tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65663344327800597672024-03-06T07:00:24.186+00:00Seafield Farm CottagesSeafield Farm Cottages, Achnamara, Lochgilphead Argyll
www.seafieldfarmcottages.co.ukseafieldfarmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01923170238077742802noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6566334432780059767.post-58823250680456998302014-03-07T13:27:00.000+00:002014-03-07T13:29:45.413+00:00Scotch Pancakes or Drop SconesLast Tuesday was Pancake Day otherwise known as Shrove Tuesday when we are supposed to eat pancakes in preparation for the Lent fast. Whether you observe such traditions or not, any excuse to eat pancakes of any variety is always welcome.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfBCA5Dj13EuP3W1MZ7FGw6BETS9btIq8lGpeJEiCOo4RVd_M3Yot478_hBcTO1V3zWmWe-rgfT0PrVuJvKIBoXXqd37tmLCrlhmqxf08YH7kgJC6nit4j-inJe-ZlcGLdpuNC50xoYUI/s1600/Pancake7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfBCA5Dj13EuP3W1MZ7FGw6BETS9btIq8lGpeJEiCOo4RVd_M3Yot478_hBcTO1V3zWmWe-rgfT0PrVuJvKIBoXXqd37tmLCrlhmqxf08YH7kgJC6nit4j-inJe-ZlcGLdpuNC50xoYUI/s320/Pancake7.jpg" /></a></div><br />
I learned to make pancakes from my grandmother and my Mum - scotch pancakes and potato scones always seemed to be made at the same time and leftovers fried up for breakfast with egg and bacon. There is something really delicious about the sweetness of the pancake with the saltiness of the bacon.<br />
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After making pancakes this year, I received a request for the recipe so here it is. My grandmother worked in spoonsful, pinches and handsful - some of her recipes don't even have that amount of detail but I have worked out the recipe in grams for the modern cook. She used a griddle on the stove but I recently acquired a fantastic crepe pan with non stick surface and thermostatic control from Lidl which takes the guess work out of getting the temperature just right.<br />
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Makes about 25 Pancakes<br />
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250g plain flour<br />
40g caster sugar<br />
1 level teaspoon bicarbonate of soda<br />
1 heaped teaspoon cream of tartar<br />
pinch of salt<br />
<br />
20g melted butter<br />
30g (a dessertspoon) of golden syrup<br />
I large egg<br />
300 ml milk<br />
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Sieve the dry ingredients into a bowl. Whisk the egg and milk together in a jug and add the butter and golden syrup. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add the liquid gradually, stirring in the flour until you have a thick batter.<br />
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Heat a griddle, thick bottomed or electric frying pan, or an electric crepe maker. Oil the surface lightly and drop spoonsful from the point of the spoon onto the hot surface. <br />
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Do a test pancake first to check the temperature. If it is correct, the pancakes should cook in about one and a half minutes per side. The pancake is ready for turning when the bubbles rise to the surface and start to burst. Flip it over and cook the second side for the same time.<br />
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Cool the pancakes on a cooling tray with a clean tea towel above and below.<br />
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Serve with butter and homemade jam, golden syrup, honey or whatever you like. Enjoy.seafieldfarmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01923170238077742802noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6566334432780059767.post-37198830746507554972013-11-07T22:22:00.002+00:002013-11-08T10:02:00.870+00:00Beekeeping at Seafield - AgainIn 2009 I wrote about our first foray into beekeeping or rather, bee watching. The winter of 2009/10 proved to be exceptionally cold and when it became warm enough to inspect the hives, we discovered that the two colonies had not made it through to the spring. We hadn't really learned much about beekeeping so had no idea why they perished or what we could have done about it. We were not totally put off but getting new bees didn't seem to be easy.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijzSIHIWUxqoeWiDsxvK4PS8J1rHcwgsckXanwGNi5IKI8ruWbk8r-TPY_zQPcrXU_MWuN0hMmcDY4H3bVLrzj0lfnZ-HW8jhYdQoS0nZoFUXENMiGnKBvWuALLjCNW6fuhKrkIN07UKc/s1600/BeeBlogApiary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijzSIHIWUxqoeWiDsxvK4PS8J1rHcwgsckXanwGNi5IKI8ruWbk8r-TPY_zQPcrXU_MWuN0hMmcDY4H3bVLrzj0lfnZ-HW8jhYdQoS0nZoFUXENMiGnKBvWuALLjCNW6fuhKrkIN07UKc/s320/BeeBlogApiary.jpg" /></a></div>In 2012 we had the opportunity of buying a nucleus of bees from a friend who lives nearby. We spent a fortune on the accoutrements of beekeeping - a couple of hives, another suit, smokers, frames, foundation - the list goes on.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQTVg-k5lV8i7TIm4xMOeEHZCaV5H79LBBNzv6YN8OYdMvrcAz4xAbHLAP3IqmvOgnUXyiCfveW3VLZBaG_G-7q_sB7TmDCGHJ5rU2hLxoX6AlALovUn_LoC9lczn68kTAuatYjROngG4/s1600/BeeBlogForagers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQTVg-k5lV8i7TIm4xMOeEHZCaV5H79LBBNzv6YN8OYdMvrcAz4xAbHLAP3IqmvOgnUXyiCfveW3VLZBaG_G-7q_sB7TmDCGHJ5rU2hLxoX6AlALovUn_LoC9lczn68kTAuatYjROngG4/s320/BeeBlogForagers.jpg" /></a></div>We collected the bees - five frames of worker bees, stores, brood and a queen bee and transported them to their new apiary - in a sunny spot well away from the house and cottages. A fence was constructed to keep badgers and deer away from the hives although we hadn't thought about the pine marten which shredded the insulation under the hives in its attempt to get at the bees and their honey.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibtJazS_RHRF5JRm_EruOikf1q2Y9nY0E3kOsqikR4a_9E_ZytdmfhIDFg5Dy0ngzsBBAvmsr5Qn1Boor_rp_K_Tcv__ai_jzj8X_ZItra5kmhsZNGXl8TzCiiryRGykzBFbGp4RWhycw/s1600/BeeBlogNucleus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibtJazS_RHRF5JRm_EruOikf1q2Y9nY0E3kOsqikR4a_9E_ZytdmfhIDFg5Dy0ngzsBBAvmsr5Qn1Boor_rp_K_Tcv__ai_jzj8X_ZItra5kmhsZNGXl8TzCiiryRGykzBFbGp4RWhycw/s320/BeeBlogNucleus.jpg" /></a></div>We headed off to Colonsay to attend a weekend course with Andrew Abrahams, a hugely knowledgeable beekeeper and champion of the native black bees. A huge amount of information was on hand, we may even have manage to absorb some of it.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbv796PnwA9MQudjBIBmwaSt6J8noqKCRAsYHUyqGR6z8hxJLBWft448lcMuLGDY6ihB9sLeKL79X1e8gZ32qN5n_OrSEgj845hyk3cuolq2bYU_SqWVGx0LzawEGFiK19EbZLLWQsRsg/s1600/BeeBlogColonsay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbv796PnwA9MQudjBIBmwaSt6J8noqKCRAsYHUyqGR6z8hxJLBWft448lcMuLGDY6ihB9sLeKL79X1e8gZ32qN5n_OrSEgj845hyk3cuolq2bYU_SqWVGx0LzawEGFiK19EbZLLWQsRsg/s320/BeeBlogColonsay.jpg" /></a></div>Within a few days of our return we faced our first challenge - our bees had swarmed. Our inexperience meant we had failed to give the bees enough room and hadn't noticed the formation of queen cells, a certain sign of the preparation to swarm. The swarm was captured and placed in a new hive but again our inexperience showed and a failure to place a queen excluder on the bottom of the hive, allowed the colony to continue its determined mission to find a new home. If we had kept the queen captive, the colony would not have left.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMQb1oYUwYcy7lthELByZlTtYMIXIqCsaNMe66IGAHTC8w3MSO349gGYqMsQkZfZokolOqYdYJfh-rYYfd2TyQVRYZgruJIpyA8MUEd2QMZY_H2M59PmxNDHCJW3nUV9XQg_wEm31fJT0/s1600/BeeBlogSwarm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMQb1oYUwYcy7lthELByZlTtYMIXIqCsaNMe66IGAHTC8w3MSO349gGYqMsQkZfZokolOqYdYJfh-rYYfd2TyQVRYZgruJIpyA8MUEd2QMZY_H2M59PmxNDHCJW3nUV9XQg_wEm31fJT0/s320/BeeBlogSwarm.jpg" /></a></div>A friend came and removed frames with queen cells to another hive, leaving another two frames with queen cells in the original hive. This seemed drastic with depleted numbers but it did the trick. Another small swarm appeared which we manage to catch - this time keeping them captive. We reduced the queen cells to one in each hive and waited. And waited. And waited. After a period of time determined by several bee books, we inspected the hives to find no sign of queens or eggs or brood. Despondency. So we waited some more and amazingly discovered that we had three queens, all mated and all producing new bees. Elation. It was fortunate that our bees knew what they were doing and our ignorance wasn't a problem for them. A yellow dot was applied to identify her as a 2012 queen.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXz7t_Vhyphenhyphenkyz8FOmIn26atuE4ptZa3rbEv36CSqd7P5QhQLGhInDUqWzYByMxfrNm1X2iQaQRmXSg51yfLv6fcd51NBxfXquOixWWLdLNM660dUSVMGFq2dDJtN1ctgcb0MRdQfTPCIP0/s1600/BeeBlogQueen1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXz7t_Vhyphenhyphenkyz8FOmIn26atuE4ptZa3rbEv36CSqd7P5QhQLGhInDUqWzYByMxfrNm1X2iQaQRmXSg51yfLv6fcd51NBxfXquOixWWLdLNM660dUSVMGFq2dDJtN1ctgcb0MRdQfTPCIP0/s320/BeeBlogQueen1.jpg" /></a></div>This is the point at which we might have expected to be harvesting the fruits of our bees' labours. The long queenless gap and the slow build up of the colonies meant that not a drop of honey was to be seen apart from the meagre stores we left them with.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsJM0O3-xlk9GJ1AyKIEh-CKnVZ_bx7i6p2EuWMp1cCkwfESs_gGjMzalfQpDsla3p17HI0Yo7tzOWO1W9dTcPhjIjZYpFr2Fash6tNiEWG8qPZjooJc0RzQsFAwhyseB-WZ40hrATR_k/s1600/BeeBlogSunflower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsJM0O3-xlk9GJ1AyKIEh-CKnVZ_bx7i6p2EuWMp1cCkwfESs_gGjMzalfQpDsla3p17HI0Yo7tzOWO1W9dTcPhjIjZYpFr2Fash6tNiEWG8qPZjooJc0RzQsFAwhyseB-WZ40hrATR_k/s320/BeeBlogSunflower.jpg" /></a></div>Our previous winter experience was a cause for anxiety as we headed into the colder months. We fed them, put in insulated dummy boards and carpet in the roof and crossed our fingers. The winter wasn't particularly cold but the spring was a long time coming so we were not able to inspect our bees properly until nearly the end of April. Our smallest colony had perished. Two and a half frames of bees was marginal for getting through the winter but we couldn't bring ourselves to kill one of our queens and amalgamate the two smaller colonies. Fortunately our two stronger (but still quite small) colonies made it and spent the summer building up their numbers and building wax comb for egg laying and honey and pollen storage. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUfdQaPrmE3Ly8CkfLGMNOeosA7pxHLtnkPV44BiZARyR1FlQjquYNIQaiMI2ah0hnuyAYgfnE33ci2pYwKFYf-sovXCY7PjTS23mF5VbWzTda3PFaHoBeck87zDhaGNY3_v-jdNUS97Y/s1600/BeeBlogWaxComb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUfdQaPrmE3Ly8CkfLGMNOeosA7pxHLtnkPV44BiZARyR1FlQjquYNIQaiMI2ah0hnuyAYgfnE33ci2pYwKFYf-sovXCY7PjTS23mF5VbWzTda3PFaHoBeck87zDhaGNY3_v-jdNUS97Y/s320/BeeBlogWaxComb.jpg" /></a></div>A course in Moray with Tony Harris on queen rearing, gave us confidence to have a go at producing new queens using 'mini nucs' - tiny polytyrene hives which by some magic, produce mated, laying queens far more quickly than in a conventional hive. We persuaded the bees to produce new queen cells by doing an 'arificial swarm' removing the queen and flying bees to another hive, leaving the workers queenless and ready to raise new queens. The queen cells when nearly ready to emerge were put into the mini nucs with a couple of cups full of bees. We also left a queen cell in the hive so had three chances of new queens. In the event, only one queen was produced in one of the mini nucs. The second queen cell was 'torn down' by the workers and we don't know what happened to the one in the hive. We tried again later to persuade the bees to produce queen cells but it wasn't successful - maybe it was too late in the season.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgda1xj6qfE8qEpCrzfet1KdJw9Thj9NculsfVww7v1LOnF86X5ytL2_GQoPv8mJejPiKbTHIwaQ4JHcKl4wXc-aFsukCQY_KSYMoTdy-sH_ARaPCTNySYAkehqpWssxVgEzKudVJXVmF8/s1600/BeeBlogQueen2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgda1xj6qfE8qEpCrzfet1KdJw9Thj9NculsfVww7v1LOnF86X5ytL2_GQoPv8mJejPiKbTHIwaQ4JHcKl4wXc-aFsukCQY_KSYMoTdy-sH_ARaPCTNySYAkehqpWssxVgEzKudVJXVmF8/s320/BeeBlogQueen2.jpg" /></a></div>Now here we are going into winter again. This time with three colonies of similar size, one lovely new queen and two queens which have now done two seasons so will need to be replaced in 2014. They have been fed with sugar syrup, wrapped up warmly and left with good quantities of honey. There are no signs of varroa or other disease (although it is by no means certain that we would spot them all). Slabs of Ambrosia fondant have been put in the hives and we have constructed wooden hive cosies to give them some additional protection from the rain, wind and cold. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge32EQLlGr7yWqU5P1HtdMsz0xRvtx1fWN0xhcG4grwdpu6jzT9wVzf8p5tSNuqfk26b951qzzpdN0dpoe5MAbohRCb9VPAmJPrwK8KiuhD243wr6IYXeAnSG-N2GjTW-UlqwyZB5CdJo/s1600/BeeBlogHiveCosies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge32EQLlGr7yWqU5P1HtdMsz0xRvtx1fWN0xhcG4grwdpu6jzT9wVzf8p5tSNuqfk26b951qzzpdN0dpoe5MAbohRCb9VPAmJPrwK8KiuhD243wr6IYXeAnSG-N2GjTW-UlqwyZB5CdJo/s320/BeeBlogHiveCosies.jpg" /></a></div>They are still flying on good days, adding ivy pollen and nectar to the stores. And best of all, we were able to harvest some of the precious liquid gold - 20 jars of honey which must have cost about £100 each. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguFUuU_T_ad4ITA9jyWRnvk-Z_TcCENU1QugKG6YqTVsNj7bbbaWqoosxeAeJH7JBJLrsa5gE1sBgqtgbu1lKdeYoSvSRPPhFJt2CkbXYKtEeraoBsmHD1G6m1UrBYRlB-IDBRvfSxRLA/s1600/BeeBlogHoney.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguFUuU_T_ad4ITA9jyWRnvk-Z_TcCENU1QugKG6YqTVsNj7bbbaWqoosxeAeJH7JBJLrsa5gE1sBgqtgbu1lKdeYoSvSRPPhFJt2CkbXYKtEeraoBsmHD1G6m1UrBYRlB-IDBRvfSxRLA/s320/BeeBlogHoney.jpg" /></a></div>The fingers are once again firmly crossed for their winter survival. We may not be about to get rich from honey production but we have learned a lot and just hope that we get a chance to benefit from our experience in 2014. Thanks bees for all the lessons, the honey, and the entertainment and for a whole new way of gardening and observing. See you next year.<br />
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seafieldfarmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01923170238077742802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6566334432780059767.post-65502985524129906932013-11-06T13:05:00.000+00:002013-11-06T13:05:35.434+00:00Seafield Farm Cottages are back OnlineSeafield Farm Cottages has a brand new website, designed and hosted by Pole Position in Oban. I think they have done an excellent job for us and we are pleased with the new fresh look - we hope you like it too. <br />
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<a href="http://www.seafieldfarmcottages.co.uk"></a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirq1yzjCG_Fm04lIlQpXKzX7jl8dFz77IWy8c32hGDE3exxiX8hO_OFCOY8eRZS_z-Dh3l69ZlR79-bQm-kKsHkelark6K3OYXjnG0UVBJYn-NhTGpV1FGnnz0v57fMrr_1xGuwWSrcMA/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-11-06+at+12.53.53.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirq1yzjCG_Fm04lIlQpXKzX7jl8dFz77IWy8c32hGDE3exxiX8hO_OFCOY8eRZS_z-Dh3l69ZlR79-bQm-kKsHkelark6K3OYXjnG0UVBJYn-NhTGpV1FGnnz0v57fMrr_1xGuwWSrcMA/s400/Screen+shot+2013-11-06+at+12.53.53.png" /></a></div>seafieldfarmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01923170238077742802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6566334432780059767.post-3287904384012377692013-09-13T23:18:00.000+01:002013-09-13T23:18:10.758+01:00Website WoesMuch as I enjoy making things, growing things and generally being as independent as possible, there are some things I choose not to do myself, preferring to employ someone who is competent in whatever area I find myself hopelessly inept. Web Design is one such area so when I finally realised that a web site was necessary to showcase our holiday cottages, I cast around for recommendations for web site designers and hosts. A host was found, a site designed and as far as I knew (we only communicated by email) a working relationship was established, fees paid and service was rendered.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPlNtsiqNQIhvJGwdbK61vyIuD6LZ8RmN1M147mHJuDrBtHfOAhZ8aWSm56TlhgDm_HpCM_HmgygU2vfg1cprNml4k5_-_jQFylDLeEKzYxZFBYRxmht9r4ecMo54I0lCmiXc4UGiyBas/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-09-13+at+23.00.14.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPlNtsiqNQIhvJGwdbK61vyIuD6LZ8RmN1M147mHJuDrBtHfOAhZ8aWSm56TlhgDm_HpCM_HmgygU2vfg1cprNml4k5_-_jQFylDLeEKzYxZFBYRxmht9r4ecMo54I0lCmiXc4UGiyBas/s320/Screen+shot+2013-09-13+at+23.00.14.png" /></a></div><br />
Four years on, in the middle of a busy season, an email arrives. 'I am closing my business, you can't have your hosting fees back and if you want your domain name and website, you'll have to pay me for it'. What?!? I thought I had paid for it? Silly me. I am happy to pay for a job well done, but only once. Not twice. A charge would be understandable if I was choosing to change providers but this was a unilateral declaration of termination. <br />
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All this is a long winded way of letting you know that we are still here but if you try to access the website at the moment you will get the message <b>'Directory Listing Denied<br />
This Virtual Directory does not allow contents to be listed'.</b> <br />
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A new website should be available soon. Until then, you can find us at www.scotland2000.com/seafield, on Facebook at Seafield Farm Cottages and Craft and on Twitter at seafieldfarm. You can email seafield3@btinternet.com<br />
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seafieldfarmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01923170238077742802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6566334432780059767.post-18682128283723169662012-12-07T21:56:00.000+00:002012-12-07T21:56:18.865+00:00Preserved Ginger CakePreserved Ginger Cake<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxgM5TNPvu5bRRG4xbHefDCUdgiHh3QXMmew33LTz0MkZLOzcAfcUPT5kbVkSgLyRZnJByARuoAmhW9rGyWQspulOTeaOJXZrhzz1L9wzH50b8gMwZnzodBYCgzcyf-mdGp8UBgJwTM8k/s1600/GingerCake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="244" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxgM5TNPvu5bRRG4xbHefDCUdgiHh3QXMmew33LTz0MkZLOzcAfcUPT5kbVkSgLyRZnJByARuoAmhW9rGyWQspulOTeaOJXZrhzz1L9wzH50b8gMwZnzodBYCgzcyf-mdGp8UBgJwTM8k/s320/GingerCake.jpg" /></a></div><br />
This cake has gone down well at recent village hall and basketmaking events and with our vistors to the holiday cottages. It's a cut above the usual gingerbread and very easy to make.<br />
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Makes 3 loaf cakes (1lb size)<br />
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450 gm Self Raising Flour<br />
50 gm Ground Almonds (optional - you can substitute with flour)<br />
6 large Eggs<br />
325 gm Sugar - white or soft brown<br />
325 gm Butter or Soft Margarine<br />
2 tablespoons Golden Syrup (or syrup from jar of preserved ginger)<br />
4 teaspoons Ground Ginger<br />
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175 gm Preserved or Crystallized Ginger, chopped<br />
