Nodding dog (Days 285 - 295)

Day 285 - Sleepy head

Bowser is sat at my feet, the kitchen is warm as I do some cooking and despite being tired he won't go to bed just is case I drop something tasty, but he keeps nodding off and reminds me of one of those nodding dogs that I used to see on the back shelf of cars - do you remember them?

Day 286 - Conkers

 A bumper year for conkers but I never seem to see any children playing this game anymore.

Day 287 - Workshop in Merkland

Workshops this week have meant waterproofs and wellies form part of the essential kit list but the fabulous colours of Merkland wood make up for it.

Day 288 - Fly Agaric

 The bright red colour of this fungi gives away it's toxic nature - not one for the pot.

Day 289 - RNLI launch

 The RNLI on Arran got a new lifeboat and today was it's official launch and naming day. The ILB Rachel Hedderwick.

Day 290 - Wet and windy

 The views on today's workshops were stormy and windblown scenes with lots of crashing waves.  But I like the serenity of this tree as we found shelter and a grey stillness in Lochranza.

Day 291 - Night at the Castle

As Brodick Castle prepares to close for the season, it has a couple of scary events this week with halloween and a murder mystery night. Some of the students from this night time session managed to capture 'ghosts' on their pictures.

Day 292 - Head in a hole

This series of three pictures shows Watson spotting a hole and then trying to prise himself into it.  It was just where a wooden post had been but there must have been a good smell down there.

Day 293 - Strangely warm

 We seem to be having a very warm spell for the end of October and it all feels a bit peculiar.

Day 294 - Loch Iorsa 

Took the dog for a short run up to the loch.  I nice undulating track with a swim at the end before we turned back.

Day 295 - Halloween

A pumpkin hanging on the gate of the aptly named 'Dyemill' lodges - I wonder if anyone was brave enough to stay overnight.

Weddings, wasps and wabbits! (Day 201 - 210)

Day 201 - Cold water

The hardest thing about this blog is deciding on a title each time and I did consider calling it 'hint of a tint' this time as the cold water of the River Iorsa, ended up with a hint of a blue tint. But the air temperature was significantly higher and the wasps seem to be having a good summer.

Day 202 - When grey doesn't work

Coastguard training night and all the ropes were laid out in front of the station as the team went through some mock drills for cliff rescue.  The midges were fearsome and added a sense of urgency and intense irritation to add to the tension.  It was also the night for letting off the bright orange smoke flares that were at the end of their expiry term, so the grey smoke is really bright orange and was enough to bring the RNLI boat charging across the bay in the hope of a rescue requirement.

Day 203 - Carrie

Carrie is one of the Estate dogs and has a formidable bark when anyone arrives at the door, but she's really quite a sweetie and has been coming out for walks with my two mad spaniels this week while her master is away. But don't be totally fooled, she has been known to raid my handbag for dog treats when I've not bee looking.

Day 204 - Secret wedding

Today I had the pleasure of photographing a lovely couple at their secret wedding.  They had decided to avoid all the pressures of a big wedding and sneak away to get wed.  After a shocking start to the day, the sun came out for a lovely afternoon before the heavens opened again after we'd finished the photographs.

Day 205 - Wasp windowsill

I'm trying really hard to be environmentally friendly and apparently wasps are good.  But its hard when I have a nest in the roof space and these are some of the 100 dead bodies under my window as they have become trapped in the bedroom and baked in the sunshine.  Is it me or are there a lot of wasps this year?

Day 206 - Rabbit pie

 When the dogs go ballistic looking out of the window I expect to see a pheasant partaking of the bird food but instead got a surprise as this rabbit hopped around without a care in the world.  Poor Bowser was apoplectic with excitement.

Day 207 - Arran does Urban

Evening class night and another challenge for my students.  This time it was 'Arran does Urban' and we looked at buildings, plant and other industrial structures around Brodick - while I took in a view across the bay.

Day 208 - Ratty

 Apoplectic dog take two!  This time it was ratty come to feed alongside the birds.  But I have to say I'm not quite so tolerant of this rodent and the dogs were allowed to chase it away.

Day 209 - Marvin with one of his sculptures 'in progress'

 Marvin Elliott is a regular at the Arran Farmers Show demonstrating his skills at carving. I did go on one of his great 2 day courses, which was held at Brodick Castle last year and I know is a regular feature of the Rangers annual programme.

Day 210 - Landrover Safari

And today was another of the Arran Rangers service events, a photography land rover safari.  Yet again the weather stayed fine (actually quite sunny) and we managed to see an adder as well as the tremendous views up Glen Rosa.

The Yard (A to Z challenge)

One place I am always guaranteed to get a photograph is the yard. Just down the road in the middle of Lamlash is a small boat yard and pier where all things nautical can be found, such as the Holy Isle ferry, Ocean breeze rib tours and of course the RNLI.

The boat yard at Lamlash

Many of the yachts seem to stay put all year round but other's regularly go out to sea, and are moored in the bay.  But its not just the boats but all the other things around that can inspire an image.  There are anchors, swans, and people.

Discarded anchor

The pier is also the site of the Boxing Day Dooking!  Where the hardy (and some would say foolish) throw themselves into the sea and swim around the pier in what is often freezing temperatures.  The RNLI have staff in the water so it does not turn into a tragedy and remains a fun event. My excuse for not 'dooking' is the camera would get wet!

Old boat put to good use at Whiting Bay