Achievements!

This morning I did the pulmonary physio exercises and increased on each one.  Maintaining the Borg count at 3 , well ok some were 4 and some were collapsed on the chair.  Borg count is - breathless at 3 is good, 4 not so good, any more really not good.

Then this afternoon I walked the .59.  Yay.  No longer humid, tho still warm and a refreshing breeze.

Lots of boats, small, sail, and medium.  I hope one day to get a photo of the huge fishing boats, of which there are many in the harbour, to show you.  I may have a jaunt round the harbour as it is fascinating.

Herring Gull claims his/her rock.

Oystercatchers gather.

The Gull Gang.

Lovely cloud formations.

My rubbish haul from the path of doom, now all in the bin.

Back home.

The Swallows lining up, but they all went swooping across the Barley field behind us, still uncut, harvesting insects.

Apart from bird watching, I was varnishing some finished canvasses, and cleaning the work table.  At the clear end is where the coffee, tea and home bakes will be served up when I do NEOS.

8 Days to go................................

Different.

A different day.  No walk on the Prom today.  Instead I met a good friend for afternoon coffee and cake.

The Old Auction Room at Strichen.

An amazing place in a small village.  Great atmosphere.  Plenty people in there this afternoon.  Also met other people either of us knew or both of us knew .  What I particularly like is the relaxed feeling, we did have two coffees each but even so there was no feeling that we had spent enough time in the place.  " Can I get you anything else?"  often the hidden meaning is "You have sat their long enough now piss off."

We havent seen each other for a while and spent almost 2 hours catching up.  We can both talk a lot, but think it ended in a draw!

When we came out we went for a look round outside.  It still has plenty of antiques for sale both within the cafe, upstairs in the antique room and outside.

My friend, who is also a talented photographer, zooming in on a rose.

Very warm and humid today.  I am amazed I had enough breath for all the talking I did!

I love living where I do.

There is a nip in the air.  Better for my breathing!

We have swallows gathering on the wires.  Also Starlings!

Many of them descend to the garden and decimate our bird feeders. 

Down on the beach.  These are mainly Black Headed Gulls.  Red beaks, Red legs. The Black head disappears apart from a black patch on the cheek once the breeding season is over.  But see the one in the middle with the black tufted head?  That is a first for me it is a Sandwich Tern.  The DP had to point this out to me.

And on closer inspections of other photos I took today there were more.  Black legs, not red.  Sandwich Tern.

One of the people I meet on a regular basis on the Prom is a chap who has horses.  He occasionally brings one down to the beach.  One he took to the Lighthouse, Kinnaird Head, home to the Museum of Scottish Lighthouses and this photo was taken.  Turned into a Unicorn.

He has asked me to paint his two horses he has now.  The one above has now died.  The DP is to go and take a photo of the two he has now.  One meets all sorts of people down on the Prom.  I sometimes wish I wasnt so chatty.  What he thinks my portrayal of his horses will be like.......

So - Autumn is definitely looming, Weaver of Grass.  Here as it is  with the weather up here was a sudden blast of cool air.

 Still waiting for the blackberries to become fully ripe tho.  

According to the DP the ace bird person another 2 weeks before the Swallows depart.  Then we await the Pink footed Geese in their thousands to arrive.  And the Whooper Swans.  So our sounds instead of twittering from the Swallows are the calls of the Geese and the sound from the wings and the Swans and their Whoops.  Then the open window in the bedroom will be the Tawny Owls calls.

Down on the beach today 

Living in Britain, and the North East of Scotland is just wonderful.

I have had enough.

A warm and humid day weatherwise.  I really did not want to do anything.  But I did the Pulmonary Physio exercises.

The weights are strapped round my ankles and sitting I left the leg up then the other, hold for a bit then on to the next.  Then one of the leg weights is put round the walking stick and I lift.  The dumb bells are up, forward and either side.  I do sit to stand with arms crossed across my chest.  Marching, lifting legs up and swinging arms.  I do steps, up leading with right leg, then left.  In between each I collapse.  When it is all done I do not move for some considerable time.  But if - as I did today - I improve on the number done of each I feel a warm glow which is an achievement rather than impending death.

To then later go for a walk could be the icing on the cake.  But due to humidity my walks have become shorter.

The Lifeboat zooming off out to sea.  Practise days are on a Thursday so hope there was no one in any danger today.

The Gull Gang were out in force.

Until these guys turned up.

Up and away.  Meanwhile at the other end of the beach it was sorting feathers, admiring oneself in the water reflection.

Back home and down the shedudio.  Sith cat soaks up the sun.

I do more cards

And finish off a couple more of the small canvases.

