Transport Museum

This is the Ardrishaig Belle, a 'charabanc' meaning wagon with seats. we were told this was built around 1890 and used up till the 1950's.
as we were having a guided tour we were allowed in the basement to see stored items. unfortunatley my camera did not cope well with the low lighting so most pictures blurry. in storage was this very stoutly built small wagon.

also in the basement some interesting harness

carriage builders left their trade marks on the brass in the centreof the spoked wheels. this is from the wheel centre of the charabanc, saying 'Mitchell, Builder, Dunoon'
this is from the wheel centre of a cab, saying 'Stoneham,Bedford Street, London, N.W.'
much clearer, 'Laurie, Paisley'
and 'James Barrie, Rodney Street, Glasgow'
also 'James Barrie, Rodney Street Glasgow', this one on the hefty wagon which said John Barrie.

there was very little information about the carriages, where they came from, what they were used for, who the builders were. this is information sadly lost in time, and the museum is looking for any information if anyone has it.

meme, but cheating?

I have been tagged to do the random eight meme by Diane, but as I've done it recently and again before that I am just going to leave links.

Random Eight

Random Seven

this afternoons view

the late afternoon sun creates a magical colour
this windswept tree still retaining a few leaves
as much zoom as I can get into the field behind, it was covered in Canada Geese. I had been hearing them all afternoon but hadn't seen where they were, I am taking these photgraphs from the high vantage of the stable muck-out trailer.

eyes

this is Katie, I always love the soft brown eyes that horses have
this is Smokey, he has the most fabulous eyelashes

Robbie, very pretty

...and I whispered to the horse; "Trust no man in whose eye you do not see yourself reflected as an equal" Don Vincenzo Giobbe circa 1700

chilly November morning

a spider bravely defends the greenhouse doorway
a little chamomile, surviving in the greenhouse
this fennel never made it out to the garden, its scenting the greenhouse quite nicely

and the last of the marigolds
I haven't the heart to throw them out while they're still flowering
out in the garden there is a pink monarda
and a blue one, just a few cheery flowers
persicaria
and on the doorstep a pink geranium
and a red one, they won't last much longer in the cold

its windy

this how it feels here today

tidying

it seems a shame to take ou thte sugar-snap pea plant when it is still producing nice flowers. the few peas it has produed recently have been quite bitter, not enough sunshine
and the main part of the plant is milldewed and dying back, so out it came. I also took out the runner bean plants.
and tidying round produced some hidden veggies, potatoes, little turnips and a carrot. thats dinner sorted then!

whoppee!!

Wildside is back on line!

food for the birds

if you look carefully you can just see a wee Robin hiding behind the bird table
I've put some food out in case he comes back
freeze dried mealy worms, yuck
I have also recently put up three seed feeders, all the birds seem to profer them to the peanuts.

I saw this

and thought how true



poster available at All Posters

the whole pumkin harvest

one nicely ripened Small Sugar pumpkin. and yes, it was the whole harvest. . .
very yummy, roasted along with these other veggies.



if you are more adventurous than me and like to cook I have been sent a link to a fabulous blog from Seattle called Cook and Eat.

thinking

“The voyage of discovery is not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.” --Marcel Proust

sharing quote sent by friend

to share

gifts from a friend



“The main thing in one’s own private world is to try to laugh as much as you cry.”

Maya Angelou

Monty Roberts

this is Monty Roberts, riding the most beautiful horse in western style. I went to see him last weekend as he was here in Scotland giving a demonstration of his horse calming tecniques.
due to distance and lighting the photos came out with too long an exposure but I like the effect.

autumn

leavesa are starting to fall from my lovely little tree
it comes out yellow in the spring and slowly turns to green as the year passes
so where does the red come from?
mother nature's gifts

edit:
thankyou to Sara from Farming Friends for providing the information that Mark from Green Fingered Photographer will explain all about leaf colour change.

work goes on

I have been tidying and digging over. I am adding 'rock dust', which I was delighted to find being stocked by my local Garden Centre. It is produced by the Seer Centre, and I often wish I could get oranigsed enough to visit them. There is a good article on them by SEPA. I also added some to the top of my compost bins.

Research has shown the following benefits of adding Rockdust™ to soil:
Provides slow, natural release of elements and trace minerals
Increases the nutrient intake of plants
Boosts and regenerates soil
Increases mineral rich organic crop yields
Increases the growth of micro organisms and earthworm activity
Increases the storage capacity of the soil
Enhances flavour in crops
Decreases dependence on fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides.

everything starts to look tidy and tucked up for winter. I have also been sorting out pots, you can see them stored against the fence, unfortunatley I have lost lables or labels have faded or I asume I will remember whats in the pink pot or the green one... thats why most of them now have lables like this. . . .
ha.

be Thankful

thankyou very much to Reba for her generous Star Award. she also has a link to Purple Paws.

and I recieve this in an e-mail and would like to share it

Be Thankful

Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire,
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?
Be thankful when you don’t know something
For it gives you the opportunity to learn.
Be thankful for the difficult times.
During those times you grow.
Be thankful for your limitations
Because they give you opportunities for improvement.
Be thankful for each new challenge
Because it will build your strength and character.
Be thankful for your mistakes
They will teach you valuable lessons.
Be thankful when you’re tired and weary
Because it means you’ve made a difference.
It is easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are also thankful for the setbacks.
GRATITUDE can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles and they can become your blessings.
~ Author Unknown ~

Nessun Dorma to make a difference

this is Katie, who is a wee cutie. we have been playing with plastic bags and the tarpaulin to get her used to them.

Please click on this link and watch a video on You Tube, it has been recorded and donated on behalf of Equine Market Watch.

respectable salad

this is fairly respectable for an end of season salad. there is not enough for everyday now but I was pleased with this. it contains a funny wee carrot, a shallot, runner beans, sugar-snap peas, oak leaf lettuce, chard, and a green pepper.

tagged!

I have been 'tagged' by Reba of Reba's Run! to this meme. Reba is a most intelligent Canadian rottweiler with her own blog. When I was in Canada in May she made her owner get into the truck and drive some considerable distance to come meet me. What a nice dog!! and thankyou Alice for being such a good doggy mommy!!

Random 8 Meme.
The Rules of this tag:
1. Link to your tagger and post these rules.2. List eight (8) random facts about yourself.3. Tag eight people at the end of your post and list their names (linking to them).4. Let them know they’ve been tagged by leaving them a comment on their blogs.

1. I hate cooking and could eat salad everyday forever.
2. I love good food, especially when somebody else has cooked it!
3. I whinge a lot.
4. I drive an econimal Ford Fiesta but would love to charge about in something flash and unethical.
5. I like to have a good cry at weddings.
6. if I go to a funeral I wait till I get home to cry.
7. I am holding out on buying a digital television, and might see if I can live without one, but I think I'll give in.
8. I am just leaving to go to work and would have prefered to stay in bed, with the cats.

egstatic!

thankyou very very much to Alice who has nominated me for this award

Brad Egel originally created this award and started the egg rolling to pass the love around.

in turn I would like to nominate
David at Snappy Croc's Garden blog
Ann at Roc Rebel Granny
Matron at Down on the Allotment
Frankie at the Veg Plot
Tara at Silver Apples of the Moon
Primrozie at Prims Place in Spring Valley