Normal Service is Resumed.

Well now the clocks have gone back the DP is back on patrol.  He has been out for his early morning walk, but wearing his flashing arm bands did not make it light enough for any photographing.

Having a wind from the North he shot off to the harbour, sheltered in the Four Corners, mentioned in a previous post, he was able to catch these images of the waves.

Our fishermen  are so brave, this one looks as if the boat is being well propelled back into the harbour.

On shore is this Herring Gull, a juvenile, but he has learnt how to do the hokey cokey.  

"You put your left leg here, your right leg there, you do the hokey cokey ...

Could it be?

Yes, a worm, success!

A Curlew does not need to jig about.

Not with that beak.  Altho he might say, in out, shake it all about. (sorry).

The Robin has the right idea.  He follows the DP into the garage, watches him fill up the bird feeders, while sitting on the lawn mower, and then follows him out, to be served breakfast.

Normality for me too, getting my perspectives slightly better?

Buchaness Lighthouse.  Just look at them rocks, (amazing what you can do with a credit card.)

And finally my favourite lighthouse, Rattray, as dawn breaks.  

Both now framed and ready to be hung for my first solo exhibition at the Lighthouse Museum Cafe on Thursday.

Not normality - madness.

The Light Went Out.....

Last night at the Lighthouse Museum there was the most fantastic, scary, tour.

The only lighting was from Pumpkin lanterns, and storm lanterns, as we were led into the lighthouse, up the stairs, and into the day room, long abandoned by the keepers.

We listened to ghost stories.  Of long times past.  In the eerie light, throwing shadows up the walls.  The story of the fisherman who was saved by a long dead lighthouse keeper, and being of the practical sort, also saved his catch of herrings.

We were read a poem about, the true story, of the three keepers who disappeared from Flannan Isle by Wilfred Wilson Gibson.  I tell you, sitting in the room where it looks as if the keepers have just walked out, listening to the tale of how these three left the room much the same, and were never seen again, apart from the sound of the elements outside, not a word.  Flickering of lanterns and pumpkins, and then I heard my friend whisper, Tena Ladies.  

From the lighthouse we went to the Wine Tower where the daughter of the laird was imprisoned for falling in love with a piper.  He drowned from his incarceration beneath.  She threw herself off onto the rocks and died as she realised the awful truth.  The piper can still be heard.

And if I could upload the video, you could hear it too, but I cant, ok?

This was where that story was told, to the sound of the waves crashing onto the rocks below us.

On our way out we saw the teddy bear that belonged to the ghost of Wilhelmina, daughter of a lighthouse keeper, who had a tragic end.  By the gate she used to swing on, and was removed following her death.

But you can still hear the squeak of the gate..........

The Night the Light Went Out.

Some of the Lighthouse Volunteers, and moi, had six pumpkins to carve this morning.

This is us in the cafe.

Some took it rather seriously.

Others did not.

But I think we did ok.

Although, one of the pumpkins to the rear with the raised bit, which was mine, I then realised why the instructions said to cut the lid on a slant, if you dont, it just falls in... And the one on the left which had to have major surgery as it got dropped on the floor and split from nose to .... had to be sewn up, fortunately one of our number was an ex theatre nurse.

All this for tomorrow's event at the Lighthouse Museum, Which is titled, The Night the Light Went Out.  A vast number of tickets sold to be taken up the lighthouse and be scared to death with all the ghost stories, both genuine and made up.  

I, for one, know there are ghosts within the museum.  There is a vast store room in the bowels of the building and I can go in there, sort out the resources required for the Activity Mornings, go back in within half an hour and  can I find them ?  No.  And not a whiff of red wine.

The cafe opened for business just after we had finished and this wee boy (and all of us) watched the waves pounding in, the skies darkened, and wham we had snow up the windows.

And the light went out.

Lighthouse Museum Activities.

What a fantastic morning of activities!

The Kids loved it, the parents loved it.

We loved it!