As far as NEOS is concerned I am doing no more.  Any more painting will be for my enjoyment.  Enough.  

The gardeners came today and gave us a short back and sides.  They have promised in 2 weeks they will be back in the morning so as not to prevent any of my visitors getting on the drive.  My car is booked in the garage for its service and MOT during NEOS week.  When I wont be needing it.  Now all we have to do is cut back the herbiage along the path where visitors will traverse.  

So bring it on.

More NEOS stressing.

Today was a good weather day.  No wind, cloudy every so often, but warm.  So after lunch I went for the walk down the Prom.

Two old photos of the Prom/Esplanade.  How different to today.  Apart from the railings.  Which I lean on and gain control of my breathing.  They are still there!  

Today I saw a boat coming into the harbour.

 Alba na Mara was built by MacDuff Shipbuilders Ltd of MacDuff for the Scottish Government. Operating from her home port in Fraserburgh, Alba na Mara will be used for fish and shellfish stock assessment and environmental monitoring in the North Sea and on the west coast of Scotland. She carries a crew of eight, and can accommodate up to five scientists.

Well there you go.  We have all learnt something.

Three Oyster Catchers.   Good to see them back on the beach.  They have all been off in bits of gravel, laying their eggs, and rearing their young.

And then there was this poor soul.

A not well Great Black Backed Gull.  So odd looking I was asked if it was a Bird of Prey?!  

What happened was a group of primary age boys began chasing it.  What could I do?  I shouted at them.  Ignored.  I eventually got a grown up male to go and stop them harassing it.  The tide was coming in fast.  It couldnt fly.  But didnt need the stress from the kids.  I hope it floated off to a peaceful death.  But I was so upset at the mindless chasing.

Back home to more card making, more catching up with drawing board finishing.

Another small canvas almost finished.

The DP has been tidying up the drive, edging and weeding.  And clearing out the gutters.

All for NEOS?  Well it needed doing!

North East Open Studios.

NEOS has suddenly appeared on the horizon.

I have tons of work to do for the October FASE Exhibition.  But first there is NEOS which starts on the 9th September.  Every day from then till the 17th the shedudio will be open from 1 p.m. till 5 p.m.  

The list of stuff that has to be done before then is scary.  

As it was raining today I decided to make a start on the manufacturing of cards.  These are from my original paintings.  Photographs taken by the DP of same.

These are then printed off on photographic paper.  Chopped up by me on the guillotine.

I then have to score the card into a fold uppable card.  Stick the photo onto it.  Insert an envelope and then put the whole thing into a clear cellophane envelope and here you go.

We worked out how much it cost us and priced accordingly.  I have always sold them for £2.00 each.  But on the odd visit to other exhibitions I have noticed prices for cards have increased.  Many of the artists have their cards done by others.  Professionally printed.  

They were £3 each but you could buy 2 for £5.  So 4 for £10.  Pricing stuff is a nightmare.

How much do you all pay for a card in a shop?

My small canvasses I am charging £10 for.  There is as much work goes into these as a larger painting.  But I am not paying out for mounting, and/or framing.  

And basically it would be good to see some gone!

Tired.

The last few days finally hit me today.  Tired. 

 Not just the Grand kids who were delightful. But I didnt enjoy the screams of young grandson.  Who is on the point of fluent language but screaming is easier and more satisfying - to him.  Not the incessant questions from a very observant granddaughter either.   

The meeting yesterday was amazing hearing what everyone has done and is doing to make our art exhibition a success. But I ended up with a load more computing, social media, publicising, sending out to artists etc than I had thought on that I would have.  My talking together with all that had gone before added up to me being TIRED.

Parked up at the Prom.  Out comes the chariot from the back of the car.  Camera, phone, inhaler into chariot.  Stagger over to railings, lean over and breathe.

Out at sea a Lobster Boat is returning to harbour.

And a sailing boat heads off South.

The tide was just beginning to go out.  So the Sea Birds were at sea.

Going up and down on the gentle swells.  It was warmish, and no wind.  But the forecast was for thunder and lightning and heavy rain.  Which did not happen.  But I could see it gathering so a short walk.

Then there was this strange flag sticking out of the passenger side of the white car parked next to my blue one.

Scottish Independence?  I know not.  Hope not Hate at the bottom of the flag.  'Something inside so strong' at the top.  Still confused.  Hey ho.

I then came home and down the shedudio.  Almost finished my selfie.

I am obviously not impressed with what I am doing!  Warts and all.  It is very like!

Bit more mixed media finished.  And I am totally chilled out.

The red wine is now helping even more.

But boy am I ready for bed.  Tired.