Today was supposed to be the day the electricity was to be off from 9 a.m. til 4 p.m. While 'essential repairs to overhead cables' was carried out. Well thank goodness that was cancelled - at the last minute We had a telephone call late yesterday afternoon.
The Dawn Patroller went out for the paper. He never goes anywhere without his camera.
Over to the left of this last picture is where I walk !
We have had a fair bit of snow too. The sun came out in between the blizzards and the snow went. From the dining room.
From the sitting room. That sky is 'a white out' - a blizzard on its way!
But it is now snowing - and freezing.
I havent even been down to the shedudio. I had so many clothes on I could hardly move but was still cold. The wind was so strong I was scared to go out.
I decided to go through my filing system and prune it. Along the way I found details of the electricity company we left in 2015. No final invoice. So I emailed them. And guess what - they owe us. Over a hundred quid. I should have charged interest. How can these companies get away with this.
We recently changed again and guess what I also had to prompt the ones we left, also over a hundred quid. Apparently their new accounting system has a gremlin in the refund department. And how come in the middle of winter we are so much in credit? So we poor pensioners have been paying way over the odds every month. Our new company seem to have their sums right, but how do the others get it so wrong? We are now paying half a month than in 2015.
Looking forward to SPRING.
But - not such a bad Friday the 13th of January.
The wind whipping up the spray on the waves.
Why don't surfers get hypothermia?
I nearly did.
These photos were taken around noon I had been to meet a friend for coffee at the Museum of Scottish Lighthouses earlier.
This is a painting I did some time ago, the view from the table we were sitting at.
And there is me, an old photo, but thats the view the other way. The painting was titled 'The Best Seat'. The photo shows why as the table in the window is where we sat. Either way a stunning view.
Home for painting in the afternoon.
And it snowed.
Forecast is for even stronger winds tomorrow. Roll on Spring.
Another beautiful day.
I went for my walk this morning.
Bird watching as usual. Good excuse when hanging over the railings getting control of breathing. If I take the camera out I dont get asked , "Are you alright ?" It is lovely that people ask. But when it isn't necessary, they see the camera and don't worry !
So above you see a Redshank in the water taken yesterday. Then it is a case of spot the Redshank on the rocks by the caravan park. (Clue look left.)
In the afternoon I was attacking the work in progress pile and - at last - drum roll - the first of 2017 completed.
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.
The sort out continues. And a bit of cleaning !
The huge chest of drawers I got for free via freecycle some years ago. On top are some framed pictures which I cannot yet put in my 'shop' as framed pictures do not travel well. As there is glass involved which means careful packaging. Also some mugs which I have had my original paintings put on to, They do travel well as they are delivered to me with all the packaging.
The drawers themselves I have yet to delve into and sort.........
I have two browsers. The one on the left has the paintings on the shop for sale with all their details. (Facebook Buchan Birds and Beasts.) The one on the right is yet to be sorted. And as you can see there are a lot.
Bit of fun.
And more fun.
Looks quite organised.
The sunset tonight.
From the shedudio.
Earlier today I did my usual walk. But ! I went further. I am now on .64 of a mile. For someone with COPD and 26% lung function not toooooo bad.
More of the same tomorrow.
The solar powered fairy lights on the shedudio suddenly sprang into life the other evening. They were fixed at least two years ago if not more and have NEVER worked. Explain that if you can. There are some missing being lit but then. Weird.
I went for my walk this morning rather than the afternoon.
It was superb. So beautiful.
Yesterday was a different story weatherwise.
Very windy, wet and cold. But I had the great excitement of realising why there were so many gulls diving into the sea. They were fishing, and catching sand eels !! The bottom gull you can just make out an eel in its beak.
This afternoon, it being sunny and showing up the mucky windows in the shedudio I decided it was time to start the sorting and cleaning. Just a bit at a time of course. I still aint and never will be a normal, breathing housewife.
I will show you the before and after pictures.
And I found a brand new set of solar powered fairy lights . Yay result.
My first walk of 2017 was today. I watched this fishing boat rocking and rolling as it advanced towards the harbour. So windy ! In my back as I set off and then it dawned on me it would be in my face as I returned - tired. So I turned before the full 59 of a mile. But I missed the rain. Which has crashed down since.
This is an aerial pic of the Path of Doom that I hope to walk every day. The red dot is where I turn and go back.
Yesterday was strong wind, rain snow, hail and bitterly cold...
A whole set of weather advances and warns me not to venture out on New Years Day.
Our meal on New Years Day was superb. Cooked and prepared by the DP and for once I had a pud. Well who could resist Cranachan?
As I was incarcerated inside yesterday I finally got started on setting up my shop on my facebook page Buchan Birds and Beasts. I had not realised quite how many paintings I had. With being ill most of 2016 I had not managed to exhibit or have my own studio open days as part of North East Open Studios (NEOS).
It takes quite a while to put up one virtual shelf in the shop. I managed 7 paintings yesterday. So I better get on and fill the next 'shelf' with a selection of sea bird paintings.
