It ends with a death and a hot dog (Days 153 - 162)

Day 153 - Pladda

I never tire of this view and am constantly amazed by how it changes with weather (and different lenses).  On a calm day it can be really peaceful.

Day 154 - Air guitar

Today I did a quick portrait session on the beach for a friend.  It was lovely and sunny with a nice breeze.  I loved the more candid pictures of her playing naturally and had to laugh as this looks like she's playing 'air guitar' - maybe a glimpse into the future?

Day 155 - White foxglove

 Today I had a land rover photo safari arranged with the Arran Rangers and we travelled into Glen Rosa.  Despite being overcast we got some great shots and found a beautiful white foxglove, gold-ringed dragonflies, orchids and much more.  Looking forward to the next one in August.

Day 156 - Portrait of Cameroon

 I don't do many portrait sessions and I think some of that is because the 'British' are a bit reticent about having their pictures taken.  No so with the Cameroonians who visited Arran this week. They were more than happy to pose, and in fact queued to get a chance of being photographed. Many were in traditional dress and they played the drums and generally had great fun, the full colourful album can be seen here.

Day 157 - Crumpled wings

Back to my more usual habitat of flora and fauna and I came across a crumpled gold-ringed dragonfly on a footpath but it was still alive, so I gently lifted it and removed some 'debris' from its wings and held it against a fern stalk.  It grabbed on and shook its wings and seemed to be happier, so I left it alone in the hope it would recover.

Day 158 - Evening flowers

Monday evening and it was beautiful light for the start of some 'drop in' evening sessions which I am running through the summer.  Tonight we walked up to the lochan at Dyemill and practiced some close up skills as well as a couple of landscapes.  Anyone interested in evening sessions just needs to get in touch.

Day 159 - Hot hot hot

This evening it was far too hot to do a 5km run (first one in about 18 months) but that's what I did.  Why you may ask - well I'm signed up for the first 5km Gate to Gate fun run next week at Brodick Castle and I needed the practice.  I had to have a dip in the sea straight afterwards.

Day 160 - Light 

It's still hot and as I sat in my sunchair in the garden I couldn't help but notice the light shining through one of my plants.  Felling lazy (probably due to last nights run), I decided that would do for today's image and I'm actually quite pleased with it.

Day 161 - Dead Kettle

Today my kettle died.  The electrics went off so I tried the usual changing the fuse with my fingers crossed that this would not work (and it didn't). Strange you may think that I would be happy about the demise of my kettle.  Well yes in some ways; I loved the bright red enamel, apart from the fact it chipped badly around the lid.  I loved that it boiled quickly but not to the extent I needed ear defenders when it was turned on and I couldn't boil the kettle and answer the phone or even listen to music. I always overfilled it as I couldn't read the measure and it was heavy.  So it was a love hate relationship which is now over and I have a new see through kettle!

Day 162 - Resting in the shade

I am taking the full blame for the current heatwave on two counts, firstly I had a new wood burning stove fitted and second I have a new running harness for Watson.  Both require a bit of 'cool' to be tested.  But yesterday I found a lovely shaded forest path to test out the harness, and it had a couple of steams with pools for the dog along the way.  Watson seemed less sure of his new harness but ran really well with stops for a quick swim in the pools.  Strangely he pulls more on his lead than in the harness but I'm sure he'll take to cani-cross.

The Cameroon comes to Arran

Yesterday a group of lovely people from the  Cameroonian Association came to visit Arran.  I know little about the Cameroon other than it is on the African continent - a place I have travelled to many times - but I do know it has British and French connections as it was a French Republic before being split between Britain and France after WWI before it gained independence in around 1960.

Cameroon have a team in the World Cup but have lost their first match to Mexico, and the odds on them winning are 2000/1!!

But what did I observe about the people who visited Arran?  Firstly, that they wanted their photographs taken, they actually queued and were keen to see what I had taken on the screen.

They were colourful and proud of their national style of dress - I have to admit to loving the colours and hair styles (I always wears black and tie my hair back into a clip).

They were keen to dance, sing and bang the drums. The smaller children loved the playground, and the teenagers paddled in the sea (screeching as the cold water hit their feet).

And they were interested in us and our environment.  COAST had laid on touchy/feely tanks full of sea creatures and they all were keen to have a look.

But mostly they were a large family group, from babes in arms, teenagers and the older generation they all engaged with each other and us.  They were a happy friendly group and I hope they go away with some happy memories of the Island.

The full album of photo's can be found here. (Arran in Focus facebook page).