Staying at Greenbrae.

Due to the credit crunch continuing to get an even firmer grip we have taken Greenbrae off the market for a while.
Conversely the bed and breakfast business is booming!
The weather here has been superb.
Our first grandchild is due in a few weeks time.
Plenty to do and think about, pity about the ironing.

Wind break!

These are huge bales of straw stacked up in the field next to the house. They make a good perch for a buzzard - which flew off! They are to create a winter 'blanket' over the carrots growing nearer the village. If there's any left - as most days you see someone of pensionable age looking shifty with a carrier bag, sticking out of which are green feathery leaves.....Aren't senior citizens supposed to set a good example?

The geese are back.

Starting to come in to the Loch of Strathbeg in their thousands. Amazing, right on time, how do they do it? Mainly pink footed, there is the odd stranger in their midst, the one in the foreground is a snow goose.
Gorgeous morning, blue skies, gentle breeze. The rest of Britain dark, gloomy and raining. Ha!

Fish Fest Week

Along with a houseful of guests for the week Mike has been working hard for the annual Fish Fest. He arranged the art competition. This is a (not very good) reproduction of a painting of a local lighthouse by Jolomo which was used on the advertising stuff. The Fish fest celebrates Peterheads links with the sea and the fish that come from it.

Lots of different activities during the week. Culminating with the dinner, last night, at which Jimmy Buchan, star of the BBC programme, the Trawlermen, was master of ceremonies and Nell Nelson, The Woman Who Ate Scotland was a speaker. I have a confession to make, I am not that keen on fish! The meal was fish for every course, apart from the sweet. I had the starter, medley of fish, salmon, langoustines, etc. which was lovely. Refused the Cullen Skink soup, and after a word with the Manager, the 'lady in red' was provided with a chicken main course, and still allowed to remain in the dining room!

Summer over.

Thats it folks, the crops are gathered in and it wont be long before the cows are taken inside too. Another year when I did very little in our green corner. The main crop in the greenhouse is a huge nicotiana that never made it to the outside. Still sitting in a seed tray, though its roots have obviously penetrated downwards. At least I will have its seed for next year.

Busier than ever with guests, next week we have all three rooms full for six nights. After that we begin the smartening up in earnest, the hotel inspector is due. Unlike the one on the tele she doesnt swear, though if you listen carefully you can hear me doing just that.