And still it hasn't rained.

It was only when I was sorting through the photographs for this post, that it dawned on me that we still haven't had any rain.  I have lost count of the weeks now since a good downpour, at least three I think.  The burns are looking very dry and the grass seems dormant in this dry cold.  It is good weather for the cows though, and they seem to be enjoying being out on the hill again.

Farmer went to market on Tuesday with Equator the bull.  We bought him in 2009 from the isle of Bute, and he has produces us some fine calves.  Farmer had booked him in twice previously to go to market and had to call off at the last minute because he appeared to go lame.  The vet had seen him several times and tested him for all sorts, but come back with nothing conclusive.  This week he was booked in and didn't go lame. It felt quite sad when Farmer drove away (in borrowed pick up, thanks Jamie) and borrowed trailer (thanks WMP). The end of another era.  We had 3 cast tups to go to and our neighbour transported them for us (thanks IMK).  

We have bought a new bull from John Elliot, a pedigree Aberdeen Angus breeder in the Borders. We have had a couple of his bulls before and know them to produce good calves.  Most bulls are sold now with EBVs.  Estimated Breeding Values.  This rates them according to how much they weigh at birth (gives an indication of small calves = easy calving), what they weigh at different dates (gives an indication of growth rate) and other bits that we didn't pay as much attention to... we chose one called Black Outlaw who had a low birth weight and good growth rate and above average figures for mothering - and importantly not the most expensive one!  Now we have to find a way of getting him to Mull without him meeting any other cattle - he is from a BVD free herd and we want to make sure he stays that way until we get him here. BVD is a horrible disease and it is passed between cattle through breath and saliva. This means you cannot risk changing over transport using market pens on a market day for example in case they come into contact with other potentially infectious cattle. 

The hens have been enjoying the dry weather, and I have been enjoying them.  They are laying lots so we are hopeful that we will be able to supply some eggs to our guests again this season.

I had to go off island for a night.  I stayed with a friend which was lovely, non stop catching up as we hadn't seen each other for over a year.  I include a photograph of her bathroom window!

Nothing to do with the farm really, but I was amused by this house in Killin - someone with a creative streak showing in their interesting collection of objects outside their door.

It was flat calm and misty on Loch Linnhe.  And the drive through Glen Coe just spectacular.

When I got home Farmer was busy on road repairs.  James was digging the ditch along the side of the track up to the farm to hopefully persuade any rain we get to run down that rather than the surface of the road.  A tricky job as our telephone cable lies on the surface in places in that ditch!

So we haven't had rain, but we had good strong winds yesterday.  I went to read the turbine meters yesterday at the height of the wind.  The Proven was generating 3.775kW and the Kingspan was making 5.997kW.   Quite a difference! The Kingspan will have turned its blades inward to keep the amount of electricity it was making down to the 6kW. I couldn't see any difference in the way the blades were turning between the two turbines when I looked.  

Grey skies... but beautiful.

And then yesterday - the atmospheric pressure must have been doing something to the sea.... this was not the Caribbean.  This was Calgary at School Bus Time yesterday afternoon!

And on the road between Calgary and Treshnish another day.

We have guests arriving for East and Middle today, and I went to do a last minute bit of picture hanging.  With the blue van off the road, I was driving the buggy.  I quite enjoyed that though it was cold!

I still cannot take any photographs of the Studio yet, but it is coming together. Pictures on the walls and furniture arranged.   Shieling has a new outside door.  Outward opening. So the wind will blow against it in any storms.  (supposed to cut draught potential).

Only 3 cows left to calve now.  Farmer is planting trees as I write.  He has dug up some of the saplings from the woodland along the track which self seeded in very thin soil, and has moved them to more fertile ground.  He has started a new woodland regeneration project which I will tell you about another time.  

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.  

The burn is running dry

Some ups and downs this week.  Ups include the builders starting to put Toechtamhor's windows in, the doors for Shieling and Toechtamhor arriving from Perth and having lovely guests in 4 of the cottages all enjoying the amazing weather! Downs include the phone call from the Duill bathroom manufacturers saying that there was a fault on the shower screen and it was being replaced 2 days before guests arrived - couldn't make it up - and the phone call telling us that the scanner (coming to scan 120 ewes to find out if  they were carrying singles or twins) wasn't coming as he had broken his machine and was going home to the mainland.

I bought a second hand lens for my camera which was being sold locally.  Steps up the opportunities to try and capture some wildlife on the beach.

What a difference a fence makes - trees or no trees. 

And peering into the bird boxes.

What glorious weather to be working in. We are very relieved these huge windows are being installed in still windless weather, and not raging gales.

At Toechtamhor there is a hive of activity. Holes in walls and piles of pallets which the windows arrived on. The builders are using the airtight spec., so using tape and special expanding foam to ensure there is no heat escape.  The big windows for the kitchen living room are heavy and the old ones were really difficult to get out!  They will help improve the energy efficiency of the cottage, and look really good too.   It has been reassuring to see that the cavity wall insulation has been done really well too, as when the old window comes out you can see the foam all around the opening.

A haar has been rolling in and out of view during the last few days.

Farmer was clearing out the cattle shed this week, and the pile of dung was popular with the hoodies.

Disappointment about the scanning not happening is major.  Not only does it involve time in gathering the ewes in from various points to be ready and waiting for the scanner to arrive.  But the results of the scanning would have meant that the ewes would have been fed according to the number of lambs they were carrying, and those who were not in lamb would have been kept separate.  This is obviously good proactive management and having decided to start scanning again, it was irritating to be thwarted at the very last minute.  The scanner, with his faulty machine, has returned to the mainland!

This birch tree is in one of the woodland schemes, fenced off from stock. You can just make out the deep colour of the profusion of new growth around the base.

This wall was built for the film Eye of the Needle.  The moles are busy everywhere - meandering lines of molehills appearing all over the place. 

Jan, with a head for heights. On the Dun, at Haunn.

Looking at flowers on the Dun - today! Skylarks were singing.  

Out and about in Calgary bay and beyond.  The weather has really shortened the winter.  March - and it feels like spring is here.  The 2 turbines have been having a rest, while the PV and solar have been flat out! We are very lucky to have a mixture of renewable technologies.

Some escaped sheep in Salen earlier in the week. 

More of the mists. No more calves to report. The male calves have been castrated, and those cows who have calved are going out to the hill above Toechtamhor any day.  

This hair is from a Red Deer.  They jump the fence by the Ensay bridge, looking for a way into Treshnish's green and pleasant land.