Weekly Chat, Sunday, June 19, 2011

TERRYM - The ferry can be rough any time of the year, our crossings were OK just a bit of a swell one way.   It was cancelled the day before we left to come home so we werent sure if it was actually going to be running when we arrived at Stornoway, thats the problems you can encounter with those ferries, OK if you are retired but if you have work to go too Id factor in a couple of extra days.    Loved your photos especially all your cats, Leni in the sink is a cute one, but Leo was a real beauty.

JOAN - Your new camera is working a treat - such a fab closeup of the gull too.

All of the photographs posted here are beautiful, especially the ones on the feeders, siskins, goldfinches, redpolls etc., you are all so lucky to get such a variety on your feeders.

My goodness Mary.  No wonder your car wouldn't move!  I'll have to see what I can find of my situation, but I cannot compete on depth of snow!

Morning all:..

Lindybird: Grandson took the early bus from Santa Maria yesterday - had a job interview down here in the morning (he shares car with girlfriend, who needed it for work), then he had a dentist appointment here, then another job interview back in Santa Maria mid-afternoon so I offered to chauffeur him around. I don't mind too much; I like driving and it's mostly rural/beach scenery. Back to digging trench with OH today.

Alan: Hens in the back garden is/ are a growing trend here too (no cockerels allowed in residential areas though).

Heather: Thanks again for Margo update - and for keeping her updated on LG nest too. I'm sure she appreciates it.

Sheila: Your Saturday on the Cam sounds like a lot of fun.

Terry: Lovely pix of the Hebrides.

Mary: Fab shots of Harris - what marvellous scenery. Wow - hope you don't get another winter like that!

Djoan: Looks like you got the upper hand on your camera. What is that bird? Oh - a gull (thanks Terry) - we don't get such elegant gulls here!

OG: As usual, more great bird pix - but where are the biscuit photos I wonder....  :-)

Must say I've always liked Venus Williams.  Don't like players of either sex who grunt or shriek though!  Take care all.  :-)

I had promised some photos and a brief on my second week in Scotland, which seems such a long time ago now.  So here goes.

Our cottage was at Inverkirkaig, on the north side of the tidal bay looking south and with views of Suilven.  The river came in on the south side having fallen over the Falls of Kirkaig, (Point 11 on the map, with the bay to the west of 11) which I am ashamed to say I did not visit.

Views from the cottage.

   

The far side, with the fresh water joining the tidal salt water was ideal otter country, and indeed we spend many an hour watching a dog otter in particular.  It was obviously good fishing ground within the seaweed. 

Below:  Our cottage is the top house, twothirds to the right.  The drive was a bit nervewracking with a hairpin bend on a slop around the shed below it to the left.  There was a lovely house actually on the waterfront, but it appeared to be empty.  Sadly the lie of the land meant we did not have a sea view, but the bay, but that was entertaining with sea birds, people, dogs and otters!

The weather was rather mixed, but we had a glorious day to walk out from Stoer Lighthouse, to the stac, Old Man of Stoer, and beyond to the Point.  From the Stac to the Point we kept to the coast with lots of sea birds, a few seal and beautiful views.

Looking back to the lighthouse, while heading to the Stac.             

We were surrounded by cotton grass and other wild plants, and the views were stunning in the sunshine.

    

We came back via the highest part of the point, hardly a mountain though!!

On another outing with OH rather than all five of us we came across some amazing geology.  Assynt is very old.  One stone was just lying on top of the other, with a gap between and probably stood a good five feet high.

and more wonderful views, this time of Stac Pollaidh

On another excellent day for hill walking the other four went up Suilven, while I otter spotted, and kept a judicious eye on the French Open!

Local wild life also kept me entertained.

From the car. .....                                                                   and from our cottage...

The red deer wandered along the shore and on the road thru the village on a regular basis, hardly concerned by people.

  The result of rain!  View from the house one evening.

I think I ought to stop for now, and add a few more another time. 

 

 

 

Beautiful photos everyone, thank you. They have made enjoyable viewing on yet another sunny/rainy/cool day in Inverness. We keep thinking that this is so unusual but I was reading a book given to OH, written in 1971 by a chap who had fished in the Highlands since boyhood. He had kept meticulous diaries and sad to say, there were many mentions of very wet weather in June. Even my own garden diary tells me the same. Why oh why then ,do I keep thinking that it is June, the sun should be shining?

