does come from the North Sea)(but isnt any cheaper) and so many of us are in fuel poverty.

Our Sea has many oil platforms. Many people around here work offshore in the oil industry. No discounts. No wonder the Scottish National Party would like to have its hands on the revenue this country could claim.

But then many of us have a chimney and could return to wood burning which is still cheap and sustainable. Perhaps the old dog should be teaching the new dogs.

At the moment we are swamped by planning applications for wind turbines. Rather like the Martians in the film, War of the Worlds, H.G.Wells, they are marching across our countryside.

We should, perhaps, listen more to the old dogs. Unless its using a paint brush.

Life balanced.

Lets get the boring bit out of the way first.
'Work'.
Zooming round the bedroom with the emulsion. Using it as a primer on the wardrobe doors to be then able to wallpaper them. New handles for the doors been purchased. In a brass finish. Why our predecessors had chrome handles when the entrance door handles are brass - naff. Ceiling light already changed for a brass one. Paint is lovely to use and dries quickly. Much brighter but still more calming. We are going to be posh.



Didnt think I would be redecorating quite so quickly. I had thought it would be a while as it had all been done to present it for sale. But it isnt long before I start to think, "I dont like this colour....."

More interesting stuff. The beach at St.Combs. Looking towards Rattray Head. All these pictures taken yesterday.

This is the cemetery at St.Combs. Fascinating that the head stones face out to sea.

Inverallochy Castle.

After all the being up a ladder I had a stroll round the garden.

My lilies are all in bud and these have flowered. Promised them all they would be in the garden this year, once they have finished flowering. Poor things have been in pots for way too long. Did try explaining its the state of the housing market these days that has caused it!

I think the Alstromeira has to stay in the pot to be brought inside during the winter. It certainly has appreciated some tlc. Although I might be able to put its feet into the soil if I protect it. Must check.

My newly discovered rambling rose is now showing it will have pink flowers. This is another success from us having got rid of the leylandii all along the fence. We didnt know it was there. It is now growing rapidly and in our garden rather than stretching towards the light away from the garden - and the Leylandii.

This is a standard rose in the front garden and has amazing salmon pink blooms. And a scent.

I will leave you with this image of Oyster Catchers gathered on St.Combs beach.

I love Oyster Catchers. They always sound so excited and/or shrieking hysterical laughter.

Never seen so many at once.

Now which room could I decorate with that pale pink and the black and white? Naa cant compete with nature.

Life balanced.

Bits and pieces.

Not a nice weather day. Very gloomy in the morning and raining and windy. Not a day when you feel like doing much at all.

Apart from curling up somewhere and

snoozing the day away.

Looking through old photographs..... I found this one of Jigsaw, a cat long gone, but this particular photograph still brings a smile.

Our last two ducks, Smoky Robinson and Jemima Puddleduck. Smoky got took by a fox and left Jemima all alone. As we were on the point of moving house my friend kindly took Jemima to live with her ducks.

We went to visit today. Jemima looked fine in amongst a small flock of Runner ducks.

We are looking after our friend's flock of hens and ducks and their three cats while they go away for a few days. So were receiving our instructions on their feeding routines.

Below, the flock of hens we used to have in our previous home.

No longer on this earth, but under it. Free range eggs for our bed and breakfast guests, when they were free ranging about.

Nowadays we would struggle to eat that many eggs! Sometimes I would pickle the eggs, yummy. Plus a lot more baking of cakes went on when we had guests. Now theres just the two of us. No more hens, no more ducks.

I do miss them though!

The hens sang to you whilst you were gardening, and risked life and limb diving in for a worm you had just dug up, and were just about to slice in to the earth again with the spade! When they ran towards you it was like a woman picking up her skirts. Their triumphant shriek when an egg was laid.

Memories are made of this!

Bits and pieces.

Here I go again.....

Yes I am well aware I have not finished painting the Summer House, or the Hall, stairs and landing.
But when B&Q offer you 20% off paper and paint if you spend £30, whats a girl to do.
Buy the paint needed to finish off the summer house and paper and paint for the bedroom.
Not actually there in person but at the other end of the phone with Mike in B&Q, I heard the discussion on selecting the paint. B&Q have a computer which scans in the colour, in this instance the background of the wallpaper, and then tells you which paint colour to purchase.

"Pooo thats not right is it? Nothing like."
Then they (numerous staff and Mike) go and look at colour charts. Oh no.... Notorious for being inaccurate.
Now if the computer had got it wrong I could have taken the paint back and changed it. But I can't take this paint back that Tom, Dick, Harry and Mike chose, can I? And it isnt right, but it will have to do.

Good job we have two step ladders.

