A Busy Day.

A good day.  The weather is being exceedingly kind.  Very little wind, most unusual for this part of the North East of Scotland.

The Dunes grass is normally horizontal.

The Dawn Patroller left before dawn.  He went off to Grantown on Spey birding.  Have you seen his blog yet?  2017 My Birding Year.  Its on my bloglist.

I went for my walk.  It is important to exercise when one has COPD.  I have been on a number of Pulmonary Physio courses which were very enjoyable and successful apart from the other participants coming with chest infections, which spread and felled the rest of us.  So I prefer to walk.  I have all the weights and stuff but it upset the cat !  I dont know why but he was very concerned at my antics with a weight hanging off a walking stick and raising it above my head.  Or a weight round my ankle and lifting the leg.  And as for the dumbells being raised, up, to the side, and to the front.  He just kept trying to paw/claw  me.

You dont get the same views, when exercising, from the bedroom either.

I often paint Oystercatchers.

After lunch down to the shedudio and a different kind of birding.

Goldfinches.  

This (sodding) Barn Owl.  It is a commission.  Fortunately from a very good friend.

Here in his camouflage gear.  Birdwatcher.  They get everywhere.  And photographer.  I have had three attempts at this owl.  And still not happy.  Could be a fourth.....

My granddaughter asked for a painting of a cheetah.  Lots of them in Fraserburgh...

I am experimenting with watercolour on canvas.  First you have to put ground on the canvas, away you go, make a total mess of its right eyebrow, hopefully correct it, varnish it and there you go.

Finally this beautiful cat.  Well it is in real life, not sure about the painting.

So my deciding to reduce the pile of work in progress did not work.  Hey ho.

Here is the sunset tonight taken as I returned from Lidl with a compensatory bottle of wine.

February - already?

The days are now noticeably longer.  

The sun sets.  You can just see the shedudio at the back of the photo.  Earlier the sun was shining right into my eyes....Photograph taken from our dining room patio doors. And yes I am still learning how to use my new camera.....

 

Here is a similar timed one taken by a proper photographer.  This is Kinnaird Head Fraserburgh.  The original Lighthouse came into being in 1787.  Only lit on special occasions now.  To its left is the working lighthouse, boring wee edifice but necessary.  To the far left is the Fog Horn.  Which is a listed building, but sadly does not work anymore, not even on special occasions.  Pipes gone.  A bit like me.

 I have had an extremely tiring month.

 This chap's fault.  My mate I referred to in a previous post and some of you thought he had died.  Well he didnt.  He went on to another job in a much bigger museum than our Lighthouse.  

Though some of the cursing I have done since he went he should be pushing up daisies by now. 

 Full time job and more it has been managing the Museum.  In the last few weeks I have felt as if I was totally on my own.  Chair of the board sadly ill. Me - vice chair. Get on with it!

Howsomever. Tomorrow we have a new Museum Manager starting.  I can resume my normal life.

Filling up space in the Art Gallery at the Museum. I managed that. Tick.

Also the odd painting.

A Mountain Hare.  From a Photo by Paul Cain.

 

 And the Torville and Dean of the Swan fraternity.  From a photo by Avril Reid.

I am blessed with so many friends who are photographers and allow me to be inspired.

Not only that through being able to paint when possible has kept my sanity, well only just.

Then I realise - its February. Already.

Spring Fest.

Joining in with 

http://mumssimplylivingblogat.blogspot.co.uk/

And what a beautiful day she chose!  The sun is out, the wind is absent, and it is warm!!!!

My contribution to the Spring Fest is a Virtual Art Gallery to celebrate Spring.

First a photograph taken last night of the sunset preceding our Spring Fest Day.

Now you are visiting the Virtual Art Gallery.  Imagine the paintings are hanging inside a large tent and you can smell the grass being crushed beneath your feet.

Spring lambs.

A cat, looking decidedly worried at the artist having dressed him in Spring like colours. 

A Spring Chicken.  Well he was a chicken at one time.

And a Little Owl with Spring in his step.

To enjoy even more of this celebration of Spring, visit Mum and follow the links to the other contributors from Blogland.

Happy Sunday!

Roses in November.

At last I obtained a Rambling Rector Rose.  Having seen this wondrous plant on my friend Lynn's blog spot, thesunnysideofthestrret.blogspot.com.  I saw an offer from David Austen Roses and went for it.  This was months ago and I had forgotten all about it.

