"Ewe looking at me?"

I decided this morning that rain notwithstanding I would head up to the hills, as I knew that Bruce could have a run around and there were grassy areas for Cara.

It was a good decision as I inhaled lungfuls of cold fresh air and felt myself in the arms of nature! The grass banking in front of the reservoir had not been mown for a while and abounded with wild flowers and tall grasses bending with the wind. In particular I found several purple orchids which I think I have now identified as Marsh Orchids - please correct me if wrong. Seagulls had made a home in the pumping station in the middle of the loch and either wheeled about me enjoying the updrafts provided by the surrounding hills or squawked to their hungry offspring. I was, however, amazed to see how low the water level was considering all the recent rain although, of course, it is certainly higher than it should be in July. As I drove away from the reservoir I also found a bright patch of these - common spotted orchid I think. They were stunning and I had hoped I had stumbled upon a rare beauty .... suffice to say that they were rare and beautiful to me!

I was satisfied that I had a good collection of shots to choose from and then, further down the hill, I came across this recently shorn ewe with her two greedy lambs. The shot was taken from the car window and I didn't have a second chance as the two in the back became very excited and the ewe sensibly turned tail and disappeared, lambs following. It is not the best quality - it was also raining - but I loved the shape of her horns against the skyline and the backview of the two youngsters. I do hope you check out the links to the orchids as they almost made it here!

Once home, a neighbour was shredding a vast amount of large branches and offered me some for my garden. So, a wheelbarrow load of is now adorning my vegetable patch in the hope it might deter slugs!

So far it has been a good day!