My Sunday Photo... Dancing Daffodils and Busy Bee

Hello Everyone,

I'm rather late posting My Sunday Photo today... but better late than ever.

In this part of Bonnie Scotland spring has finally arrived.

The temperatures, whilst not exactly sweltering have risen which has made everything pop.

The bees have started to buzz in their busy sortie from flower to flower.

The tree buds are just about to burst into leaf.

My magnolia is showing promising signs of actually flowering this time and I've actually given the lawn it's first cut!

So all is good in the garden.

Here's my appreciation of the daffodil.

Happy Earth Day to you and thanks for popping by.
I hope to see you again soon.

I'm linking up with My Sunday Photo over at Photalife

My Sunday Photo... Breakfast Alfresco

It appears that spring has finally come out of hiding.

Who would have guessed that we could have our Sunday breakfast alfresco.

It's been such a long time since we could do this and it's been greatly missed.

The trouble is that once breakfast is over there are so many jobs to catch up on... so it'll be a busy day.

I'll be linking up (rather later than usual) with My Sunday Photo.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope to see you again soon.

Enjoy your Sunday

My Sunday Photo... Sparrowhawk

We have had an amazing amount and variety of wildlife visiting us during this past week, as this wintery blast clings unrelentingly. 

Day four of an Arctic wind whips through like a freight train.

The bird feeders and bird bath need daily attention and are definitely saving little feathered lives.

But with all of this activity there's a witness who is also hungry!

The Sparrowhawk

 He usually is extremely swift, swooping in on his unexpected prey... with amazing aerobic flight stunts.

Sometimes, all you see is a quick flash of grey as he zooms past on his mission... gliding just a few feet off the ground. 

The silent killer.

He's always aware of any movement especially when I grab my camera. 

Those piercing eyes miss nothing!

I desperately wanted him to turn around to show his plumage, but he just wasn't wanting to play. 

He had other more pressing things on his mind.

Thankfully, I haven't actually witnessed a kill... only the debris of scattered feathers.

I know he will be a regular visitor with such an amount of prey located in one area.

Nope still not turning around. 

He's like an owl with his swivelling head turning at least 110 degrees.

It's so unusual to have him stay for more than a few minutes.... but then off he goes towards the woods, in pursuit of more prey. 

Hopefully he'll be successful there.

... and for anyone who isn't in to birds or needing a boost of colour...

Here's some very brave crocus.

I'm off to join in My Sunday Photo linkup with Photalife.

Have a great Sunday and stay cosy if the Mini beast from the east has returned to your place.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope to see you again soon.

My Sunday Photo... Beautiful Blooms

If you're feeling like me then you'll probably be missing flowers and desperate for Spring to arrive. 

In the meantime whilst we wait... here's a beautiful bouquet that I received last week.

It's a quick post today because I'm trying desperately to revive my mobile phone, after it decided to make a spectacular dive into the toilet! 

After a night in a bed of rice everything appears to be working okay, except the touch screen, so I'm unable to use the password to open it 😞

I'm liking up with My Sunday Photo once again.

Have fun and enjoy your Sunday.

Thanks for visiting and I hope to see you again soon.

My Sunday Photo...Happy Mother's Day

How to make someone feel special...send them flowers 💖

As usual I shall be linking up with My Sunday Photo

I hope you are having a wonderful weekend with lots of smiles along the way.

Happy Mother's Day to all the Mum's past, present and future. 
Thanks for visiting my place and I hope to see you again soon.

My Sunday Photo... Flowers

Sometimes the simplest things can make me smile.

As usual I shall be linking up with Photalife 

I hope you are having a wonderful weekend with lots of smiles along the way.
Thanks for visiting my place and I hope to see you again soon.

Flowering Gorse

Whilst out walking this morning, I took a few photos that indicates that spring truly has arrived.

It was difficult to choose which photos to pick for My Sunday Photo.

I decided the Gorse flowers, these yellow beauties are bursting into life along the country lanes. 

I hope you like them.

For overseas visitors Gorse is a large, evergreen shrub covered in needle-like leaves and distinctive, coconut-perfumed, yellow flowers during the spring and summer.

As usual I shall be linking up with Photalife 
Image-in-ing.blogspot.co.uk 
and 
Mersad Through My Lens
visit today and I hope to see you again soon.

Have a wonderful week.

My Sunday Photo... Lovin' the Lavender

In my Friday post I featured the Agapanthus, so to keep the balance I need to mention the lavender plants that share the same border. 

When we last lived here, there were lots of lavender plants in this particular border, but they had become woody, so I decided to plant new ones to replace them. 

I must have planted over 25 new plants, which as you can see has thrilled not only me, but also the visiting bees. 

My hubby (a potential future bee keeper) has been keeping a close eye and counting them after hearing the buzzing whilst gardening. 

(I know... but he's newly retired so there's time for such activities... at least he hasn't created a spreadsheet... well not yet as far as I know).

The highest number he has counted so far, at one particular count reached 16!

I'm happy that the bees are happy... plus the wonderful lavender aroma if you happen to touch them as you walk past, is enough to knock your socks off!

As usual I'm linking up with Photalife

and Mersad over at Through My Lens

I'd just like to take a moment to thank everyone who takes the time to visit my place, especially if you leave a comment. 

I really appreciate it. 

I hope you have a wonderful weekend... whether you are busy as a bee or lounging among the lavender.

Enjoy

Agapanthus... PPF and Sunday Sketches

I'm happy to report that we had summer come calling this week...well for three days!

It was beautiful to feel the sun's warmth at last.

Oh my, I've missed it so much... anyway here we are, Friday already.