It arrived on Saturday.  The DP graciously went out and dug a large hole.  I put the rose into a trug and it was soaked over night.  Yesterday, in the pouring rain, the DP planted the rose.  Fingers crossed.

I wish!

Now we are into Winter.  Bit wet.   

Cait Sith (Garlic/Gaelic for Fairy Cat - got that wrong didn't we, )  pretending he doesn't look totally ridiculous in a small box.  Anyone else remember a childrens'
 book, My Cat Likes Boxes?

I have to go down to the shed/Summerhouse/drinking den/opera theatre a wee bit earlier these wintry days.  The sun sets at 3.30p.m.  

But still does it magnificently.  My view from the shed.

More like a factory as I churn out the wet hens.  I am so enjoying this though!

And there are even more on the go.

And, despite awful photo, a rose blooming in November.

Mondays Mixings.

Work has started at Cairnbulg Harbour.  It is only a small harbour, with of course much history.  But via a grant is being dredged and improved.  This shows the machines depositing the dredgings below the high water mark.  No I dont know what that achieves, presumably a deeper harbour?

The Harbour as is.

Anyone else get spooked by Google?  Looking for images and info I come across eldest daughter and grandson at Cairnbulg Harbour.

The Dawn Patroller gets out whenever he can.  Why there were this many seagulls wheeling about we dont know, no ploughing which usually brings them, but a pleasant sight.

The sunset going down behind Mormond Hill.  I have been able to view different sides of this from both our houses here in the North East of Scotland.

Mormond Hill (Scottish Gaelic A' Mhormhonadh, meaning the great hill or moor) is a large hill in Aberdeenshire, Scotland not far from Fraserburgh. The villages of Strichen and New Leeds can be found at its foot hills.

It also has a smattering of disused satellite dishes and masts on top, remnants from Cold War NATO communications and British Telecom having a presence on the site. Wikepedia.

Yesterday the DP risked life and limb being mowed down by Half Marathon Runners from the Broch.  We were the  half way mark.  

Getting Ready -
for the OFF!

Some of the runners were totally mad, well I think anyone who runs is totally mad.

And some made me feel ashamed.

I remained down the shed surrounded by wet hens.

Craigellie.

Is where our house is.  Craigellie is a part of Lonmay Parish which spreads far and wide.
A lot of the buildings are listed.  As are bits of them, like kennel block, churches, (we have quite a few), and walled gardens.  Craigellie House Walled Garden is listed.  How that affects a Garden I am unsure and must try and find out more.


Here are the latest pics from the Dawn Patroller of the Walled Garden and its valiant production of flowers despite no attention horticulturally from anyone.

I keep telling him to take a trowel and do a bit of thinning.  Do the garden good (remember the book, The Secret Garden?) and do ours some as well.  I have been known to take a cutting in a garden centre,.


But he has his principles. Unlike me.


Weather - well .  It just sheeted down.  It is warm, heavy, I am on the verge of struggling to breathe, but on the upside we get these sights at the end.

The above is a sort of squashed rainbow.  Never seen anything like that before in my life.

I got quite excited and asked, Is that the Northern Lights?  Only to be reminded we were facing South East.

Facing North West - the Sunset.

Facing South as the sun set, remember it does not get really dark here in the North East of Scotland.

Land of the Big Sky in Craigellie.

Roond and Aboot.

There has been a lot of new fencing being erected.  Inside the fencing that is already there, and I assume this is to now replace hedgerows.  Great!

Someone here decided to decorate some of the fence posts with stones!  How cool is that.  And how did they find the time?

 Now who do you suppose is seeing off who here?  The fox looks decidedly uncomfortable does it not?!

Seriously want this cat.  Watty, our neighbour with the garden stuffed with gnomes, lions, stone rabbits, propellors whizzing round , etcetera, also has some beautiful cats, which as unnuetered cats do, produce kittens.  Over the years we have had a number of ginger cats, they have such lovely natures.  But I am not allowed to have this gorgeous beast.

Roe deer.  They must have all reared their babies now as they are back out in the fields in full view.

The one below is in our rear field two days ago.

You will have to hit on this one, but it is Lapwings in amongst a neep field (neeps = turnips/swede).  Lapwings have the most enthralling cry.  Also called Peewits, as that is the sound.

Late lambs.  We do still get them here into July.  Lazy ram?  Goodness knows.

A sparrow posing in the Barley field.

Growing wild here in the North East of Scotland.  We think it is a type of Lily.

And finally, we have had sun today, so here is a sunset.

May your sunset and weekend be a good one.