Photohunt - Standing

We were very surprised, when walking along a deserted beach near Gairloch, to find this young skua standing very close to us, seemingly unafraid of humans.

A funny old day.........

That's what it's been today.
First, someone gave me a very surprising answer to a question I was afraid to ask (and probably shouldn't have asked).
Then I recieved an unexpected email from a person who's surname I had failed to register when I first met them just before Christmas, and I nearly deleted it as spam! I wonder if that may turn out to be significant..........?

Funny the things life turns up isn't it?

Retail therapy

OK. I wasn't away as long as I thought I might be.
Lifted my spirits with a bit of retail therapy today. I rarely indulge, but when I do it has to be worth it ....

New boots (not in the sale, but bought with Xmas gift tokens), coat, dress and top (all less than half price in sale). Jolly pleased with them all.
Easily pleased I hear you say?................
.....................................................................well I am a woman after all ;)

Au revoir

Something happened yesterday that shocked and hurt me.
Nothing to do with this blog, but I am still reeling, and I don't think I'll be blogging for a while.
I may be back.

Photohunt - Shadow

I positioned myself very carefully in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty to take this picture :-)

Last day in Inveraray

The last day of our wee break was spent doing a very long, but relatively flat, walk to Rob Roys house - or so it was billed. In reality we never quite got there because of our inability to cross a rather swollen river about 200 metres from the end. We did however have a very pleasant 22km stroll which I suppose worked off a few calories.
The light wasn't good for taking pictures and this was probably the best of the day, taken right at the start of the walk -

A lazy New Years day

Our wee break on the beautiful west coast continued with a very lazy New Years day to make up for Hogmanay's exertions.
If this was someone else's blog there would be a picture of the fried egg roll (for me) and full Scottish breakfast (for BF) that the Cottage Cafe served up immaculately for us - imagine, a fine wee cafe open on 1st January in a Scottish village! But I didn't think of that at the time, so instead here's a couple of photos of our exploration of the Crinan canal later in the day........

And this was my first attempt at using the "gorillapod" that Santa brought me -

Yes, I need some more practice!
Just before heading back to the cottage we encountered these chaps (and chap-ess) who seemed very well equipped for both the terrain and the weather :-)

The Cobbler (or to use its Sunday name, Ben Arthur)

Ever since the days in the dim and distant past when I used to take trainees for training dives in the sheltered waters of Loch Long, I have always wanted to climb the foreboding peaks of the Cobbler which over looks the loch.
Maybe Hogmanay wasn't a good choice of timing though.
It looked fine from the lochside.....

...but became icier and icier as we ascended.....

 

...until hard packed ice and the lack of crampons and ice axe meant the only sensible decision was to abandon the attempt about 150 metres short of the first summit.

The return route wasn't any easier, and the views were largely obscured by cloud,
 

....so that's another one we'll have to return to in the summer.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year!
I haven't been around for a while because I managed to escape for a peaceful new year, staying in this inviting little fishermans cottage -

...............with a view from the front door that looked, when we arrived on Dec 30th, like this in one direction -

....and this in the oposite direction -