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Icing (Optional)<br />
250 gm icing sugar <br />
lemon juice<br />
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Put flour, ground almonds (or flour), eggs, sugar, butter/margarine, syrup, ground ginger into the mixing bowl. Beat all together until well mixed. Add milk if required to make a soft dropping consistency. Add chopped ginger, keeping some aside for decoration. Divide mixture between 3 loaf tins or 2 x 23 cm round tins. Greaseproof cake tin liners make tin lining easy.<br />
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Bake in fan oven 160C for 45 - 50 minutes. Adjust temperature if you have a different type of oven.<br />
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Make icing and coat the top of the cakes when cool. Add ginger for decoration.seafieldfarmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01923170238077742802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6566334432780059767.post-22615457591337372782012-06-18T23:02:00.000+01:002012-06-18T23:17:09.166+01:00Seafield Farmhouse - Available for HolidaysA year ago while on holiday in our campervan on a storm bound Hebridean island we thought about how little space we needed and decided to spend the winter preparing to move out of our house so that we could let it during the summer months. With all the children having flown the nest, it is a large space for two of us and we are rarely indoors during the summer. We arrived home to the discovery that we had a double booking and so some very understanding visitors were the first to sample staying in Seafield Farmhouse after our rather hasty preparations.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAFxF31ZLw0I-8WklmHSDH083wroxD63DwzmAyt5kTSawps-i1LRw1KIippao7_UJWhCwmgV0PNPahUqQaka0pEv8WbVUYxEi0J1zMt3qOyHni5aBznU7DuSOaUX7ltT6HLJVnsk6oMvA/s1600/SeafieldFarm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="213" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAFxF31ZLw0I-8WklmHSDH083wroxD63DwzmAyt5kTSawps-i1LRw1KIippao7_UJWhCwmgV0PNPahUqQaka0pEv8WbVUYxEi0J1zMt3qOyHni5aBznU7DuSOaUX7ltT6HLJVnsk6oMvA/s320/SeafieldFarm.jpg" /></a><br />
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A year on and the house is almost prepared for public consumption. We were nearly ready when our visitors in Byre Cottage needed to extend their stay for a fortnight and it is amazing what you can achieve with two day's notice. Needless to say, the winter had been spent on the sofa, close to the woodburner rather than performing admirable feats of de-cluttering. Letting Seafield Farmhouse is not a new concept. Granny and Grandpa Livingston sent the children to relatives in the summer so that the house could be let to families who came up for six weeks at a time. We have a copy of a delightful diary kept by the daughter of one such family who stayed here in 1928 for whom Granny cooked 'monstrously good suppers'. In the 21st century, the accommodation will be strictly self catering!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBXjevjp26RV_XbBsfYZBPjc-b350maD27AQhRHBXavbvd3H_w_EDL9NqvhQJ0QewAk37FsSkTJ_pAGwunRwDtz3NuivgLiNPe3tZCWZXiJvUvrnaALH46ZqQkzyYK-ePJLOY8kukBKlA/s1600/FarmhouseConservatory1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBXjevjp26RV_XbBsfYZBPjc-b350maD27AQhRHBXavbvd3H_w_EDL9NqvhQJ0QewAk37FsSkTJ_pAGwunRwDtz3NuivgLiNPe3tZCWZXiJvUvrnaALH46ZqQkzyYK-ePJLOY8kukBKlA/s320/FarmhouseConservatory1.jpg" /></a><br />
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We are not sure of the exact age of the house. It has been described as 150 years old for at least the last 40 years. It was built as part of the Poltalloch Estate and sold to the Forestry Commission in the 1930's. Grandpa Neil Livingston arrived from the Isle of Luing at the beginning of the last century when Seafield was a sheep farm. The Forestry Commission planted the hill with sitka spruce and Seafield became a sixty acre smallholding comprising mainly of rock and bog. His son Jimmy Livingston took over the farm and also worked full time for the Forestry, operating a winch. In time, his son, my husband, James Livingston came home to look after the place and was also employed by the Forestry Commission. As a tenant, James was able to buy Seafield in the late 1980's and could then diversify into holiday lets, sawmilling and firewood processing. He has recently taken early retirement and so we hope to be able to continue to improve the facilties we provide so that many more people can share the stunning place we are fortunate to be able to live in. That's when James isn't fishing of course.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJGuHsDMQQ8SdllRxxNYlkHa2g2bR03gjpQYfcP7N7s_7_Op44HB4ywaKhD8BYdGLtD2bc4cwJck5wW5JIn1zgB0L3JXOPC1Az030a6hlWgH-FtHW7H3q38MCB_q9KTKY0FaSFdnrRmOc/s1600/FarmhouseKitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJGuHsDMQQ8SdllRxxNYlkHa2g2bR03gjpQYfcP7N7s_7_Op44HB4ywaKhD8BYdGLtD2bc4cwJck5wW5JIn1zgB0L3JXOPC1Az030a6hlWgH-FtHW7H3q38MCB_q9KTKY0FaSFdnrRmOc/s320/FarmhouseKitchen.jpg" /></a><br />
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On the ground floor, the house has a large, 30 ft long conservatory which we added in 1997. This is the main living and dining area and has a woodburning stove. Off the conservatory is a large kitchen with units made by a local craftsman with reclaimed timbers from redundant Crinan Canal lock gates. It has a dishwasher and dual fuel cooker with gas hob and electric oven. There is a combination microwave and large fridge plus the usual small appliances.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie6xeoGWOpSuGV6J2kTbK6s6VG4Z77t2Uhy-0BJk5sDGko4kmt5MPOMpBo6vsygGXGfrQmdjAzpApsWRBZ3iu_GITyjMk1aoEhm2ot99xY7zgA3I9Lv7_PGu-FqxVIz6KTWpR4IplOfoA/s1600/FarmhouseConservatory3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie6xeoGWOpSuGV6J2kTbK6s6VG4Z77t2Uhy-0BJk5sDGko4kmt5MPOMpBo6vsygGXGfrQmdjAzpApsWRBZ3iu_GITyjMk1aoEhm2ot99xY7zgA3I9Lv7_PGu-FqxVIz6KTWpR4IplOfoA/s320/FarmhouseConservatory3.jpg" /></a><br />
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Off the kitchen is a utility room with washer and freezer which is accessible from the kitchen but also has a separate exterior door. We need access to this space from time to time as it houses our freezer and a large oven which I need to use occasionally - but we will be as unobtrusive as possible.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3w5gHyK8H4wB57n7GdW16YRoDkR4ZypihFzeAZHT73Q1iYtEjj2P1rzcOEXl9fen7AsOu28snFbiGo5BU-ml8ivvswxd4QdW-yGxcqBGmmg_H1ZNoT7sbY3iK7tjs1keL4b9a6baKCnY/s1600/FarmhouseDouble1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3w5gHyK8H4wB57n7GdW16YRoDkR4ZypihFzeAZHT73Q1iYtEjj2P1rzcOEXl9fen7AsOu28snFbiGo5BU-ml8ivvswxd4QdW-yGxcqBGmmg_H1ZNoT7sbY3iK7tjs1keL4b9a6baKCnY/s320/FarmhouseDouble1.jpg" /></a><br />
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The hallway which has a small cloakroom, leads to a family suite of double bedroom with adjacent twin bedroom and ensuite facilities. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjetMSNyZMCW8vSwjPAU97ycNMxoFeD9vu7Q-yAtpn9VOWyDA47PgyrWZIriZyApZMUtMya2ufLHXDEOkMWoqIy8xf3hqpCBala9b4fnDOFeIR8lnhgD0udmKRRgS77TwHGUHXvIJFFplc/s1600/FarmhouseTwin2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjetMSNyZMCW8vSwjPAU97ycNMxoFeD9vu7Q-yAtpn9VOWyDA47PgyrWZIriZyApZMUtMya2ufLHXDEOkMWoqIy8xf3hqpCBala9b4fnDOFeIR8lnhgD0udmKRRgS77TwHGUHXvIJFFplc/s320/FarmhouseTwin2.jpg" /></a><br />
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Upstairs, there is a large double bedroom with king sized bed and a bathroom with bath and shower. The second bedroom is not available for letting as it is in need of complete refurbishment and will be used for storage of all the things we don't know what to do with.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_2qG4Iitd-gBjOXRF0AyocOepfdLibsAJz9IcFLXtItYe_fixGZbm9w92zYhZZZeSHawCoSNcV7eLe9vnRVnPUfwYky_CuMnzzuterNk62liuSQtxGmLp_wjmDlgn_adrWoTphbssZ2U/s1600/FarmhouseKingBed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_2qG4Iitd-gBjOXRF0AyocOepfdLibsAJz9IcFLXtItYe_fixGZbm9w92zYhZZZeSHawCoSNcV7eLe9vnRVnPUfwYky_CuMnzzuterNk62liuSQtxGmLp_wjmDlgn_adrWoTphbssZ2U/s320/FarmhouseKingBed.jpg" /></a><br />
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Central Heating and hot water are from the log fired boiler and there is a woodburner in the conservatory. During warmer weather, the boiler is off and heating and hot water are provided by electricity - mostly generated by the photo voltaic panels.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNZjSrbffa4zjGfDt_dpMTPMVfkqHmfF-n_0VNw5MGq_ih3WKdnHC-qWnfLYGekUOSPtmt116bd2DDeD-mZO8RTxZPiscqdtDjcQaMQvmpyJNDUxpMV_fxmCy6T5NiQFyhDDs582KmVy0/s1600/FarmhouseLanding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNZjSrbffa4zjGfDt_dpMTPMVfkqHmfF-n_0VNw5MGq_ih3WKdnHC-qWnfLYGekUOSPtmt116bd2DDeD-mZO8RTxZPiscqdtDjcQaMQvmpyJNDUxpMV_fxmCy6T5NiQFyhDDs582KmVy0/s320/FarmhouseLanding.jpg" /></a><br />
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Seafield Farmhouse is available for holidays during June, July and August. We may extend into September if all goes well. Sorry, no pets and no smoking. Children are welcome. With Byre and Stable Cottages just next door, there is plenty of scope for larger family groups who want to spend time together while enjoying their own space. <br />
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To check availability, please go to www.seafieldfarmcottages.co.uk and check the search availability button, email info@seafieldfarmcottages.co.uk or phone 01546 850274<br />
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<br />seafieldfarmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01923170238077742802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6566334432780059767.post-87581215832421277942012-02-28T13:43:00.000+00:002012-02-29T13:45:00.429+00:00Twittering and Beavering Away at SeafieldOn my recent travels through Twitter, I came across freetobook, a free application which can be added to blogs, tweets, facebook posts and web sites to mention but a few. I have avoided such things in the past partly because of a fear of the double booking and loss of control but mainly because it all seemed too mind boggling for a simple country woman but after a couple of late nights and head scratching, I think I have it up and running. See the green search button at the bottom of this page.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiovm9vcCq-qkZcZd2vGdoiCrsK3rZZJnVF8ghqSnHrYNec7kdYJJ_0PUUW-PtfD3jgM5uRiUB0Uvy0pvRHNSaHW6uNOab2zCUFT5JdTURHEhHpkrklrHY8OkuVmaX8G0ZukcpJXjX7hBI/s1600/BlogFeb1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiovm9vcCq-qkZcZd2vGdoiCrsK3rZZJnVF8ghqSnHrYNec7kdYJJ_0PUUW-PtfD3jgM5uRiUB0Uvy0pvRHNSaHW6uNOab2zCUFT5JdTURHEhHpkrklrHY8OkuVmaX8G0ZukcpJXjX7hBI/s320/BlogFeb1.jpg" /></a></div><br />
This year, bookings are noticeably slower than in previous years and with the financial situation in the country, it is hardly surprising that holidays are not top of everyone's priorities in 2012. It also has to be said that summer of 2011 was less than glorious - we know - we spent a week in our campervan in a howling gale and torrential rain at the beginning of June. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZNZhghyphenhyphen-OND26Ct6aZoOkVwaF_Q7LiRgs0GOi1IxhCpmxA-YYtYAAMk114bnwK_oiChVHtk6gED77h9QeJjNQ1ZTlVX4P3DXK6lL8rL3iYrRghN6B372zKPJBm9qIP4ktqLjKXDwR8oY/s1600/BlogFeb3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZNZhghyphenhyphen-OND26Ct6aZoOkVwaF_Q7LiRgs0GOi1IxhCpmxA-YYtYAAMk114bnwK_oiChVHtk6gED77h9QeJjNQ1ZTlVX4P3DXK6lL8rL3iYrRghN6B372zKPJBm9qIP4ktqLjKXDwR8oY/s320/BlogFeb3.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Midsummer is usually the best time to visit the west coast with long, light days and less than average rain. A fortnight, rain bound in a cottage (no matter how comfortable) would not encourage me to return to this part of the world and I would probably be poring over brochures and websites promising sunshine and heat. My personal recommendation would be for April - statistically our driest month, the evenings are getting longer and the midges haven't arrived.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzPc3amsHAyHnmf-u7DI8oGnbegItU53s0CnmbIy8k8jNrF8Ke-hCkWubqb77szKSdv1a9cbFR1QoPwEnkwTJTXZeFCzJZfSjWjaSFRysBUmGpjIh9IyDI1Zzj_uvoFsv_Twn1gGdnkCc/s1600/BlogFeb5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzPc3amsHAyHnmf-u7DI8oGnbegItU53s0CnmbIy8k8jNrF8Ke-hCkWubqb77szKSdv1a9cbFR1QoPwEnkwTJTXZeFCzJZfSjWjaSFRysBUmGpjIh9IyDI1Zzj_uvoFsv_Twn1gGdnkCc/s320/BlogFeb5.jpg" /></a></div><br />
I can't promise the weather will be any better this year but if hoping would do it, we would be in for a glorious summer. All I can promise is a comfortable cottage with all mod cons and lots of traditional charm in a beautiful spot at the head of Loch Sween. There will be home baked cake to welcome you and lots of glossy magazines and interesting books to while away an hour or two. Kirkland has joined our other cottages in having free wi-fi - and in a small wooden building there is no problem with the signal! Don't worry if you are desperate to get away from the tyranny of the internet and 24/7 connectivity - I can easily remove the hub so you won't be tempted. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyf-7JAqleHAJqDw6nwbyWjQYBFwL1AgONqA859PiGeCNSkZ6-xNTyncnmGARUuWCE3AGW1hVKIsGzjmnOhcNBm3xaLOY9X7PQjIatmx8tI9tnQ9gk-w2b2DOgFslRJjE79WFqa2jSzsk/s1600/BlogFeb8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyf-7JAqleHAJqDw6nwbyWjQYBFwL1AgONqA859PiGeCNSkZ6-xNTyncnmGARUuWCE3AGW1hVKIsGzjmnOhcNBm3xaLOY9X7PQjIatmx8tI9tnQ9gk-w2b2DOgFslRJjE79WFqa2jSzsk/s320/BlogFeb8.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Let us not be pessimistic and remember that this part of the world is astonishingly beautiful with stunning land and seascapes, an abundance of wildlife, fantastic walks and trails through the forest and a wonderful historical and archaeological heritage.<br />
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Give it a try. If all else fails, Archie at Fyne Tackle has an excellent range of wet weather gear! And of course there are always the beavers . . . .<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIziAepxmsABwdYoR92K0No6Csw4LKKveagtSvhifgDkm68s8CwxrlGNASLWBfXBgheCYKrZzAi5c_t3sra0ayv5a357air3xawMepjMW_V9OgldXrGqARfAT0mP3IuiBzV96P3vLpb9M/s1600/BlogFeb9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="215" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIziAepxmsABwdYoR92K0No6Csw4LKKveagtSvhifgDkm68s8CwxrlGNASLWBfXBgheCYKrZzAi5c_t3sra0ayv5a357air3xawMepjMW_V9OgldXrGqARfAT0mP3IuiBzV96P3vLpb9M/s320/BlogFeb9.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div id="f2b-widget"><script src="http://www.freetobook.com/affiliates/dynamicWidget/js/widget-js.php?w_id=743&w_tkn=oHHqFijPbIsCfNoQ12J2gIDkLc7v7zOXJJKFU3E9QdAY3IEfsYlOi13SInNO0&w_new=1" type="text/javascript"></script></div>seafieldfarmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01923170238077742802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6566334432780059767.post-71497566308594737362012-01-29T20:36:00.000+00:002012-02-29T13:49:01.524+00:00Walking in Knapdale ForestMany of our visitors enjoy walking and here in Knapdale there are several routes on forest roads where you can walk for miles without seeing another person. Some routes are waymarked but many of the forest roads are part of the forest harvesting operation and care should be taken if machines are working. Some forest roads are quite featureless and it can be easy to get lost - I have taken a wrong turning more than once - usually when walking with a friend and being more intent on conversation than the route. Keep an eye out for deer, badgers, foxes, osprey (summer only), buzzards, jays and all manner of small finches and tits - and of course the newly resident beavers which are mainly spotted in the early morning and late evening.<br />
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This walk starts at Seafield Forest gate, approximately 150 metres north of Seafield Farm, Achnamara. There is room to park at the entrance but obviously if you are staying with us, you won't need to drive. If you choose to do the walk anti-clockwise, you should park at Achnamara Village Hall, half a mile south of Seafield Farm and reverse the instructions.<br />
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Follow the forest road straight up the hill. There is a burn (stream) on your left hand side. Pass a side road on your left and keep on up the hill. Soon you will come to a right turn. If you wish to take a little diversion, it is only a short distance to the Lily Loch where there is walkway and a bench. This is an idyllic spot to sit and enjoy the sounds of birds and small brown trout breaking the surface of the loch. There is a good display of waterlilies in the summer and it's a good place to see dragonflies and damselflies.<br />
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Retrace your steps to the junction and turn left. You will be able to see Seafield Loch on your left hand side. A few yards along, there is a small jetty for Lochgilphead Angling Club. Directly opposite the jetty is a lodge built by a pair of beavers introduced to the area by the Scottish Beaver Trial. Being built of sticks and mud and being quite a flat construction, it would be easy to miss it. <br />
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As you continue along the side of the loch, you may notice some beaver gnawed trees although most of the activity is on the far side of the loch. At the end of the loch, there is another walkway on the left hand side leading to another bench at the north end of the loch with more lovely views to sit and enjoy.<br />
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Continuing along the forest road, you will pass a turning to the left. This side road is permanently blocked by flooding. Keep on up the hill until you reach a junction. Take the right turn and continue through the Sitka Spruce plantation. About an hour into the walk, you come to an open area which is fenced off on the left hand side - this was once a granite quarry for construction of the forest roads.<br />
Keep on following the road past a marshy area to the left which is a favourite spot for deer to wallow in the mud. Keep following the main forest road around the bends, through an area of cleared forest and downhill until you reach a crossroads.<br />
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Take the right turn and keep going ignoring the next turn to the left. The track takes you downhill, passing a waterfall on the left. Continue through the plantation of old trees on the right, across a concrete bridge to a forest gate. Turn right at the gate which takes you to the Village Hall where you turn right. As you cross the stone bridge in the village look up to the right where you will see Achnamara House. For many years this was an outdoor centre, visited by hundreds of children and adults from other parts of Scotland. Sadly, the once fine Dower House and Shooting Lodge of Poltalloch Estate, is currently in a poor state of repair after many years of neglect since being sold by Glasgow City Council.<br />
