Saturday.

I got up.  I managed to wash my body and my hair.  The DP escaped on a bird watching jaunt (saw very little due to his companion's wittering.)  

I went for my walk.

It was much colder than I thought it was, so next time it is the winter coat.  And from now on.

There were a lot of Oystercatchers.

Which when I crop the photograph down should give me lots to paint.

And look what re-appeared in the Kessock Burn.  The bit of red wood.  Still no idea where it came from.

The Farmers here are desperate due to the amount of rain.  We have more forecast and very strong winds tomorrow and Monday, so I doubt a walk for a while.

Tonight.   We can see the bales have been put into pairs which makes them easier to uplift onto a trailer.  But there are still parts of the field uncut. 

So it is battening down for the next few days.  But the sky tonight was glorious,.

Bedtime for me.

From Little Acorns.

One of my visitors to North East Open Studios was a local Primary School Teacher.  He brought his own kids and so I gave them something to do.

The kids loved it as much as the grown ups.

So my Primary School Teacher obtained some Brusho Paints for his class. 
(I am not mentioning Brusho for any reason.  You can also get the same effect by dipping a toothbrush into paint and running your finger across the bristles and get a spattering effect.)

One of the parents brought in a Lobster and a crab.

Then the kids painted their portrayal.  

These are so good from - the lower end, cant remember which age, - of primary school.  I was blown away.  

So I had a word with the man in control of our hanging of the exhibition for FASE 4 and they are all in.  To be hung and exhibited.  This is what a community based Art exhibition is about, isnt it?  

This school and many others in Fraserburgh and surrounds have all had a go at the 'bunting' depicting My Town.  

I too am doing some bunting, guess the theme, aye, sea birds - Of My Town !  

Even the photographers have chopped up their photos to fit onto a bit of bunting.  

Photos of all will follow.

Makes it all worthwhile, the stress I mean.

Would that I will still be around when the Oak Trees Grow.

When stressed make a list.

The beach today.  Warmish, not much wind.  So perfect for me to do the .59 of a mile up the Path of Doom and back.

Before I went I did a list.  Writing stuff down really helps.  Instead of it churning around in your brain and things pinging in that you havent done, all becomes calm. Honestly.  So I could then swan off and walk.

To the left of the beach by the rocks Oystercatchers.  Most having their Siesta

Something about birds legs attracts me, which is a bit worrying.  But the DP always says to me when I am asking about an id on a bird, is "What colour were its legs?"  This is a Redshank.  (Red legs ha ha.)

The list I made was all about stuff both I and the DP have to do both personally, like flu jab,  for us both, cholesterol check for him, I refuse to have any more.  The vet for the cats jabs.  Then the massive list for us both for the FASE 4 exhibition.  But seeing it in a list makes it more manageable and I have ticked about five things already. (Out of 30.....)

So.  When stressed make a list.  And watch birds. And go to the beach.  Or anywhere which is away from making lists. 

Page 3 but not the Sun.

Couple launch bright idea to stop cars ploughing into their garden

by JAMIE ROSS

September 27, 2017, 8:59 am

Jill and Mike Chandler moved into their Lonmay home in 2011 and since then have had to deal with vehicles leaving behind a trail of destruction around their property.

Where a hedge once marked the boundary of their home, only the tattered planks of a fence remain.

Tucked away between winding roads, unsuspecting motorists can find themselves caught out by the sudden appearance of their house.

But now the couple have taken unusual steps to make their property stand out a little more.

“We had seen people put stones on their verges, but apparently that can be dangerous,” Mrs Chandler said.

“We really couldn’t think of any way to tell people that this was our boundary and they should stop running into it, so that’s where the lights have come in.

“And it might be working – no one has hit the fence yet.”

Mr Chandler has initially covered just one section of the fence with the lights, but now intends to create a string of them around the home.

Mrs Chandler added that they were a cheaper alternative to replacing the fence every time it was smashed.

“They’ve only been up a couple of days, so neighbours haven’t said anything yet. But then again we don’t really have anyone nearby out here,” she said.

“The whole thing started with people crashing through our hedging, so we had that taken out and replaced with a fence.

“Then they crashed through that.

“Obviously, I don’t think we’d get the insurance money to replace it – and I’m not paying for a fence to be put back – so we thought about what we could do.

“I don’t know if anything could be done to improve the road itself.”

Fame.  Page 3 even.  Though, thankfully not the Sun.  The Press and Journal.  Typical local paper, particularly the last bit about improving the road.  We live on a narrow country lane, so narrow there are passing place pull ins.  Drivers still act as if its Le Mans. And I fail to see how the road could be 'improved' unless we laid those stingers.

We are on a junction where cars screech to a halt and then do a wheelie round the bend and straight into our fence or hedge that was there before.

Still a moment of fame.  

Life change due.

I am becoming bored.  

I am fed up of the life restrictions of COPD and other health issues and am having a deep think as to what I want to do when I grow up.

Today I went for the walk on the Prom.  Nothing new there.

A grey, overcast day.  But less wind so off I went.  Breathed in the fresh sea air.  And the stink of the seaweed.....

Gull gang looking grey too. 

And a scruffy Oyster Catcher who is probably sorting his feathers out for a smarter winter coat.

Back home and down to the shedudio.  Some more on the Brown Hare.