Brilliant sunshine in a deep blue sky now – would never believe it could have poured it down so heavily earlier today!  Cleaner cleaned, and when she left she told us the agency had mentioned to her that they have found us a regular replacement (I suppose they will tell us eventually!) – if the new one is local and we don’t have to pay petrol cost, we shall be back to a weekly clean.

Siskin pair have been here three times today that we have seen – and we don’t spend the whole day watching at the kitchen window, so could easily be much more often.

Definitely a day for photos on here today!

Mary – that was a load of snow you had – looks like it was delivered by the truckload!

Annette – good that you could help Grandson with his appointments yesterday.  He’s been to the dentist a lot recently – had he been neglecting his teeth?  I hope he will soon be successful at a job interview.  These are just for you:

         !! Don't eat them all at once!!

Sheila – great photos of the wonderful scenery (and deer and sheep) on the West Coast!!  Thank you.

Heather – for years we have been northward to various parts of Scotland in June (to avoid the later plagues of Midges which bite worse in July and August –and I react badly to them) and have always had good weather, to the extent that people timed their holidays to coincide with ours!  Never had it wet like June this year.

Now for some more ancestors before I call it a day.

First time on today. Thanks for all your news and updates.

Well, friendly builder was suppose to come today, OH rang him about 9am and he had totally forgotten. Came round late afternoon, apologised and another date was fixed which won't be till after we get back. Bit annoying to say the least as I had emtied the airing cupboard etc all ready for the start. Had to put everything back so I could move in the spare room and will have to do it when he next comes. That's life.

We are going to a small village in the Pas de Calais region called Saint-Denouex, its situated not far from Montriuel  and about 25k from Le Touquet.Its a fairly quiet spot but hope to get out and about seeing something of the area that was part of the front line in WW1 and how it has all changed into lovely countryside.  Have visited similar areas before not far from where we are staying. Forecast is about the same for the UK but we will make the most of it.

Weather has been breezy, cloudy, sunny and occasional shower, managed to mow the lawns this morning so now I feel we can go on holiday.

HeatherB -  give Margo my best and do hope she is feeling a lot better soon.  What a thing to come home with after her super week at LG.

TerryM -  Your pics are stunning of Lewis, and of yours too, MaryGK,  they  just looks magical.

DJoanS -  like me when I got my new cam, its lovely to experiment with it.  They are lovely pictures, keep em coming.

OG -  they are lovely birds the siskins, so colourful, I always thought they were more a browny shade but no, a bright yellowish-black.

Mary GK - notice you are from an area between Sirling and Falkirk.  We lived up there for two years in the town of Denny which is not far from either those two cities. From where we lived, which was a fairly new estate on the outskirts, you could go down the road and then turn West, under the bridge and you were out towards the Campsie Fells and beyond - quite a pretty area to be located.  My, that snow was deep!!!!

Annette - sounds like its a pleasure to ferry grandson around when you have coastal roads to follow, send some of the sunshine over here!!!!!!LOL Hope you didn't strain your back or anything else - digging the trench.

SheilaFE - your photos are just stunning of the surrounding countryside you managed to visit whilst up in Inverkirkaig. The picture of your cottage reminds me of when we visited Scotland some years back and stayed at an old schoolfriends who at the time lived opposite the Summer Isles in Achiltibuie (apologies if I've spelt it wrong) and the bungalow looked out towards the Summer Isles Hotel, beautiful spot.

Just got to pack now, have some groceries ready to take with us, always do as can't get somethings that OH likes (bacon, saus's) for his breakfast.  He's promised to take me out for a meal whilst we are in France as usually I mostly cook, retiring with copious amounts of red wine at dinner and afterwards!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!    Enough from me now, take care all and TerryM -  do hope MiL's funeral goes OK for OH, yourself and the family.

 

TerryM lovely pics. You can easily correct horizons with software ie PhotoFiltre which is a freebie and excellent. I use it a lot for editing my pics.

Great pics too SheilaFE also Joan, OG, MaryGK and anyone else I have missed!

Unknown said:

Coast of Lewis, Outer Hebrides, May2011 (need camera with viewfinder so OH can get horizon horizontal)

Butt of Lewis lighthouse

South west of Harris

Lews castle

Leaving Stornoway harbour. As you can see, most of the time it was not sunny!

OG I think I will leave Tiger to explain about shoving cars out of ditches, ie, my car. LOL he started it! :)