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It is about half a mile from here, through Achnamara back along the single track road with Loch Sween on your left hand side, back to Seafield gate where you started.<br />
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This walk is approximately five miles long and takes about one and a half to two hours depending on how fast you walk.<br />
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To check availability of our cottages, click on the green search button below.<br />
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<div id="f2b-widget"><script src="http://www.freetobook.com/affiliates/dynamicWidget/js/widget-js.php?w_id=743&w_tkn=oHHqFijPbIsCfNoQ12J2gIDkLc7v7zOXJJKFU3E9QdAY3IEfsYlOi13SInNO0&w_new=1" type="text/javascript"></script></div>seafieldfarmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01923170238077742802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6566334432780059767.post-20841725627050767592011-10-10T12:42:00.001+01:002011-10-10T22:43:34.312+01:00Rhubarb & Cinnamon Cake<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
Gone are the days when I spent hours during the summer months slaving over a hot oven to fulfill cake and pudding orders for my visitors. However, there is still always cake of some sort to welcome you on arrival. This one has proved popular and I have had several requests for the recipe. The version pictured is apple and rhubarb because, thanks to John and Zoe, I have lots of apples to use.</div>
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This can be made with any fruit you like - it is especially good with plums. The rhubarb version is the one I make most because rhubarb grows well in my garden and people who claim they are not too keen on rhubarb, think that this is pretty good. You could try cherries, peaches, gooseberries or pears too.</div>
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2.5 ounces of Soft Margarine or butter</div>
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4 ounces of white or wholemeal self raising flour </div>
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1 ounce of white or brown sugar</div>
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0.5 teaspoon of ground cinnamon</div>
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1 large egg</div>
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Topping</div>
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Enough fruit to cover the base generously</div>
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Crumble</div>
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3 ounces of sugar </div>
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1 ounce of flour</div>
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0.5 teaspoon of ground cinnamon</div>
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1 ounce soft margarine or butter</div>
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Put all the base ingredients in a food processor and whizz to make a soft dough. If you don't have a food processor you'll have to do it the hard way.</div>
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Grease and Line 7" square tin or dish (I don't bother to line a ceramic dish).</div>
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Put the base dough in the tin and top with fruit, peeled, chopped, sliced or stoned depending on what you are using.</div>
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Put the crumble ingredients in the food processor (don't bother to wash the blade or bowl after making the base - the ingredients are more or less the same) and pulse until it looks like crumble. Sprinkle over fruit.</div>
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Bake in oven Gas 4, 180C (conventional oven - adjust for fan oven) for about 50 minutes.</div>
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Double up the ingredients. Use a 9" baking dish or tin and cook for an hour. It freezes well. </div>
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Serve warm or cold with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Eat and enjoy </div>
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seafieldfarmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01923170238077742802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6566334432780059767.post-86916742937182648052011-10-05T09:22:00.003+01:002011-10-05T09:53:24.284+01:00Seafield Goes Greener<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
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I've always loved the cost and quality advantage of
home made over shop bought – or maybe that is another way of
admitting to a more than healthy dose of thriftiness. If I had
thought of it, reduce, re-use and recycle would have been my mantra
long ago. We baby boomers have enjoyed a life of ever increasing
affluence, benefiting from what we didn't realise were fantastically
cheap house prices and power and a time when astonishing
technological advances made an ever increasing choice of consumer
durables for the home available to everyone. And yet deep, or in my
case, not so deep in our psyches is the World War 2 mentality of make
do and mend, dig for victory and don't throw anything away unless it
is completely past it – and frequently, not even then. I have tins
of string, jars of rubber bands, boxes of buttons, collections of
carefully folded wrapping paper and despite a recent cull, a plastic
box mountain of european proportions. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieCJuuuD-n7kr1mFTuV_CTMx4zfcN6fNsYDBYmX-jL7xfyx6GnDYD0x9GnPKkaWp_x2SjjuVNbIWJszdQiNx69XT3D2FtRcYV4revyAlAx2F3hsmEDjN8PB8tgi6pc2hUDytin59DnYMw/s1600/WoodburnerKirkland.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieCJuuuD-n7kr1mFTuV_CTMx4zfcN6fNsYDBYmX-jL7xfyx6GnDYD0x9GnPKkaWp_x2SjjuVNbIWJszdQiNx69XT3D2FtRcYV4revyAlAx2F3hsmEDjN8PB8tgi6pc2hUDytin59DnYMw/s320/WoodburnerKirkland.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Woodburning Stove at Kirkland Lodge</td></tr>
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The Green movement suited me down to
the ground. A way of spending less and being lauded for my
environmental concerns rather than castigated for my meanness. The
light bulbs were changed for low energy, never mind that in our less
than tropically heated house they take some time to give more than a
dim glow and fail to fulfill their promise of long life. The loft is
heavy with insulation, the windows are double glazed and woolly
jumpers are de rigeur when the temperatures drop.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinVQeLOM9ZXbrBx9x4t8_qEZzeJybOS0c9tY-73hVCjUMX8g2ScOVzY8Vy9lgng0xGAo6C_c3aPTU9TakVUf6_E9yQpu8Nvcc9YsTf7esxPfJ9YgTe4uYhAJfVu1WtsM8dTdgKa2GNRjU/s1600/LogBoiler.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinVQeLOM9ZXbrBx9x4t8_qEZzeJybOS0c9tY-73hVCjUMX8g2ScOVzY8Vy9lgng0xGAo6C_c3aPTU9TakVUf6_E9yQpu8Nvcc9YsTf7esxPfJ9YgTe4uYhAJfVu1WtsM8dTdgKa2GNRjU/s320/LogBoiler.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Log Boiler and Insulated Hot Water Storage Tanks</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
In 2007, being ever more concerned by
the rapidly rising cost of LPG to run our central heating and a
boiler which was starting to make strange noises, we decided to
install a log fired boiler to provide heating for the house, cottages
and workshop. Surrounded by trees on our own land and Knapdale Forest, free logs rather than costly chips or pellets
seemed the way forward. Offcuts from the sawmill add to the stocks
so rather than hand over vast amounts of money, we have taken on vast
amounts of work to supply the fire monster in the boiler house. Our
dismay when, in a bid to deal with overheating, visitors ignore the thermostats in preference for open
windows and jumper removal, is now
motivated by the work rather than the cost of providing the heat. We
may not do it all with a hand axe and bow saw but it still requires
effort which we would rather use in the pursuit of keeping cottages
cosy, than in the impossible task of warming the whole of Argyll.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJQ1Ymzo922vXSkUXFYNaEKrYtPP2XTFFbQQbrzF8zXeseBKgxD-RM6xe_mMZoLdyav1bOwB6DdKwJkvIVW5kOYxssbw_TwacA3G3vNpnsVd08_QGW5dFYHVxZbTrPYJBGiWAtNCmzJ9w/s1600/Firewood.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJQ1Ymzo922vXSkUXFYNaEKrYtPP2XTFFbQQbrzF8zXeseBKgxD-RM6xe_mMZoLdyav1bOwB6DdKwJkvIVW5kOYxssbw_TwacA3G3vNpnsVd08_QGW5dFYHVxZbTrPYJBGiWAtNCmzJ9w/s320/Firewood.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Firewood Pallets - each one provides about 10 days of heating</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Now we have joined the ranks of the
Kilowatt Bores. The hot topic at dinner parties (if we ever get
invited to any) will not be the state of the economy or house prices
but how many kilowatts we have generated from our photo voltaic solar
panels. Our lovely slate roof has been partially covered with
fifteen shiny panels which, in theory, with unbroken sunshine shining
at exactly the right angle, could generate 3.75 kilowatts of
electricity per hour. We could have had the full 4 kw with sixteen
panels but that would have left one panel on its own and aesthetics
won over maximum generating potential. My new hobby will be
attempting to use as much of the power generated to maximise the
savings on the electricity bill as well as gaining from the feed in
tariff. Sadly this will mean slaving over a hot oven, hoovering or
doing the ironing whenever the sun is shining – or maybe not.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPzUUFn4LqgxUHbXixaLQcOrwUoKt4Y9WgzzNPlNPKI6OXnfEiF6J6gOXI0Y_yCjIakHk3lsbdaa9kl76pE8_reT4NeuuTFfjocQ0qYCov75e5WBzQqyo1GbnnpiEMdJwK4VU1WdqdR1Q/s1600/PVonStableRoof.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPzUUFn4LqgxUHbXixaLQcOrwUoKt4Y9WgzzNPlNPKI6OXnfEiF6J6gOXI0Y_yCjIakHk3lsbdaa9kl76pE8_reT4NeuuTFfjocQ0qYCov75e5WBzQqyo1GbnnpiEMdJwK4VU1WdqdR1Q/s320/PVonStableRoof.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Solar Panels on Stable Cottage Roof </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Earth Fuel Scotland installed the
panels and did a great job. It would be nice to be able to say that
the sun came out as soon as we were plugged into the grid but
instead, the panels got well soaked by a rain shower. But even
during the late afternoon, post rain gloom, the meter stopped turning
and for a short while before darkness set in, at least some of the
power going into the fridge and freezer was home grown.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
And the forecast for this week?
Showers and rain giving way to torrential downpours. It might be a
while before our investment pays for itself. In the meantime, I'll
keep saving string.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
seafieldfarmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01923170238077742802noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6566334432780059767.post-87790665129446807312011-06-10T12:40:00.000+01:002011-09-25T12:49:24.714+01:00Isle of Gigha<style type="text/css">
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<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">We have had our campervan for six years and slept in it for a
grand total of 10 nights. It was a long held but hugely
impractical dream of mine to have a 'proper' old style VW camper.
When this Transporter van appeared in the local paper during a spell
of fantastic summer weather, with friends waxing lyrical about their
campervan experiences, we got carried away and bought it on the
spot. With a son aged fourteen at the time whose dreams did not include
being jammed in a small campervan with his parents; holiday cottages,
chickens and a large garden to attend to during the summer months,
I'm not sure when we thought we would use it. It has been
useful for moving furniture, taking baskets to craft fairs, being an
emergency vehicle when others were in the garage, taking the
lawnmower down to Kirkland and moving aforementioned son in and out
of various student accommodations but as far as holidays on the open
road go, it's been a bit of a dead loss. Several luxury
holidays in far flung sunny places could have been paid for with what
it has cost to keep the old van on the road.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK5SsT_G82BbTPU5gzLYvd5JBDoWWTyJEZktDFBFZNpA__JLWg_E97WlzIxnajmRlKaXufpfDDODRUHRWHF9kNSHjYSBb-jN4nW-2d9ep8lToDgRs1hvOM1al86biTPNnnsjSyBfhj1w4/s1600/Gigha1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK5SsT_G82BbTPU5gzLYvd5JBDoWWTyJEZktDFBFZNpA__JLWg_E97WlzIxnajmRlKaXufpfDDODRUHRWHF9kNSHjYSBb-jN4nW-2d9ep8lToDgRs1hvOM1al86biTPNnnsjSyBfhj1w4/s320/Gigha1.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Following John and Zoe's wedding, we thought we would treat
ourselves to a holiday in the campervan at the end of May. The
original plan was to head north to the Uists for three weeks.
House sitters were arranged and the North West of Scotland would be
our oyster. Various things happened and the holiday was reduced
to two weeks, eventually becoming an eight day break on the island of
Gigha. The change of plan was not without advantage - only an
hour's journey to get to the ferry at Tayinloan and economical on
diesel. Gigha is a beautiful and manageable island being only
six miles long and travelling over water always adds to the holiday
atmosphere.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWqnsZ70XxOmQ6n9oEvu3pN0M2DA46VLISrW5VEFaktovE2ZSToBH-ei3qTA0QRCSz_46jxPSU1AL3Di_WbLL93Ag5gtZRrQN21B5CJMm0D4gQXCbumibIU7550WmcFPTHdmY3Sav2PbU/s1600/Gigha4View.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWqnsZ70XxOmQ6n9oEvu3pN0M2DA46VLISrW5VEFaktovE2ZSToBH-ei3qTA0QRCSz_46jxPSU1AL3Di_WbLL93Ag5gtZRrQN21B5CJMm0D4gQXCbumibIU7550WmcFPTHdmY3Sav2PbU/s320/Gigha4View.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> May and June are generally our best summer months in Argyll.
The days are long and often gloriously sunny. Not this year.
The wind which had threatened to blow John and Zoe's wedding marquee
away in April, continued to be a feature. Our holiday vision
was of sitting outside in the sunshine, barbecuing fresh fish for
dinner and just relaxing, away from the never ending list of jobs at
home. We were certainly able to relax; spending many hours
sitting inside the van, reading, sleeping and eating, wondering when
the howling gales might allow us to get outside. At night it
was like sleeping on a boat, the campervan rocking alarmingly in the
wind. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS24SgVctcWB3e3NsNeUQ2QnU3uQeaxgYFDi2J9f0dH4KZljnSL-XV7Kr-I_x59v7EHLDN6kHEXc2-87fZWziYNMz1GPNhjkI1oUTw84qXzl99Dys_AkJOCvLDVtooRzaNlu_gf6FyY5o/s1600/Gigha5Storm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS24SgVctcWB3e3NsNeUQ2QnU3uQeaxgYFDi2J9f0dH4KZljnSL-XV7Kr-I_x59v7EHLDN6kHEXc2-87fZWziYNMz1GPNhjkI1oUTw84qXzl99Dys_AkJOCvLDVtooRzaNlu_gf6FyY5o/s320/Gigha5Storm.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> We enjoyed meals at The Boathouse and the Gigha Hotel. The
Gallery has lots of lovely crafts and art and regular exhibitions.
Sitting watching the wind turbines spin gave us hours of
entertainment and a walk up to the trig point was the only time I
have ever been blown up a hill. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPojiU18FiAWB3myNK3lkZPUrqS_-pLVx1-uV9m5ezaN7CVYGAL6_m0KhP2tevfeVQy7X2Elt-ND-_aoQ6pt4FMTl84CJkBebQAhgjMcRL-6SKJIi6dwV95LOh0l2SSLwFxODhH_7afYI/s1600/Gigha2Turbines.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPojiU18FiAWB3myNK3lkZPUrqS_-pLVx1-uV9m5ezaN7CVYGAL6_m0KhP2tevfeVQy7X2Elt-ND-_aoQ6pt4FMTl84CJkBebQAhgjMcRL-6SKJIi6dwV95LOh0l2SSLwFxODhH_7afYI/s320/Gigha2Turbines.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Having discovered that there is
no trout fishing on Gigha, James ventured to the mainland for a
fishing trip. We had a day trip to Campbeltown by bus.
Luckily our visit coincided with Springbank Distillery's Open Day
with free tours and tastings. Our 'free' day became expensive,
when, relaxed and cheered by our complimentary drams, we came away
with four bottles of cask strength single malt whisky. Somehow
we kept forgetting which one we liked the best and additional
tastings only served to confuse us further so we had to buy them
all. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNs3q85hvDsosC0WI2MduBEjpRP_6vzHGOX2EOznnV2mXjG_JytEEi1ZRZAWj8yo50ooiFtXuLZVmjq0rpvwRxgHWYekcKsDByXUt9k2WNhb9lx2mXDUuB6u4PKK5NeNj0BBuxWZSiCp4/s1600/Gigha7Springbank.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNs3q85hvDsosC0WI2MduBEjpRP_6vzHGOX2EOznnV2mXjG_JytEEi1ZRZAWj8yo50ooiFtXuLZVmjq0rpvwRxgHWYekcKsDByXUt9k2WNhb9lx2mXDUuB6u4PKK5NeNj0BBuxWZSiCp4/s320/Gigha7Springbank.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> Achamore Gardens were a delight and wonderfully sheltered
from the wind. We wandered about all by ourselves, not another
person to be seen, just this friendly pig. It was like stepping into 'The Secret Garden'.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz59rrxxssWq7XjAfFJszpOmCu12df_MSt991pEG9hGNav6xAJaouxOWTWJr2BTCdpbtb4lcDWPkNfnt72nOIVA9-pb_r6kYokUyq4tC6guTgOsLyAn5Gm38izrBMQKGqnkCYKk8FTvjw/s1600/Gigha8Garden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz59rrxxssWq7XjAfFJszpOmCu12df_MSt991pEG9hGNav6xAJaouxOWTWJr2BTCdpbtb4lcDWPkNfnt72nOIVA9-pb_r6kYokUyq4tC6guTgOsLyAn5Gm38izrBMQKGqnkCYKk8FTvjw/s320/Gigha8Garden.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> The highlight of the week was an Auction and lunch at the
Village Hall on a particularly foul day. The food was amazing.
There were delicious soups - I had seafood chowder, with rolls filled
to bursting with fantastic local produce. Endless cups of tea
and coffee with wonderful home baking and puddings. The Auction
was fun and raised a good sum for the Gardens.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbz-LmZcsDu234xeSBfFq7mnAs1Ru6RrTWTQKw3kGn4J9qilLQN8FKQ0kiZBcwItj45_OtaHihZ7kuzU0fYc1yuWa6RG4d1Wws-biNZ3ZM3iJudDzP1NwQvKkZRNZNrOdKXLZegZ3d-vQ/s1600/Gigha9Rainbow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbz-LmZcsDu234xeSBfFq7mnAs1Ru6RrTWTQKw3kGn4J9qilLQN8FKQ0kiZBcwItj45_OtaHihZ7kuzU0fYc1yuWa6RG4d1Wws-biNZ3ZM3iJudDzP1NwQvKkZRNZNrOdKXLZegZ3d-vQ/s320/Gigha9Rainbow.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">In the evening we were entertained in the pub by Henri from the
Gallery on Mandola, Graham on Chromatic accordion and Micky, head
gardener at Achamore Gardens on Mandolin.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilGCjULX8P0rOr33nEKeBZ06ybH0SXWcdf0tWqUNJtRYyFIl7yasdvHNYJGV7B-8rOkDoUQAlrdOTctKcTY-4SRP9_deudA1Zs49Squhp3nIOr596w89oJmtHT1rhx3sztFqFopAPXuDg/s1600/Gigha3Music.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilGCjULX8P0rOr33nEKeBZ06ybH0SXWcdf0tWqUNJtRYyFIl7yasdvHNYJGV7B-8rOkDoUQAlrdOTctKcTY-4SRP9_deudA1Zs49Squhp3nIOr596w89oJmtHT1rhx3sztFqFopAPXuDg/s320/Gigha3Music.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> The sun did shine some of the time and the weather was
entertainingly dramatic rather than grey and dreary. The
islanders were friendly, helpful and welcoming. We were given lifts
by locals when caught out by the ferocious showers on our walks to
and from the ferry. On what we thought would be our day of
departure, the ferry was stormbound so we had an extra day on the
island looking out at the dramatic seas battering on the shore. It's
a fabulous place to visit and if you have bicycles you can take them
on the ferry for free.
