WINTER. (26/01/14)

Yesterday we went out to catch a sunset. The weather was fine but cool.    Cairn Gorm. The mountain was free of cloud for the first time since I’ve been here.

   Sunset over Loch Morlich. I actually prefer these sunsets to the nuclear explosion sort. It could have done with a touch more colour but the cloud cover increased, this was as good as it got.

I woke in the night and all the stars were shining brightly. I did get up to take a picture of Orion but then remembered both batteries needed charging so I popped them on charge and went back to bed. A couple of hours later I was wide awake again. The van was rocking on it’s springs and sleet was battering us.

As dawn slowly arrived things were if anything worse.  I decided to do my RSPB Bird Count. Easy it was…..there weren’t any.

  The new feeders were devoid of birds and devoid of the apple that sits on top, both apple and water dish have blown away.

I delayed going out for as long as possible but the dogs were nagging and whingeing to go. They promised to be quick so I got rugged up and stepped out into the tempest.

   Impressive was the Loch. I decided to risk life and limb by using a strobe. I’m wary of them getting wet as there is a hell of a capacitor buried inside. I thought it worth the risk so fiddled about in a plastic bag which was doing it’s best to funnel water onto the camera and strobe. I was getting mad and my fingers were frozen. It then blew away so I just got on with the job and flashed at the Loch.

Snowflake doing 100mph.

It was almost worth all the aggravation. I could have got rid of the strobe halo on the sand by moving a bit closer or popping the wide angle diffuser down. I’d chanced my arm enough so thought sod it. I rounded the dogs up and headed back for another breakfast.

Have a good week.