Being tourists.

When we were running our bed and breakfast we rarely had the time to visit the places we sent our guests to.
Fortunately some Visitor Attractions stay open all year round, so in the quieter months we could.
Macduff Marine Aquarium is one that remains open. Now we can go anywhere at any time, health permitting, so while I stayed home yesterday Mike and youngest daughter visited.


Jellyfish.

Cod.

Wolf fish. I love these.

Rivers are always open too.

This is the Deveron. A Salmon River.

With it's pretty bridge.

There is a much larger, more modern bridge in Banff, where the river joins the sea. The larger bridge takes the traffic over the estuary from Macduff to Banff.

But this wee bridge remninds us of how life once was, with just room for a horse and cart.

Today they have planned to go to the Mountains. If the weather is bad - a distillery.

Alright for some.

I am actually thankful there is plenty for them to do while I stay home and, hopefully, rest my body into health again.

Then I can start being a tourist again of this beautiful place we live in. I dont like whisky anyway.
Pity we dont have vineyards.

Take Aways.

When you cant cook or wont cook you have a take away. So as I can't get oot and aboot at the moment. The pictures are brought back!


A wren.

Pheasant on a post.

Woodpecker up a tree.

A trapped gnome. Know just how he feels.

Harvest has begun.

War of the Worlds with Richard Burton narrating is my all time favourite at Harvest time. Watching the combine harvester come over the hills with headlights on - as once they start they dont stop just because it gets dark - to the sound of War of the Worlds is awesome.

Mike and youngest daughter have been to Macduff Marine Aquarium today and the Alvah Bridge and Duff House at Banff. Lots more pictures for future blogs.

But for now - fish and chips for tea, a take away. Unfortunately I still have no appetite.......

Walk - who me?

Youngest daughter arriving at Aberdeen Train Station. Planning a week of walks.

Entrance to Aberdeen Harbour. Usually see Dolphins here, but not this day.

Aberdeen Harbour.

Storm clouds gathering. Big cloudburst this afternoon.

Woodpecker in the garden.

I managed to stay upright for most of the day.

Did not join daughter and Mike for 12 mile hike.

But then I wouldnt have if I was well.

In every cloud there is a silver lining.....

Sunset last night.

Full Moon. We did look for meteors but with this big light - no chance.

More sunset.

Opposite the sunset. Silver linings.

When I went to see the doc with this latest bout of pleurisy he asked me if I had lost my appetite. The answer was Yes. Then I got to thinking.

I had pleurisy just over a year ago. No-one asked me if I had lost my appetite. Some weeks after that bout my family pressured me into telling the doctor about my loss of appetite and weight loss.

So I did.

Then commenced a whole round of tests over the following six months including the god awful endoscopy. Nothing was found. Apart from slightly raised white blood cells, to which I responded, well I have just had pleurisy and the response was, "Oh thats what that will be about then." Increase in white blood cells indicates the body is fighting an infection.

No one EVER said to me that loss of appetite was a symptom of pleurisy.

So the NHS has just paid out for me to have scans, blood tests galore, dished out various pills and potions (none of which I took after the first lot made me nauseous) had a session with a consultant -and been caused a lot of stress along the way -and could find nothing wrong at all.

Because I had had pleurisy and loss of appetite because of that. And not one person in the medical profession pointed that out until now.

The good news is that upon googling all this there was a recommendation to drink wine, "This stimulates the appetite."

Right then.

Cheers. Can you see the silver lining?!

Oh woe.

A misty morning.

Hooded crow.

Herring Gull. Always have plenty to shout about.

Great Spotted Woodpecker. In our garden.

The plumber returned this morning and refitted the loo and the sink. He left with warnings not to be used till tea time . Letting the silicone set.

So I waited.

Only to find on the great reopening bathroom ceremony that the cistern was not refilling. Facing another night of stumbling upstairs I could have wept. It doesnt take much to get me tearful at the moment. I am at that stage in the illness of no pain but feeling like a wet lettuce with the same amount of muscles.

In came Superman from his walk. Surfed the internet and - fixed it. The plumber now has two messages on his answering machine. A wail from me and a "We've fixed it," from him.

I spent the morning shoving the vacuum round everywhere downstairs apart from the dining room. Then mopped. Then collapsed and admired.

The electrician turned up too and did enough drilling and sawing to make me think he had the whole dining room floor up. Possibly made all the noise to justify the price.... Once he had gone I looked at the floor and all that had been done was a six inch square(?) And the final price did come down dramatically. So we might have him back.

Now we await the patio door fitters. The council have given their permission. Only took two months not three. Then back comes the joiner to lay the laminate in the dining room and then I think we shall have a party.

When oh woe will become oh wheeeeee!

Every home should have one...

They used to in the olden days. A toilet in the dining room.
The plumber attempted to say he would return on Monday to refit.
One withering stare and he has promised to be back tomorrow.

But the floor is finished.

And we had an electrician arrive! Red carpet, quick.

The quote was a bit steep, so he is to move one plug socket that is in the way of where the patio door will be in the dining room. Not four. The others are in the upstairs bedrooms and not a necessity.

He also promised to come tomorrow. So another day of bashing and banging. I am totally exhausted but have done nothing.

Redshanks in a row.

Ma and Pa Pheasant bring their kids to our diner.

There were seven baby pheasants.

Who all flew over the fence and hid in the barley. Which really upset their Mum. She perched on the fence looking in all directions.

Back in my own bed tonight. Tho I have to trek upstairs for the nightly visit.

Cross your fingers that the plumber does return or it will be a Po under the bed.

Every home should have one - well they used to. And I still have, albeit with a plant in it.

Central Heating on in August?

Yep. Hope this isnt making my blog friends in Texas too cross. Such extremes of weather.

I know I am under the weather (HA HA!) But Mike agreed, and he was being quite active painting the landing. Remember we are eradicating the awful shiny pink wallpaper. So I switched the heating on. I then had the weirdest sensation of what seemed like every muscle in my body relaxing. Either that or I am hallucinating.

Not sure whether this Pied Wagtail is enjoying the weather and jumping for joy or avoiding rain drops. He is actually catching insects...

Before the deluge Mike got out for his dawn walk. And has been much better tempered having done so.

Presumably this unseasonal weather is causing the fungi to go berserk.

Although pretty expert on most flora and fauna these will remain where they are.

There was a terrible case recently up here where so called experts ate the wrong mushroom/toadstool and are now awaiting kidney transplants and are on dialysis.

We have once eaten mushrooms picked wild.

This was in Cumbria some years ago and after consulting every book we could find and they all said it was okay - we did pick them and they were indeed the best mushrooms I have ever tasted. But if experts can get it wrong? I'd rather leave it to Tesco. No, on second thoughts, make that Morrisons.

My other bit of central heating is coming from a glass of wine. A tad cheaper than the liquid gold which provides the houses central heating. And it tastes better too.