Happy as a pig in the proverbial smelly stuff

So, this is the reason I've not blogged in a while. We've been building, sawing, hammering, and running around like a blue ***** fly trying to get the houses ready for the various new  additions to the 'good life'. So the new chooks, 6 hens from an organic farm up the road, and one very young black cockerel who's been henpecked like mad by the others ever since he arrived. We've called the hen in charge Maureen, and the cock Giuseppe as we thought he needed a bit of an Italian stallion sounding name to encourage him and give him a bit more confidence. He's got one hen who he perches next to, like a pair of little love birds, so we think she may be a Juliet in the making. Perhaps he should be Romeo? We've put them in an old garden hut we raised 6 feet of the ground, and made a wee ladder for them to climb up so they can shut themselves in a night. They all quite happily go up, minus one who gets kicked out by the others so we have to put her in ourselves to deter the foxes.

In addition to this little family, we also acquired a share in three little Tamworth pigs. They're for the chop come end of the year, which is a bit unfortunate as I think we've all fallen for them. (Well I have anyway) We spent ages building the electric fence and mending the arc, and thought all was solid, when within 2 minutes of the weaners arriving they escaped, like the fence was never on. I fell about laughing, so much for our craftsmanship skills. An hour later we finally got them back, three little sows, all stuck together like glue.

They're slowly getting used to us, but still very jumpy, so the only chance I can get to draw them is when they're chomping. So, I imagine there will be many more sketches on their way, next time in colour. As for their names? Bacon, Chorizo and Salami....

Sandwood Bay

I recommend to anyone who can face a 4 mile hike, and an extensive trip right up to the north west highlands, to visit Sandwood Bay in Sutherland. It takes your breath away, and its not just the hike doing that. Its a John Muir nature reserve, about a 2 mile or so long white beach with a loch behind it, and when we got there a thick ha was creating such an atmospheric scene, it felt like you stepped back to the time of pirates and the ghosts of the Spanish Armada.

We had heard tales of the resident ghost, and treasure that is supposed to be on the beach from ships that have run aground there, so we did the 4 mile hike with metal detectors.... like we were going to find anything on a huge white beach with massive sand dunes, but hey ho. So while one of us went off scanning with the detector, I sat and tried to paint the ha, the dogs ran wild up and down the dunes, and it was so idyllic, not even the ghost could scare off the sea eagle I saw perched by the loch. Bliss.

No head for heights

Drew this the evening before we were due to head up one of the Cuillins on Skye. This lot are the Red Cuillins, and I had my back determinedly facing the Black ones that we were due to climb. I love climbing Munroes (mountains above 3000 feet), such a great sense of achievement - and the views if you've not got your head in a cloud are to die for. Well hopefully not literally.
Anyway, this was my first attempt at a Cuillin, and also the first time I've taken the dog with me. Initially I was more worried about her, but she turned out to be a real natural. Jumping about like a mountain goat and balancing on the most precarious rocks like she's been doing it all her life, and not disturbing an inch of scree. I was fine on the way up, a beautiful day, but the way back down, as I've not head the best head for heights, I was clinging to every bit of rock imaginable. Steep drop on each side, and trying not to hyperventilate. Breathe in at the nose, out from the mouth, in, out, in, out. But, they say you've got to face your fear don't they, and I'm glad I did, and now got another fear tackled and dealt with. Maybe not for good but at least vaguely conquered. It could have been a lot worse as my friend slipped down the scree and banged his head, and the sight of blood pouring out stopped my own panic and made me concentrate on his. Luckily not a big gash, so sticky plaster on, carried on down and dogs patiently waited for me to crawl down on my behind, and a very refreshing skinny dip in a crystal clear mountain burn cooled me down in all sensed of the word. Bliss.

Ambitions

On one of the many ferries I took, I ended up in one of the passageways where dogs were allowed. So we sat and dozed and read, and I ended up drawing this, a young mother and her very active toddler who had slept all the way from Manchester, and now decided to be up and active on the 6 hour ferry crossing while her exhausted Mum tried to keep an eye on her.

I was initially trying to draw a young shepherd/part time lobster fisherman, who was in the dog section with us and his sheep dog. He was just 19, but already had huge plans and ambitions. He'd been over to New Zealand when he was 17 after saving up, learnt how to shear sheep, came back and was now a travelling shepherd around Scotland and the Outer Hebrides, shearing sheep during the season, with his big ambition to shear 400 sheep in one day. Last year he made it to 370 odd. He was also saving up to buy a big Charolais bull so he could start his own herd and breed prize winning cows.

I thought his ambition was great, its not often you meet someone that age who knows exactly what he wants to do in life. I kept trying to draw him but he looked so self conscious I stopped and drew the toddler instead who had no such fears, and kept on quite happily trying to wake her Mum up, in between making faces in the mirror, running over to pat the dogs, and stare at people from between her legs. Hope she grows up just as self assured as the young shepherd.

Seals

We had a big colony of seals living just off where we were staying. The first night we didn't have a clue what that eerie sound was, all sorts of howls and squeals, so it wasn't till morning that we saw about 40 seals, all sizes and colours balancing on the rocks in the harbour, soaking up the sun. You can definitely see why the ancient mariners believed in mermaids and weird sea creatures and harpies with the sounds that came out of these beautiful creatures, especially when it was all foggy and incredibly spooky.
All blissfully happy basking, until the tide started rising again and the groans and grunts and cries of disgust and shock when the cold water started to lap at their sides and cover their flippers hanging off the sides. It was generally the big daddy of them all that lasted right till the end as he had the largest and highest rock, and he wouldn't let anyone else dare try to get on with him, even going as far as pushing a few off just to make sure they all knew who was in charge.

Literature & Lighthouses

Did these two drawings in the space of a matter of hours, and again, its amazing the variety of weathers Scotland can throw at you on a whim, from blazing sunshine to a storm in a teacup, (or whisky glass being Islay).

Painting not great as not done on watercolour paper but as had nothing else to hand, I couldn't resist trying to capture the dark clouds racing north from the Irish coast. The lighthouse is a Robert Stevenson one, built in 1825, the grandfather of Robert Louis Stevenson of 'Kidnapped' and 'Treasure Island' books. It was a family business building lighthouses, and Robert the younger bucked the trend and went off to test his literary leanings. I was actually named after one of his books, so I feel a lot of sympathy with him in doing what was definitely not expected of him. A man after my own heart...

Choughs away

Did thison my first morning in Islay, and went a bit crazy with the inks, but I enjoyed doing it, and though the splats were accidental, I like the randomness and slight craziness of it all. Guess the sun and wind and beautiful views were inspiring me to let go. Had also just seen some choughs, (endangered birds that look a bit like blackbirds but with red legs and beaks and swooping flight) so that lifted us up no end. Tried to draw them but dogs were mightily interested in them too so had to drag them and us away.