Well I got it all wrong re last blog, it did not get warmer after the initial couple of days in fact I think June after that got cold again even on this the last day of the month it was only ten degrees in the morning, warmed up to a crazy sixteen in the afternoon.
30th (June)
Had to start the July blog when the owners of these four beauties stayed in the village hotel last night . Three German registered Austin’s and one French one and the French was a pick up truck, which must be unusual. in immaculate condition. I bet they held up some traffic on the A9.
8th.
The village Angling club has some excellent weed cutting equipment that you attach to a boat and battery and it works like an underwater hedge trimmer does. Often they hire it out to other angling clubs, or we take it to individuals who have a small fishing loch and members (for a fee from the owner to the club) cut their weed for them. This is one such person who on their estate has this small loch that he stocks with rainbow Trout. I always offer to do this one as it is set way up in the hills and a beautiful spot, plus me and my helper and I are allowed to fish it and take one fish each, which after three hours hard work we did and had our quota.
9th.
Have discovered that my pond which has been established for the last twenty years has got a major leak and in need of a new liner, the old liner is hidden from view at the surface by the large rocks that I have had to move away to enable put the new one in. Of course outside the pond the wife has established a lovely garden and with my clumsiness and the fact that the rocks are to heavy to be carried, the surrounding plants had to be removed and planted up in pots. But of course we were helped with the ever present Robin.
10th
On a farm a couple of miles from our home it is shearing time for the flock of five hundred, sheep, lambs and rams. Every year one of my nephews comes up to Scotland and spends a month or so going around shearing, so this year I got the invite to go up to the farm and watch him and his team work. The farmer has it all organised and has the sheep lined up ready to get rid of all that wool (shot one) and Graham (nearest the camera in shot two) only has to open the gate on the walkway , pull the sheep down and sheer, while (shot three) the young lady takes away the fleece and puts it in the sack having to push it down to get the maximum into the sack. Good to see him as I have missed him other years, such hard work, they started at seven thirty and will go on until eight-ish tonight.
12th.
Our Swallow sitting a lot higher in the nest and that is because she /he has babes underneath him/her. Though I have not managed to get a shot of them feeding them I have observed at least two wee black heads poking above the parapit when being fed. So excited and happy to see.
13th.
A stem of Rattle about to burst open and spread it’s seeds.
What a miserable face on this Toad, maybe it just does not like me taking it’s photo.
In anticipation of a new liner arriving today (which it did) I emptied the pond in ready ness to put the new liner in tomorrow. Caught my six goldfish and after the Tench (a pair) buried themselves in the very bottom slurry I eventually got them out as well, plus six Common Newts Total depth down in that deepest part above the middle is four feet six inches. Hope to have the fish back in tomorrow afternoon and will complete the decor during the week.
Tonight’s sunset, here’s hoping it will be a good day tomorrow so I can finish the pond.
After a hard slog, the pond is all but completed just some digging over of the garden that I obliterated tomorrow and all back and working.