Run, run, run. (Days 263 - 273)

Day 263 - Autumn Seaweed

Monday dawns, my diary if full to busting and my brain if fixed firmly on the weekend ahead an my first Cani-cross event, so I will be running in more ways than one this week.  The evening brought my usual evening class students and we went to one of my favourite local spots - the Lamlash boatyard and photographed as the dusk turned the sky pink.  The seaweed, exposed by the tide shimmered in autumn colours which are not apparent in monochrome.

Day 264 - In the spotlight

This 'bug' appeared on Tuesday evening, late, but with perfect timing as I realised I hadn't done the requisite photo of the day.  It seem unperturbed by my spotlight, however this proved tricky as I tried to manage the camera and light whilst focusing.

Day 265 - Catching the light

 Another frantic day as I run from meeting to meeting with various clients and fit the dog walks into the schedule.  I felt frustrated as the afternoon sun glinted off the trees and I wanted to spend ages taking pictures - but it is not to be this week!

Day 266 - Surfing the breeze

It was very gusty today and the sea crested and seagulls appeared to surf the wind for pure pleasure. Again time was tight just as the light was perfect - and I have yet to pack all the stuff for the weekend.

Day 267 - Mainland bales

I was mainland bound today and unsurprising the weather is turning with a wet forecast for the next 2 days.  But I am on the mainland so different opportunities arise and I get to shop, not that I like shopping but the chance to visit several outdoor shops in Perth was not to be missed.

Day 268 - Cani-cross on a scooter

Race day!  The race times really mean that I won't have much chance to take photo's but that was not what I was here for.  The weather was tipping down, making the course very slippy and muddy.  The 'wheeled' classed raced first, with bikes and scooters, single and two dog teams.  And OMG the speed the set off.  The dogs were so excited.  My nerves grew.  But before long my turn came for the novice race and Watson seemed to take it in his stride.

Day 269 - Second race day

Today I get to do it all again but further this time and I'm not quite so nervous.  A bonus was the rain abated somewhat today, but the course was still muddy.  We completed the course in a good time (for us) very slow compared to everyone else.  But I was really pleased with how it went and how Watson took to it.  I did carry a compact camera around but found it impossible to take a clear image during the race and gave up after a couple of tries and concentrated on keeping upright.

Day 269 - From my compact

Today is a rest day, if I ignore all the wet muddy kit that needs sorting out.  Decided to bundle it into a bin bag and put it in the car till we get home.  A quiet day with a gentle stroll along a lovely woodland path somewhere near Caputh.  Watson still has lots of energy and wanted to play with his ball.

Day 270 - Ugly concrete bridge on what was a beautiful woodland path.

As much as I like going away for a few day, there is something special about coming home.  And the sunlight broke through the clouds as we neared Brodick.  Worth the blast of chilly wind to get the shot.

Day 271 - Sunburst through the clouds

Back to routine and playing catch up for taking a few days off.  But today on our regular Dyemill dog walk we found a nest, likely to be from a Coal tit, on the forest floor that had fallen from the trees. An egg, well past its hatch by date, sat inside and the moss and feathers remained intact.

Day 272 - Abandoned nest

Rain was forecast all afternoon and yet it turned into one of those beautiful chilly sunny autumn days. The photo workshop today concentrated on autumn colours which are vibrant yellows and rich oranges, it will be another couple of weeks before we see the deep reds. No one was rushing so we took advantage of the fabulous conditions as stayed out an extra hour or so.

Day 273 - Little spider clings to the underside of a yellow leaf.

This is my favourite time of year for colour and light and I really hope to make the most of it over the next couple of weeks.

Black and white rainbow (and another cheat) (Days 61 - 72)

Some things work and some things don't and I often get some things wrong.  One of them being the first day of Spring, as mentioned in my last blog, was clearly on the wrong day! So lucky me, I get to do it again in this blog. And it may not be the only 'failure' I admit to in this blog. 

Day 61 - Night time photography

On 11th March - Day 61, I ran the last of my night time photography workshops for the year.  I tend to run these in the winter so that its dark early enough to get a session in without staying up all night. We were lucky to have a clear starry night where it was very cold but dry.  I also set my camera up to capture my car with painted light as well as the stars. And  we played with ghosting, light and had a lot of fun.

Day 62 - Bowser comes out to play

After spending the evening out and leaving the dogs at home, the next day Bowser decided he wanted to come to work with me.  This is very unusual for him - he is a true duvet dog (I call him my living teddy bear). He prefers to stay in bed all day and just have cuddles. I should clarify here that its his own bed and not mine! So I rewarded him with a walk on the beach - his favourite place.

Day 63 - Misty cobwebs

Thursday and the island was enveloped in misty fog that hung around most of the day.  I was amazed by the number of cobwebs around - they coated the heather in a tangled mess, all saturated with moisture.  Despite looking hard I could not find any of our 8 legged friends that were responsible!

Day 64 - Rescue helicopter

When ever I see an emergency vehicle, including the rescue helicopter I always think 'someone's having a bad day', and it makes me appreciate my lot.  I can never understand people when they get irate from being held up by accidents, I was always just grateful it was not me. But maybe this only comes from working the sharp end of life for many years.

Day 65 - Greylag geese

On a happier note I am used to seeing large flocks of Greylag geese around Shiskine at this time of year, but I had never noticed them in Lamlash before.  Earlier in the week I had seen 6 Canadian geese in the bay, but on Day 65 I found a flock of about 70 Greylags near to the outdoor centre. They were still there yesterday (21st).

Day 66 - Common Gulls in flight

 I do like photographing birds, especially in flight, where even the most common of birds can look wonderful (well in my opinion)! There are several large flocks of common gulls around the island, with quite a few juveniles mixed in, the odd black backed gull, herring gull and other sea birds.