</span></div>
seafieldfarmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01923170238077742802noreply@blogger.com1Gigha, Argyll and Bute PA41 7, UK55.6833333 -5.7555.6117183 -5.9079285 55.7549483 -5.5920715tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6566334432780059767.post-28032566526056879812011-06-08T21:08:00.018+01:002011-06-08T23:24:58.358+01:00John and Zoe Get Married at Seafield<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1H8LQd445TXg2s60DFEVFYD3mTLBPqDhNO1Q4VN5CAmOdOGrMRIgLBTC-nwcZ9EIvmqFtNaXtyZ7e3_hvQ1CFy0dikj9U_hlSE28z844ACsfq6Xt5gA-EaDhTpoNXN37vXuYGqcJxgOk/s1600/BlogWeddingGroup.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1H8LQd445TXg2s60DFEVFYD3mTLBPqDhNO1Q4VN5CAmOdOGrMRIgLBTC-nwcZ9EIvmqFtNaXtyZ7e3_hvQ1CFy0dikj9U_hlSE28z844ACsfq6Xt5gA-EaDhTpoNXN37vXuYGqcJxgOk/s320/BlogWeddingGroup.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615972930535125058" /></a><br /><br />The last wedding at Seafield was in 2008 when James and I finally got around to getting married on rocks overlooking Loch Sween with a guest list of twelve and a reception in the boat shed. The ceremony was conducted by our friend and Humanist Celebrant, Annie. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrVhToeKpSrx3JZU4vG43N4Z8C78ADZnXjq5nzRKvU0GORMtwPX4mYSzpczx7-n5RdCtp3coeSPXZF0Ig_jSnWvauo6Oo7fxr373qq5f42hgLvOGjiGA_izzjPePvPQCzyCqP18ukZQSQ/s1600/BlogView.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrVhToeKpSrx3JZU4vG43N4Z8C78ADZnXjq5nzRKvU0GORMtwPX4mYSzpczx7-n5RdCtp3coeSPXZF0Ig_jSnWvauo6Oo7fxr373qq5f42hgLvOGjiGA_izzjPePvPQCzyCqP18ukZQSQ/s320/BlogView.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615971727291783810" /></a> <br /><br />When my eldest son John and his girlfriend Zoe became engaged, they decided they would like something similar, here at Seafield but with around 50 or 60 guests, a marquee on the lawn and the ceremony in the field. Not quite the simple event I had in mind. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi00v4iTdnaFmOuQKROUGu8Cx8MIrWq4pi4IP6CPNXd3xhKtbVuC0aHyzX3l1D78fA2BvrB1E2F7Zox37VN6N8bZWGFgf1hb-Wf2IGL-H2sn7qP7d-PK7UrsJT49MEq5HOZ-ybqHHSbELA/s1600/BlogBrideTractor.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi00v4iTdnaFmOuQKROUGu8Cx8MIrWq4pi4IP6CPNXd3xhKtbVuC0aHyzX3l1D78fA2BvrB1E2F7Zox37VN6N8bZWGFgf1hb-Wf2IGL-H2sn7qP7d-PK7UrsJT49MEq5HOZ-ybqHHSbELA/s320/BlogBrideTractor.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615974331449264594" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6uUhqhzrkZmP3yiysSWLNicOTSqIlQ4Uk1-ZP4TY85Sny0Yn59cQXkB_byupYhT-SvybHNKWG-AL4ty6XkeUTuTCWOf_0-zAxCIYZnIb6-1U8s5Vkoz_9Ya_VVs4m91Y0oUpdOShPzic/s1600/BlogGroom%2526BM.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 232px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6uUhqhzrkZmP3yiysSWLNicOTSqIlQ4Uk1-ZP4TY85Sny0Yn59cQXkB_byupYhT-SvybHNKWG-AL4ty6XkeUTuTCWOf_0-zAxCIYZnIb6-1U8s5Vkoz_9Ya_VVs4m91Y0oUpdOShPzic/s320/BlogGroom%2526BM.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615974008265717890" /></a><br /><br />It is quite terrifying but also an enormous privilege to be entrusted with hosting the wedding of your son and future daughter in law. It might have been completely daunting had I not known how much work Zoe and her Mum were putting into the arrangements from their homes in Cheshire.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkTRLpsawA8DLgUHUK35stVQ9Alpd1PWptchRBMa5ZHyvE0P0cNa-4WBIXYtpAcjDT2sHsLQAoz9y_jzwjI7uxJfPKB_jej9-FMqU13chmsQKBQ76I8sEzgWHokAHP6xJUzBw4DI9dDfY/s1600/BlogReception.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkTRLpsawA8DLgUHUK35stVQ9Alpd1PWptchRBMa5ZHyvE0P0cNa-4WBIXYtpAcjDT2sHsLQAoz9y_jzwjI7uxJfPKB_jej9-FMqU13chmsQKBQ76I8sEzgWHokAHP6xJUzBw4DI9dDfY/s320/BlogReception.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615973740970389410" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnhsIzIEJy2h74vfkGDDBk5OE-DKtY7oTSDszPaOqY_0y6rs0a1FSLvBuU1ulzC98IhdmWfolIVK-2r0ZiRugloybC3SHlcIMFPLdd_Yb7QJsORTwyyzKOm5VulB5mnDtNmSyGAjb69As/s1600/ProudParents.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnhsIzIEJy2h74vfkGDDBk5OE-DKtY7oTSDszPaOqY_0y6rs0a1FSLvBuU1ulzC98IhdmWfolIVK-2r0ZiRugloybC3SHlcIMFPLdd_Yb7QJsORTwyyzKOm5VulB5mnDtNmSyGAjb69As/s320/ProudParents.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615976581667320354" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmk_rbleFXtmRGKII42lEfIjAbnMKsy4GhB0QtTZSaldii061B57Y05f4dbtxsHr5VaF0SKnB3LPSb8Jh059aexgFZlefjsH3Qh2aA5MLgrD-ggrKu-nMbJg9nsSWXJ52P-rKv_e1zEeA/s1600/BlogMarquee.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmk_rbleFXtmRGKII42lEfIjAbnMKsy4GhB0QtTZSaldii061B57Y05f4dbtxsHr5VaF0SKnB3LPSb8Jh059aexgFZlefjsH3Qh2aA5MLgrD-ggrKu-nMbJg9nsSWXJ52P-rKv_e1zEeA/s320/BlogMarquee.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615973470929967602" /></a><br /><br />The wedding was nearly completely home made - with an enormous amount of help from friends and family on both sides. Flowers, cake, marquee dressing, food, music - everything was done 'in house' and the result was stunning. Weddings can be a source of enormous stress and conflict but John and Zoe's was conducted in a fantastic spirit of co-operation, laughter and joy. Once again Annie conducted the ceremony beautifully. The sun shone all day, wellies were not required and the dancing went on until four in the morning. A fantastic day to remember and treasure - I almost wish we could do it all again - almost.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi11bFbykw75v44KMEHeLapQQNvhZYL-ntp5eNzO_OOMPnX0HodMz67_NuJ8olxaD3vMj4l3v3tf1RmFB1DJPOSVVaGvQ0r4DkkrBJBNzqJ6_0B80Nv2uBLuhCXjVj5ENC4ZLBEc2aPC04/s1600/BlogPimms.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi11bFbykw75v44KMEHeLapQQNvhZYL-ntp5eNzO_OOMPnX0HodMz67_NuJ8olxaD3vMj4l3v3tf1RmFB1DJPOSVVaGvQ0r4DkkrBJBNzqJ6_0B80Nv2uBLuhCXjVj5ENC4ZLBEc2aPC04/s320/BlogPimms.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615973079627903042" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDgJWA-RNBGIeAEx_8X6eKv_7kjAkQ3MST26AynKfBFIhoNADjRCP6UYWnzS3ftV-_IXIdESam9ArKWc3579gjAPv45gn49WxVVW74tRc52Pa29ycwNgBJQ87de0c_KmwxepHOhozb9pQ/s1600/BlogJohn%2526Zoe.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDgJWA-RNBGIeAEx_8X6eKv_7kjAkQ3MST26AynKfBFIhoNADjRCP6UYWnzS3ftV-_IXIdESam9ArKWc3579gjAPv45gn49WxVVW74tRc52Pa29ycwNgBJQ87de0c_KmwxepHOhozb9pQ/s320/BlogJohn%2526Zoe.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615972695078620322" /></a>seafieldfarmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01923170238077742802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6566334432780059767.post-63119317698538461452011-02-14T20:27:00.017+00:002011-02-14T21:31:43.875+00:00Winter Arrives EarlyFor years our winters have mostly been green, damp and dreary. After the freezing conditions of early 2010, we were not expecting a repeat performance at the end of the same year. Once again, water supplies froze up and we were glad of our firewood stocks to keep ourselves and our visitors warm.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQODMblpiRqRFbFzcmW940dYDyA_EuZsV9KQn9xllzySyxVyHi5OgPXcPnLd0swHmajlWZJE5UswtX0qmN3lUN-sldSPFnhnJIT3LCEpDzyypb5NaaGhpe6-TtS9ucLYyHuB3b13afyX4/s1600/LochSweenCraiglin.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQODMblpiRqRFbFzcmW940dYDyA_EuZsV9KQn9xllzySyxVyHi5OgPXcPnLd0swHmajlWZJE5UswtX0qmN3lUN-sldSPFnhnJIT3LCEpDzyypb5NaaGhpe6-TtS9ucLYyHuB3b13afyX4/s320/LochSweenCraiglin.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573656257339071810" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDyLhx9IorIbN1grXeMUH3b2E_6APCAjwpR1L5u02BE0EB0vbc7GtqdKK3aOYIQpgb4aq-rLPf-Eg-KhOscgkTwPKH3Moa59eiQ-EgjbDXUMYhxMj5dQ27CUoAyCNENgeWU1JGkvzBwKI/s1600/Firewood.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDyLhx9IorIbN1grXeMUH3b2E_6APCAjwpR1L5u02BE0EB0vbc7GtqdKK3aOYIQpgb4aq-rLPf-Eg-KhOscgkTwPKH3Moa59eiQ-EgjbDXUMYhxMj5dQ27CUoAyCNENgeWU1JGkvzBwKI/s320/Firewood.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573656103430209154" /></a><br /><br />The cold clear air gave us stunning views of the area and beautiful sunsets. We are lucky to have fantastic walks around Achnamara and rarely feel the need to go further afield. Loch Sween froze over completely at Achnamara; a sight not seen for many years.<br />The freshwater lochs were covered with a thick layer of ice for several weeks.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicJYfrim6vFexE5URnpsdPCeH833dsPRg6VgiuH84TfIZFNTGsGRH9BumdL4NwjsCx7Q3PQiw0da-wAMzRdC2nGEAFbwzcEFM59BsEV8Wzas4Eyjedqk_DeKH9zVZ7ZmMPaBaGjylnb6U/s1600/Seafield.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicJYfrim6vFexE5URnpsdPCeH833dsPRg6VgiuH84TfIZFNTGsGRH9BumdL4NwjsCx7Q3PQiw0da-wAMzRdC2nGEAFbwzcEFM59BsEV8Wzas4Eyjedqk_DeKH9zVZ7ZmMPaBaGjylnb6U/s320/Seafield.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573655979707791186" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMOXpOPlyqKvcyPEaOpfCWSt8YyA2dR0YShPnxgLW_TlKHz3eapvUbzD5MjqjCttQg1Jjs0K98HYl0_9CoQwy-6Q0yZMacK0R-FbfowHY3WbE4S6fK8f-pK3pLOxglguJwTjAD-nDlFUU/s1600/AchnamaraWinter.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMOXpOPlyqKvcyPEaOpfCWSt8YyA2dR0YShPnxgLW_TlKHz3eapvUbzD5MjqjCttQg1Jjs0K98HYl0_9CoQwy-6Q0yZMacK0R-FbfowHY3WbE4S6fK8f-pK3pLOxglguJwTjAD-nDlFUU/s320/AchnamaraWinter.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573655340185738322" /></a><br /><br />The winter solstice coincided with a lunar eclipse and Kilmartin House Museum organised a guided walk around some of the Cairns and Stone Circles of Kilmartin Glen. The cold was toe numbing but the atmosphere and the sunrise were worth the discomfort. Cups of coffee and sausage sandwiches in the museum cafe helped revive the intrepid souls who braved the elements at 8.00 am.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEAeID6a2qYxFgXsqBvTMlcDuyZc3Gekah1B5Zyb9UCRb_qkYpWSlC09hRT9On6x4rBeFWPsK-5o6k5aYewrr3EC6U8SSCRJsKoULLrHleugSAE6Y60C0_Re8nNl56PIOoCN4tr3O3a-s/s1600/MullfromBellanoch.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEAeID6a2qYxFgXsqBvTMlcDuyZc3Gekah1B5Zyb9UCRb_qkYpWSlC09hRT9On6x4rBeFWPsK-5o6k5aYewrr3EC6U8SSCRJsKoULLrHleugSAE6Y60C0_Re8nNl56PIOoCN4tr3O3a-s/s320/MullfromBellanoch.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573655220010030194" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC1SrHqF1UrarS0__FqCLm8tGggMkIW_o0Oh9R6kH4nObNI8ACMaApqXh1DCa6k_xtQ2zNRdjEibjfJT3-HBEJGrTTh6s79mruUxE8zJe8pDk2sddDkF0P4jV04iuExi2ivdtEXntbahg/s1600/KirklandChristmas.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC1SrHqF1UrarS0__FqCLm8tGggMkIW_o0Oh9R6kH4nObNI8ACMaApqXh1DCa6k_xtQ2zNRdjEibjfJT3-HBEJGrTTh6s79mruUxE8zJe8pDk2sddDkF0P4jV04iuExi2ivdtEXntbahg/s320/KirklandChristmas.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573655099959694882" /></a><br /><br />The thaw started on Christmas morning so after weeks of very festive, Christmas Card weather, green grass began to show through the snow. January was unseasonably mild but after the extra work and stress of freezing conditions I have vowed never to complain about rain and mud ever again. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1KAmJg2BcGlhtzdXZbG4G8FwAKrt8cRU9GnbPmmqXXoRQkEJe3v9bDdWbFLDaqjfIqZULg9PBpV3B7tVqvFvpPZ926hgAmnjsvWo0hY4ezTADOgeiduMaJnjCSKDFfV0kpjPJjuv0lTU/s1600/Sostice.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1KAmJg2BcGlhtzdXZbG4G8FwAKrt8cRU9GnbPmmqXXoRQkEJe3v9bDdWbFLDaqjfIqZULg9PBpV3B7tVqvFvpPZ926hgAmnjsvWo0hY4ezTADOgeiduMaJnjCSKDFfV0kpjPJjuv0lTU/s320/Sostice.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573654895621196834" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWRJnT3ttmReZEv2nUJQqIxQ6akQmCdk0paiJFmLjljzIjFRKTZOFhsC1f2kanlbWLaAgWSESmdEYjW98Zsj5U-qk30OivPV0pd-oEm_E4ewJz1CE5tWn-AmnZutGkjuT3hbrGKqVCdG4/s1600/Sunset.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWRJnT3ttmReZEv2nUJQqIxQ6akQmCdk0paiJFmLjljzIjFRKTZOFhsC1f2kanlbWLaAgWSESmdEYjW98Zsj5U-qk30OivPV0pd-oEm_E4ewJz1CE5tWn-AmnZutGkjuT3hbrGKqVCdG4/s320/Sunset.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573654630988086210" /></a><br /><br />Now we are well into February and the days are beginning to lengthen and signs of spring are appearing. The hens are starting to lay again and we hope to raise some new chicks in a few weeks. The cockerel has proved to be extremely bad tempered so as soon as we have a batch of his progeny, he will make a very delicious casserole. Newts have appeared in the ditch next to the road up to Seafield Loch. Blue tits are emptying the peanut feeder as quickly as we can fill it and there are delightful drifts of snowdrops in woodland and churchyards.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIlAoM4_bJoSajM6wej-Riyj3yXb-ZV4ncDGeTOgFB_qbmNJFM9y5kcJpfy9Fs0L47NG2ZZQ4IkA6gfkdUHXbT69YGXqTyKndKTrJDcjfu5eGl-hxIc2tuEjJ7TzCv8SN590s8egBxsaE/s1600/Kirkland1.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIlAoM4_bJoSajM6wej-Riyj3yXb-ZV4ncDGeTOgFB_qbmNJFM9y5kcJpfy9Fs0L47NG2ZZQ4IkA6gfkdUHXbT69YGXqTyKndKTrJDcjfu5eGl-hxIc2tuEjJ7TzCv8SN590s8egBxsaE/s320/Kirkland1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573660114218006258" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikOX5zZv4LXwfcVR616gOjR-Z2ahgjxZdy_-xo8KFBqzKFPf8UMzhh9FdYcp-bajd4ZmEs7R_HJ_aOBgzac6sSi_hi-QUR9iFYtRxcauEdg9s0FvfBK5q8nk8VYO9-afk9sfEr6FzZaY0/s1600/Bluetits.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikOX5zZv4LXwfcVR616gOjR-Z2ahgjxZdy_-xo8KFBqzKFPf8UMzhh9FdYcp-bajd4ZmEs7R_HJ_aOBgzac6sSi_hi-QUR9iFYtRxcauEdg9s0FvfBK5q8nk8VYO9-afk9sfEr6FzZaY0/s320/Bluetits.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573659736036530450" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9AsSUzrh2uK02j4Lsm5vuOTjctPmhoKIsXFgBlvQT0GSUc8frwj_FiYF60NaaIMpUxEiUD8-5bRFJ8T4qJ6qV8ut_lwm0aunPW9hmHYWoOReULjudP9IRxPyInO3rgCmpSe2balVRnKU/s1600/Snowdrops.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9AsSUzrh2uK02j4Lsm5vuOTjctPmhoKIsXFgBlvQT0GSUc8frwj_FiYF60NaaIMpUxEiUD8-5bRFJ8T4qJ6qV8ut_lwm0aunPW9hmHYWoOReULjudP9IRxPyInO3rgCmpSe2balVRnKU/s320/Snowdrops.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573654442020497346" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtsumGSSRanD646JmgrykuuIuO5jgTn1GOzGY72CxEXbIOSTUZOXImlD9dnsyyWKcgZbKZCt_ZrCG_DkXJifXva5sxXfT2H2g6cj3VnLOe_GJtOPsAteOaBPEGtAsUi5TT40KpQolQVY4/s1600/Newt.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtsumGSSRanD646JmgrykuuIuO5jgTn1GOzGY72CxEXbIOSTUZOXImlD9dnsyyWKcgZbKZCt_ZrCG_DkXJifXva5sxXfT2H2g6cj3VnLOe_GJtOPsAteOaBPEGtAsUi5TT40KpQolQVY4/s320/Newt.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573654301595986466" /></a><br /><br /><br />We have not had any sightings of beavers for some time due to the long hours of darkness and for a few weeks they will have been laying low in their lodges. Now the ice has melted and temperatures risen, their activities are easy to spot. According to the minutes of a meeting of the Species re-introduction Forum in August, the juvenile male on Loch Linne has dispersed from its family group but we have had no information on this from the Beaver Trial Team. Hopefully, we will learn more at the next stakeholder meeting in March. The lodge on Loch Linne is covered with de-barked sticks to the beavers must be using it as a feeding station as well as living quarters.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWtH49wxwFJosH2raqNZ1ohWWuAgV8l3g80klnjWlya1CBBuy4qu_j1-PrVmo-onSUEVZSlkrYSI5DFLxdCkIY_Lxi-oOvYX3UOted_-2n1ZorpQamPctCyf-Q0H7d8gGMjoDLm3AGQyU/s1600/BeaverWorksLochLinne.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWtH49wxwFJosH2raqNZ1ohWWuAgV8l3g80klnjWlya1CBBuy4qu_j1-PrVmo-onSUEVZSlkrYSI5DFLxdCkIY_Lxi-oOvYX3UOted_-2n1ZorpQamPctCyf-Q0H7d8gGMjoDLm3AGQyU/s320/BeaverWorksLochLinne.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573657295325076130" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizRq8LAD-LU1sxx1SrKBqoNdFTMRlt8DzfBqrE7ix2s3VHMJYZNd-AcRCYGO29JFpcmyuq3bs0O0MxLfRNmTbnV49o5low5db9PPmILPcspO8LQySjRGyLzZamct7Lhf8MLI4CiCcBnxA/s1600/LinneLodge.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizRq8LAD-LU1sxx1SrKBqoNdFTMRlt8DzfBqrE7ix2s3VHMJYZNd-AcRCYGO29JFpcmyuq3bs0O0MxLfRNmTbnV49o5low5db9PPmILPcspO8LQySjRGyLzZamct7Lhf8MLI4CiCcBnxA/s320/LinneLodge.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573658805690590306" /></a>seafieldfarmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01923170238077742802noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6566334432780059767.post-74581940307581087572010-10-12T22:52:00.022+01:002010-12-16T22:33:59.418+00:00Autumn in ArgyllWe have enjoyed a very fine Autumn here on the West Coast. Temperatures have been higher than usual, apart from two nights of frost at the end of September and the occasional rainy mornings gave way to glorious afternoons and evenings. Swimming on Loch Sween has extended into October. The wet suit has been hung up for the last time on several occasions, only to be taken out again for 'one last swim until next year'. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4QqoLgIqjTRcZau8CZBfgL034orXqcNGreoAFPoxi8Ngj6JVGGlM-V0JmLZRy-UXj67ByByXTfYwsUitXkycAvA3bWHxDLFsRXvyxQDeF0e3KWotwETVsLdzMiyKVbkBgWaNPmmNML64/s1600/P1020353.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4QqoLgIqjTRcZau8CZBfgL034orXqcNGreoAFPoxi8Ngj6JVGGlM-V0JmLZRy-UXj67ByByXTfYwsUitXkycAvA3bWHxDLFsRXvyxQDeF0e3KWotwETVsLdzMiyKVbkBgWaNPmmNML64/s200/P1020353.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527283219240910642" /></a><br /><br />After a spring and summer of hobbling around with an injured knee, James finally managed to get up to his favourite fishing spot. The Wolf Loch above Achnamara sounds impressive and dramatic but the one time I made it up to the top of the Cruach which involves sprachling over rough terrain and climbing over a deer fence, I was surprised to see this much lauded loch was a small and weedy body of water. However, it's modest size and difficulty of access is compensated for by the fantastic trout that it holds. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP_f83EJoC1RPDOrPNN2q_-GS9j51kEnAJl9uJtGbgFB3xhPVLM1KbLrKAuD4KNB0-i7RByzGYrVrufmQME1-Bta7lHQXCZadnpoQkelNj3r3Yep0t2OB6yqgmFcqmZNvCq6ukoCE0yok/s1600/P1020391.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP_f83EJoC1RPDOrPNN2q_-GS9j51kEnAJl9uJtGbgFB3xhPVLM1KbLrKAuD4KNB0-i7RByzGYrVrufmQME1-Bta7lHQXCZadnpoQkelNj3r3Yep0t2OB6yqgmFcqmZNvCq6ukoCE0yok/s200/P1020391.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527283134786729858" /></a><br /><br />The four chicks raised earlier in the year all turned out to be cockerels, or dinner as I like to call them. The new hen house was finally finished and all the hens, with their new cockerel are now installed in a very substantial and hopefully, predator proof, house. It has an automatically opening and closing pophole so next summer, we hope to be able to enjoy nights away while the chickens put themselves to bed.