Sunday, August 12, 2007

reasons to be cheerful, part three...

Ok, I know it is raining, and, to use a favourite word, it is driech, but we have found a place to live, and it is on the right side of Aberdeen. We have to wait a couple of weeks for the current incumbent to pack his bags, but when he has, it's off to our farm cottage we will go.



















Last week we had the Turriff show, owing to the foot and mouth episode all the customary livestock was omitted, thus we didn't have the traditional 'escaping bull' moment, as another couple of tons of prime aberdeen angus decides that, no, he doesn't want to circle the ring and instead opts for the open road. This left us with the dubious pleasures of giant vegetables, macaroni art and young gels (and not so young) on ponies, and a stunt motorcyclist who underwhelmed.























We also visited the Pittenweem Art Show, where the former Nottingham correspondent photographed these rather splendid pieces of industrial knitting floating in the harbour.






















Here's another reason to be cheerful...




posted by Lampy @ 8/12/2007 12:15:00 pm 0 comments

Wednesday, August 01, 2007

nature notes #257

As I stood by the lake this morning, having lost the dog toy in a tree yet again, my attention was caught by a fluttering among the trees on the far side of the water. As it was bright sunshine and mid-morning, I was quite surprised to realise that this was a medium sized bat, methodically hoovering up the insects which are abundant in the warm weather. Somehow I had always made the assumption that bats only hunt in the dusk, this has always been the time when I have seen them before. My researches lead me to the conclusion that it was probably a Daubentons bat, as it was quite large, and of the eight species recorded in Scotland, this is the one that most commonly lives near and feeds over water. I wasn't really close enough to see its ears or nose, which are the most accurate ways of identifying a species apparently.

posted by Lampy @ 8/01/2007 04:10:00 pm 0 comments