Just look at this cool guy who also loved it!  

A Lighthouse drawn by a 3 year old.  

An 8 year old.

Another 8 year old.

An 11 year old.

Just amazing.  We now have lots if entries to our Lighthouse Museum Competition.

We also have a lot of shattered volunteers! 

But we do have fun, same as the parents we stimulate, to show them what fun can be gained from sitting down with pencil, pen, glue, scissors, recycled bits and pieces - cost minimal, 

What sticks in my brain, is - at the end of the session when no-one wanted to go home and most of the kids were running riot, I shouted, " Right, lets see who can pick up the most bits of paper."  "10 bits, who has 2o bits?, any more on that?"

And the floor was cleared, rubbish in the bin, in 10 minutes, if that!

Lighthouse Museum Activities.  Satisfaction all round.

The Museum of Scottish Lighthouses.

Following the morning meeting of the Lighthouse Volunteers Craft group at the Mission, I went off to start my weekly stint at being in charge of the shop and front desk at the Lighthouse Museum.

Views of the shop.  Wherein I amble round and upset the person responsible for merchandising, by saying we havent enough lighthouse stuff.

Here is the entrance to the actual museum.  Lots of lights.

Great picture of one of the steamie boats that took over from sail, out to catch some herring.  Leaving Fraserburgh Harbour.

More lights.  Now somewhere along the way I have volunteered (press ganged) into cleaning these lights, "When its quiet."  Hmmm.  Must remember to pack the white vinegar and the e cloths next week.

Above the lights are the names of all the lighthouses.  Just glad we havent got all their lights to clean.

This plaque commemorates the fact that the Russian First Ambassador to Britain was shipwrecked off Kinnaird Head 10 November 1556.  (He was saved but taken captive for four months before being taken to Edinburgh.  The gold, silver, furs and jewellery were never found.......) (Although handed back were parcels of wax and items of low value.)

Not sure what the cannon is for, may find out if it works while cleaning all those b***** lights.

Far worse than shipwrecks.. the cafe is shut.  A cowl blew off the roof, upsetting the air conditioning in the cafe, so its being repaired.  However it does mean while the cafe is shut the staff are doing the big clean, so it wont have to shut again for that being done.

Despite all that, cafe is due to re-open Thursday.  So our crafters, parents and kids coming to the Activity Morning will be able to once more enjoy the home bakes.  And soup.

I have six pumpkins to carve for Saturday night for the event " The Night the Light Went Out."    Which promises to be a spooky night as visitors hunt for the ghosts in the Lighthouse.  Pumpkin soup a by product!

A multicoloured blog.

Yesterday was a beautiful day here.  Sunny, warm and still.  I planted almost all of the 1oo Allium Bulbs  and 70 Crocus's.

This is how they will look.  You have to dream don't you?

For the first time ever in many, many years, the DP has mastered the art of compost bins, and atop the planted bulbs was spread this lovely loamy compost.  No pictures, as really, all it resembles is s***.

I then proceeded to prune an Escallonia to within an inch of its life.  But then, you can't kill them can you?  It had become extremely leggy with all this flowery bit on top, looked ridiculous.

I also pruned the roses and on standing back thought "Well you've managed to destroy them then."  

But on checking the internet, they look just like this.

Which is the correct way!  Impressed.  As mine look pretty much the same.

Sith, meanwhile was being extremely silly.  Cats get like this sometimes.  He occasionally has a gallop round the house and does wheelies, or pawies under the bed.  This day he decided to shoot up one of the trees.

What you do, is run up, toss your head to one side,  and then, and then, you wonder how to get back down again.  Hoping the human watching will go away so as not to set them off laughing.

This morning was a misty one.

But eventually I could see the washing still  out from yesterday, and the sun came out eventually, and I then decided I had better bring it in.  Damp, hey ho.

The forecast is for snow at the end of the week, preceded by something called red rain ?  How can you get red rain from the Sahara Desert, and then Snow from the North?

Any answers?