#30DaysWild - day 16

#30DaysWild - day 16.  It turned out wet.  A rush this morning to catch the school bus. We arrived at Calgary just as the bus was half way across the machair.  We caught up with it about half a mile from the bus stop, and thankfully he stopped so I didn't have to drive all the way to Dervaig.  I had no time for even a short wild walk on the beach.  

I was out all day, with no chance of a wild walk, and by the time I got home it was wet.  Luckily though, I had the loveliest wild moment before the school bus rush, when I spied 3 handsome hares in the field in front of the house.  They used to come into the garden regularly but now that we let Coco the dog into the garden off the lead, they wisely stay on the other side of the wall.  It is not as nice for me though, as I did enjoy their daily visits last winter.

I crept out of the house, closely the door quietly behind me, and tiptoed up to the wall. Quite often the sound of the door opening and closing is enough for the hares to disappear over the brow of the bank, and away.  The hens were still in the hen house - nothing to alert them to my presence, so when I stuck my head above the wall, there they were sitting stock still, listening.

For a moment no one moved. And it was lovely to watch them reasonably closely, see their colours darkening again into summer coat.  And then, I must have moved and they were off - darting to safety.

It was 6.30am. The sea was flat calm and silvery. Common gulls flew over head to the lochan.  It was still and quiet.

The hares stopped. As if frozen, watching me.  I loved the way one seemed to sit up, more alert than the others.  I moved and they disappeared over the edge.

At the other side of the house, as I made a cup of tea for myself and Farmer, I could see a flock of roughly 20 Rock pigeons cleaning up underneath the bird feeders - the hens were still in the hen house, so there was no one to chase them away.

It is raining very hard now!

Hares in the garden

Another bout of storms, and the afternoon ferries to and from Oban are cancelled this afternoon.  The schools on the islands broke up today, so we are beginning the countdown to Christmas.  No one on the beach yesterday apart from us and the oystercatchers.

Farmer had to do some vermin controlling yesterday.  We had noticed that the kale was beginning to disappear.  Systematically, first the leaves then the tops of the stalks and finally the stalks disappearing without trace.   We suspected the hares, but hadnt seen any.  The white carrot fly barrier was put up to protect the ones they hadnt yet started to nibble.

I let Coco out as usual this morning in to the garden and instead of just trotting about slowly, she shot off round towards the veg beds at the speed of light.  Seconds later two huge handsome hares, (top halves brown, bottoms and legs winter white) sprinted past me pursued by Coco hot on their heels.  Thankfully they outran her and sped through the fence to safety.  I hope that will give them enough of a warning not to come back - time will tell though.

The light this morning was moody and wild.

Farmer and I went off to Tobermory to collect Daughter from school - the end of term treat.  We did a few errands, met a few familiar faces, stopped to chat, did some localised Christmas shopping and headed for home again as it was getting dark.

Now the fire is on and it is time to decorate the tree.