From Loch Of The Lowes To Dunkeld

I took this today on another of our loverly walks. It’s just a tree stump I thought was a bit odd since there seemed to be holes burrowed in it. My rubbish camera has done me proud…sort of. Now it’s just my computer letting me down since it won’t let me edit any pictures. I know, the hard life of a country gal.
Our walk was about 7km, not too bad actually. I quite enjoyed it since it was hot again today. It’s quite strange since the sun hasn’t been shining, in fact, it feels like there should be a massive thunder storm. I’ve heard that over the next two days we’re getting a months worth of rain. I can believe it after the rain we had last night! (Oh yeah, well done Andy, you’ve reached the Wimbledon final!)

I thought these sheep were absolutely hilarious! My brother, being a bit strange, started making baaing noises and completely wound them up. They were just running in the opposite direction to him, and throwing the dirtiest looks sheep can possibly throw!

We walked by a few piles of logs as we neared the saw mill, so I thought I’d take a nice wee picture of the stacked logs. I quite like the colour of the centres of the logs, it looks a little like caramel. Now I’m just making myself hungry!
P.S good luck to all those at T in the park, especially my cousin. It’s going to tip it down.

Drimi Woods

This was taken with my rubbish camera. Why? I think my aunt is selling the other one. *Insert scream of frustration here*. Aw well, I guess I’ll have to invest in a camera of my own. Until then, I’m back to the Sony. I took this photo while on a walk with ma daddio and brother in Drimi woods (not sure of the spelling here) as you do. Unfortunately during the walk we were attacked by swarms of flies and I was drooled on by somebody’s labrador. And when I say drooled on, I mean there was a puddle on my coat. It was a grim moment I tell you.

I think this is called a convex mirror…it was by the roadside and I thought it would look cool. I’m surprised it turned out alright (mainly because I’ve realised it’s near impossible to take good pictures on a bad camera) but there’s still the problem of the date appearing on EVERY PHOTOGRAPH! Maybe if I moan enough, on my blog and at home, someone will eventually get so annoyed they might buy me a camera. Very wishful thinking I know.

This is my dad freeing a sheep from a fence. I don’t know why but a lot of my memories of him involve things being freed from fences. It’s like he’s the saviour of animals in distress. The man really should join the RSPCA. The sheep, being kind of dumb, decided it was going to free itself and got its wool tangled into the wire. Dad did eventually get it out though. 
P.S I’m using windows live writer to publish this, so if it comes out all weird you know why! 

Animals

So, again my minions, I have a theme! Animals! Yay! Everybody (me) start cheering! Done? Great...
Today it's been weirdly warm and humid, very unlike Scotland. Normally, even in these glorious summer months, it's rainy and cold - not complaining though. These pictures are all from a few weeks ago, as were the pictures from the previous two posts, because I haven't got that lovely camera anymore! I was seriously considering stealing it, but I think my aunt might have come after me with a blunt object and beat me to death...




This first one was taken in this grassy area down by my house called the 'Gamesy' for some reason. It's the usual dog walkers haunt, as the tell tale signs of dog crap indicate. Really guys, poop and scoop! I saw these two dogs playing together, though I don't think they belonged to the same owner. I didn't want to get any closer and interrupt their game, so I sat back and tried to zoom in the best I could.

Another doggy picture! Also a nice view of the times with the solar panneled house in the background there.

The minute this crow saw me it took a disliking to me and kept flying off just as I was about to get a good photo. Damn you crow, damn you! Got one in the end though.

Look closely and on the dandelion you will see not one bug but two. I took a picture of this thinking it was just one bug but then, to my horror, realised it was two bugs, one trying to kill the other. Realising this slightly too late I tried to rescue the poor bug getting it's guts liquidized and ended up squishing them both. That is the last time I try to intervene with natures will!

Another animal I annoyed that day, not on purpose of course. At first the cat was all friendly like 'stroke me pleeease!' and the minute it realised I had a camera in my hand it gave me the worlds most disgusted look and strolled off underneath a car. Grabbing the bull by the horns, I took a photo of the angry feline. You can see its eyes just...glaring. Very scary.

Judo

These are some of the photos I took at the judo competition in Invergordon, in which my brothers were competing. I never actually got any good photos of them, but of course I couldn't just let an opportunity like that slide, so I took pictures of the other competetors. I don't know any of their names or who they are, I just know that they gave me a few action packed pictures.

