Tomorrow will be far worse. Wind speed is 35 mph gusting to 50 mph.
Today the wind was, well, windy. I went down the steps again. Now I can do it, well for now I can do it, I shall do so. The wind is mainly off shore so on the lower level not so strong.
The fishing boat returning to harbour has very appropriate colours . Today is the day Fraserburgh meet with Rangers for the delayed football game. Delayed as the pitch was then frozen solid. Fraserburgh strip is black and white! The town has black and white every where. Every shop window, they even had permission to hoist their flag in the town centre, I doubt they will win. But you never know. They once beat Dundee, I think I was about 8.
So where were you when I was doing the Garden Bird Watch?
Earlier in the day, after my walk, I called in to T***o as I had bought my mobile phone from them. The phone has decided it will no longer send text messages. "Send failed." Apparently this is to do with my provider, Virgin, rather than the phone. So I went online to them. I had to go to my account. Put in my email address then a password. Could I remember my password, NO. Most I have written down but not this one. So I pressed I had forgotten my password and it said it would send me a code to my phone. So at that point I realised it wasnt having anything to do with texts at all.
Tomorrow I will phone them , on the land line, and cancel the whole shebang. And then back into T***o and go with them. I would far rather deal with a human being. As I cannot walk outside, the wind being above gale force, I will have a walk round in the shop too. And no I will not be getting a phone that does everything. All I want is to be able to phone for help, dial 999, 101, or whatever. And text.
I went for my promenade in the morning today.
The DP was off on a bird watching jaunt with his mate. (They got stuck in snow and had to be towed out!)
I like to have the local paper when I have my lunch so I combined getting that with my walk.
The tide was on the turn so no birds on the shore.
Waiting for a bit more sand.
With my , new found, energy, I made it down these steps and on to the lower level. Not only did it give me a different view , it was out of the wind, which was coming off shore.
Makes a change.
Back home. Needless to say there were masses of garden birds now I am not counting.
I got on with finishing my painting of a Blue Tit.
Then continued the sorting and clearing of the shedudio to make room for the woodburning stove.
Second trolley - done.
Rubbish piling up....
But the ex IKEA unit is now empty and ready to be moved back into the house and under the stairs. Well pleased.
I am not sure why but after the unexplained sickness and day of rest last week I have felt really well! They used to 'purge' in the olden days I believe. My breathing is easier and I have energy, which I had forgotten what that felt like. Most odd.
I sailed through my Pulmonary physio exercises this morning and increased some.
The wind was strong, in excess of 25 mph, but the sun was shining and temperature above freezing so out I went.
This is how I like it, few people. And birds a plenty.
Each time I stopped it was because the wind had gusted. I clung on to the railings. I had put one brake on the chariot and it wheeled itself round me to the other side of me. I made sure to apply both brakes after that.
This is where most of the Gull Gang gather. Here the Kessock Burn meets the North Sea. Fresh water meeting sea water. Apparently Gulls can drink both. Whether they prefer the fresh water for their baths as it does not contain salt, I do not know. But they seem to prefer it.
As do Oystercatchers.
There were a lot of Redshank over by the rocks. The wind gusted as I took the photo so its a bit blurred.
I had a chat to a chap who walks his dog every day. He rides a bike and the dog carries an enormous stick. The man throws it a long way into the sea and the dog fetches it. The dog is actually a bitch and is a cross collie with labrador. The dog is never on a lead. She watches him totally. Lovely to see. I will get a photo next time I see them in action.
I came home and after reading the Garden Birdwatch could be done on a Monday I thought I would have another go. My third. Oh and the buggy thing is ridden by my nearest neighbour's son, 9 years old. So it is for fun. However he is very hard working, has his own small flock of sheep which he cares for every day and they should be in lamb now. So I forgive him.
But not a sparrow ! I give in and will submit my first days count. That is it for another year, from now on its just pleasure and no doubt there will be hundreds and lots of different species from now on.
I do not often get cross. I am not as laid back as the DP but my bad language tends to come out when we are eating our evening meal and get on to discussing politics and the latest path of doom we are being taken down by our current rulers.
My walk on the Prom is a mind settler and soothes my soul. If I have one, or it's equivalent.
This view made my heart sing. And I leant on the railings to take photographs.
Oystercatchers.
Herring Gulls.
Then this appeared. Marching determinedly towards the birds - until they were all gone.
She only stopped to take a 'selfie'.
I hope no-one was anywhere near me as I swore.....
Further along the beach the Surfers were arriving. Even they stopped to look back at this idiot disturbing the wild life.
I came home.
Settled down for another hour of Garden Bird Watching. The birds came in in droves and I was grinning from ear to ear.
Then this
Round and round the field, passed our fence at a rate of knots, revving all the way.
Birds disappeared. Each time the birds ventured out on to the bird feeders, round he came again.
Not happy.
Just about over the shock of the whatever it was that made me vomit. It hasn't recurred thank goodness.
So I was off to the Prom whatever the weather!
Another bright sunny day although more windy. Temperature is above freezing now. Long may it last.
The tide is well out at the moment when I go so lots of sea birds out on the sand preening feathers, into the water for a bath, and then dry off and sleep, with one eye open of course, and on one leg for many. Keeping the other one warm.
Oyster Catchers at the top. Herring Gulls at the bottom.
Home and into the shedudio for the RSPB Garden Birdwatch. You have to choose an hour and count the birds that come into the garden. Well this happens every year. Normally we have loads of birds in our garden but as soon as the hour chosen begins..... zilch. Or very few.
Within minutes of the hour being up..
The last couple of evenings there has been a strong smell of burning wood. We know we are not being poisoned as we have a carbon monoxide alert thing, but the smell was quite overpowering. So today the DP went and got the bits to replace the seal round the wood burning stove door. Fixed. He was muttering about something being wrong with the flue til I reminded him he had replaced the door seal before, quite a few years ago. And that just before Christmas the flue was swept and cleaned and the cowl on the top. He was quite proud of himself at having fixed the smell after all. Ah.
Now do I do the Garden Bird Watch again tomorrow, and leave it til the hour after I watched today? Or not.
I was sick yesterday, literally. But better today. I cannot remember when I was last sick and have no idea why this time. Hey ho.
A beautiful day. Warmish. Sunny and not a breath of wind.
Masses of Sea Birds.
Medium sized fishing boat leaving the harbour.
Lots of bathing and preening.
Such a good day I managed the .59 of a mile. Quite a while since I managed that! Collecting rubbish.
I filled the trolley by the time I got back to where the bins start, although there was quite a lot within feet of the first bin....
The Dune grass looked really beautiful.
Then it was home to gaze round the shedudio and wonder where to begin, I have no idea.
It is the RSPB Garden Birdwatch tomorrow, and Sunday. But just one hour on one day. Counting birds. Should keep me out of mischief. And fretting.
