Another cow

I didn't really expect to get any good pics today as I was just sorting possible pictures for a couple of tourism websites. But I had my wee camera handy and couldn't resist this shot.

This cow is fast learning to tolerate photographers. She was put in this (fairly public) field last week and was quite shy of the camera. Since then there's been a few folk staying in caravans nearby and she's developing into a nice little poser! I know what shots I want to get now for the publicity pics so, weather and cow permitting, I'll return tomorrow with the 'big' camera.
SJE©2005

Rhododendrons

Having been out photographing Highland cattle on two crofts, I spotted this view of rhododendrons as I was getting out of the car on our driveway.
SJE©2005

Highland Cattle

I did a photoshoot with some Highland cattle the other day for an advert. Tonight I had a play around with one of the unused images and came up with this effect which I rather like.

For the technically minded I used Photoshop and created a copy of the background as a layer. I removed the colour from this layer, then applied a Gaussian blur. Mixed the two layers using 100% of the coloured background and about 30% of the blurred monochrome layer. Merged the layers and finally increased the colour saturation by about 25%.

Forgot to mention - the beast on the left is a bull.
SJE©2005

Pink Shop, Benderloch

"The Pink Shop" - Munros of Benderloch. As requested by correspondents! Picture taken 26 May 05.
SJE©2005

Made a new poster to advertise the postcards - it sits on top of the card display.
SJE©2005

Campbell's Shop, Benderloch

Last year Campbell, who owns the village shop, had it painted in rather bright colours Yesterday two American visitors came into the shop because they'd been told that while they were in Scotland "You must visit the Pink Shop!" So now you know.
This is a photo of a painting by local artist Gloria Young, which I purchased recently. I am particularly amused by what she's done with the petrol pumps.
SJE©2005

I took delivery of the latest batch of postcards from the printers. So, this is what 5000 postcards look like in piles of 100. These cards sell exclusively through the village shop, Munros, and a couple of thousand went down there to supplement their current stock. If you want to preview the cards have a look at the Slide Show on Benderloch.com.(PS They weigh an awful lot too, so my admiration goes to the delivery driver who carried them all in for me.)
SJE©2005

Tuesday evening. It had been a cool, mainly cloudy day and I had to go to the Patients' committee AGM at our local surgery in the evening. When we came out of the meeting around 9pm there was this terrific sunset. This view of Connel Bridge, with the orb of the sun just under the roadway, is from the rear of the surgery car park. I took several more pictures, but I think this is the best.
SJE©2005

Since I had to cross the Connel Bridge to get home I parked at the south end and took this view. The scene is of the entrance to Loch Etive (which the bridge spans) in the foreground, and over Ardmucknish Bay toward the Morvern Hills. (About 9.15pm.)
SJE©2005

Another picture taken standing on the Connel Bridge. The distant hills are on the Isle of Mull. This silhouette of the hills is known locally as 'The Old Man of Mull'.
SJE©2005

This shows that trips out carrying a camera are usually rewarded! I'd popped down to Tralee to visit a friend, but they were out so I took a stroll in the nearby bluebell wood and got this pleasing shot of doggie on the path.
© SJE

Saturday evening about 10.30pm.
Fascinating clouds just as its going dark.
Pictures taken from our front doorstep.
The orange colour is from a streetlight
at the end of our drive.
© SJE

St Modans centenary. The children from the three
local primary schools came to the church
yesterday, heard a talk from the Minister, used a
worksheet about the Church and finally left their
handprints and names on this large sheet which is
now hanging in the Church.
© SJE

The Flower Festival - part of St Modan's centenary celebrations.
© SJE

Flower Festival - design by the 'Wednesday Craft Group'.
© SJE

St Modan's Centenary - Saturday. Nice, sunny and warm today. The banner on the church looks good. Flower Festival has been set up inside. May add more pix later, which means they'll appear above this one!
Full details of the events for the next few days here.
[C] SJE

This is at St. Modans centenary - the local schoolchildren's
handprints.
[C] SJE

Red Tulip in May.
[C] SJE

Sunshine on apple blossom in our garden today. The image was put through Photoshop to produce the distracting, cracked look on the foliage. Not a serious attempt at art; more a playing around before I do proper serious things!
[C] SJE

A busy week for the village church - its the Centenary this next weekend with special services, an exhibition of photos from over the century and a flower festival. See Benderloch website for more details.
[C] SJE

Well, last week was pleasantly warm, but today we awoke to snow on the mountains. Got this shot late in the day. Its Ben Cruachan, about 8 miles from here (through a big telephoto lens). I had hoped to get a picture from the woods showing bluebells and snow in the same picture, but the cloud wasn't playing fair!
[C] SJE

Lots of violets on carpeting the wood. (At least I asume its a violet - the book says the petals should have smooth edges). Comments welcome.
[C] SJE

I had to lower the window blind in my study as the sun was getting low in the sky when I realised it was raining. A quick trip to the front door with camera and there was the rainbow. Camera in position - press shutter release - no card in camera - back to study - rain is stopping - card into camera just in time to get this shot over the forest.
[C] SJE

Picture taken today for comparison with the same scene at this time last year. Its now over a year since woodland was cleared here to make the road north wider. Comparing the two pictures suggests that bluebells don't thrive too well after the woodland has been cleared.
[C] SJE

Bluebells north of Benderloch. This was the view in May 04, the first flowering season after trees had been removed as part of the main road widening. Compare with the picture above.
[C] SJE

Bluebells by the roadside north of Benderloch. Taken in May 2004.
[C] SJE

Got my postings in the wrong order! This picture was taken about 30 minutes after the one below, so the story is there!
[C] SJE

Had a meal out on Thursday night for a birthday celebration. Went to the Oyster Inn at Connel where you usually get a grand view over the sea to the west (Isle of Mull and Morvern Hills).There was a heavy shower just as we arrived but the sun peeked through the cracks in the clouds. This was the view from our table, through the window over the terrace and road. Do have a look at the Oyster Inn website - its rather jolly! (It should open in a new window, so you won't lose your place here.)
[C] SJE

Common Seal at the Sea Life Sanctuary which we visited on Thursday.I've now realised some discipline is required when posting these pictures simply because the latest post appears above the others. So if I have a series of pix to post as a 'story' I need to send the first picture last or the sequence runs backwards as has happened below with the other Sea Life pictures. Sorry about that. I've added links to the Sea Life website where appropriate in the text.
[C] SJE

No, its not a stone with some weed on top! Its a seal 'standing up' in the water, nose at the top and eyes on the right looking up.
[C] SJE

A small spiny creature of the deep.
[C] SJE

I think this is a small member of the shark family.
[C] SJE

The Sealife Sanctuary at Barcaldine has a seahorse breeding programme and I think this tiny creature is their first success. Taken with a handheld digital camera in low light with the camera just in gront of the tank. No flash, obviously! (Better pictures on the Sealife website here)
[C] SJE

The view over Loch Creran from inside the Sea Life Sanctuary grounds at Barcaldine. (see below).A pleasantly warm May afternoon with an occasional shower.
[C] SJE

A Common seal posing at the Sea life Sanctuary.
[C] SJE

Its a birthday day today - 05.05.05 - so we visited the Sea Life Sanctuary up the road at Barcaldine. Got one or two nice pix. This is the main entrance.
[C] SJE

This was taken from the shore of Loch Creran, a couple of miles north of home. Its about 9pm on 3rd of May and after a warm day there's a cool north-west wind tonight.
[C] SJE

I made some minor mods to the layout.