June is bursting out all over....

You can say that again. And again.  I have never had so many spikes on the Rogersii.

New trellis up for the burgeoning Clematis.

And the other Clematis, alongside which is the second Rogersii, also throwing up more spikes.

I planted 150 Allium bulbs.  No way have I got 150 Alliums come up!  Not even a quarter of them, ah well, they have made up for my disappointment.  I do have a sample of each one, but not all out yet.

A lovely sheltered sun trap.  I only discovered this while staggering, to the left of the lilac tree, to the compost bin heaving a trug full of weeds.

I thought, "Hey up, this is a lovely, sheltered sun trap."  So dragged a few chairs across.

But didnt dare sit on them as I would never have got up again.

I do think that it must be down to the funny weather we have had that everything is flowering like mad.  

"This could be the last time we blossom!"

Just all of a sudden there's flowers everywhere you look.

Sadly the DP went a bit mad with the weather being warm, sunny, windless and now been diagnosed with sciatica and loaded up with pills.  Having read the blurb that comes with pills these days, too much information......  I shall be surprised if he survives.

Howsomever, he was told today, best cure is to walk.  So no excuse tomorrow when I kick him out of bed.

It was his excuse to justify the boat trip he went on at the weekend.  Our insurance man just got himself a new Rib, No his name is not Adam, tis a boat.  That goes very, very fast.  And no doubt where our insurance money went.

By the time you have all the safety gear, inflating body suits, life saver efforts you couldnt walk very far anyway.

So off they bounced.  These Ribs dont sail smoothly across the briny, they bounce. Very fast.  Up the coast to Pennan.  Made famous in the filum, "Local Hero".  

Once the boat stopped bouncing the cameras were released from their waterproof safe.

The real reason for the jaunt.  Taking photographs.  Guillemot.

Puffin.

My favourite, above, Gannet.

Do you think I should be seeking therapy?  I cannot stop drawing and painting Gannets.  OCG.

Nearly finished.

Lighthouse Keepers Cottage, part 2.

The Northern Lighthouse Board not only had to provide their keepers with cottages in which to house their families, but also land on which to graze a cow and grow their own food.

The (empty) greenhouse is , of course, a fairly modern addition.   These photographs show the 'garden' area as it is today.

  Some of the garden is under cultivation.  Thanks to the local Banff and Buchan College, based in Fraserburgh, which sends along a team of young adults with special needs to cultivate it.  They appear every Friday in term time along with their tutors and plant seeds, weed, and cultivate.

During the school holidays, well, back to nature.

Some things survive.  The rhubarb crop is amazing.  And I am sure that they all get a great deal of satisfaction from watching seeds germinate, flowers appearing.  But I have a sneaking suspicion that they get far more enjoyment from going berserk in the Museum shop and buying far too much rock than is good for them, and spending a lot of time sitting on our cannons outside having a fag.  And, sadly, we do not have a cow.

So second plan for me is to, whilst working alongside the local college, to involve volunteers, either retired folk in sheltered housing  who miss their garden and still have the knowledge, bit of energy, delight in gardening to join in with the young adults.  Or anyone else I can drag in!

Who knows, we might then get a cow!  No, even I am not that daft.

Produce from the garden would supply the restaurant at the Lighthouse Museum, we are already using the rhubarb.  Aaaah Rhubarb Crumble with our wonderful chef's artistic twists.  To die for.

So, there you go.

Now in between all the planning and plotting for the Museum of Scottish Lighthouses to make it more user friendly and such a wonderful place to visit!!!!  I did manage something I have never done before.

Art 'En Plein Air'.  This is just a posh way of saying, "Get outside, draw, paint, but get outside.!"

The Art groups I belong to have all been booted out of Dalrymple Hall this week as it is the Junior Arts Summer Show.  They take over the whole building.  For a week. Their Summer Show is based on the Ugly Duckling......

So our Wednesday Art Group went to St Combs.  Plonked ourselves on the beach, or in my case on a grit store box, quite comfortable actually.  And painted, drew, sat and just looked.  It was overcast, but it was warm and no wind, which is heaven up here. After two hours we moved to the Community run cafe and had lunch.

Then today - well it was like being in the Med.  Our Thursday Art Group started with lunch, much more civilised.  And then moved on to Rosehearty Harbour.

I sat on the floor here and drew some of the boats, pen and ink.

Did a lovely study of the lobster pots.

Watched the other lot, across the harbour, with deck chairs, paints, water, creating a finished picture. I really must get more organised for this 'En Plain Air' activity.

And then just looked at the amazing view.  Life in the North East of Scotland, you cannot beat it.  When it isnt windy, raining, misty.  Just wonderful.  

Ey up, I havent finished.  Last night whilst lighting the wood burner I hear a dull thud.  On looking out of the window I saw that the front garden wall was now laying on the lawn.

And a Land Rover with a trailer pulling away.  I shot out. Apparently the bloke in the landrover had stopped to have a chat to the farmer examining his Neeps (Swedes/big turnips) in the field opposite and wanting to chat face to face had reversed his landrover so to do, his trailer then did a sharp left wheely and demolished our wall, "I forgot I had the bloody trailer on!"

Anyroads, demolisher and friend are currently rebuilding wall.  While the DP  and I mutter about should have demolished the lot and then we could have a nice picket fence, as really the wall is an abomination......made of breeze blocks and some sort of ghastly 'dressing' which wouldnt be allowed on any self respecting DIY tele programme.  

Ah to be in a Lighthouse Keepers Cottage. With a lovely white wall, or a harbour wall, such artistry.....

Lighthouse Keeper's Cottage.

A view you do not often see.  This is the 'back door/gate' of the Museum of Scottish Lighthouses.

We have workmen in at the moment from Historic Scotland, hence the open gate, and parked lorry.

The Keepers Cottages face you, the one on the left is the Second Keeper's Cottage.

Here is the door.

Since the Keepers were no longer required, following the electrification of the Lighthouse, and it now being replaced and becoming a Museum, this cottage has been used as a store room for stationery.  Though only bits and pieces left now.

The interior.

Through the shutters is a view of the sea.

Awful built in wardrobes/cupboards, behind which could be some original wallpaper.

Bedroom fireplace.

Cast iron bath.

In one of the other store rooms is.....

Now just guess what my next plan is.

From Dawn til Dusk?

It is 17 minutes past 9 p.m. the sun is still shining.  Here in the North East of Scotland the earth has tilted, heading for the 21st June, Mid summers day when it will not get dark at all.  (That was fine the year we got married, much younger and fitter, we celebrated !)

So how do the animals and birds cope with that?

(Both the Badger and the Gannet were photos taken by friends of the DP, not his, he is still having hissy fits re these.)

And the Puffin was taken by the DP, but off the tele.

The following are by the Dawn Patroller, all his own.

Could be a wild cat.  Well it wasnt very pleased with the DP snapping it, and kept moving away......

But, seriously, how do they cope with there being no night time?

I find it very difficult, despite having lived here for 13 years.  Now have black out lined curtains.  But the cats scramble up onto the window sill and move them,  so dawn/sun streaming in at whateveroclock is like a very loud alarm clock.  Some mornings one goes into automatic mode and has the coffee and the slice of toast before looking at the clock and realising its 4 a.m.  Then you wonder why you are ready for bed just as the Channel Four News is starting.

Mindst you the light is brilliant for painting.
The pictures that are provided, from whichever source are exciting.  

Specially when its a Gannet!

Lots more in the pipeline, the light from dawn til dusk has been amazing, I have Sheep, I have, oh yes, another Gannet rising up from the sea....and more.... so more daylight hours, more paintings! Yay.