The New Year we always hope will be better than the last, it seldom is, in my opinion anyhow!
Oh dear I do sound very dismal and downcast don't I!!!
So maybe I should shut up and start again.
I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, spent time with your loved ones and received the gifts you hoped for. I send you greetings for the New Year I hope it is filled with health and happiness.
Was that better? I thought so.
Well I am going to try for a photo a day in the new year so that should be interesting, I did it a couple of years ago and I did manage it. I have bought a new camera, a Canon M5 this is the camera I will probably use for this project.
My doc Marten collection is up to 9 pairs I have been looking in the sales, but so far I have resisted. Tony bought me a Doc Marten Tassel bag for my joint birthday and Christmas pressie, which was very nice of him. This is my special bag for special occasion's and days out to special places. The M5 fits inside very snugly.
The squirrels have still been visiting on an almost daily basis even the snow and cold could not keep them away. I bought them some hazel, cob and walnuts for Christmas, but this year there wasn't a Brazil nut to be seen anywhere.
I made cards for the neighbours this year and all of them seemed pleased with them except for the pompous ones next door who seem to think they are a step above just because he has been on telly. Well next year they won't get a card at all, "thrummpp" to them...
We had a trip to Scotland in November, it was very cold, it snowed but we enjoyed ourselves. We did have a couple of mishaps while we were there. We managed to lose the exhaust pipe on the car going up the drive to the Rural Retreat. Tony slipped in the Rural Retreat garden and fell on his back, which is never a good thing to happen. A few days later we went to Tesco Tony began to climb out of the car, put one foot on the ground and slid out of the car hurting his back, arm and head. The ground was just like a sheet of glass where there had been no salt or sand put down. I think Tony may have had concussion for a few days following that slip.
We had stayed at a cottage called Squirrel Lodge before going to the Rural Retreat. They told us they had red squirrels visiting the garden and the cottage was a beautiful comfy home from home.
There was no red squirrels to be seen, the cottage was not comfy it was cramped, and on an evening as soon as the daylight dimmed there was noises in the walls and ceiling. All night long something was running about above our heads, whether it was mice wearing pit boots, rats or something else we never found out, all we do know is we will not be going there again!
I took a photo of a Curlew and some Redshanks then Over head there was a flock of what seemed to be hundreds of Geese flying overhead.
Curlew
Redshanks
Flying Geese
I am not sure what kind of geese they were but I think they were either pink foot or Greylag.
I like the skies in Scotland, they are wonderful colours. We haven't managed to see the Northern Lights on any visits yet but the colours are still amazing anyway. They can be very grey and dark but there is always a bit of light in there somewhere.
Scottish Skies
Sometimes it is hard to tell where the mountain ends and the sky begins, the mountain just seems to keep going up and up never ending.
Scottish Snow
Of course you have to give a mention to all the castles and ruins you see in Scotland and on the way home. There is so much beauty to be seen in everything.
Castles & Ruins
Oh and of course you have to give a mention to The Mermaid "Arria" that stands arms out stretched at the side of the A80 at Cumbernauld. You can't really miss her. She stands an amazing 33feet high sparkling in the sun. Arria pays hommage to Cumbernauld, which in Gaelic is Cumer nam allt - the coming together of the waters.
Arria The Mermaid
So yes that is something you will all look out for next time you are up that way. It is Scotlands answer to the Angel of The North, but so much prettier.
The squirrels soon got back into the swing of things,
She's back
Nuts on the window ledge
Got them!
A happy squirrel again.
Until the new year...
