Sunsets and swims

There have been a few relaxed moments swimming at Calgary this week. It has been hot and the sea refreshing. Even I have swum, first time in years.. A few evenings ago Farmer was taken to the Cairns of Coll, which looked amazing from the photographs I saw. It was such a still and calm night.  They swam with seals.

We had to drop in at Pennygown Farm near Salen to get James's phone number (oops think we recycled the Red phone Book). It is time to start arranging transport for taking the lambs to market later in August or early September.  Selling lambs is always a lottery. Do you sell early before the price falls, or do you hope that it will go up as the season goes on.  Apparently the lamb price is going down at the moment - this usually happens just as the west coast start preparing to sell their lambs, or so it seems.

The cows moved up from Scoma to beside the house last afternoon, as tomorrow a bullock will be going to the slaughterhouse. Always a difficult time, when the reality of eating meat becomes emotive, and farming seems hypocritical.  But the fact of the matter is that Farmer does care about his animals, despite rearing them for the food chain. 

The new bull seems to look after the herd now.  There is a sense of him looking to see where everyone else is.  When they were put in the field by the house with access into this one opposite the cattle shed, they ranged all the way round the boundary of their space before settling down.   Getting a sense of the territory and finding their water supply, before going back to the importance of eating.

Down at Haunn, the Field Gentian have come out. 

And the yarrow, so pink.

You can't hear the bees, but there were lots of them buzzing around.

Sometimes you have to ignore the paperwork. So I did this afternoon, and went to photograph Field Gentian in the sun. It was blissful down in Scoma field, near the Haunn Cottages. I ended up photographing Devil's Bit Scabious too, and the lovely wetland end of the Natural Regeneration woodland area. Views out to Rum, Coll, Muck, Skye, Canna, Eigg and back in towards Calgary Beach.

Hundreds and hundreds of them. Awe-inspiring.

There are areas of Skoma field, near Haunn, with literally hundreds of Field Gentian. We have found one or two or a few more before, but never in the incredible number that Prasad found yesterday. Field Gentian are on the Threatened Species list. They open their sky blue flower when the sun warms them up. It had been raining hard today so they were tightly furled when I first got there. This field has not been grazed for several months and the Field Gentian are growing where the sheep love to sit! (and munch).

The grazing regime is paying off. Devils Bit Scabious flowering in fluttery carpets, blue heads dangling and swaying in the breeze, like a wild sketch of blue dots hovering above the grasses. This is an essential plant for the survival of the Marsh Fritillary as they feed on the leaves of the Scabious in March. In March there was no sign of this abundance, which tonight was really awe-inspiring.

I feel so lucky having spent an hour in the late afternoon early evening, wandering through these 2 magical sights.

We have been told that the voting is pretty close in the RSPB Nature of Farming Awards, and we are very touched by the response from past guests, friends, neighbours, islanders, people we don't know, and everyone else who has been supporting us, and asking everyone they know to vote. Having said that.. please keep up the good work!! It is not over yet! (And again, thank you.) This is the link to the RSPB website where you can vote.