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRX2a67BFKu4INxv1ngj-0lHU7BE-Po6a43dv53n49Skt0D8DKJUcO2qsmapBu-KMoSHhz9GUCAQAlyAFqfQO8AS9FTKz0Vx1Cofmu03ICFiy5ENHtbla1LIYRpUwMsE0016d8oZNxbLo/s1600/P1020398.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRX2a67BFKu4INxv1ngj-0lHU7BE-Po6a43dv53n49Skt0D8DKJUcO2qsmapBu-KMoSHhz9GUCAQAlyAFqfQO8AS9FTKz0Vx1Cofmu03ICFiy5ENHtbla1LIYRpUwMsE0016d8oZNxbLo/s200/P1020398.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527283047092393122" /></a><br /><br />The Moine Mhor north of the Crinan Canal, is the remnant of an ancient raised bog which is managed by Scottish Natural Heritage. It is a fantastic place for wildlife and you can spot hen harriers and short eared owls. Earlier in the year we had a close encounter with five short eared owl chicks which chose to sit in the middle of the road. Take a turn to Crinan Ferry which has a good beach and on the way enjoy views to Duntrune Castle, home to the Malcolms of Poltalloch.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlZxYOohCYtOKIJDCC5KMyqBNKr-jVkk6gSHbSowj7SKN-ITJZZj1CW8pCmv1j_MEvXaPeBe6KRohBOYZcctpbOnhNGIwIXLupYHrHwowv0gp79twovxtkxkDpMqsMGMgRC9K2sQKyoJc/s1600/P1020439.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlZxYOohCYtOKIJDCC5KMyqBNKr-jVkk6gSHbSowj7SKN-ITJZZj1CW8pCmv1j_MEvXaPeBe6KRohBOYZcctpbOnhNGIwIXLupYHrHwowv0gp79twovxtkxkDpMqsMGMgRC9K2sQKyoJc/s200/P1020439.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527282928060447458" /></a><br /><br />The garden has been very productive this summer with great crops from most plantings. The only disappointments have been the onions and the celeriac – unless they are supposed to be golf ball size? <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwkW0brfEw-nvXwNiIpc9viTO0ZwutL9pYvIDi9zKtbYllHVEalVunUgxaiecmrzqj-pqR82EDVI5xOHCBw43XpfXNR3sYM_07PeaCBDTuf_T8C3jpCz3AzRdgUTGzuTAQw7i-fs7Qi30/s1600/P1020458.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwkW0brfEw-nvXwNiIpc9viTO0ZwutL9pYvIDi9zKtbYllHVEalVunUgxaiecmrzqj-pqR82EDVI5xOHCBw43XpfXNR3sYM_07PeaCBDTuf_T8C3jpCz3AzRdgUTGzuTAQw7i-fs7Qi30/s200/P1020458.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527282763675834434" /></a><br /><br />We haven't managed to get away for a holiday this autumn but the great weather has made up for it. A favourite outing is to take the camper van down to the point of Knap, have a walk and then enjoy a cup of tea and some cake while enjoying the views across to Jura. Simple pleasures! The landscape opens up as you drive down the peninsula, the hills are kept bare by sheep and deer so it is a totally different experience from being here at the head of the loch, surrounded by trees. A notable landmark is Castle Sween which is one of the oldest Castles in Scotland.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifosscbQNPlz0WeHpUmIul3IHTLq46BlMZsXKpU2LMUCTliLKtqhwmZ5Ld4Ihl4dt-c3WAYCVS0AFnpzbE-WosKHq3UpQFSrJoApqcF0Aom2ZU_srXWtP9ftQVGx4WkgQuV2rHSrGrrCQ/s1600/P1020481.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifosscbQNPlz0WeHpUmIul3IHTLq46BlMZsXKpU2LMUCTliLKtqhwmZ5Ld4Ihl4dt-c3WAYCVS0AFnpzbE-WosKHq3UpQFSrJoApqcF0Aom2ZU_srXWtP9ftQVGx4WkgQuV2rHSrGrrCQ/s200/P1020481.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527282624326655506" /></a><br /><br />The Autumn Stag Rut has been in full swing with deer bellowing all around Achnamara. I don't remember them being so noisy in the past and it has been unusual for them to be in the fields around the house and village rather than further up in the hills.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfNTTLgdcOt4-zi27MIL_WeZRkZ2puS6yt4B9L8VjAivkOvVurmfeeSN5vfxR4djKSP7IthjATx5JKIv0NcxWMnDAQx0DjyEqMJKKaQMPNKMHwksAnHpw9Rj5-pdc61yCfGjvtQzL_3yw/s1600/P1020479.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfNTTLgdcOt4-zi27MIL_WeZRkZ2puS6yt4B9L8VjAivkOvVurmfeeSN5vfxR4djKSP7IthjATx5JKIv0NcxWMnDAQx0DjyEqMJKKaQMPNKMHwksAnHpw9Rj5-pdc61yCfGjvtQzL_3yw/s200/P1020479.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527282469874652162" /></a><br /><br />Yet more beavers have been added to the Beaver Trial. At the last count there were twelve beavers in the trial area which is one more than the trial started with eighteen months ago. The Dubh Loch family produced one kit this year, as did the family on Loch Linne. A new pair were imported from Norway and released onto Creag Mhor Loch but then moved to an adjacent, less accessible unnamed loch. Another male beaver was released to join the lone female on Seafield Loch in an attempt to make a fourth potential breeding pair. We don't know yet if this has been successful. The Dubh Loch beavers have been extending their dam and increasing the area of flooding. Unfortunately this has now extended beyond the entrance to the new path installed to bypass the flooded 'Beaver Detective Trail'. A very impressive looking pontoon on Coille Bharr will take walkers onto the loch, just below the beaver dam. It is not yet accessible but will hopefully be completed before too long.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdV1SJT83mi7gykzkQ3v-0yZbxCb8a0bRLzXELU2yO0Bj_EVzvyTcdT9Sk4AE9k2Fq_t1RlFVwHkxSdtlq8jF3qx6lC8DehbsQpTvGEvXXjf4FpbwZSwInp-sClqqOlp01QDmtpSOIAf8/s1600/P1020472.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdV1SJT83mi7gykzkQ3v-0yZbxCb8a0bRLzXELU2yO0Bj_EVzvyTcdT9Sk4AE9k2Fq_t1RlFVwHkxSdtlq8jF3qx6lC8DehbsQpTvGEvXXjf4FpbwZSwInp-sClqqOlp01QDmtpSOIAf8/s200/P1020472.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527282361042550882" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipP1fezq8DMaQnaKb2tX4STEDIyxbKYpygRGleM7noNohI1P2EHLRQWG5kIP0yI_Z_xnr3_W46haWk77kM8Zxy5b6tQPuyEQzsWGsVCL7_FmiI3UYZwymSAYC8soL0odoF8hoHX4YOefY/s1600/P1020452.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipP1fezq8DMaQnaKb2tX4STEDIyxbKYpygRGleM7noNohI1P2EHLRQWG5kIP0yI_Z_xnr3_W46haWk77kM8Zxy5b6tQPuyEQzsWGsVCL7_FmiI3UYZwymSAYC8soL0odoF8hoHX4YOefY/s200/P1020452.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527281764107791906" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8OtvJyMuP0Ehli-SppwbjYMTCesnplF07kh-3rS1WF9fIWJ7pA5mXZOgFVrvMzU25QpeJVgYw5HpCngc1c2oNovig-2Xy3bpI2NK_KEhuxGlJYhV8Cd-1PJwgAiod8I8QGJd-LGufv18/s1600/P1020451.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8OtvJyMuP0Ehli-SppwbjYMTCesnplF07kh-3rS1WF9fIWJ7pA5mXZOgFVrvMzU25QpeJVgYw5HpCngc1c2oNovig-2Xy3bpI2NK_KEhuxGlJYhV8Cd-1PJwgAiod8I8QGJd-LGufv18/s200/P1020451.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527285271546213138" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKcadb-NFq23fHNZFDoTPoOfTmaS4ljnyOSdSdSQIgG9RSMXxONkWJWhgmjFqkvJyvORXitx41jeXdicQKcGq_NxL6dLuQNgmgntRDGk0Y5Rf83eM5My44rOj7BueE5SRWLCbhwkOHzyw/s1600/P1020526.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKcadb-NFq23fHNZFDoTPoOfTmaS4ljnyOSdSdSQIgG9RSMXxONkWJWhgmjFqkvJyvORXitx41jeXdicQKcGq_NxL6dLuQNgmgntRDGk0Y5Rf83eM5My44rOj7BueE5SRWLCbhwkOHzyw/s200/P1020526.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527281500583721314" /></a>seafieldfarmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01923170238077742802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6566334432780059767.post-82772459874371807752010-08-23T16:20:00.011+01:002010-08-23T17:55:43.788+01:00July and August<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjkitEMypMzBsnasqq5_P9UDEfD0IILl00YW84rjc3ICtCsv6ELJ_jrGpyqX5BDDQvRO0nGTs8p_DR8cx1x2M2pFgNrra9yW_3T_ltlO-yFxMl7IN7x8M68eJQo8cm7iW31_RjybUUvas/s1600/AugBlog1.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjkitEMypMzBsnasqq5_P9UDEfD0IILl00YW84rjc3ICtCsv6ELJ_jrGpyqX5BDDQvRO0nGTs8p_DR8cx1x2M2pFgNrra9yW_3T_ltlO-yFxMl7IN7x8M68eJQo8cm7iW31_RjybUUvas/s200/AugBlog1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5508649648871118834" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLEosoRQbBBm7QD-SBmHZnZKCUxdqAy3YTsUSpnLRjYIMtJhcheelme4dBGTLMUV5hp6DP34fyNVocxzUTRtGc5RAxZ6ZbwMFd9Cci6c9PtdbAq6A79dSSP3ko9s_JpdPmnTJpdS6RDhA/s1600/Augblog2.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLEosoRQbBBm7QD-SBmHZnZKCUxdqAy3YTsUSpnLRjYIMtJhcheelme4dBGTLMUV5hp6DP34fyNVocxzUTRtGc5RAxZ6ZbwMFd9Cci6c9PtdbAq6A79dSSP3ko9s_JpdPmnTJpdS6RDhA/s200/Augblog2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5508649512260961778" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZjLw9fJHsGiuwudXx99epyhiuDnfoNCcI9jJK12KAD21P1h9D4oqbWolxIHT8k_Z0wX3maUXwAoYUPEWWx10NCyMQNe0sSIJkICVGcZZ4l6HN7NPZRX0NIwXZaseGoHWHEjx6YEqNP4A/s1600/Augblog3.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZjLw9fJHsGiuwudXx99epyhiuDnfoNCcI9jJK12KAD21P1h9D4oqbWolxIHT8k_Z0wX3maUXwAoYUPEWWx10NCyMQNe0sSIJkICVGcZZ4l6HN7NPZRX0NIwXZaseGoHWHEjx6YEqNP4A/s200/Augblog3.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5508649387305656802" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9DnCrb_fmr0_iyTAXYETp0ca_-fc4MTx76MTov-MDYO_Y-De8_DXKDn3rVqY6PvQ0XV2H7o5p1AYs3g4mxvUrTx2Ob1N-U7KeKUfwzG-8IvP-awISEgW2C6ftPYYzDL8awgKk3JpZpXg/s1600/Augblog5.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9DnCrb_fmr0_iyTAXYETp0ca_-fc4MTx76MTov-MDYO_Y-De8_DXKDn3rVqY6PvQ0XV2H7o5p1AYs3g4mxvUrTx2Ob1N-U7KeKUfwzG-8IvP-awISEgW2C6ftPYYzDL8awgKk3JpZpXg/s200/Augblog5.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5508649227664187986" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizNX2EzGCmq_JaMd91888S51qYAhj8SU3pGGrU5I9gEyzPjWhxRCZWDBXoxiclnZdvy4KRf5AcuyTQ97fi8MZhUQsHPsMYm0leNFa6NRO6o2afJfWcLeETbTq5trI0C4h-cG6W3xVpRzw/s1600/Augblog7.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizNX2EzGCmq_JaMd91888S51qYAhj8SU3pGGrU5I9gEyzPjWhxRCZWDBXoxiclnZdvy4KRf5AcuyTQ97fi8MZhUQsHPsMYm0leNFa6NRO6o2afJfWcLeETbTq5trI0C4h-cG6W3xVpRzw/s200/Augblog7.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5508649006362515666" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4hAdHp5PODtb0qQSkuKDIRPwxz-zokwuwf0vvbVq1AiCDpMhI5Js7pVLrdGBHvgnGj_DEMuoPzsffYnIBvZraeNGiJptbyYL5DNpLM1-RtBRfqkXUADw0kcROh2MgOrF1TcdQQQXkcsQ/s1600/Augblog6.JPG"><img style="float:right; 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margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTqfJuLx0k0WsiyiVtlOvp_22JUuzyiC6aePG2ri2xgD5wGhvtYYaONMOOsw2Ww3kuH6v2O-zTEZSqmopyou6SCgEWvizqceMI1q0peG8FJ1lF5NXsKUrLovdYC8JLCVyocICuArQkLEs/s200/Augblog11.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5508648626366834978" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0bwcXC4lVFO48EatTqbC8aL_mVStvlMuhYXn6y_lCvo47DnL2B1pVObk_O22FFjXvqHYqmnlGWDD6tr25HCMoGLxe9LXg4sRDrIwa0oHExALXK1ogCt6AB5f2CzqPEwWhu7yykllReXs/s1600/Augblog8.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0bwcXC4lVFO48EatTqbC8aL_mVStvlMuhYXn6y_lCvo47DnL2B1pVObk_O22FFjXvqHYqmnlGWDD6tr25HCMoGLxe9LXg4sRDrIwa0oHExALXK1ogCt6AB5f2CzqPEwWhu7yykllReXs/s200/Augblog8.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5508648268939911378" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh50cKKNQemDOrh4Fx-u6aX6DFObHxZDcyEkRenCDCMIThkcqGJYPB_pDwORoe2YbUyT6N-nhgfjBI3YHRr9pjq_eTMxdS0vCOBhlxTLTm7zguRCmgiyxQ7JEUejXIGxvGS4fJPIUZ4CWc/s1600/Augblog10.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh50cKKNQemDOrh4Fx-u6aX6DFObHxZDcyEkRenCDCMIThkcqGJYPB_pDwORoe2YbUyT6N-nhgfjBI3YHRr9pjq_eTMxdS0vCOBhlxTLTm7zguRCmgiyxQ7JEUejXIGxvGS4fJPIUZ4CWc/s200/Augblog10.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5508648164966590706" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw-eOxFzVzu_aQKpnF6dzwlOhGXfx-ipSxV90urco7wXWO3-CBEyCADhgNwp7y2Ph0BGyaDy42h2qU63C1Qw-ZuUiXzTM8EYD3HQ1GrQ4uMKwNYw4RuKIJE5mnNN2lSC5KKlCtwvO1JRo/s1600/Augblog9.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw-eOxFzVzu_aQKpnF6dzwlOhGXfx-ipSxV90urco7wXWO3-CBEyCADhgNwp7y2Ph0BGyaDy42h2qU63C1Qw-ZuUiXzTM8EYD3HQ1GrQ4uMKwNYw4RuKIJE5mnNN2lSC5KKlCtwvO1JRo/s200/Augblog9.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5508645853870728194" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-yBOoo2xk33MzN2AGyza15-LBrd56ims8ugs7E01dCf2F8uVkXUmiLs6V95DJd0s5VneKzxjJ3nSACX9ekjaDtyNIWlUsxEn2inacL82VaqGrxzuOwb0569OH6uY5Ze0AfKtXn64K3Bk/s1600/Augblog12.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-yBOoo2xk33MzN2AGyza15-LBrd56ims8ugs7E01dCf2F8uVkXUmiLs6V95DJd0s5VneKzxjJ3nSACX9ekjaDtyNIWlUsxEn2inacL82VaqGrxzuOwb0569OH6uY5Ze0AfKtXn64K3Bk/s200/Augblog12.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5508645614731329810" border="0" /></a><br />July was a fairly dreary month but things improved in August with sunnier if shorter days. We escaped in July for a week's holiday in Norfolk which unlike Argyll was parched and golden. When the temperature threatened to rise to 29C, we headed west to visit son John and his girlfriend Zoe in their lovely new home. <br /><br />On our first day home, we were booked on an evening boat trip to Eilean Mor organised by the Dalriada Project and led by Dr Sharon Webb of Kilmartin House Museum. We travelled from Tayvallich, down Loch Sween, past Castle Sween with Venture West (venture-west.co.uk) on an astonishingly beautiful evening. The island has a ruined chapel and a tiny visitor centre with information about the island. The Dalriada Project is now coming to an end and there were events to celebrate the achievements of the project. <br /><br />August is the time of abundance in the garden and the wild. The garden has produced far more than we need but we have been helped by slugs eating the cauliflowers caterpillars munching the cabbage and mice harvesting the peas. Such are the joys of organic-ish gardening. We have been gathering wild chanterelles and ceps and our shiitake logs have produced well. The tomatoes have been fantastic and look like cropping for some time to come. Four very nice trout were caught on the Leipeg Loch but the mackerel fishing on Loch Sween has been a little disappointing - probably because we haven't taken the boat out and only fished from the shore.<br /><br />An interesting looking moth caterpillar, a Vapourer, appeared on a dogwood leaf and the butterflies have been amazing. There were about 30 peacock butterflies on one buddleia bush and they were also sunning themselves on the summerhouse verandah. A silver washed fritillary was seen one morning and there were many speckled woods, red admiral, small coppers, scotch argus, orange tips and tortoishells.<br /><br />Artmap Argyll, (artmapargyll.com) the open studios event happened in August and my workshop was open to the public for four days. Many of the artists can be visited by appointment outside the open studio event so it is worth picking up a brochure or visiting the website and exploring the wealth of creative activity in the area. An associated exhibition at Kilmartin House Museum, 'Mixing up the Media' continues until the end of September.<br /><br />The beavers continue to munch their way through Knapdale. The two families on Dubh Loch and Loch Linne have each produced one kit so the current count stands at 11 - the same number as were released in May 2009 and four less than the total beavers released. The two beavers released on Creag Mhor Loch at the end of June have relocated to an unnamed lochan between Creag Mhor and Loch Linne. Creag Mhor Loch was the release site of one of the original families which dispersed in the first weeks of the trial. Perhaps we can now assume that there is something about the loch which is inherently unsuitable for beavers rather than any suggestion that they were shot at? The single female which relocated to Seafield Loch after its partner died is still there. The project now has permission to replace dead or dispersed adult beavers up until May 2011 and having dispensed with the need for quarantine can continue to bolster the project rather than letting it run its course.seafieldfarmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01923170238077742802noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6566334432780059767.post-58783468993731929772010-07-07T09:45:00.011+01:002010-07-07T10:23:13.438+01:00Summer Holidays Begin, Drought Ends<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK8YKKpAI4cyyQm8aDCAVSMBDEVPcq1oyyqU9SuHa3ueMu2vgt5QBL03bAPmyh5_IhFrARLRkqc8f4FQ44CQLPCH7JAh0ps0beh-u3MOARmk9quXDtE5xR7tihchCd5YLNxLdQ3OlOgsA/s1600/BlogJuly1.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK8YKKpAI4cyyQm8aDCAVSMBDEVPcq1oyyqU9SuHa3ueMu2vgt5QBL03bAPmyh5_IhFrARLRkqc8f4FQ44CQLPCH7JAh0ps0beh-u3MOARmk9quXDtE5xR7tihchCd5YLNxLdQ3OlOgsA/s200/BlogJuly1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491092312263193634" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyYCda2jZDaPtEtjTucCt_FX9ofEfVeS2NiiG2l9n5qPDOiehQ62XvQFjz6g5J7J7J4P0tTgvOFXBf59XYtd0NAIVUbXOQpqs-cUTs8t7c-Uyn_mQBwUEfBkHkzF6kP80Z90iqit9zaZc/s1600/JulyBlog6.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyYCda2jZDaPtEtjTucCt_FX9ofEfVeS2NiiG2l9n5qPDOiehQ62XvQFjz6g5J7J7J4P0tTgvOFXBf59XYtd0NAIVUbXOQpqs-cUTs8t7c-Uyn_mQBwUEfBkHkzF6kP80Z90iqit9zaZc/s200/JulyBlog6.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491091776860021154" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjVcqwIeszls51CaUG05HZjtrErHOyx1hevntSGDVDF0Wk0X_B9J2dTrcH_B35-7IJMP-5410g_n6zNK93FEbDbpCCQ7uveRU5xvC2i-89FBPGc5GCYoOpFETlLMumxl95BQJaUOO32Jg/s1600/JulyBlog3.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjVcqwIeszls51CaUG05HZjtrErHOyx1hevntSGDVDF0Wk0X_B9J2dTrcH_B35-7IJMP-5410g_n6zNK93FEbDbpCCQ7uveRU5xvC2i-89FBPGc5GCYoOpFETlLMumxl95BQJaUOO32Jg/s200/JulyBlog3.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491091463204623394" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivMdtlhlEih1aqRQ4ZgGJY5NNnsCpLdHIwrZrHoOjvL0fRv2ugGirgKp-DtSI5TiU6YxTZsWE0FiF3SVa_KHAxUCjvYnRS3WPmm2VYI5ystmZQJe3QisUtwQ53raa1GXyC8YkVPpAgA6g/s1600/JulyBlog4.JPG"><img style="float:right; 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margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6rH1iZ3TQWihTfvZWpz8vR_pto6zPlmmccaMuY7IiY-T2llOKahdKWKANtE1fkyfw2YO8xoxhOxjVp9zESqWGjk3CcbtFhckju7q93M-13wu432n6M8kYjeiLkTx4tiOgL4u4BSB7Fk0/s200/JulyBlog8.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491087481829227250" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsGNJKqZ9SAYjnofIhoEoMHgdMFZdJX5Rjj-yT7HEEUdGG20t1nTrQrmJLqLzd9BxTSAuS2aCZ8o_roDeBvVNUZM91CMc_jDq9wp3mtzb3X-tA-kVsIQEo-S1IC-Mp54Lq_R9vczgOMMc/s1600/JulyBlog7.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsGNJKqZ9SAYjnofIhoEoMHgdMFZdJX5Rjj-yT7HEEUdGG20t1nTrQrmJLqLzd9BxTSAuS2aCZ8o_roDeBvVNUZM91CMc_jDq9wp3mtzb3X-tA-kVsIQEo-S1IC-Mp54Lq_R9vczgOMMc/s200/JulyBlog7.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491087137867660962" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFsJRZ-OOYSu8VjjPHPQcpbHXYOKwBdBCvh_TR3w-hLD7oAtjZ3VqHoG5IsQHkTj_Qo97VRVxVywYxTLXGcL6d4FA9nq5MmxTcuCKWM7p9LwAwRdZb94R9YHbKzCmYAzts8smHPpJPXag/s1600/JulyBlog5.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFsJRZ-OOYSu8VjjPHPQcpbHXYOKwBdBCvh_TR3w-hLD7oAtjZ3VqHoG5IsQHkTj_Qo97VRVxVywYxTLXGcL6d4FA9nq5MmxTcuCKWM7p9LwAwRdZb94R9YHbKzCmYAzts8smHPpJPXag/s200/JulyBlog5.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491086829409068034" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_FA42jCWNvr5iUfGTzUHUX9-DV47jhGriJJwD5Et3WNfUUoXPXEW-9Nmp61HCCtgu-4nXaaeXtXS-bYZCVhqHd97U_tCmEePX0jIfjRM0sUYEL1rCkZeFC144Mihyphenhyphenl_BHaIDccFQl0HQ/s1600/BeaverBlogJuly2.