Glenny

As I'm very short on work at the moment I find myself with lots of free time for photography (which will hopefully turn into some more income!). So today I decided to take a trip to Harris. Taking a trip out is not something I can do often due to the cost of petrol, but today I just had decided to treat myself to a day out, a picnic, some photography and maybe even a cheeky hot chocolate and cake. I drove down the east coast and back up the west coast. I met this lovely dog in Stockinish, I thought he was coming to see me off, but he'd actually brought a stone for me to throw for him, which I did; after a while he started teasing me - pretending he'd dropped the stone but actually hiding it in his mouth so I'd go and get another. I could happily have played with him for ages but I had to move on for different photographs.

Through the power of social media I later found out he's called Glenny and belongs to a lady called Marion who says I should stop in and say hello next time I'm in the area - I love island life sometimes! She also says Glenny does the stone trick to all unsuspecting strangers ;)

Later in the day I got chatting to an elderly gentleman in Geocrab, who saw me taking photos and came out of his house to say hello. He invited me in and showed me his beautiful house and gave me a drink. His house is at the (very remote) village road end, he's the only member of his family left on the island and most of the other houses in the village are holiday lets or abandoned. He told me about growing up in the village and the local school (now derelict) and he spoke about how different village life was back then. He seemed lonely but, in a way, quite content and determined to stay in his family home, which he's been in since he was born. I didn't stop long but I'm glad I did stop a while and take time out to talk to him; it must be tough living out there, more so when you have no family. I was just annoyed that the camera was in the car when he invited me in, so I didn't take it in and ask him for a photograph.

Then I popped into the Skoon Art Cafe for a hot chocolate and a slice of ginger and marmalade cake with clotted cream; delicious! The art was lovely too, but just a little bit out of my price range; maybe one day!

On the way home I stopped to watch what I thought was a pair of golden eagles hunting high above a ridge. On returning home I loaded the photographs and zoomed in (poor quality - must get a new zoom lens!) and now think they were buzzards. They look big enough to be golden eagles and have the same shape tail, but the underneath of the wings look just like a buzzard. Seven years up here and I've still not photographed an eagle!

So all in all a lovely day out, some nice photographs and a reminder of many of the good bits of living where I do.