Day One Hundred and Thirty-Three

Busy

This bee was enormous! Simply huge! We couldn't believe it, it almost looked too big to fly.
These pretty white flowers at my parents' house were covered in busy, far littler, bees.
Trying a softer look for these shots too.

Day One Hundred and Thirty-Two

Sisters

We've been coming to this part of Scotland since I was a child and I love that now my own children are playing in the same places my brother and I did!

So, every year I take a photo of Evie in the same spot (or try to!) and this year we were able to add Rosie to the shot too!

Day One Hundred and Thirty-One

Sundown

On our last evening in the cottage the sun came out through the clouds and so we went for a walk over the hills.
I managed to get lots of shots stone walls and moody clouds with the gorgeous scenery behind but I wanted one of my sunnier shots to be my picture for today. So here it is.

Back to England tomorrow, and Yorkshire, and hopefully some sunnier weather!
Wish we could stay here though...just a little longer...

Day One Hundred and Thirty

Bursting

The weather was less than brilliant again today so I sat out in the garden hoping to catch some of the local birds, as you can tell by my picture selection I wasn't overly successful.

Including the moment when, while walking, I found myself about 10 feet from a Golden Eagle. I lifted my camera, focused, pressed the shutter and...nothing happened.

The memory card was back inside the cottage.

Frustrated doesn't come close!

But! Whilst trying to get some bubbly fun pictures with Evie, I managed to capture the moment several bubbles all burst around my husband's face! Definitely best viewed large if possible.

As the weather cleared, there was much running and playing in the strong wind...not sure if it's a tribute to Wimbledon or the cricket though!

Day One Hundred and Twenty-Nine

Rannoch Moor Railway

I've been coming up here since I was a child and this view along the tracks always makes me feel as if I could get on a train here and go anywhere!
Small wonder sections of this route were used in the Harry Potter movies.
I did some editing on this shot, moreso than I usually do but I wanted to capture that slightly 'timeless' feeling you get when you're up on the moor.

The weather when we arrived wasn't too brilliant and tragically my battery died just before the sun came out but I did manage a few shots of Loch Laidon and the view down towards Glencoe that I think made the most of the dull weather.

Day One Hundred and Twenty-Eight

Smile!

Whenever Evie sees a camera this is the face she pulls. Try as we might to make her portraits a little more relaxed, we usually end up with some variation of this grin!
So I figured, if you can't beat 'em...join 'em!
Might not be the most flattering selfie ever taken, but I kinda love it all the same.

Today was a quiet day, shopping and replenishing supplies but! We did have a fly past from a nearby airbase of a chinook helicopter and two typhoons which went past the end of the garden! They use the glens and valleys here for pilot training and 'trail runs'.

We had some smaller fliers in the garden too and then something slightly more majestic flying overhead for most of the day. A gorgeous Golden Eagle. There is a pair that flies around here, we think they may well be nesting, but this one was slightly too high for me to capture any detail but pretty impressed with the silhouettes I managed.

Off to, as Evie says, 'the beach' tomorrow. Otherwise known as Loch Laidon, up on Rannoch Moor. I sense a landscape shot maybe be the order of the day!

Day One Hundred and Twenty-Seven

Loch Rannoch

Another grey and windy day, although there were some breaks in the cloud every now and then. So we drove down to the loch to see if I could get some shots.

The sun did peek out briefly just as I found this little patch of daisies. I was rather pleased with the effect of the sunlight on the water in the background.