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_FA42jCWNvr5iUfGTzUHUX9-DV47jhGriJJwD5Et3WNfUUoXPXEW-9Nmp61HCCtgu-4nXaaeXtXS-bYZCVhqHd97U_tCmEePX0jIfjRM0sUYEL1rCkZeFC144Mihyphenhyphenl_BHaIDccFQl0HQ/s200/BeaverBlogJuly2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491086431223082226" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlRcg9klzOoOtg57PBEWG2K2ls34armjK6bGXkXtyTVRa1KL0mC3CFIT0V06hQuxgRU03ig-vdh_cI17zy80DBZsWBV7fY8i20mp79_TCoha36VY7gCItX2RD_Vho3MhxNf9sHScI2rxM/s1600/BeaverBlogJuly.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlRcg9klzOoOtg57PBEWG2K2ls34armjK6bGXkXtyTVRa1KL0mC3CFIT0V06hQuxgRU03ig-vdh_cI17zy80DBZsWBV7fY8i20mp79_TCoha36VY7gCItX2RD_Vho3MhxNf9sHScI2rxM/s200/BeaverBlogJuly.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491086287077429330" /></a><br />Good news for private water supplies, gardeners and hydro generators but not so good for visitors coming to Argyll to enjoy the great outdoors. For six months we had very little rain but as soon as the school term ended and the summer holidays began, the skies darkened and the heavens opened. Hopefully there will be a return to more summery weather in the coming weeks. <br /><br />The Artmap Open Studios Event will be taking place across Argyll from 13 - 16 August. The brochure has been launched and the website (www.artmapargyll.com) updated. Many of the artists welcome visits outwith the event dates. Some of the Art Map Artists are also exhibiting in ‘Mixing Up the Media’ at Kilmartin House Museum from July 15 until October. There is a also brand new exhibition space, Studio Barn at Leac na Bhan Farm on the road to Tayvallich.<br /><br />The Gannets and the Osprey are having more success fishing for mackerel than we are but we did manage to catch two last week while fishing from the shore. Mackerel fresh from the sea are a very different fish from those in fishmongers and supermarkets which have been around for a few days. The flavour is light and delicious compared with the oily, heavy taste of an older fish.<br /><br />There have been scores of sand martins feeding on insects in the shelter of the trees at the edge of the glen. They take a rest from time to time, up to 50 at a time lining up on the hen run fence. There are four swallow’s nests on the house which have been very noisy in the early mornings.<br /><br />The lovely yellow flag iris have given way to foxgloves which are one of the first plants to colonise harvested sites in the forest. The field beyond the hen run is dotted with orchids ranging in colour from almost white to purple.<br /><br />The garden is at last producing vegetables and fruit. As usual we go from dearth to abundance overnight and harvesting becomes another job to add to the list. Cabbage white caterpillars attempted to munch their way through calabrese, cauliflower and cabbage but were easily picked off and disposed of. I tried feeding them to the chickens but they were not impressed. They must have a bitter taste but I am not going to try one to find out. We haven’t seen our strawberry eating badger for a while so hope to gather enough for puddings and jam.<br /><br />Following the death of the adult male beaver introduced to the Lily Loch in May, the female moved to Seafield Loch where it has been observed during June. The post mortem report was inconclusive and suggests that the beaver starved to death after failing to adapt to the Knapdale diet. A further two beavers have been released on Creag Mhor Loch which was vacated by the beavers originally released there in May 2009. One of the original beavers died in captivity in Edinburgh Zoo on 26 May and the other two are missing, presumed dead.<br /><br />Current resident beavers are:- 3 on the Dubh Loch (originally released onto Loch Coille Bharr), 3 beavers on Loch Linne, 2 beavers on Creag Mhor Loch and 1 beaver last seen on Seafield Loch. The project has been given permission to release further beavers to replace adult beavers which die or disperse from the trial site. The minimum requirements for a viable trial are four breeding pairs of beavers and 13 months into the trial, there are still only three pairs in Knapdale, two of which may produce kits this year.<br /><br />The Dubh Loch beavers continue to maintain and enlarge their dam and signs of their activity in the area are very apparent. The path remains flooded and visitors have formed a well trodden path to the dam. So far, no start has been made on the alternative boardwalk which will allow walkers to safely circumnavigate Loch Coille Bharr. On Loch Linne, the beaver dam was repeatedly removed by the project and the beavers appear to have given up trying to rebuild it. There are signs of tree felling all around the loch and there is a lodge on the east side of the loch. On recent visits, we have only spotted one beaver out and about on the loch. The adult female may be in the lodge with kits and will not emerge until they are ready to be weaned.seafieldfarmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01923170238077742802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6566334432780059767.post-45026772648444250752010-06-14T11:54:00.001+01:002010-06-16T22:34:26.328+01:00Flaming June<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx32l1z3C-yt5IMzp5B-ME36b5USjZxZOB4Unvhns0e1f_LtD1eYy6OjtEZu8wzN8BH4doRm185BIfoxszJowjsbUiV4tLOEDy4n6FpggDLymS9gzNACOLusUWyD4DGfE-bolEyo5WvMk/s1600/BlogJune11.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx32l1z3C-yt5IMzp5B-ME36b5USjZxZOB4Unvhns0e1f_LtD1eYy6OjtEZu8wzN8BH4doRm185BIfoxszJowjsbUiV4tLOEDy4n6FpggDLymS9gzNACOLusUWyD4DGfE-bolEyo5WvMk/s200/BlogJune11.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482579942858456978" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqKvZswsP9mkbMV0FuPJ17v-cg8PSUfHcI8aFI40GIhXq9qxfjFIjSLH9zJJnb4h7SpsbXHYCMVW3BHuycm28irouWQoQFOR7Gz3J6bOGhsAxkYHuVi_L7CRypHKOtzwtsrh4EIa4pf94/s1600/BlogJune9.JPG"><img style="float:right; 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margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhood5cDR5aCHeV_MQYvkulZJ9yTZzBoU-Mn_gQEbWSkAAfQVmFHHbLk3BUeTuTvlVdckD7ajv8HhC34V6a2sWqK-wJZCOijFTXsWcEEsbVWCLXFWvHhYMuGMFeMQ9JQ9XloBcwD3ZgcTw/s200/BlogJune8.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482577672719367842" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbtvgUusNF_afW_oeHxnoqbbdA1laf46R__1f45pWZ_CLT3WlyFOQtjRKkmwb3VZ2MBFVf0igb0daUBXitjYuiNXtpn1NIxPbnUSj1MbDThYE-S7Au35AxUaxg09rGbejO0_JWA-S36-0/s1600/BlogJune10.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbtvgUusNF_afW_oeHxnoqbbdA1laf46R__1f45pWZ_CLT3WlyFOQtjRKkmwb3VZ2MBFVf0igb0daUBXitjYuiNXtpn1NIxPbnUSj1MbDThYE-S7Au35AxUaxg09rGbejO0_JWA-S36-0/s200/BlogJune10.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482576720794803234" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR5YSe7YH0XwFCBt7IZ6j4wPwRXIm-tNshJuzuuTpyRl0SYTp_AVsSA7Kcw3pQNOp8PWXkM3NGk5JLmwmcBs4U6kTbWIFrWBSJdPEXXk9tcETstz0j7_YbSR7ah3vqX7a8Jb4UJEshCfg/s1600/BlogJune12.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR5YSe7YH0XwFCBt7IZ6j4wPwRXIm-tNshJuzuuTpyRl0SYTp_AVsSA7Kcw3pQNOp8PWXkM3NGk5JLmwmcBs4U6kTbWIFrWBSJdPEXXk9tcETstz0j7_YbSR7ah3vqX7a8Jb4UJEshCfg/s200/BlogJune12.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482576329769418770" /></a><br />Flaming June <br /><br />After a cold, dry, sunny May, we are having a warmer, dry, sunny June. There has been no significant rainfall since last Autumn and watering the garden has been added to the list of chores. There haven’t been many years in the twenty that I have lived here, that a tractor has been able to go onto the fields without the wheels sinking into the bog.<br /><br />Because of the dryness and the cold air, we had a temporary reprieve from the midges but they are now making their presence felt on still evenings. There has been plenty of less annoying wildlife to enjoy, some of it close at hand in the conservatory. A swallow hitched a ride on the model osprey, hanging from the ceiling and a willow warbler investigated the windowsill. A roe deer enjoyed the fresh grass at the back of the workshop and a dragonfly was seen having just emerged from it’s nymph state. The cast nymphal skin is left hanging on the tree. The air has been full of mating damsel flies. While out fishing, they were landing on us and all over the boat. On the domestic front, the chicks hatched in April are getting bigger every day but the jury is still out on the gender.<br /><br />The wild flowers are fabulous at this time of year. My favourite is the yellow flag iris which flowers profusely in June. Water liliies are flowering on the lochs and the bright blue swathes of bluebells along the woodland margins are being replaced with fields showing bright yellow with buttercups. <br /><br />A particular feature this year has been the volcanic ash which has shown up in thick yellow bands where the water levels of the lochs have dropped. The bands look as if they have been painted onto the rocks and posts. The lack of rain allowed it to settle rather than washing it away.<br /><br />The garden has been demanding a lot of time this month and things are starting to grow well but so far we only have rhubarb, salad leaves and turnips to eat. The garlic is almost ready to harvest and there are tiny embryonic courgettes appearing which will magically transform overnight into monster marrows. All too soon there will be the two months of abundance and all the work of dealing with the surplus.<br /><br />We managed to get away for a short break this month, taking the campervan up to Applecross. It was an exciting journey over the Bealach na Ba, probably the steepest road in Britain, complete with hair pin bends and vertigo inducing drops. I was glad to be the one driving with the steering wheel to hang on to rather than sitting in the passenger seat next to the edge of the mountain. I was so concerned that the elderly VW wouldn’t make it, that I didn’t have too much time to worry. The scenery was stunning with high, vegetation free mountains, quite a contrast to the tree clad, gentle hills of Knapdale. Two fine trout provided a good dinner one evening, camped high above the Sound of Raasay.<br /><br />It is now a year since Norwegian beavers were introduced to Knapdale and we have six beavers remaining in the trial area. An additional pair were put onto the Lily Loch, close to Seafield at the beginning of May. Early reports suggested the beavers were ‘settling in brilliantly’. Two weeks later, project workers failed to observe the male beaver but were still getting a signal from the radio tag. It was another 9 or 10 days before the adult male was discovered dead in the artificial lodge on 27 May. Coincidentally, this was the time when the media were very interested in doing anniversary broadcasts and articles but no word of the death was released by the Project and the anniversary press release was upbeat and very positive about the whole enterprise. News of the death was not released for a further two weeks. Another beaver, removed from the trial last December has also died in Edinburgh Zoo. That brings the confirmed death toll to 12 and there are another 3 missing, presumed dead. That makes 15 beavers dead or missing out of a total importation of 25. And the effects so far? A small addition to the body of water in an area renowned for it’s wetland habitat, the felling and flooding of many hundreds of trees with the consequent loss of habitat and the removal of a popular walk due to beaver flooding. Is that really worth £2.5 million (so far) and all the stress to animals and humans alike?seafieldfarmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01923170238077742802noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6566334432780059767.post-40399343309795511232010-05-11T20:21:00.014+01:002010-05-11T21:26:48.768+01:00Ne'er cast a clout til May is Out<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSMunfQ3szqqZkGojzPAuN53ocZfoFdWuq_on92K7GuEvSUaAbLwKwp1RULacb1W27eEfrV1NXXj2FJDFFhm5cfenj6Fua3xsMaa804uDD7c_MX2GzBYg47fF5ENCnyzt33Se_8gnCGb8/s1600/BlogMay2.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSMunfQ3szqqZkGojzPAuN53ocZfoFdWuq_on92K7GuEvSUaAbLwKwp1RULacb1W27eEfrV1NXXj2FJDFFhm5cfenj6Fua3xsMaa804uDD7c_MX2GzBYg47fF5ENCnyzt33Se_8gnCGb8/s200/BlogMay2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470099407422973842" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgje9-7E23-gTTCTWHw3jFQmlDPw-xN2wgtf82fWzPkbHdTq17-yr_ya8FQvcogghZC_xTiNvaqNTfwq3MtmDFXIbd-GrOpo6K1Z4YnRiEv8OpGgph9RVGko0uWB3NOQcQJnAqIaBHGPlY/s1600/BlogMay4.JPG"><img style="float:right; 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margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEoFJAJONdN9k6LnTWi-LCpm86JFmzoIEIyUwhgeY-_lXrWuGnu0Hh4K2atii09SAe-2nSZilr_mTpradLTrbnFl-ljjACb7ZsQVCNMC4NPxm37pDFE8toiaCN76NY-zGbCMtDFf7zSGk/s200/BlogMay10.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470095369208900482" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRGcPMgiwdcj4QwO-DvNGTqSTi0vqBkYB-f8GDjzrJDkar2wVDvO1t4szoxExIW943vT_17IRS8NaSvYjjhSils2fggef6sqZwnAruVd8GGk4kLcTsNunViUJa3CqLlhhxQ8uMT9WGzBg/s1600/BlogMay12.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRGcPMgiwdcj4QwO-DvNGTqSTi0vqBkYB-f8GDjzrJDkar2wVDvO1t4szoxExIW943vT_17IRS8NaSvYjjhSils2fggef6sqZwnAruVd8GGk4kLcTsNunViUJa3CqLlhhxQ8uMT9WGzBg/s200/BlogMay12.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470095210910327458" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU9C1cTDQLBBW71d7b6f8NCKgM1RebmHXKjLKC7eC6TON-Rz9XEXj8fp4ZAT4B5e7fu39nNlwu-mHzxkgP_9nQ4rg_CEVZcpcRG8H37IPIwvq3FEq7K0LRBl9Ga4IJ3F6qUw956o0IYLI/s1600/BlogMay11.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU9C1cTDQLBBW71d7b6f8NCKgM1RebmHXKjLKC7eC6TON-Rz9XEXj8fp4ZAT4B5e7fu39nNlwu-mHzxkgP_9nQ4rg_CEVZcpcRG8H37IPIwvq3FEq7K0LRBl9Ga4IJ3F6qUw956o0IYLI/s200/BlogMay11.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470094950930223106" /></a><br />Whether the saying refers to the hawthorn blossom or the month, I don’t think I will be casting any clouts for a while yet. May so far has been beautifully clear and sunny but the cold air which gives us the clarity means warm woolly jumpers and sunburned noses.<br /><br />The ground has been remarkably dry, making gardening a pleasure but with sub zero nightime temperatures and hot sunny afternoons, the new growth is being frosted and burnt at the same time. The tomatoes have long outgrown their pots but will have to wait on the windowsill a little longer before transfer to the polytunnel. The wild spring flowers are a delight, with violets, primroses, bluebells and blackthorn blossom all making wonderful displays - unlike their tender cultivated counterparts, the varying temperatures seem to have little effect on them.<br /><br />A blackbird built a nest in the rock face behind my workshop so I was distracted from basketmaking by the much more absorbing task of trying to capture a photo of the adult feeding the chicks. We also have swallows and wagtails nesting in the eaves. Our resident pair of mute swans managed to raise a cygnet last year after a few years of choosing remarkably poor nesting sites which were always washed away by a high tide. After success last year, they have returned to the better site and are sitting on eggs.<br /><br />A fishing trip to Loch Linne gave James his first catch of the year - one pan sized brown trout. Many more were caught but were far too small to keep. The loch is quite low because there has been so little rain over the last months. It is a beautiful spot, no distance from the road but surrounded by forest and utterly peaceful.<br /><br />On a clear day, the views from above Crinan are wonderful and we could see porpoises breaking the surface far below us. You can look out to the islands of Islay, Jura, Scarba, Luing and Mull. Cruachan still had patches of snow showing up in the sunshine. The west coast of Scotland has some of the best sailing you can find and there were a few boats out in the Sound of Jura.<br /><br />Along the forest road towards Carsaig we came across an art installation which was part of the NVA Environmental Art Project which took place in the area in 2007. We had visited some of the installations but hadn’t been to this one so it came as a surprise to find a timber walkway in an avenue of standing spruce columns leading to a woven archway which frames a rock outcrop with ancient rock carvings. <br /><br />We incubated four chicks from some Maran eggs given to me by a friend. We don’t know yet which are cockerels and which will be hens but they are currently looking fairly macho and slightly scruffy with new feathers coming in to replace the down. I fear they may all end up in the pot rather than joining our team of egg layers.<br /><br />No Seafield blog post is complete without mention of the beavers and a slightly blurry photo of the new arrivals. Two more beavers were released this month bringing the total population up to 8, three breeding pairs and two juveniles. They can be seen quite easily as the Lily Loch is small and having been in the Highland Wildlife Park for a year, they will be used to a degree of human contact. According to an article in the Herald Magazine, the budget is now £2.5 million which seems an astonishing amount of money for a project to give Argyll more wetland. It may have been dry this year but one thing Argyll is not short of is wetland. £2.5 million would build a fantastic visitor centre to celebrate and interpret Argyll’s amazing native wildlife and beautiful historic landscape and be far more beneficial for visitors to the area than a few large rodents which have flooded a popular forest walk.seafieldfarmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01923170238077742802noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6566334432780059767.post-64051288465690201502010-04-19T23:00:00.013+01:002010-04-19T23:21:11.574+01:00April At Last<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT0GLuISgGk98_7UZpBPuh1Bg7R66i7MLv1T5jzP28HJr9qHamfd90qebeGwdOcT9dDwuVWWl4aizwFnyNE2obOeUbvlw3KJcZZ96py9g75qJzDW-r08JIrCh-VPARg4VEZzwfHJAnVbU/s1600/BlogApril8.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT0GLuISgGk98_7UZpBPuh1Bg7R66i7MLv1T5jzP28HJr9qHamfd90qebeGwdOcT9dDwuVWWl4aizwFnyNE2obOeUbvlw3KJcZZ96py9g75qJzDW-r08JIrCh-VPARg4VEZzwfHJAnVbU/s200/BlogApril8.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461977121037019218" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgULJ0aeeN9PgnnF9ppJLg7ZFxOscxOjBKAfsLSamRnG3O35UtpMk516WA3M7xfK9TuP59wQk5mlrGUvi26vMbbe0J_sMW5rGHqsu6id1Y8IrEqx8f5lqIV8ciGRjXdIdYHVoLos9ef3pk/s1600/BlogApril1.JPG"><img style="float:right; 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margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijp4oEtdIuv15WBzQQFhEJwfBdvWp_vkNTL2Q3FywADcd01yL9XHUKW6RUC9HLoJ8UBqkVNWIb-OiKkv70Ue6DvNzzF-c1eRefklNemvpFI2RqCFDNvvbZLGtxPbWw0GJm2CSdItNw_sc/s200/BlogApril4.