For most of the time I had the camera on shutter speed 2500...I think... trying to get a good photo of a throw. And I did manage to get a few good ones, but a lot of the time I got a bit too enthusiastic and started jerking the camera around. So along with the good shots, I ended up with plenty of blurred ones and here are the best few...

(What I like about these photos is the colour scheme, especially the purple of the wall, and I love the way you can see the creases in the children's suits. Also, the looks on their faces - priceless.)

This one is blurred, but I like the movement captured here :)

Childhood Memories

Finally I have given myself a theme! I chose the theme 'childhood memories' after taking a number of photographs of an abandoned memory. There was something sad about that mini mouse welly that tugged at my heartstrings. I felt sorry for it, lying there in the leaf litter, under a large tree, just out the front of somebody's house. Its vivid colours caught my attention as I walked by, and I knew I had to take a picture of it. The second photograph, to me, is classic. I'm sure every child remembers going for a bike ride with their mum, dad, sister, auntie, or even just a friend. That has to be a classic. I also love the reflection of the child's pink bike in the puddle and how that moment will be frozen in time forever now. I took both of these photos on my regular old chestnut of a walk, a route I can always rely on in finding something.

The next two photographs were taken on a beach in Ardisier when my family went out for a day out after attending a judo competition in Invergordon. My childhood is definitely very beach orientated. A lot of the memories I have of summer holidays, especially ones to Ireland, were taken up by a particular pebble beach called Coshine...I'm not really sure on how to spell it. So I thought the beach pictures would be appropriate. The first of the two beach photos is of my brothers as they explored the mud flats searching for crabs and shrimps. The second is what I like to thinks of as a crab's - eye - view of the expanse of pebbles that made up the beach. It also captures some of the green countryside along the coast and the blazing sunshine.


I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Kinclaven Woods

Today instead of my usual camera, I used the Canon Power Shot A640, and what a difference it made! I also used a tri-pod, something I haven't used before. Anyway, onto Kinclaven woods...

My Aunt and her partner took me out to Kinclaven woods to get some photographs of the bluebells that are out there at the minute. It looked stunning. The light was perfect, the bluebells were amazing and there was barely a breath of wind. However, we were practically eaten alive by midges. Just one of the many things we have to suffer here in Scotland, besides the weather, which has actually for once been spectacularly good! Well, I'll stop myself rambling about the practically Spanish weather here and show you some pictures.

Photos From The Rest Of The Walk

I have to tell you, trying to write this whilst listening to the Scissor Sisters is really difficult! Ok, distracting music off...

These are the photos from the rest of my walk which I thought I would put up since I got a few interesting shots. Somehow everything seems to look better in the sun. I can't describe to you how much fun I had taking these photos, though taking photos of barns and ducks may not appear fun to you. It was sunny, that's all I have to say in my defence.

The Bluebells Are Out

Today is definitely the second in the proper start to the Scottish summer. To us Scots, this weather is positively Spanish, and completely brilliant! Up until now it's been winter and all my summer clothing has been sitting forlornly in the back of my wardrobe. But today was the day I got to haul it all out and go on a nice long walk to Bluebell Woods. Yes again. It' s because I do this walk almost every day checking to see if the bluebells are out.


And finally they are! They are carpeting the woods in all their bluish purpley glory. Of course I couldn't miss a perfect photo opportunity like that, so I went a bit snap happy and only a few of the pictures turned out to be alright. Most of them were blurry as I was running around over enthusiastically taking photos and not checking the results. Word from the not so wise to all you photographers out there: before you move on to a different shot, make sure the photograph you've actually taken isn’t blurred!

Cats, An Orange, And A Skull

Today my photos are quite random. I haven't really come up with any themes for myself, so I've just been taking shots that have absolutely no connection. (If anyone has any good theme ideas, please email me!)

I started taking pictures after my maths exam as a kind of relaxation therapy (I really needed it!) in the sun. Yes, it was sunny today, again! I really hope these past two days haven't been it for the good weather because I want more!

Since I had plenty of time to kill, I decided to visit my friend and try to photograph her cat, which was harder than it would seem as most of the pictures have come out blurred. Not fair! I'm really going to need to buy a better camera...

Also, I managed to get a couple of photos of a bumblebee that was resting in the sun in my back garden. I wish I could have taken shots that were closer up but my camera doesn't have that capability, which is really annoying! Again, I need to buy a better camera haha

From the point of an orange

In amongst the holly

Blossom in the sky

In the hall

Bumblebee on the steps

Jess being lordly

Black and white Jess

Deer skull front view

Deer skull side view