Since we moved here exactly twenty years this month May has always been a in between month, on maybe fifty percent of this month we have most probably had a very warm month, in fact a month that could be called our summer. But this year we have had some really cold nights, with frosts and even last night ( on the Twenty Fifth day ) overnight we went down to one degree C.
The reason I am starting this so late in the month is because I had a bug on this computer and switched it off until somebody who knew what they were doing (our youngest son) could remove it without me spreading it or losing “stuff” on it. I didn’t even import my photographs until it was fixed.
I spent a great weekend over at said sons house , one to get the computer fixed and secondly to celebrate my very old birthday. So some of the articles will be on our visit to East Ayrshire .
1st.
Woke up very early this morning and just couldn’t get back to sleep, so got up and got dressed and went out with the camera.
The first thing that greeted me as I went up the hill was this group of lambs just waking up but alert enough to hear me coming.
This beautiful Wheatear was the
These two kept me amused both on my way up the hills and coming home, they just stood on the wall preening themselves for the day ahead, the left hand one always standing on the one foot.
I love it when a sheep or lamb stands on the top of a hill and you get a clear background of just sky.
The view on the way down after what was a wonderful early morning walk and back in time for a hearty breakfast.
20th.
Went away for my birthday weekend to my son’s in East Ayrshire and had a great time visiting new places and long walks, plus a bit of fishing to complete a great time.
Visited a garden at Bargany House they are only open to the public during the month of may and are free with an optional donation. Full of rhododendrons and azaleas with a massive colour range, spent a few hours walking round and admiring the beauty. My son is (like me) keen on bird life and is particularly good at recognising bird song, which I am not, so it is good to be told which bird was singing.
So after this great morning we travelled off to the coast and went to a tiny coastal village called Dunure, mainly for a wonderful lunch, two of my favourites Mussels and Scallops, which were delicious.
The village has a great little harbour as seen below.
21st
Plus a castle
Then there is the view across to Ayr.
21st.
As we were not going out on my birthday until after coffee time I snatched three hours fishing at a fishery a quarter of a mile from where my son lives. I was on the water by seven fifteen and very first cast I caught this three pound beauty and straight away thought if this carries on I will be back in time for another breakfast let alone coffee. Unfortunately I only had one more trout on my line a magnificent trout of well over four pound, it only stayed on my line for about twenty seconds before getting off. After that I had nothing but very small half pound pike generally known as jack pike. a real pest when you are after trout.
Had a coffee out after that then in the afternoon we went to Ayr and Rozelle House Gallery and park. In the gallery is a collection of paintings by Alexander Goudie depicting Robert Burn’s poem Tam O Shanter. As the poem goes Tam had a bit to much to drink in the local Inn and travelled home via the churchyard, looking in through the door of the church he witnessed a party the devil was having and was shocked by the naked women and antics that were going on. But he was s[potted and the devil got all to chase him. A naked lady was close to him as he was riding off in terror on his horse Meg. She caught up with him on The Bris a Doon ( the packhorse bridge over the River Doon) and cut off poor Meg’s tail but the witches knew they could not go right over the bridge and Tam escaped.
What Tam saw in the church.
The naked “lady” grabbing poor Meg’s tail.
Tam when he was safely over the bridge.
The actual church the poem was about.
Not very often you see the devil in a churchyard.
The Brig a Doon.
Next to the gallery is Rozelle Park with some wonderful statues thread throughout the grounds, I am sure you will recognize most of them.
I think everyone of them are magnificent.
We then went onto the Inn where Tam got drunk and had a wonderful birthday meal. With a funny story attached to it , on another table was a lady celebrating her birthday as well, and the waiter came in with a cake and the table of six sang happy birthday to her. I got up and wished her happy birthday and told her it was mine also and why wasn’t I invited to her party? Ten minutes later her partner came over with a piece of cake for me and we all had a good laugh. An extra consolation was I was so full up after eating a starter and main course , plus a piece of cake I didn’t need a dessert.
25th.
The last bank Holiday in May is always the first Highland Games in Scotland and the first of the year is always held at Blair Castle. Such a bright sunny , warm day which I can assure you for these games is not always the case, so thanks to an old friend I got a free entry ticket. Always a well attended games in a great setting a great fun day for all ages.
Our village lad taking part in the games here throwing the hammer.
A competitor throwing the shot, look closely and you will see that it is not always true that a Scotsman doesn’t wear anything under their kilt.
The pipe band leading the Highlanders in to the arena.
The Atholl Highlanders the only private army in the U.K. granted by Queen Victoria , no longer active but are guards to the Duke of Atholl only now.
Behind the soldiers is the ceremonial canon which is fired to officially start the games.
Once the canon has been fired the Highlanders have a traditional fifty yard sprint and a true competition amongst then.
Good “old” sarge bringing up the rear at least he took part.
31st.
The end of the month has been a week of fantastic sunny weather, and my pond is crystal clear and the fish have been basking on the top of the pond, three of the goldfish stayed still for me to get this shot of them. But my pride and joy is the male and female Tench I have had in the pond for a couple of years, went in at six inches and are now (without a fisherman’s exaggeration ) at the ten inch size, soon be big enough to breed, though I don’t think the eggs will stand a chance as the newts will eat the lot.