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461976101665607410" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKiv1-EHfdtFabf8By8bTsJv9Jcj_qtF_AIDPOWeWUwbEh_tOl4x49K7wxASsh2k8Ll2RRRriTkx3t3KI0FuCgdzpfIJ9HW6Hu0bE4HEqRp5kMbx52QxTp6ZaJ8052BWrW-Gqy6gXXB9k/s1600/BlogApril5.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKiv1-EHfdtFabf8By8bTsJv9Jcj_qtF_AIDPOWeWUwbEh_tOl4x49K7wxASsh2k8Ll2RRRriTkx3t3KI0FuCgdzpfIJ9HW6Hu0bE4HEqRp5kMbx52QxTp6ZaJ8052BWrW-Gqy6gXXB9k/s200/BlogApril5.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461975964656401026" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOEmtT5EHWzaEbphcNLHZHG2ndumkOvlY0rwfo7S2AswP3Imew8ins3dzeNyq69yixyH5S1jQ1LGvebN6dKObZcxxovshr_qBm1erepWozDCyE9hZOLXrw30slLpt3tGbvOTkEiFEpdZ0/s1600/BlogApril6.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOEmtT5EHWzaEbphcNLHZHG2ndumkOvlY0rwfo7S2AswP3Imew8ins3dzeNyq69yixyH5S1jQ1LGvebN6dKObZcxxovshr_qBm1erepWozDCyE9hZOLXrw30slLpt3tGbvOTkEiFEpdZ0/s200/BlogApril6.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461975850015707090" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVnLMoZ40spM0hA6YzJmOzeUjk86GKCpSklqG2cgbwwPVgbIUC8XKzH3M-_wy70ktzDbyvDtgrmrkkQ_36K2IhZnvbX4dBBfWDygL8KRQfxt98_dJ5FAlpZicKVexz-kbL_pYJQe7MHiY/s1600/BlogApril7.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVnLMoZ40spM0hA6YzJmOzeUjk86GKCpSklqG2cgbwwPVgbIUC8XKzH3M-_wy70ktzDbyvDtgrmrkkQ_36K2IhZnvbX4dBBfWDygL8KRQfxt98_dJ5FAlpZicKVexz-kbL_pYJQe7MHiY/s200/BlogApril7.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461975676979422818" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFH3SS66q4iUixAsJYb-vPbYQWhrHrJhjmw9pF3uXQkvsH0OR7k2dSHu_uM9WJW_CkuRiY3x0689wDNdQb6KIHUq-porYfdt9JF-naTtNi3evKDLhfdear1WDeq6mSqV0B09phQoksevM/s1600/BlogApril10.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFH3SS66q4iUixAsJYb-vPbYQWhrHrJhjmw9pF3uXQkvsH0OR7k2dSHu_uM9WJW_CkuRiY3x0689wDNdQb6KIHUq-porYfdt9JF-naTtNi3evKDLhfdear1WDeq6mSqV0B09phQoksevM/s200/BlogApril10.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461975516571627314" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioB9lNCjlgabdfJKtHdv_kApsGfxqEGehdaFcu60oaqZIwgBosxDOLwBDxtXn-Axa5J90FKFTZegupWzLMELHgN45OPpkwLJRFP_VGfdm6Xaqk4Hr4wyrEWYxOc4jC6qpzzF4gNJ3h_Do/s1600/BlogApril9.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioB9lNCjlgabdfJKtHdv_kApsGfxqEGehdaFcu60oaqZIwgBosxDOLwBDxtXn-Axa5J90FKFTZegupWzLMELHgN45OPpkwLJRFP_VGfdm6Xaqk4Hr4wyrEWYxOc4jC6qpzzF4gNJ3h_Do/s200/BlogApril9.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461975374631402258" /></a><br />April is my favourite month at Seafield. The days are stretching, there is warmth in the sun and not a midge to be seen. The garden is full of possibility and devoid of weeds and I am full of energy and optimism that this will be the year that I manage to keep the wilderness at bay. The daffodils and tulips are out at last, the pond is full of frog and toad spawn and new lambs have appeared in the fields. The farmers are glad to see the grass beginning to grow while I am wondering how long I can get away with not cutting the lawn.<br /><br />This year I have joined ArtMap Argyll which runs an open studio event in August. The group organised some weekend workshops run by members of the group and, inspired by the recent Mastercrafts series on tv, I thought I’d try stonecarving. Two days of chipping away at a block of stone has made me think that basketmaking is a relatively easy craft It gave me new respect for those who created the carved stones now displayed in Kilmory Chapel, at the end of the Achnamara peninsula. This is where the famous MacMillan Cross has been placed to save it from erosion by the elements.<br /><br />The fishing season is well under way with good catches being reported on Barnluasgan Loch despite the cold start to the season. There is a new boat on Seafield Loch which can be hired from Lochgilphead Angling Club, as can the boats on Loch Linnhe, Loch Coille Bharr and Barnluasgan. Even if you don’t catch anything, it is a pleasant way to spend a few hours and you can do some wildlife spotting or simply enjoy the peace and quiet.<br /><br />The opreys have returned to their nest. Most years, they manage to raise two chicks and can often be seen fishing over Loch Sween. Watching an osprey catch a fish in its talons is an impressive sight.<br /><br />A pine marten appeared on the conservatory windowsill again tonight. If it was not for their voracious appetite for poultry, we would be happy to encourage it.<br /><br />Spring is also bringing the addition of another pair of beavers to the Knapdale Beaver Project. The two beavers, remnants of the ill fated importation of beavers from Norway in November 2008, will be released onto the un-named loch known locally as the Lily Loch, close to Lochan Buic, better known as Seafield Loch. An artificial lodge has been created to provide initial shelter for the animals before they burrow or build their own lodge - when they decide where they want to be. Fences have been put up to stop them travelling south which would bring them onto Seafield Farm, but there are no obstacles to prevent them moving west and north. This brings the total number of beavers to eight; three pairs and two young. This is too small a group for a viable trial but enough to cause considerable damage to the local native woodland which has been restored and protected at considerable expense over recent years.seafieldfarmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01923170238077742802noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6566334432780059767.post-41361088413969873542010-03-16T22:26:00.016+00:002010-03-16T23:19:07.115+00:00Nearly Spring at Seafield<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-DQu-Eo3ZXptZSoxYr15bHwVaRWnZHsACcuoKINBaFl0u4scnSVe0ZPaYetRfn9iVaoYO_HiUQcfqgO8_EMIVM4Zoncr0niNljzvNU4R5K4kFd0qf9GC4bGw7wZJorPoArbUJRbhc-4o/s1600-h/MarBlogTayv.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-DQu-Eo3ZXptZSoxYr15bHwVaRWnZHsACcuoKINBaFl0u4scnSVe0ZPaYetRfn9iVaoYO_HiUQcfqgO8_EMIVM4Zoncr0niNljzvNU4R5K4kFd0qf9GC4bGw7wZJorPoArbUJRbhc-4o/s200/MarBlogTayv.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449364479267409602" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNtJg8GgtGtHFtsy4dx8qAZ0a04IbRYQunqOiGnUmiUWKVLACZdERGeFciU9JpKPCEu6ur6EHwNkTz5xlNB9ly5vcBlFhWGy0JBfWV5drCFAICre9ZUz2DjLuzS0NU5QbOjdw_8wznLTY/s1600-h/MarBlogGeese2.JPG"><img style="float:right; 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margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFZ5zWkiNu0KYt-j9BZpjU99moPe-rm8h1dSIRwybxO0gbU5OIgkUqAGDYM2kdDG9Z2jRrUdMvh3rxBconYnXF3-HbAq_Wa4FAo3w-UJBvWEkAq00owSgZASZuuL_RfU6SkAN_mr14vAE/s200/MarBlogBeaverFence.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449363003526637906" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGA2iqyfHadmYErVKMJof-ynxpyPavWndLUWH1jsU_Uw_-E5rckEGBIsIo3hyphenhyphenm40XAvEG50XUGCqPRaM-tkbesX6-A5mypuMTSlrlMUZCOLDYArT7ojs_-DVapDt43vabht-Q7X6xOuzs/s1600-h/MarBlogLSweenJura.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGA2iqyfHadmYErVKMJof-ynxpyPavWndLUWH1jsU_Uw_-E5rckEGBIsIo3hyphenhyphenm40XAvEG50XUGCqPRaM-tkbesX6-A5mypuMTSlrlMUZCOLDYArT7ojs_-DVapDt43vabht-Q7X6xOuzs/s200/MarBlogLSweenJura.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449362784261105890" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu8QNOvytOd1PLkfgEACplWWhcrffcugiOGYCfDQ8RWijWAWW7vSTKdCH6nHFdQLvm-ybwlyDr1IerEcpWCjzkIZmPuqHRaFAf6tJR9oyCxzMB_36jNQocnL7npuuFnoHI638zCl8FZU8/s1600-h/MarBlogBellanochChurch.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu8QNOvytOd1PLkfgEACplWWhcrffcugiOGYCfDQ8RWijWAWW7vSTKdCH6nHFdQLvm-ybwlyDr1IerEcpWCjzkIZmPuqHRaFAf6tJR9oyCxzMB_36jNQocnL7npuuFnoHI638zCl8FZU8/s200/MarBlogBellanochChurch.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449362564490337858" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaCtp6GsSc7G-99VYjUDAD03JTqBR3ys86jli0J8dzGQC51PFjrwdm7YZs3oMLp7UrCnHaokEUFTMXoBCAT9gBPeilhWxgJQfdyQASCI8oetViyXnLj9tRZERJmOnA_snfxeuyn_CGH_s/s1600-h/MarBlogBellBasinAddEst.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaCtp6GsSc7G-99VYjUDAD03JTqBR3ys86jli0J8dzGQC51PFjrwdm7YZs3oMLp7UrCnHaokEUFTMXoBCAT9gBPeilhWxgJQfdyQASCI8oetViyXnLj9tRZERJmOnA_snfxeuyn_CGH_s/s200/MarBlogBellBasinAddEst.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449362389751131938" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkTMsCeaW7R-B413ywp1PmGnRFpg0oUinNR3JytgW5qlXqY97O0YNiOwXvsWv_kmog4-bRLkGenRxN6NQDoxLPKLj24GZuEFCZU4yuyMXMegTosEFdcd-8buZhyphenhyphen4NIu9_TSMj2AImIiVM/s1600-h/MarBlogWillow.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkTMsCeaW7R-B413ywp1PmGnRFpg0oUinNR3JytgW5qlXqY97O0YNiOwXvsWv_kmog4-bRLkGenRxN6NQDoxLPKLj24GZuEFCZU4yuyMXMegTosEFdcd-8buZhyphenhyphen4NIu9_TSMj2AImIiVM/s200/MarBlogWillow.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449362212125536306" /></a><br />The ice has mostly gone except on higher ground and much to my amazement, the first intrepid fly fishermen of the season bagged eight trout on Loch Barnluasgan. The daffodils are still not out so maybe we will have a good show for Easter. This time last year, they were nearly over.<br /><br />When you live in a beautiful place, it is all too easy to forget that there are stunning landscapes, significantly different to the wooded surrounds of Seafield, within 25 minutes drive of the house. We had a mini holiday on Saturday with a drive over to Tayvallich, a bowl of soup at the Inn, a cake from the coffee shop and a visit to Danna, an island south of Tayvallich, connected to the mainland by a causeway. The ground was unusually dry for this time of year after weeks of cold, dry winter. Hundreds of Barnacle Geese had gathered on a field but on spotting us, they took to the sky before settling again. The views were stunning and two hardy kayakers paddled along the east side of the island, heading north. Gulls were swooping and feeding over the shallow water as the tide went out. They seemed to be picking up worms from the sand. A couple of shell ducks were swimming among the gulls. We hoped to see otters but it was too cold in the breeze to spend much time sitting and watching and all we saw were otter foot prints across the muddy shore. We filled a pink bucket found on the shore with mussels for dinner.<br /><br />Scottish Wildlife Trust had a beaver site visit to Loch Coille Bharr with NFU members, many of whom are concerned about the long term effects of beavers in the area. I feel rather less concerned than I was as the trial so far has not been very successful with numbers diminishing by almost 50% over the last year. The six remaining beavers are to be bolstered by the introduction of an adult male and sub adult female which are remnants of the November 2008 importation of which suffered heavy losses in quarantine and after their subsequent release. The single male adult which was taken back to the Zoo in December after being found to be in poor condition has been diagnosed with a heart condition and will not be rejoining the trial. The trial partners have applied to the Scottish Government for a further licence to import another pair of beavers from Norway. The two beavers which are arriving this month, will be on a loch close to Seafield and to prevent them getting onto our land, two fences have been constructed across the burns. So far, beavers have headed north rather than south so it is probably a complete waste of time and money. Fencing beavers in will not give a true picture of their movements in the landscape. If they stay on the Lily Loch, there should be plenty of opportunities for visitors to see them - until they flood the board walk and seat of course. Like most wildlife, humans want to look at them but they have no interest whatsoever in looking at humans.seafieldfarmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01923170238077742802noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6566334432780059767.post-91948025306568102142010-02-25T20:19:00.001+00:002010-02-25T20:19:18.589+00:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH-sXKUqW1k3t8I2g6VKDOzKKYhmjqt8ksMoLJoGlWkmRvmjL-GKTtY4Z4LSPskNSZSZi7MoxHZ2JXeOJAQMenpdZGorvQkqL7mUQbQqH1FHLOCYuWw_OKWq57Vk3gZBBxPSoVVWFPhJU/s1600-h/ArtMapJA1.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH-sXKUqW1k3t8I2g6VKDOzKKYhmjqt8ksMoLJoGlWkmRvmjL-GKTtY4Z4LSPskNSZSZi7MoxHZ2JXeOJAQMenpdZGorvQkqL7mUQbQqH1FHLOCYuWw_OKWq57Vk3gZBBxPSoVVWFPhJU/s200/ArtMapJA1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442265008977969170" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmWJz9mjAbBWD2uH0cYz6teZcA6yWbHA1EU1ItS-crsgqK-j0nhYjfzKjduqYMDKgwrLErTpF-p5KiuG4QZ4yLzv7Q0c53ScSoa6DNaEtypOKVdcMfz6pfEQt7X8Mu24X30bTwWrpgBKM/s1600-h/FebBlogSnowdrops.JPG"><img style="float:right; 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margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDmUDQM3NEG0Aqtz-bzvq-F3a-iFFUpCyBnqyrCunafqnLPe3V3MGRVTIujTr24j7wJXyEg32a9XKu-lj_DqcP16UFsxW4hN13XA7y8x3Z4Nvo7y6uplAVLXQNSolPm39o8KrLHfGOyK8/s200/FebBlogOtter.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442264072230761890" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_ipSAU2Ub1F4A9DDyTt-R3nwGqUCy1VU0-xGkn3MkVcv_b3vtt3KHm7ta9wNDfjmXXWc0P7p1BxuEM8H6EeZA0yCzn3Men3ITV4EOc2xeqymC7ik8LMRyrD67v9_RP2STlhyphenhyphenHreB2DcU/s1600-h/FebBlogDeer.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_ipSAU2Ub1F4A9DDyTt-R3nwGqUCy1VU0-xGkn3MkVcv_b3vtt3KHm7ta9wNDfjmXXWc0P7p1BxuEM8H6EeZA0yCzn3Men3ITV4EOc2xeqymC7ik8LMRyrD67v9_RP2STlhyphenhyphenHreB2DcU/s200/FebBlogDeer.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442263832281020418" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPyAcbNUU-sL-6ElyZzXP4A_kN6ofbzr2wDTFrd7C_ErKPZa-3aSqi699Ar2CQ-BZ91KwU_0hs8WGefxqLcu4JpKnAFa1ZU8lGRSWA0yMmVZ9j0uPwKaxcBo0QGJrD7LB68R14nl3iSds/s1600-h/FebBlogCrocus.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPyAcbNUU-sL-6ElyZzXP4A_kN6ofbzr2wDTFrd7C_ErKPZa-3aSqi699Ar2CQ-BZ91KwU_0hs8WGefxqLcu4JpKnAFa1ZU8lGRSWA0yMmVZ9j0uPwKaxcBo0QGJrD7LB68R14nl3iSds/s200/FebBlogCrocus.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442263697033976546" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKBD2_X9XVKFQDtcIdzAac64GMNPNIm8SvnJl82jL_fQVmSoNhtp5Dzp5zJvHRcKWOoPPnFsBmM1wNkmWToqWMQ_VXmwuUShVNeuChNR3kiJwJnk5heIT0PyyNBwizC5lUZa6EaO6xbPY/s1600-h/FebBlogChickens.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKBD2_X9XVKFQDtcIdzAac64GMNPNIm8SvnJl82jL_fQVmSoNhtp5Dzp5zJvHRcKWOoPPnFsBmM1wNkmWToqWMQ_VXmwuUShVNeuChNR3kiJwJnk5heIT0PyyNBwizC5lUZa6EaO6xbPY/s200/FebBlogChickens.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442263557689880306" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjq-O9KyALw4EHlwm9I4_do1_QQBMiSsxOOn7f36qsq0eFIExgl5YxZ41aV9stDFs0kYbVuN8uvlDPjy3mbNgMPp9QsEdZioQ4tI5R9DAw0QrCWS3YG5mib9lRSqz5EhLJ9Oe4Bu8TZD8/s1600-h/FebBlogBirch.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjq-O9KyALw4EHlwm9I4_do1_QQBMiSsxOOn7f36qsq0eFIExgl5YxZ41aV9stDFs0kYbVuN8uvlDPjy3mbNgMPp9QsEdZioQ4tI5R9DAw0QrCWS3YG5mib9lRSqz5EhLJ9Oe4Bu8TZD8/s200/FebBlogBirch.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442263383539517346" /></a><br />January and February can be rather damp and dreary in Argyll but this year we have had exceptionally calm, cold, clear and sunny days. The days are getting noticeably longer and it feels as though we are through the worst of the winter. Perhaps that is wishful thinking. Keeping up with firewood consumption has been a challenge but it is worth it to keep ourselves and our visitors warm and cosy.<br /><br />The willow soaking tank was frozen solid for weeks but eventually it thawed sufficiently to release the willow that had been put in to soak before Christmas. It was none the worse for it’s freezing and extra long soaking and could be fashioned into useful baskets. <br /><br />There is a plan to put two beavers into the Lily Loch during March. This delightful lochan is fifteen minutes walk from the house and is a lovely place to sit and watch trout rising during warmer weather. The fringe of broadleaf woodland will not last long if they settle on the loch and start tree felling activities. Dam building will soon flood the walkway and seat. <br /><br />The clear sunny days have made the views breathtaking. The snow capped mountains to the north appearing to tower over Kilmartin Glen. There have been spectacular sunsets over Loch Sween towards Jura. <br /><br />The camera lens wasn’t good enough to get a good photo of the otter swimming past the heron and emerging on to the rocks. If you look carefully, you will see a brown, otter shape to the right of the heron. The otter swam, dived and emerged onto the shore of a tiny island just south of Achnamara. It was more impressive in real life than on the photo.<br /><br />Seven or eight deer appeared along the edge of the wood one morning as we ate breakfast. They were well camouflaged and only the movement alerted me to their presence. Deer are fairly commonplace around Seafield but it is still good to see a group of them so close to the house.<br /><br />The snowdrops and winter crocus were held back by the cold weather but they are now in full bloom and a welcome splash of brightness on winter days.<br /><br />The hens started laying in earnest in January despite freezing temperatures. The new Speckled Sussex cockerel is a fine looking bird and very attentive to his flock but we are not convinced he knows what he is doing. We will soon find out when we incubate some eggs in the spring. <br /><br />The willow harvest is nearly finished and as usual there are far too many large rods. The finer varieties have produced a reasonable crop and I look forward to using them when they have dried a little. It is time to consider removing some of the more vigorous plants which shade the polytunnel and have limited use. Some will be kept for plant supports and handle bows but the rest can go and be replaced with smaller varieties.seafieldfarmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01923170238077742802noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6566334432780059767.post-45900428145583878142010-01-11T21:23:00.012+00:002010-01-11T21:58:37.229+00:00Happy New Year<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQHlqdOIUoTg7pLP9Sy0T38Zk6Cyk_ywdoipdHqyASWtbzb5C1X5TyFA_20hGmh-QMeGP8Pw3wIfa6hi45I9B4XNHTGvEAan_9GWDSLiUlSnzYo2wsXQFTyaMshumX8fb2Aipo426CHow/s1600-h/Janblog1.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQHlqdOIUoTg7pLP9Sy0T38Zk6Cyk_ywdoipdHqyASWtbzb5C1X5TyFA_20hGmh-QMeGP8Pw3wIfa6hi45I9B4XNHTGvEAan_9GWDSLiUlSnzYo2wsXQFTyaMshumX8fb2Aipo426CHow/s200/Janblog1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425603925799967362" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5NRuY-CI7p4HZm1-ZLEqa5SyWgWWpd_5UOBiRdW5RHgZxbMDjZlo6NzY_EzeAaSqp8K-m7mTpulG5nezFM3HqU_llxDn0IDF6nXndo2kJly5ePKwUOj0d5_RSWKucFBZB6rUHUhHqxcw/s1600-h/Janblog2.