The oystercatchers and me

Yesterday the tiles arrived for Shian and Duill sunrooms.  (I think I ordered too many, they weigh nearly a tonne and a half).  The concrete was poured for the foundations.  (I don't think they ordered enough as there was a bit of a fall-off at one end.)

Despite a few hiccups, there is still a huge amount of progress being made in various areas of the build.  It is at that has to look worse before it will look any better stage, but it is exciting to be talking about taping and filling in 10 days time...

The new bathroom insulation needs to arrive so that we can get the walls in the bathroom finished, and then that will be another big step.   We are using a new product for the bathroom as space is at such a premium in the already small room particularly.  It has extremely high U values but is wafer thin.  Thankfully the wall needing doing is not very big, as it is an expensive product.  When it arrives I will write more about it.  The other external walls of Shian have been wafered with thick slabs of insulation and it felt psychologically as if it were warmer already.

Farmer went to Oban to the cast tup sale yesterday.  We had 2 tups we needed to send away and our neighbour kindly took them for us, as he was going anyway.  He had never been to that sale before, so it was interesting to see who was about and what else was being sold.   Not having to transport our own animals meant that Farmer could go over on foot, and he even found time to get squatties (prawn tails) at the fishmonger on the pier on the way back.  (they were delicious).

The sun came out at lunchtime today, it was lovely to have patches of blue sky and a soft sunset.  The beach was empty of humans, but the gulls were enjoying paddling down the burn at high speed.

There has been a lot of rain.

But then we have been rewarded with this subtle sunset light.

Never seen so many.

Farmer was looking in a far corner of the Black Park today, to bring in a ewe which had been left behind during his gather.  Thank goodness he did.  He found a patch of fragrant orchids like I have never seen before! This evening he showed them to me. We could smell their delicate scent before we saw them. I had spent ALL day in the office, and can now see the surface of the desk, so this was a great reward.  So beautiful.

Toechtamhor is not far away as the hen harrier flies.

The cheviots have been put through the fank today. Jamie came to help.  He has been off gathering for other farmers nearby but the timing all worked fine and so they worked away together at them this afternoon.   There is a shortage of independent farm helpers (those with dogs for gathering!) around this end of the island, and with the finances of farming  the way it is, not many young folk want to go into this sort of work.  The lambs are growing well now, and the memory of lambing and that dreadful weather is far behind us now.

Watching and being watched.

Lodestones by Matt Baker.  The magnetic pull of a place. 

We became aware of being watched.

And more closely.  These are 3 of the zwartie hoggs.  The 90-odd blackface hoggs were all together on the rocks when we walked down to the shore.  They legged it when they saw Coco the dogs. The 8 zwarties were not with them, but in 2 separate groups.

Cap found something really nasty to roll in yesterday in the field with the cows (no need to spell it out....)  Today he doesn't smell quite so bad, but if I were you I would give him a wide berth if you come into the yard and he appears all friendly.  

This is the Croig boat.  We haven't seen it for ages.  

Burn water so clear.  No sign of any tadpoles yet.

Fantastic skies today.

Farmer took advantage of the continuing good weather to put the cows with calves out on the hill above Toechtamhor.