Jumps And Skids

The good weather has been with us lately dewy mornings, hot days and warm evenings this urges me to get on my bike so.I cycled along past blackness through the woods to Hopetoun, I passed all the fancy new jumps for the Hopetoun horse trials this weekend. All made beautifully from either oak or larch, a long time ago I helped build horse jumps here too, when I worked there in woods as a forester.On the canal towpath on my way home I skidded to a halt when some little creatures ventured onto my path .When I took a closer look I found two little water voles the third had wandered back into the undergrowth .Normally to see an adult water vole would be rare so I was pleased to get close enough for a good pictures so it was worth the puncture I got from skidding:)

Logs, Trees And Diving For Fish

A good load of logs arrived at the sawmill where I work this week, on a nice new shiny blue log truck. These logs will be cut into fencing and landscaping products.

I wandered through a nice strip of Ash, Sycamore and Oak lots of good straight trees growing here on a steep bank facing the river Forth. These trees will become a valuable crop in years to come:)

On a walk around the loch I spotted a Grebe catching small fish. He bobbed under and stayed down for a spell then popped up again a good distance away, always with a fish,I enjoyed watching this fisherman (centre of this picture):)

Shells And Flowers

Piles of seashells ,foxgloves,honeysuckle and red deer are some of the things I came across . While out cycling along a coastal path on a glorious July day .
Loads of shells lie on the high tide line thrown up into a mound of blue grey, by stormy seas .
The foxgloves and honeysuckle just scream out summer is here, on long warm day's. When I looked through some trees there were a couple of red deer, we startled each other but I managed a picture before they both ran off (centre of green field) I will cycle there again as soon as I can:)

Making Hay

The weather has been great lately, schools out for summer now so I have taken a few days holiday to spend some time with Matthew.
When we were out walking, watching the hay being cut and turned into neat rows. We watched a buzzard hovering over a mouse or vole ready to swoop down and catch his meal which he managed first swoop.
I got a picture of him in the air just ready to drop down. A bit further on we passed Alpaca's that were just as interested in us while we watched them for a while. And the swallows in the sawmill have outgrown their nest,they now just huddle together .Waiting for their mother to return and feed them with the insects that she catches in the woods and fields that surround the sawmill, here's a couple of pictures of the mother flying in with food and her soon ready to fly fledglings. When I go back on wednesday they will be flying :)