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5NRuY-CI7p4HZm1-ZLEqa5SyWgWWpd_5UOBiRdW5RHgZxbMDjZlo6NzY_EzeAaSqp8K-m7mTpulG5nezFM3HqU_llxDn0IDF6nXndo2kJly5ePKwUOj0d5_RSWKucFBZB6rUHUhHqxcw/s200/Janblog2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425603803271914690" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgDVDnZi8OmpcmpN186xDW-Qpg_czMTSZSbh6Ju2eLXnBpbsLTA807PPFHpu7dtBnN5pkFl4L4KyB9RsWPfYopZTlj9ecZbmqmJaSudWxaNPoqjUfeZJA4GfTBbat6yeGldYx2J9dTU3M/s1600-h/Janblog3.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgDVDnZi8OmpcmpN186xDW-Qpg_czMTSZSbh6Ju2eLXnBpbsLTA807PPFHpu7dtBnN5pkFl4L4KyB9RsWPfYopZTlj9ecZbmqmJaSudWxaNPoqjUfeZJA4GfTBbat6yeGldYx2J9dTU3M/s200/Janblog3.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425603668384342130" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLT5HJn4oN8ZGNWtUD1HC8av4ODmRQLASM27kBtKwzO5SZSpNfhyphenhyphenzyIhl7ewsKbyJ4DQtqiiPUtte4e0dLCAhlhVroPdEBjNHU0aVkWOtuqDGXJSp8qY3QRj-tDZo9JZheGEbh1zk7OOk/s1600-h/Janblog4.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLT5HJn4oN8ZGNWtUD1HC8av4ODmRQLASM27kBtKwzO5SZSpNfhyphenhyphenzyIhl7ewsKbyJ4DQtqiiPUtte4e0dLCAhlhVroPdEBjNHU0aVkWOtuqDGXJSp8qY3QRj-tDZo9JZheGEbh1zk7OOk/s200/Janblog4.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425603508403154626" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrdA66TyfCq4E58BIlsS2rUjqtAvwhu67wTC2N8j4EX7FLf9p4r64MsDC85oKPQaZJIt9We5hkn2jk1_3REUiqBUt6hQDgdraGe21zUlg6YksMGzvbhz8CQdOYETdcWgDbCBKE-VthEjQ/s1600-h/Janblog5.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrdA66TyfCq4E58BIlsS2rUjqtAvwhu67wTC2N8j4EX7FLf9p4r64MsDC85oKPQaZJIt9We5hkn2jk1_3REUiqBUt6hQDgdraGe21zUlg6YksMGzvbhz8CQdOYETdcWgDbCBKE-VthEjQ/s200/Janblog5.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425603383665123346" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX2-TBqfXLdqga080GuqumLbBq-iKrmEXigkqhcET1-LxfTA-69xqT1j9wxu2V8yJ5aHY6DkrwPaB8fq5lv51SwrvV9Oph7TWdTt_0rDXncjSXTcXNBnRcflMnLZSV3uZlMouszVJCBHc/s1600-h/Janblog6.JPG"><img style="float:right; 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margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7iywzi9oA07iFGowVaSqQ00sCXHLi3buTLXLkbwgeVYa8oHPEV-pC0SOkSpzi4SYlhlMuW0xNubZKqL3TYbMtDCJFAnAKLSC_rmdf19PIAa6l9WSn9l-bnqw340THqLyGBBpfCmT90xw/s200/Janblog8.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425602971424202498" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-VY3HWYbhIt__N2sxKeYkOAbuc48IJ1g5dQyUBfEwqm3qZnya6MoTPSOBAQ_rGK0NirSUMdxe51cK5s1agFH1qwklk4li_HCh82oNYv-k_ijiT9pmFRTaJjxzPNGpZP-I2jggQJ7VQ2s/s1600-h/Janblog9.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-VY3HWYbhIt__N2sxKeYkOAbuc48IJ1g5dQyUBfEwqm3qZnya6MoTPSOBAQ_rGK0NirSUMdxe51cK5s1agFH1qwklk4li_HCh82oNYv-k_ijiT9pmFRTaJjxzPNGpZP-I2jggQJ7VQ2s/s200/Janblog9.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425602804397412834" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivC8JRP6L-vecnr7HP4FaxvLpswO8I1EZus-M3Pj3iCk_DayKaEtOOjAAg9IHEwNmpXruUIaLF9zXweWYB0mFJIeJ80qalMe2rLgVoSA1Hig17_mUYP2Aifgm0-pMCMvsqjozrqa_UTLU/s1600-h/Janblog10.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivC8JRP6L-vecnr7HP4FaxvLpswO8I1EZus-M3Pj3iCk_DayKaEtOOjAAg9IHEwNmpXruUIaLF9zXweWYB0mFJIeJ80qalMe2rLgVoSA1Hig17_mUYP2Aifgm0-pMCMvsqjozrqa_UTLU/s200/Janblog10.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425602647826076706" /></a><br />This year's festivities were enhanced by a backdrop of fabulous cold, clear and sunny days with the little bit of snow that we had, staying on the ground for the whole holiday. Surfaces were slippery and the piles of grit and salt at the side of the road were frozen solid. It was a good excuse to stay close to the fire and keep warm fuelled by chocolates and wine in the traditional Christmas manner.<br /><br />Keeping the house and cottages warm was quite a challenge with firewood production dominating much of our time. Eventually Kirkland succumbed to the frost and had no water for 3 days. Fortunately none of the pipes burst and as the temperatures rose above freezing, water flowed once again. Even with no water, our visitors couldn't be persuaded to leave the stunning views and sunsets at Kirkland for a cottage where everything was working.<br /><br />Many of the local lochs were frozen over and we enjoyed a walk right around the edge of Loch na Laraiche wondering if it would be a once in a lifetime experience or a taste of things to come. The Dubh loch was completely frozen and even Coille Bharr had a skin of ice in places.<br /><br />Hogmanay was seen in quietly with food, drink, good company and sending lanterns into the sky.seafieldfarmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01923170238077742802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6566334432780059767.post-85790636019371824602009-12-24T09:01:00.011+00:002009-12-24T09:40:00.557+00:00Winter Wonderland at Seafield<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNL5NlSqSL0pWIcytIIoYuwUVErNvR2NHqJE_YpDyYVdUDYEsS5PRaTRgQvV7QFX9yiRhCsxSx7hNlONRgfvGWdGftfXpBEuL94oLDkB9VPf0YFTq-2yiZKXzp1VQxfrPhhrAVwJVZp8I/s1600-h/DecBlog5.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNL5NlSqSL0pWIcytIIoYuwUVErNvR2NHqJE_YpDyYVdUDYEsS5PRaTRgQvV7QFX9yiRhCsxSx7hNlONRgfvGWdGftfXpBEuL94oLDkB9VPf0YFTq-2yiZKXzp1VQxfrPhhrAVwJVZp8I/s200/DecBlog5.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418727232823302770" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuZUCBfxBBGY3i_dN8wrNyaldO1cRVU8R7wJp_F5oBNZhUd4HSAZSpUmIMYnb2aOqNwOrrqqin8ZBpGC_JUIkfNLrOXW0C_852b4GHKYfaly9-96qjv4qA3jp0g0w_N0UcW6OWhyphenhyphenO5mZM/s1600-h/DecBlog8.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuZUCBfxBBGY3i_dN8wrNyaldO1cRVU8R7wJp_F5oBNZhUd4HSAZSpUmIMYnb2aOqNwOrrqqin8ZBpGC_JUIkfNLrOXW0C_852b4GHKYfaly9-96qjv4qA3jp0g0w_N0UcW6OWhyphenhyphenO5mZM/s200/DecBlog8.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418727067586671282" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHIS9sU2AIjBE6eTkTqAzTzFWJxEf1BQuoRZVQseNW_cEvOMrCtcU8BvLFnQDkVuHJiEDm4Y1OMpyYH-NRvM_NCe5obP3KsYlWRmnr4mZ8FniOtpjE_EDzSsAs133zTEubUewZ-3sQ2IY/s1600-h/DecBlog1.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHIS9sU2AIjBE6eTkTqAzTzFWJxEf1BQuoRZVQseNW_cEvOMrCtcU8BvLFnQDkVuHJiEDm4Y1OMpyYH-NRvM_NCe5obP3KsYlWRmnr4mZ8FniOtpjE_EDzSsAs133zTEubUewZ-3sQ2IY/s200/DecBlog1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418726888893235954" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn3TGbMqNoK1898UYJC-xo0Ou9T4sc12PX_oFPNEZG0IJmHoUwiG8-t6ZKB-FARNpCibDwjXT0WIkyGeq05LyQOodykyW_jY9IsKabMWTOT65pfL2BvFyiPX0jJF7ZgplSthryzFPIx-c/s1600-h/DecBlog7.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn3TGbMqNoK1898UYJC-xo0Ou9T4sc12PX_oFPNEZG0IJmHoUwiG8-t6ZKB-FARNpCibDwjXT0WIkyGeq05LyQOodykyW_jY9IsKabMWTOT65pfL2BvFyiPX0jJF7ZgplSthryzFPIx-c/s200/DecBlog7.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418726707655632802" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDDynXa6PqGqo_7zKSPRWswU4rE3MEVFCFUQw6AdpUIRikQXaJ58HgYtUvMT7DRjO-hCaL-iwVmR0D4phebr411TiUR7H9oxzUKK0leDuONu0gv5dZb2lppxEiG54cXndYMM258OZD3SA/s1600-h/DecBlog4.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDDynXa6PqGqo_7zKSPRWswU4rE3MEVFCFUQw6AdpUIRikQXaJ58HgYtUvMT7DRjO-hCaL-iwVmR0D4phebr411TiUR7H9oxzUKK0leDuONu0gv5dZb2lppxEiG54cXndYMM258OZD3SA/s200/DecBlog4.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418726561890602930" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJicEQhN_3eXtz-CgMgBI-rmin2IqCxZLLVo9yGf26yzL80dNuw8OWxzYJ2MW9woBPrhnD94xse6UuWhPN_UQaoKyifhmTsuLpWuKJ6RUhC1d3jyhm3XGmWB5hlWtY0oyqvxf7Of6Hkxk/s1600-h/DecBlog6.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJicEQhN_3eXtz-CgMgBI-rmin2IqCxZLLVo9yGf26yzL80dNuw8OWxzYJ2MW9woBPrhnD94xse6UuWhPN_UQaoKyifhmTsuLpWuKJ6RUhC1d3jyhm3XGmWB5hlWtY0oyqvxf7Of6Hkxk/s200/DecBlog6.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418726382228725378" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNEic7P31cUbzQPXZZ4SL96LDomF92L-ua66WHoOeqZqS43PfgnOR-cxwShqOvlDAC5WFOm3gWNgB1ppLotO1Ww5o_j8xrGVN4DdAfg9ta2iMTLaCIyOfDB0UEmXCrxsuQWOCH4zUTb74/s1600-h/DecBlog9.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNEic7P31cUbzQPXZZ4SL96LDomF92L-ua66WHoOeqZqS43PfgnOR-cxwShqOvlDAC5WFOm3gWNgB1ppLotO1Ww5o_j8xrGVN4DdAfg9ta2iMTLaCIyOfDB0UEmXCrxsuQWOCH4zUTb74/s200/DecBlog9.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418726197124300690" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglHw79w4fsY1hE5ZF5sgsVRBIZ0j8-eFA3EZFHj5lnY333YFHuXo25_PC22Izm-vJs59ASWmF5PKJH4weF-kkJYyoIBbpIWp3dEsv4wE6iaIpAmhNOlfYUj5W49OaCdBwM5PDWgydKou8/s1600-h/DecBlog3.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglHw79w4fsY1hE5ZF5sgsVRBIZ0j8-eFA3EZFHj5lnY333YFHuXo25_PC22Izm-vJs59ASWmF5PKJH4weF-kkJYyoIBbpIWp3dEsv4wE6iaIpAmhNOlfYUj5W49OaCdBwM5PDWgydKou8/s200/DecBlog3.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418725987747838370" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCrRpf2ZzJJ1brXxXEwgEHVDwQ6jrRm6YN3Hc1tTmRP6uKTts3bD_4nopvxgU2olkV0ILXiyOSQbHKrX4DGKU05rVtM67TslLjfIcVE92tiIXuiLORjXsG-G1DNXq_bKMRyDTaK06yKTQ/s1600-h/DecBlog2.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCrRpf2ZzJJ1brXxXEwgEHVDwQ6jrRm6YN3Hc1tTmRP6uKTts3bD_4nopvxgU2olkV0ILXiyOSQbHKrX4DGKU05rVtM67TslLjfIcVE92tiIXuiLORjXsG-G1DNXq_bKMRyDTaK06yKTQ/s200/DecBlog2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418725798646866130" /></a><br />Visitors often ask if there will be lots of snow at Christmas and usually my answer is ‘probably not’. Typical Argyll festive seasons have been wet, windy, mild and green but this year has proved the exception and we have a covering of snow and thick frost. It is stunningly beautiful and the monochrome snowy scenes of the day have given way to stunningly colourful sunsets. The one year that we could have provided the perfect Scottish white Christmas for our visitors, we decided to have a break and leave the cottages empty until New Year.<br /><br />The weather is not without it’s challenges, with frozen water supplies and icy roads to contend with. Bundles of willow which should have been baskets by now are frozen in the soaking tank and will take days to thaw when the temperatures rise. Fortunately we have plenty of firewood to keep us warm and cosy in the house.<br /><br />We continue to keep an eye on the beavers. Both families have built lodges and stored winter supplies of food underwater. Coming from Norway, the cold weather will not cause a problem for them. The tree felling activity has increased in recent months and hundreds of trees have now been felled and many will die through being flooded. While this may create habitats for some flora and fauna, it will undoubtedly displace others. If the damage to the woodland had been caused by humans, it would be called vandalism; because it is done by a wild creature, it is considered beneficial. With a landscape covered in Sitka Spruce, it is nonsense to laud the environmental benefits of opening up the canopy in tiny areas of scrubby woodland.<br /><br />We wish all our visitors a happy and peaceful Christmas and New Year.seafieldfarmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01923170238077742802noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6566334432780059767.post-49383868295164559022009-12-07T10:25:00.001+00:002009-12-07T10:26:26.739+00:00Knapdale Beavers in Observer MagazineThe beaver debate got an airing in the Observer Magazine on Sunday 6 December. To read the article, copy the link into your web browser<br /><br />www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/dec/06/beavers-scotland<br />-controversy-tim-adamsseafieldfarmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01923170238077742802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6566334432780059767.post-87548984871769808822009-11-29T21:25:00.000+00:002009-11-29T22:20:53.422+00:00Winter Arrives at Seafield<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLZEVTTqm4Zr1B9W1R5BycP8xjOv491SNnNp7owBCOQd4gImRCxRlgsqop-xPdtMoE6iqhw28QRfBtrkcc2_LyW7iNCOGdlDJsB_dHTLSZdORNhZUaBWFAUEZOcWs5m50u3xVNjxep0mw/s1600/BlogNov9.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLZEVTTqm4Zr1B9W1R5BycP8xjOv491SNnNp7owBCOQd4gImRCxRlgsqop-xPdtMoE6iqhw28QRfBtrkcc2_LyW7iNCOGdlDJsB_dHTLSZdORNhZUaBWFAUEZOcWs5m50u3xVNjxep0mw/s200/BlogNov9.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409652136034380130" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhet3jr9pBVrn-6xbU8WXb02LAZ7r5LcJBmYABHVYb3gU-gvW6NqQhTLigJZe6hzVxBVCO0MjGglMB38U2NATj4l87FPwypSrwpVNjiASTa9j6q2f1zRtd7zr5wzAORInZsgkOvgDugIW8/s1600/BlogNov8.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhet3jr9pBVrn-6xbU8WXb02LAZ7r5LcJBmYABHVYb3gU-gvW6NqQhTLigJZe6hzVxBVCO0MjGglMB38U2NATj4l87FPwypSrwpVNjiASTa9j6q2f1zRtd7zr5wzAORInZsgkOvgDugIW8/s200/BlogNov8.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409651630570454466" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihcYdiQv92_Q6tgHAvOBTOIZS9LuXRGApRgsBABO4IkUkdlGWM3eZgkGN1-EG3Yuli3dvTqfvsYSj4KzeDnGahehonF1Eh5ejDgsps7iUC236hbvFOq20-pQNsszZoYBckHqD5LTktKnI/s1600/BlogNov7.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihcYdiQv92_Q6tgHAvOBTOIZS9LuXRGApRgsBABO4IkUkdlGWM3eZgkGN1-EG3Yuli3dvTqfvsYSj4KzeDnGahehonF1Eh5ejDgsps7iUC236hbvFOq20-pQNsszZoYBckHqD5LTktKnI/s200/BlogNov7.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409651420168522354" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ7Ufoe3Xs-pIR73iIcOIRcgPxG2Vl77v7E2dreFIupvr4OgSwZ4WIvFPZe9mKHKhUOm-bukj5riEDdznvhOLDJojeKhUasdgvA0m2FAfLUHaFlfVxf5tdNGOyNYlkFugr4xF0uUfToF4/s1600/BlogNov2.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ7Ufoe3Xs-pIR73iIcOIRcgPxG2Vl77v7E2dreFIupvr4OgSwZ4WIvFPZe9mKHKhUOm-bukj5riEDdznvhOLDJojeKhUasdgvA0m2FAfLUHaFlfVxf5tdNGOyNYlkFugr4xF0uUfToF4/s200/BlogNov2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409651145164011922" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfE7TMx5aclZi2l9E4OjVtq6uZ5acWPsjRy72Cz0YZnrEXOLcCho2ymo-4jTqvSI0605qghDPjZkr79ASkphhc5ZFaHafIW_xtR3CUV4Tj9taXx2HbLEBQfbM6-vk1uUC6je4ap_KnfUs/s1600/BlogNov3.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfE7TMx5aclZi2l9E4OjVtq6uZ5acWPsjRy72Cz0YZnrEXOLcCho2ymo-4jTqvSI0605qghDPjZkr79ASkphhc5ZFaHafIW_xtR3CUV4Tj9taXx2HbLEBQfbM6-vk1uUC6je4ap_KnfUs/s200/BlogNov3.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409651022612694594" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhtPFMAe-g3CZBKf1zMOnn0syBvkf2vTpqK9ecF-tsLHrB6IEDDI-AOqXy5QPCPUfK8QCAuxQ6pl8H_61lfLFMQw0hs8i9o5ZhpMUBSiDo4729st7iSZ_xGAmwvcTHYzPTJXSRuQ72iUw/s1600/BlogNov4.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhtPFMAe-g3CZBKf1zMOnn0syBvkf2vTpqK9ecF-tsLHrB6IEDDI-AOqXy5QPCPUfK8QCAuxQ6pl8H_61lfLFMQw0hs8i9o5ZhpMUBSiDo4729st7iSZ_xGAmwvcTHYzPTJXSRuQ72iUw/s200/BlogNov4.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409650882547375970" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTnj7r4fM7IvTETJyn0OOixQmJEIXCEUHK6Ko6Lg0fIeaIANI5YEy9qdTMUOXJ0e7FH9lZZrowjQaN4ed1IanSeUiNR6vjSNbuNu0c3mBVyn8YBjvaT235kbosICAlu-5JGwYV3QFBUcI/s1600/BlogNov5.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTnj7r4fM7IvTETJyn0OOixQmJEIXCEUHK6Ko6Lg0fIeaIANI5YEy9qdTMUOXJ0e7FH9lZZrowjQaN4ed1IanSeUiNR6vjSNbuNu0c3mBVyn8YBjvaT235kbosICAlu-5JGwYV3QFBUcI/s200/BlogNov5.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409650707370260738" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgofaw3bL2KpdySwgwjrREoKEaRMz31KVU20aYAmxAetU7GiMI2XmZ_Ni7Spdri3Ot0db7ONRWfAb4OHXYSoe9rBodfTW6_gAuSYxGhaiTUbE122Ej6Y6b5HdkUaaPwLBT3y_iUi2XL1Jg/s1600/BlogNov6.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgofaw3bL2KpdySwgwjrREoKEaRMz31KVU20aYAmxAetU7GiMI2XmZ_Ni7Spdri3Ot0db7ONRWfAb4OHXYSoe9rBodfTW6_gAuSYxGhaiTUbE122Ej6Y6b5HdkUaaPwLBT3y_iUi2XL1Jg/s200/BlogNov6.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409650502078402450" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjICeL_v9HaFJFUwynaEy1hWUH8puudWAeM-8fPp4w1FiQ0kMAoR5cs21oOsY20TYKCxlw1buBph-pfBxBRmwoxIuuQ4QbxsbbIB2NaqLhM0BX5_E0UOoKRSZyWxJARKQB2ag2HMX2F2vM/s1600/BlogNov.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjICeL_v9HaFJFUwynaEy1hWUH8puudWAeM-8fPp4w1FiQ0kMAoR5cs21oOsY20TYKCxlw1buBph-pfBxBRmwoxIuuQ4QbxsbbIB2NaqLhM0BX5_E0UOoKRSZyWxJARKQB2ag2HMX2F2vM/s200/BlogNov.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409650278663834482" /></a><br />Normally I wouldn't welcome winter but crisp, dry, sunny weather is a joy after what has felt like weeks of rain.<br /><br />Life at Seafield has been busier than usual in October and November with lots of visitors in the cottages and the house. We managed to get away for a week of sunshine in Greece and enjoyed a relaxing time, swimming, walking and eating out every night. There were instructions on cooker cleaning in the villa but all our cooker needed was a light dusting after a week of inactivity. We stayed at Daphnes Villas at Vasilikos on Zakynthos which is a lovely place and very peaceful apart from the Skops owl which hooted incessantly. <br /><br />The beavers continue to chop down trees, build dams and lodges and flood a favourite walk around Loch Coille Bharr. Having seen what two families of three can do, the prospect of a larger population being let loose in Scotland is worrying. One or both of the missing Creag Mhor beavers have been found on private land North of the release site but have managed to evade capture so far.<br /><br />Achnamara had a bonfire and fireworks party. The weather was calm and clear and the fireworks display was excellent, reflected in the calm waters of the loch.<br /><br />Tayvallich held a Christmas Craft Fair so I had a stall with my baskets and caught up with friends from across the other side of Loch Sween. The sunny day provided a good opportunity for a walk around Taynish Nature Reserve. At this time of year with the leaves off the trees you can see so much more and the blanket of green is replaced with fantastic autumn colours.<br /><br />Basketmaking has taken a back seat over the last year but I have been busy this month teaching two courses, one at Kilmartin House Museum and the other at Logie Steadings near Forres. I have been making much more use of my own home grown willow which now provides a good crop of fine weaving rods in a variety of colours. <br /><br />We had a walk to Seals Bay, half a mile down the track at the back of Seafield, just as the sun was setting. A seal obligingly put in an appearance but I wasn't quick enough with the camera to catch the gull silhouetted against the sky or the heron waiting patiently at the edge of the water. The clear sky is great for star gazing but we have not seen the Northern Lights this year which are sometimes a feature in November<br /><br />Photos 1. Taynish Nature Reserve, 2. Daphnes Villa, Vasillikos. 3. Picnic at Stronefield Beach near Achnamara. 4. Beaver Lodge on Dubh Loch. 5. Achnamara Bonfire. 6. A hard working student. 7. Seal at Seals Bay. 8. Sunset on Loch Sween. 9. Autumn Colours on Loch Coille Bharr.seafieldfarmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01923170238077742802noreply@blogger.com0