Gare Loch today

Foxglove and haymaking welly wander

The field I usually mention lies to the south-east of the Boggy Brae garden and is visible to us. Yesterday evening a lot of noise was coming from the north-west so I went to see if hay-making was in progress. It was.

To see this I have to go up to the top of the garden, along the ever more overgrown lane that runs behind it between our fence and the burn, over the remains of a railway sleeper bridge across the burn where it starts its steep descent down to the soundings, and into wild patch of land.






The little wild patch was full of foxgloves

and what I think are chanterelle mushrooms.

The woods above are looking their summer best.

Juxtaposition: foxglove, fence, fallen tree

I climbed back into our garden over the pile of spiraea stem I made last autumn in the western corner. It still has its bouncy springiness. As I wandered down behind the fallen eucalyptus – in order to check if the beech seedlings are still okay (they are, possibly because hidden from deer chompings by some dock plants) – I saw that the first of the Peruvian Lilies are opening.

That and the blooming of the woodshed rose means summer has finally arrived on the Boggy Brae.

woodshed rose

I think I'll go up there again today and do a sniff and taste test on a tiny bit of mushroom.

A little brightness under clouds

A wander by Loch Fyne

Toad had booked Toadlet onto a hack from a stables beside Loch Fyne, so we tootled off early to make the most of a fine day. We had time for a lochside beach wander before booking in at the stables. 

Wych Elm beside the sea

This close to the sea

Thrift and scurvygrass where a stream crossed the beach

Silverweed flower (Potentilla anserina)

Silverweed leaves looking silver

A view back up the loch

Toadlet leads the way across a gravel bar to a wee islet

Lots of Scurvygrass; I think this is Danish Scurvygrass (Cochlearia danica), a good thing to munch on if you've been a long time at sea and living on salted meat and ships' biscuit

A sea-bleached tree root ball

Bird's-foot Trefoil

Thrift again

A lichened rock

Interesting patterns of lichen

Early shoots of Small Red Goosefoot (Chenopodium botryodes) between sea-washed rocks

Looking back landwards. If you click on the picture to enlarge it, you may be able to spot two horses

Channels in the salt marsh

View across Loch Fyne as we make our way to the stables

Old tree stump. I can see a wild boar.

Friday afternoon blues

Some of what I saw on the way to Oban today

I went to Oban today to visit a friend in the hospital there. I stopped a few times along the way and back to take in Scotland's beauty.

A little piece of Loch Awe on a soft grey morning

Awesome reflections in the still waters of the River Awe above the Awe Barrage

Turning to go back to the car, I spotted these burrs

Winter bramble leaf colours

The turbulent waters below the barrage and some reflected orange light

A wee island on Loch Etive catching the light for a moment on the way there

And on the way back, light and shadows

Late afternoon winter light on Loch Etive