So I doubt any of the above I will be packing in.

But I need to bring other things into my life which I am capable of .  Hmmm.  Not sure what.  The DP has suggested I become a lady who lunches or has afternoon tea.  There are so many choices in venues I am tempted and miss a good chat.  Watch this space.

Other news is I was contacted by the local newspaper re our destroyed hedge/fence and fairy lights.  (Ace reporter is a friend of mine on facebook who picked it up, showed it to his boss who said go for it....)  So tonight I spent some time being photographed.  In the dark, risking life and limb, and it probably wont be published.  Not quite what I imagined when I said I wanted a life change being loony of the week in the local paper.

There is me being placed.  The photographer (wearing high vis waistcoat, unlike me...) 


 You can just see the twinkling fence lights on the left. I was so pleased they came on after such a dull day we had had.   After many 'takes' I was shown the results and proudly the photographer asked if I was pleased with what he had done.  I had to own up then and say I hadnt got me specs on so had no idea!   

No hope for me is there.

Not sure why I do this...

Getting totally stressed out with trying to sort out stuff for FASE4 the annual art exhibition in Dalrymple Hall on the 21st October .  20th is when we take in the exhibits.  21st and 22nd is the actual exhibition.  Trying to organise people to help put up the exhibition and then man/woman/transgender, or whatever it is politically correct to be there.....

There is the hall.

This is the back where most people enter.

The Beatles played here would you believe.

Now its us for the fourth year and I want the world to stop and me get off.

Meanwhile I managed a chill out down the shedudio.

Enough.

Its all go here.

The Peer Fermers. ( Not a misprint - I 'm practising my Doric.)

Too windy for a walk today.  I went to the Prom, parked, and the car was rocking from side to side.  I know my limitations.  Those were gusts that would seriously damage someone 4 feet 10 and weighing 7 stone and a bit.  So I came home.

Although windy there has been no rain.  The Farmers are now working non stop to get the crops in.  Round us its Barley.

The field at the front of our house has been done, Combined, bailed, bang.

The field to the rear has had some problems.....

Here is the Combine Harvester.  Rattling along.

And then.... it ground to a halt.  Now I don't know whether this was to do with ground being wet or it had hit one of the sink holes this field is prone to.  Some years back we used to watch tractors disappear out of sight when ploughing.  I always watch closely as our mains water comes across this field.  And our Electric, so I again watch closely as they skirt round the poles carrying the wires.

Anyway stuck it was and had to be towed out backwards by the blue tractor.  The Red Tractor has the baling machine behind it.

Off the Combine goes cutting the Barley, leaving the cut stalks for the Baling Machine.

And then disgorged the grain into the trailer, which when full,  then goes off to be dried.

It was getting dark, and all was packed up and off the drivers went.  But I remember when head lights were switched on and they kept on till it was finished.  Although that did not involve the Combine being towed out twice from being stuck.  Lets hope it doesnt rain tomorrow.  

A Better Day.

I do not look like this - at all - and I do not smile when I am 'pumping weights'.  Apart from all that,  today I did my pulmonary physio exercises.

And walked in 20 mph wind.  I can cope with a steady wind, its when it gusts to over 30 in between that I get blown over......

Look at how the Marram Grass is bending....

The wind blowing the tops off the waves.

Halfway up the Kessock Burn.

And back again. The bit of red wood was still floating in and out.

The DP said it was an L plate from a boat!

Out at sea the Fisheries Inspection Boat.

Lowering the launch.  Which went into the harbour.  Collecting a take away?

Oil Platform Supply boat being escorted by the Pilot boat.  The Pilot steers the boat out of the harbour, then climbs down a ladder back onto the Pilot Boat.

Now something new to the Prom.

Strumming away, he very kindly agreed to me taking a photo!  He was in one of the shelters on the Prom.  No hat on the floor so it was free busking!

And the Surfers.  One who was very small .

Remember our fence.  Which replaced the Leylandii hedge which was destroyed by ?  And then the fence was destroyed?

The DP sawed off all the damaged bits, which left us with just the top horizontal.  No way am I forking out for a replacement fence. 

 Today he strung flashing solar panelled lights all along. 

Ha Haaaa.

What have you done today?

Great song by Heather Small.

However the answer is "Not a lot."

Every so often I have a day like today where I crash.  As I am retired and had nothing planned other than the list in my diary of things to do......I could go with the flow.  Realise I am old, tired, doing NEOS for 9 days and the FASE meeting yesterday has flattened me.

I managed to email the cooncil and book the room for the next meeting.

Managed to get washed and dressed.  Had lunch. Boiled egg the easy option with a Ryvita and pate.

Drove to the beach.  Watched people walking past the car with their hair blowing, trousers blowing, and thought shall I?  Should I?  But then I had got this far so I did.

Looks lovely doesn't it.  Aye but it was a struggle to get this far.

The tide was very high, Autumn Equinox and all that.  There was this thing coming in with the tide.  

I think it was wood, I think its come off a boat.  No doubt tomorrow, when it is even windier, so fingers crossed for the walk, I will see it cast up on the shore and be able to more identify it.

Home again jiggety jig.  

Shedudio.  Carried on doing nothing but watching the birds.  3 swoops from the Sparrow Hawk so there's the energy from the Autumn Equinox which bypassed me, so not much to see.