March ends well on Mull

You might be forgiven for thinking that Farmer is not doing any farming just now, but it is not the case.  He is as busy as always, but I have not been around when he has been doing photographically interesting things this last few weeks!  He has had all the sheep in and through the fank, including the tups before lunch today, so everything has been checked over and all the ewes have been given a drench against Fluke.  So everything is in place now for lambing - each group of ewes and the gimmers (1st time mums) are in their particular fields, or back on the hill, ready for D day - in about 10 days time!

The turkeys are still here, much to Daughter's dismay.  She is not keen!  I am quite enjoying watching them but I am no closer to understanding what they are about.  The Silver laced Wyandotte doesn't like them, particularly at feeding time, and sees them off.  I was surprised to see these two hens spatting yesterday, all feathers flying, and to see Mr Turkey come in to swipe at them with his powerful wings, which knocked one of the hens into the burn.  She wasn't hurt, and quickly went back to stand her ground with the other hen.

We took an hour to walk the dogs down to the Ensay burn-mouth yesterday afternoon. I wanted to see if the Hebridean Bulb Venture daffodils were out yet, as Farmer was talking about putting the tups into the graveyard field. The only daffodils flowering were the ones inside the Morrison grave plot which is more sheltered than the open field.  The tups will stay out of that field for another week or so. 

It was lovely to see a good clump of Primroses,  at the edge of the wood.

The herons are nesting in the same place as last year, and from the graveyard we had a great view of 2 of them flying and one sitting on the nest at the very top of the same tree!  A long light neck sticking out, it looked quite comical.

Jan and Walter looking as if butter wouldnt melt.

Cap makes for the water as soon as we get to this spot, always ready to retrieve something.  It was too cold for dog swimming, even though it was sunny.

The Croig boat was out lifting creels off shore, it is always good to see them here, especially in calm weather!

Early evening and the light changed, became quite dramatic.

Before bed the camera picked up some colour in the sky though all I could see was stars. 

And at about 2 in the morning, the camera set to click every 10 minutes while I was asleep, picked up this pink cloud which surprised me this morning when I checked the camera. 

A glorious school bus dog walk this morning at Calgary and only one day left in March which appears to be ending well for us... 

Not a drop of rain all week

This is the kind of March I remember when we first arrived at Treshnish, when you lost track of when it last rained.  We have been really appreciating it, as have our guests!

Usually we consider the Easter weekend as being the start of the season but we are fully booked this weekend, so I guess it has crept up and started already.   A few things still to catch up on, like clearing out the Phone Room which I dumped lots of books in, without putting away.. oops.  A job for tomorrow.

One last look at Walter before he had his hair cut.  Farmer took the hand shears to him, and he looks quite different but he can see again, and it must be cooler in the sunshine.  Photograph to follow..

I had a meeting in Craignure in the middle of the week, and the weather was glorious, and the colour of the sunset on the way home was so beautiful.  It has not been a very good few weeks for wind generation, but it is good for the soul, to have the stillness.

Then after dark, very late, I headed to Croig.   The folk who live in the house had gone to bed so their outside light was not lighting up the shed, this was just with the moonlight.  It was a very strong forecast but the moon was really bleaching the colours. 

After another day of sunshine, another aurora.  Again the moon was really strong so I decided to walk below the house to what we call the boathouse where Matt Baker's sculpture is.  It was so quiet down there.   My head torch beam alerted the ewes whose eyes caught in the light, as they looked and then slowly and silently walked away in the darkness.  The landscape looks so amazing in the moonlight.

The aurora started to show even as the after glow of the sunset was still showing. 

Then at 2 or 3 in the morning, the moon began to set.

The sun lost its battle with the clouds eventually, and we had two days of overcast skies, but still very calm and dry.

That is the bank of cloud coming in behind the Point. 

Farmer has been busy as usual. The morning feeding trip round with the quad bike and the snacker.  He and DG put the Cheviots through the fank on Tuesday, and on Thursday he accompanied me to Oban to get lots of chores done.  Friday he was fixing wood burning stoves and chimneys, and today I think it was a normal farming day.   We have feed blocks in various places on the hill, and he has to check that they still have the 'lick' left in them, and take out new ones if they dont.  This was good weather to do it in. 

There will be a bit more farm action next week, as the hill ewes need to be gathered in and checked over pre-lambing.  It is usually quite a sedate gather, as the ewes are heavily pregnant now. 

Special offers on vacancies between 25th March and 28th April.  Please look at the website to see what is still available! 

24 hours of colour and light

8am Monday morning. School run dog walk. Calgary beach. 

6.20pm Monday afternoon. Late bus dog walk. Calgary beach. 

Sunset over Treshnish Point.

From the Treshnish farmhouse garden.

 The after glow of the sunset meets the beginning of the Aurora Borealis.

Aurora strengthens..

And I head to Croig!

The tide has never been high when I have photographed the Aurora here, and what an amazing difference it makes reflecting the light, and the colour.  There is a moon, and the lights from the house.  (I don't take lights with me, I work with what is there.)  All these images are unsaturated.

It is still.  I hear Whooper swans overhead, whooping.  The haunting and a little scary sounds of Seals calling.  Occasional Herons flying past.  The sound of the sea, and the rising tide encroaching.

Thank you Croig.  I have had a very magical time.

Calgary Bay on the way home.

From the house window at about 2am.

4.30am. Couldn't sleep in case I was missing something but it had clouded over. 

8am. School run dog walk. Calgary Beach. 

We do still have some spaces at Easter and through April.  We are offering £100 off!  To view vacancies and book, please have a look on the Pricing Booking page of the website here.