The paper will be going on the bed head alcove. The walls are currently a sandy beach colour. Much deeper yellow than this picture shows.

And how do I know the paint colour is not quite right? Well I cannot resist a new can of paint. Open me, use me, use me, it calls to me. So I did a bit. It doesnt scream at you as being wrong, but I will always wonder if the computer was right.

I daren't look to see what the next B&Q voucher is for though there have been mutterings from M that the main light in the kitchen, which is also a fan, 'hums'. "Needs replacing." So long as it doesn't involve me up a ladder with a paint brush just go for it. But it will - because no two light fittings are the same. There is bound to be an area that needs re-painting, which leads on to the whole celing having to be 'refreshed'. Here I go again.

Ups and Downs.

Up came the moon.

Down came me whilst trying to knit this cocoon for daughter number 3 . I have never knitted 'in the round' before and after casting on the required number of stitches I sat and looked at it and could not work out what to do. Onto Google. Watched one of those tortuous videos which stop.......start for a second......then stop, for what seems like an hour.... Then realised the needles I had it was not possible to knit in the round. Not for this pattern, they were too long. I had not realised there were different sizes of circular needles or why. Onto Google yet again, ordered more needles, delivery Tuesday hopefully. As daughter number three isnt due till December not really a problem.

Actually got somethings finished, therefore an up. This is a hat and the back of a cardigan for a three month old, daughter number one. Due September.

These are the chosen colours for the baby cocoon which I should be starting Tuesday.

Deep breaths, well the intention is there, unfortunately my lungs dont work any more. So more a relax of the muscles and breathe out...... So far away from daughters cooking babies.

Now I am not religious but I do remember my early years bible, "Consider the Lilies of the Field...they spin not, they work not, basically they are still beautiful. So hanging on to that idea. I consider the harebells.

Grey Partridges. More of Buchans wild life. An up.

More of an up managed to do more painting in the summerhouse. The sun has been with us all day today.

Mike goes out for his walk at about 5.30a.m. and has become really frustrated at the amount of flies trying to join him. I bought some insect repellant and advised he had a shower after he had had his walk rather than before - and whichever seems to have worked! An up.

So far away from daughters who are cooking babies. So difficult. A down. Wanting to be there and being useful.

Ups and downs.

No smoke without fire.

Yesterday evening we noticed this strange cloud formation. Beyond Cairness House is St.Combs a small fishing village on the East Coast. Below that is Peterhead and one of the biggest fish processing factories there went up in smoke last night and this is what we were witnessing.
Investigations into the cause of the fire are ongoing, of course. But some years back when this monstrosity was erected, blocking out the view from quite a few Bed and Breakfasts, and Guest Houses, named Bay View, Harbour View, etc.,who were then liable for making a false trade description, objections were many. It will be interesting to see the outcome of the investigations. I know that I for one would fight to the death if my view was threatened by commercialisation on that level. So much for everyone (else) stating that tourism is one of Scotlands biggest industries.


Now someone elese I feel really sorry for. The two male peacocks we hear frequently. Wouldnt you think they would find a couple of females for them? Perhaps they are gay.

Another wild flower to be named. I shall be googling later.

And our latest visitor to our garden feeding station. Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Spent the morning sorting out my car insurance. Doing all the Compare the Market.com sites. I eventually got a cheaper quote than last years insurance company and have a toy Meerkat on its way. £50 cheaper I might add. Why anyone would be as daft as I was a few years ago and just remaining loyal to the same company which increased year on year to the point where I really could not afford to insure the car. I then began looking around. I cannot, however, lever Mike from his loyalty to the Cooperative. Because they are ethical - and he doesnt like meerkats.

Flowers and Feathers and Fleas and Fur.

The plant is an Orange Hawkweed. Hieracium aurantiacum for all you purists. In America and Australia it is looked on with horror. A threat to their own native plants. There were two of them that Mike saw. He will keep an eye on them and if they increase ..... Our Wild Flower book says they are rare, so rare it didnt have a picture. So we werent sure whether to tell the Wildflower Society or Defra!

Harebell.

Mr and Mrs Pheasant. They are not in a pen, we just havent got round to moving the previous owners dog run, which is why the netting is there. Mainly as the kitchen bird feeding station is attached to the fence.

A bird I have yet to see in real life.

A Bullfinch.

After my comments yesterday re cat fleas I went to the vets today to get the flea - and worm - treatments for the cats. A good excuse to get out for a while (and not do any painting, gardening, cleaning.) Another beautiful day. I also dropped off a bin bag crammed with bedding at the Charity Barn near Peterhead.

"Just what we wanted. Have you got any more?"

This little old woman gave her such a glare, and then swallowed the response, "How big a lorry have you got?"

When I can face it I will load up the car and make her day.