It's been a mixed bag this week of lounging in the sun to make the most of it, visiting castles, balancing up ladders to clean windows and pulling various plants out of guttering which seems to have grown like a triffid. 

But I did manage to do some of my art project and a quick painting of the beautiful Agapanthus that we have growing in our garden.

I think I'm quite besotted with their colour and I'm also so surprised that I've actually got them growing here in Aberdeenshire! 

I used to have them in my Melbourne garden, but didn't for one minute imagine that they'd grow here.

As you can see it's unfinished work once again.

I've slightly lost the plot here peeps, because hubby has just walked in after shopping and produced art supplies for me! 

Brushes, canvases and 34 piece Acrylic paint set.

No, it's not Christmas because I checked... nor my birthday... so do you think he's possibly guilty of something?

 I'm not sure of the quality of the supplies until I have a closer look, but hey I was taught never look a gift horse in the mouth!

(I have no idea where or what that saying means, but you'll get the gist)

So I'm away to play.

Have a wonderful weekend.

It's time to join the Paint Party link up where Kristin and Eva host lots of talented artists to come together to share their work and inspiration.
I'm also linking up for week 4 (can you believe it) of Alexandra's Sunday Sketches from the UK.

Have fun and thanks for visiting my place.

Iris... PPF

There's nothing better than rising to bright sunlight and finding a beautiful surprise waiting to bring pleasure to your day. 

That is just what happened yesterday. 

This gorgeous Iris certainly brought a smile to my face, even though it was rather early in the morning and my eyes had hardly opened properly. 

The word iris stands for 'rainbow' in Greek. 

This is quite relevant to reality, since you can find irises in every colour of the rainbow... and there are over 200 iris species.

So for this weeks link to PPF how could I resist painting this beauty. 

I was stunned that the bulbs that I'd planted back in the autumn had actually survived and popped up.

I'd forgotten all about them.

I could never do such a brilliant job as Mother Nature had, but I could have fun trying.

I didn't have much spare time (what's new) so I just jumped right in. 

Initially, I used an Inktense watercolour pencil to make an outline draft.

(see I'm trying really hard to leave pencil marks out of my work) 

Then I used my Japanese watercolour paints.

Although I would have liked more time to paint, I did enjoy myself but I should have used better quality paper... it was initially only going to be a quick painting.

I always regret using the wrong paper once I start. 

Does that happen to you too?

But what's not to enjoy hiding away in the studio for a few hours. 

I'm thinking that I might like to revisit this idea again at a later date. 

Next time I'd use good quality paper or perhaps even a canvas.

 

I decided to use the blue and white liner ink pens to finish off. 

It's a little late for taking photos now, even though it stays light here at the moment until after 11pm.

The final photo doesn't really look like the original... but such is life.

I also couldn't help myself... I had to pick a wee bunch to come into the house. 

I think the iris might well be one of my favourite flowers, but then as each new plant bursts into bloom that too becomes my favourite! 

I hope you have a bloomin' great weekend. (sorry I just couldn't resist!)

Happy Paint Party Friday.

My Sunday Photo... Tulip

Now how is that for a wonderful blast of spring?

I think that this particular tulip looks like it's been painted by an artist.

The splashes and sweeps of red coming from the artist flamboyant brush strokes.

I finally have been able to spend some time in the garden today and it was fantastic to feel the warmth of the spring sun and to see beautiful blooms putting on a show. 

As usual I'm linking up with My Sunday Photo
with Mersad over at Through my lens,
I heart Macro and Wordless (on Tuesday at image-in-ing)

Click, Click, Blooms

Well another week has started and I just can't believe that I actually missed Monday!

What's going on? 

I'm still getting to know my new camera and here's one shot that I managed, although I'm still a little disappointed that I had to take it through the window. 

As you can see... she knows I'm there but tolerating me.

It must be tasty pickings.

I'm hoping that over the summer months... she'll stay and allow me to take a photo from outside.

Here's a few more colourful shots to help brighten the day.

Even though we've had misty foggy days the signs are there that we have in fact entered Spring.

We just need the temperature to catch up too.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by.

Today, I'm linking with Mersad over at Through my lens.

and Our World Tuesday

If you'd like to see more photographers work, then click on the link above.

Floral Good Friday... PPF

I'm going to keep today's post to the minimum because it is the long Easter weekend and the weather for today at last is fantastic.
I want to enjoy it because there's talk that rain is on the way tomorrow.

I thought I'd show you the finished 'Hello Spring' that I started last week.

I was inspired by watching the tutorial from Carrie's Misfit Artist blog.

Here's the link if you'd like to see more... click here

Plus I wanted to practice some lettering too. I did think I might have managed to paint an Happy Easter scene, but I went outdoors yesterday and cut the lawn instead. 

The garden is just waking up, so it'll be all go soon.

I really enjoyed painting these flowers and at some point that I'm not sure when, I took a different route and let my brush do as it pleased. 

It's always a little scary going off-piste, but then exciting things can happen. 

I'm pleased with the end result.

Keeping to the spring theme, I thought I'd take you on a little walk before you go.
Not quite an Easter egg hunt... that'll come on Sunday.

Here's Muffin enjoying the new smells of spring and taking an absolute age to walk 20 paw paces.
Stop and sniff on a whole new level.

But if there's sun anywhere... you can be sure she'll find it!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone.
Happy Easter to all that celebrate.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope to see you again soon.

As usual I'm joining in with the Paint Party Friday link.

Click above on the PPF link if you'd like to see more art. 

Thanks Eva and Kristin for hosting once again.
I'm also joining in with Alexandra's Sunday Sketches
For the first time I'm joining two new links... Try It On Tuesday with the theme of Nature
and lastly, the theme over at Moo Mania is spring.