Day 67 - A testing couple of days

I want a new lens (amongst other things) but am not sure if I can justify it - or really need it; so despite the rain I set off to test a combination of body and lens that I don't usually use to see if that would do the job instead and I could save that money and put it towards a different coveted new lens!! But after setting foot out of the door the rain lashed down and I couldn't really put it through its paces albeit I did enough to be able to cross that lens off my list (and move the coveted lens up a bit).

Day 68 - Pharos through the window

 Another day where it decided to rain the minute I got my camera out, and storms were forecast.  This boat appeared in Lamlash bay, and through AIS  I identified it as the Pharos, which was built in 2007 and is a bouy laying vessel. The following day it was off Lochranza.

Day 68 - Take 2 (black and white rainbows)

 On the same day but a little further round the coast at Brodick, the sun briefly put in an appearance and created a wonderful rainbow.  Curiosity got the better of me and I wondered what a rainbow would look like in black and white! I'm not quite sure about the effects of rain and light and at the moment cannot explain the bizarre ripple effect, so feel free to comment below.

Day 69 - Lunch time convoy

For the next 12 weeks I am making the dash to get the lunch time convoy across the String.  In the mornings I am using the Ross which is a road I love for the scenery even if it's not an ideal commute. The chap was happy to pose for the camera and said everyone was very friendly.  Regardless of our feelings on closure I don't think anyone doubts the roads need repairing!

Day 70 - Baby fir cones

Oh but how this photograph needs colour.  These cute little buds the size of my little finger nail are bright pink with little green tips. Black &white does not do mother nature justice.  So I apologise for the 'cheat' but the colour version is at the bottom of the blog (that's 2 cheats in 72 days - I'm not sure if that's good or bad). Oh and I think today is actually the first day of Spring?

Day 71 - Trees

 There is something about trees and the form they take.  Changing throughout the year, from naked stark shapes to vibrant green and autumnal decay - I am fascinated.  This one seemed to be weeping fine strands, possibly of lichen but I couldn't reach it to see. I reminded me of a blood vessel diagram - no morbidity intended, from large artery to fine capillaries.

Day 72 - Hardy souls

I cannot begin to describe how cold it is today.  The wind is cutting through my fingers as I take this picture, my ears have fallen off and my nose hurts.  I marvel at the crew on both the boats as they must (I assume) be enjoying themselves. As a former winter kayaker, I understand their drive to be out and the pleasure derived from it. Whatever our passions, it is just about getting on and doing it.

The 'cheat' - Baby fir cones 

A mixed bag (Days 31 - 40)

Day 36 - My Valentine Days Picture of Jim

I now seem to be getting into the swing of this and must admit to finding it a little easier with the odd day of sunshine - ok that may be an exaggeration, but it hasn't rained every day and it could be described as positively bright on occasion!

Day 31 - Snowdrops: The flower of hope

Spring is definitely on the way and my snowdrops (a topic I have previously covered) have put on a good show over the last few weeks, the daffodils are starting to poke their heads up and so are the croci.

Day 32 - Heather showing some early colour

Strangely enough my heather has also started to bloom, which I was not expecting until May or June! However these are probably confused plants as I rescued them from a B & Q store last year for 50p as they were essentially dead!

Day 33 - Clouds lift to show the snow capped mountains of Arran

For most of the last few weeks we have had snow on the mountains and when the clouds clear this looks awesome. Inviting and scary all at the same time; Arrans mountains are definitely not to be underestimated in full winter conditions.

Day 34 - A visit to the Business Gateway office

The bad days have seen me catching up with paperwork - a worthwhile exercise as the tax man has now paid me back some money - and I'm starting to get ready for the coming season.  I always find it interesting to see how other people work and am amazed at the different styles of office (good and bad).  Not everyone has a tuba sat in the corner.  But that's what you can find in Derek Shand's office.

Day 35 - Surreal steam

Thursday afternoon was another cold one, and I was running a catch up session for a couple of students where we needed to be outside, so I took the opportunity to grab a shot of the stream before returning home.

Day 37 - North Glen Sannox bridge

Friday the 14th was memorable, and not just for being Valentines day. It started bitterly cold and yet again my students turned up for their outside lesson the last one of a short course where all their skills are put into practice - hard when fingers are frozen to the core! In the final exercise I found some warmth in the Holy Isle Ferry cabin on Lamlash pier where Jim (see above) was good enough to let me photograph him.  Men with beards are very photogenic and this is my favourite picture from the last 10 days. The afternoon brought the island to a standstill with vicious snow storms and howling gales.

Day 38 - Remains of Kildonan castle 

A free weekend loomed and I was frustrated at not being able to get into the mountains due to a leg injury but shorter low level walks, just to the snow line kept me out of trouble and meant that I could take both dogs (Bowser isn't fit enough to do full mountain days).  A saunter up North Glen Sannox followed by a day on the beach at Kildonan ensured I had sufficient exercise and fresh air.

Day 39 - Watson

Monday came round quickly, and with it more of the wet stuff - it's hard to believe we were all screaming drought two years ago. Tuesday and day 40 was fine again in the afternoon, so I decided to take a walk somewhere a bit different to usual and explored a little of the coast around Imachar.  The sea was calm so it was great for bird spotting - albeit the majority were too far away for a photo.  The Eider duck seem to have survived the storms well and large flocks floated off the shore, along with smaller groups of razorbills.  Other divers were there (photo's still being looked at for id purposes) including the Great Northern Diver, Black and Red Throated divers.

Day 40 - Shags at Imachar