ABOUT ME

I live in a camper van with a West Highland Terrier for company.
My passion is creating images but it is a work in progress.
I am always willing to share what knowledge I have and can be contacted through the comments on this post or e-mail ADRIAN
ALL IMAGES WILL ENLARGE WITH A LEFT CLICK

Wednesday, 20 August 2014

FEELS LIKE WINTER. (20/08/14)

I took the dogs out this morning and it was very cool. It is still windy and showery but just before lunchtime it brightened up. So I decided to go and get a postcard shot of Ullapool.

It’s not been a good day. I went to order the dog food from the nice lady in the pet shop and it has closed down. I have found another dog food shop on an industrial estate just north of Inverness so I’ll call there tomorrow. It sounds like a load of hassle when supermarkets sell dog food and bird food but if you buy in quantities of 15kg or over then there is no VAT. It’s classed as animal food and not pet food. It’s a great pity that there is not a similar arrangement for tobacco and beer. Tobacco wouldn’t be a problem as it is compact but I’m sure I could buy 20 litres of beer and just tick it off as I consumed or collected it. That would be an election winner for somebody. It would also create a few jobs keeping track of how many pints folk had left.

Yesterday I had a quick look at mobile phones whilst in Tesco. By hell they are a rare price and they don’t even have buttons. They do have the £10.00p ones but they only last a few months. I am back to using a solid metal and heavy plastic cased Nokia. I stopped using it a couple of years ago as the battery is knackered. It is a grand phone but not really mobile as I have to leave it plugged in and I have to have the gen set running if I can’t plug in to shore power. I did have a charger that worked in the cigarette lighter but Alf chewed the wire up when he was a puppy. I have been on-line and ordered a replacement battery for it. Brilliant is T’internet, I have one arriving for £12.00p; phone annoyance solved. Last time I asked in the T-Mobile shop they wanted £40.00p or thereabouts for a battery. Worse than Canon for battery rip offs they are.

Here is the postcard from Ullapool.

ullapool    I caught it in a rare dry moment and didn’t get wet.

Tomorrow I’m going back to sunny Loch Ness. I haven’t got any fresh prawns for my tea but have got some lambs liver so that’s alright.  I’ll do some egg fried rice with it. I’ll try again for prawns before I leave tomorrow.

Have fun.

20 comments:

  1. Oh maybe I'm crazy but I love this winter mood!

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  2. Laura, I'm looking forward to fungi in the autumn. I did find a few puff balls the other day. They made a good omelette with a slice or two of bacon. Bacon is like thick cut prosciutto.

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  3. As much as I love my smartphone I do miss the battery life of my old Nokia plus it's very distracting too.
    Glad I am not the only one who buys dog food in bulk, my hounds like a brand called Dr.Johns good quality complete feed.

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    1. Douglas, I will try a new battery before I get something I will barely use. I haven't' tried Dr Johns. Wonder Dog they like and it is oily. It is also difficult to find whereas Skinners is everywhere.

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  4. Love the postcard shot. Taxes are a bit crazy here too, and encourage one to buy in bulk to save the tax. One donut is taxed as a treat, but six aren't, what am I supposed to eat six or maybe share? Hope the dogs get their food and you get a good price.

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    1. Gillian, the price will be under £20.00p a sack and a sack lasts them about six weeks, a week longer in warm weather. They are not expensive to feed.

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  5. I'm glad I don't need to eat your dinner! On the other hand, I would quite like to be in Ullapool. The wind knows how to blow there. And gulls know how to pester. But there's something about it . . . Not so struck on Loch Ness. Sure you don't want to stay in Ullapool longer? Do you ever eat out? Once went to the Essence of India in Ullapool. Thought the food was great. Have just looked. The reviews don't look too good. Maybe it's gone down hill. Or maybe it was because it was cold I liked the food so much. Or maybe the reviewers are wrong.

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    1. Lucy, I only stop in Ullapool for the shops and to break the journey. I much prefer the south side of Loch Ness.
      I very rarely eat out, once so far this year. I am usually on my own and eating out alone always seems a bit pointless.

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  6. Something weird about your postcard! The Scotch flag is waving in the wind but the other flags are still. They must be made from hard plastic or something. I went to Ullapool in 1962. There were all these dinner plate sized dark amber coloured jelly fish on the beach. Are they still there? I also remember going to the botanical gardens at Inverewe. Some amazing plants there... "It's The Gulf Stream y'ken".

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    1. YP, You spotted it. It's been on the Scotch. There haven't been many jellyfish around this summer.
      I spent a couple of weeks in Poolewe last summer but didn't go in the gardens as dogs aren't allowed.
      I'll get on to Adobe, moving bits in stills is getting annoying.

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  7. Not only do you have great ideas for photos and use of various photographic equipment, you have great ideas for buying beer in bulk. You get my vote.

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    1. Red, I have to do something to pass a wet afternoon.
      I don't think tax free anything is going to happen in my life time. It's a great shame.

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  8. My eldest son has a thing about mobiles and their price. He uses an ancient Nokia. He even took the car phone warehouse to task about their misleading adverts, and they had to,change them.

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    1. Frances, I have a TOM TOM and I have cameras, why do I need a smart phone? I use phones for talking on and texting if I'm communicating with folk that can read. I do not want to be paying for bandwidth for daft Apps and things. If the new battery is any good I will send you a link so he can get one. My Nokia is spot on and it's eight years old. It's just the battery that has given up the Ghost.

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  9. Hope you get your prawns:) Now that would have gone well with egg and fried rice!

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    1. Chris, I always associate cool weather with prawns but there are none been landed. Not to worry. They will come back and will be appreciated all the more.

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  10. When I was stuck in Ullapool last Friday from 2100hrs to 0100hrs on Saturday I could have done better than that though I couldn't have got the Saltire waving so you are well up on the plus side.

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    1. I did try for video of the Isle of Lewis docking but having been on CalMac's site, still couldn't get within an hour of her arrival time. God only knows how you plan a trip.
      It's a fiasco but the lorry ferry seems to run on time. They surely must have realised when they ordered a new ship it has to fit the docks. I was in a pub in Ullapool a year ago. It's a good pub up near the filling station. They were all discussing the Kraut built ferry. I went up the night before last and the topic was the same.
      No wonder the Loch Lewis isn't here all the bloody Germans are. Makes you wonder who CalMac thought was going to build it when the buggers are over here on holiday. Should have given the job to Ferguson. They built this one. This one has been crap but alright apart from it breaking down now and again.
      I just love Highlanders.

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  11. You've certainly got to dig about for supplies up there.

    It's nice to move on with technology at a pace that you feel comfortable with, I'm happy with some areas but not others. I'm waiting for a phone or a watch to come out that will make me a cup of tea !

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    1. Jay, I've had a couple of phones get hot enough to roast my nuts.

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