Dreich

Another grey day awaited the Muckle Toon this morning, after breakfast I settled down to enter a week of the E&L into the database followed by putting photographs onto the picture section of the database. This took up most of the morning but I still had time to tidy my shed before lunch, I always find a tidy shed is good for the soul, I always feel good for it. While I had been working on Archive Website Tootlepedal called to see if was up for a stroll after lunch.

I met Toolepedal at the arranged time and we thought a walk up to Holmhead and back by the top track was in order. We hadn't gone far when we stopped to admire local chainsaw sculptor Rob Waite who was busy carving what was to be a fairy on the end of a large tree that had been felled recently due to some disease. Rob kindly paused to chat with us and told us that he intended to carve various birds and animals into the trunk and a small bench that would suit Tootlepedal and I. This ambitious project I can see becoming a bit of a local  attraction and may encourage more people to come and admire his work, he also showed us his various chainsaws and explained their various uses. We left him to get on with his task and we continued on towards Holmhead. Apart from chatting with Rob it was rather an uninteresting walk and there was little to excited about to photograph so I'm afraid it's a rather dull post on the photo front. Hopefully Tootlepedal has fared better click here to see.

Rob at  work on his latest creation, a fairy, all part of a larger scheme.

Rob shows us his tools of his trade.....

.......and explains there uses.

Can't wait to see the finished masterpiece. 

There was still odd patches of snow on Timpen

At first I thought a Woodpecker at been at work on this trunk but on closer inspection it looks like some animal such as a deer has been gnawing to get some sustenance, it also shows that the tree is weeping and suggests that sap is already rising.

An ivy vine getting to grips.

A frogs eye view.

Tootlepedal asked me if I thought it has to wet to be dreich, looking over the valley I would say this is definitely dry and dreich.

The rest of the walk consisted of taking shots of things of some interest.

These snowdrops cheered me up.

We returned to the car and sped off to Wauchope Cottage for  a welcome cup of tea and biscuits. 

PS, Dreich is one of my favourite old Scots words, it means what it suggests, dull, dour, wet, miserable etc!