A whitewash

We've been on holiday for the past two weeks but there was no jetting off to some exotic location and lounging about on a beach for us........no,no,no........that would be much too relaxing. Instead, we've been gaily gettting ourselves, and anything else within arm's reach, splattered with white paint in the process of giving the outside of our house a spruce up. Although we only had one storey to paint, it has been a major undertaking (a lot more wall than you might think and bumpy too!) but at last the job is done.

Jana decided that she ought to give us a little help........

Parti-coloured vizsla

.............which meant she got to experience her first ever shower and shampoo. Luckily it wasn't the gloss paint that she experimented with.

Post-shower and admiring the brilliant white walls.

"The house is so bright I gotta wear shades"

Skywatch on an anniversary

It's hard to believe that I started this blog a year ago today - it's gone so fast! Blogging has taken me all around the world and introduced me to people and places that I would never have encountered otherwise. Many of you I have come to think of as friends and I love seeing what life is like in your part of the world. Long may it continue.

I hadn't planned to participate in Skywatch Friday this week because I didn't have a suitable photo. However, that all changed earlier today when the perfect subject just fell out of the sky in front of me!

Our little village was agog with excitement when an air ambulance circled very low overhead and then set down in the doctor's surgery car park. Seeing as the car park is really rather small, we were all amazed at the skill of the pilot in getting the helicopter in there safely.

There had been a minor accident involving a car and a wall but, thankfully, the driver was not as badly injured as was first thought and she didn't actually need to be whisked away. I grabbed my camera from home in order to get some shots of the helicopter taking off. I was only able to get a few before the down draught forced me to turn away and shield my camera. It may only have been a small helicopter but it certainly whipped up the dust!

Up, up and away

See more skies from all around the world here

Visitors came and went

It's actually been almost a month since family were visiting and I've only just got around to posting the photos. There seems to be so little time for blogging when the weather is good.
I didn't even take that many photos when everyone was here.......must do better next time.

The day before Ian, Lynne and Euan arrived, they were at a cousin's wedding and the photo below is of Euan looking mega cute in his first ever kilt, complete with a slightly oversized sporran!

Out for a walk in the woods

Getting good at running now


The dogs came too........

............Lynne's Sam.........

............Kyloh (trying to ignore Jana).......

.........and Jura

Gypsy's ears are out of control

Jura - ever the agility dog



On a trip to the farm shop......

The budding rock climber

Lewis the tractor nut

Euan tries out Jana's bed

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Autumn has begun here, there's a chill in the air now in the mornings and evenings and the leaves are starting to change colour. Hay bales and stubble fields are another sign and one that Jana and Teasel really love. So many smells to check out and you just never know what might be hiding in there!

Jana and Teasel in action

Teasel gets a real gleam in her eye

Happy Louis too

This was taken not that long after Jana's stitches were removed. As you can see, she has healed well and is now back to full fitness. The enforced restricted exercise had not gone down too well and she was getting like a coiled spring towards the end of it!

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The two days of dog shows were very enjoyable and, much to my surprise, the showground at Ingliston (Edinburgh) had not turned into a mud bath. Rosa had the best result at the champ show as she won her class, neither Pansy or Desmond got placed but they both had large classes. I think Des had 14 in his and although he started out looking quite perky, he was decidedly bored by the end of it! At the pap club show the next day, again all three had large classes but this time Pansy was the only one to do anything, she was placed 4th out of 10.

Sorry to those who were interested in what the shows were like, I forgot to take my camera with me the first day and had it the second but didn't really use it! I'll make more of an effort at the next big show we go to.

A good weekend but lots of driving and very tiring. I think it took me until the Wednesday to recover.

A Moray Firth sunset

The sun was going down as I was driving home from work yesterday evening and this was the view along Lossiemouth West Beach to Covesea Lighthouse.

Check out Skywatch Friday and broaden your horizons.