When Evening Falls

Photos taken yesterday evening at Forfar Loch with my spanking new camera. A birthday treat to myself.

For more My World posts click here

The Wind That Shakes The Barley

A favourite spot of mine, a lay by on the old Fofar to Brechin road, just past Aberlemno. On a clear day you can see for miles and miles over the rolling Angus countryside.

As you can see, it wasn't the clearest day yesterday, but it was still bonny. Most of the barley has been harvested in the area, but this farmer was probably caught out by last week's heavy rains.

The following poem was written from the perpesctive of a young Irish rebel whose love was shot by the Brits during the 1798 Irish rebellion and gave it's title to the Ken Loach film.

The Wind That Shakes The Barley

I sat within a valley green
I sat me with my true love
My sad heart strove to choose between
The old love and the new love
The old for her, the new that made
Me think on Ireland dearly
While soft the wind blew down the glade
And shook the golden barley

Twas hard the woeful words to frame
To break the ties that bound us
But harder still to bear the shame
Of foreign chains around us
And so I said, "The mountain glen
I'll seek at morning early
And join the bold United Men
While soft winds shake the barley"

While sad I kissed away her tears
My fond arms 'round her flinging
The foeman's shot burst on our ears
From out the wildwood ringing
A bullet pierced my true love's side
In life's young spring so early
And on my breast in blood she died
While soft winds shook the barley

I bore her to some mountain stream
And many's the summer blossom
I placed with branches soft and green
About her gore-stained bosom
I wept and kissed her clay-cold corpse
Then rushed o'er vale and valley
My vengeance on the foe to wreak
While soft winds shook the barley

But blood for blood without remorse
I've taken at Oulart Hollow
And laid my true love's clay-cold corpse
Where I full soon may follow
As 'round her grave I wander drear
Noon, night and morning early
With breaking heart when e'er I hear
The wind that shakes the barley.

Robert Dwyer Joyce 1836-1883

For more Scenic Sunday posts click here

Lunan Bay, Tornados and Cookie Monsters

Is it a bird, is it a plane..... yes it's a Tornado fighter which I've no idea how I managed to catch....pure luck!
All these pics were taken within about 20 minutes of each other at Lunan Bay. A demonstration of just how varied the skies are at the moment. I literally did a 360 degree turn and snapped away and the difference in the skies was remarkable.
The Bay lies about half way between Arbroath and Montrose and is easily accessible by road.

Let's just get the obligatory dog shit bin out of the way first of all....... Not quite as scenic as the last one, but not too bad I think you'll agree...... as dog shit bins go.

This was facing due north..... what do you see there?....... cookie monster perhaps?

North west.......

West towards Montrose.......

East towards Arbroath......

Due South......

South west......

Same again, but panned out.

Lunan Bay is a popular haunt with Angus folk. Dog walkers paradise and a great spot for a picnic in the summer. It's even possible to swim here, the waters clear and pretty healthy.

Can be dangerous though, a kayaker drowned here a few weeks back. A friend of mine witnessed it. But all in all a beautiful part of the north east coast.

For more Skywatch Friday posts click here

Skiving again

For those of you whose curiosity could not be satiated......... if any!
Notice the open gate?...... that's where I sneak out.
The bins make a nice addition to the overall ambience. The sky didn't play ball today.

Harvest

Took these pics on the way home from work today. I rounded a bend and saw this combine harvester sitting unattended in the field and it just screamed ....'Take a pic'..... so I did. I get really paranoid about standing in the middle of nowhere taking pics of apparently nothing. I'm always aware of what the people in passing cars must be thinking......like 'dick'. So I hope you appreciate the emotional angst that I go through to bring you these 'Visions of Angus'.

Don't know where the driver was..... having his tea mebbe?..... sleeping in the cab?

At least he wasn't around to say....'Hey dick, why you takings pictures of me?'.

It's not unknown in this area for Government 'snoops' to stand by the side of fields and take pictures of 'illegal' workers. So you understand my concern!

Anyhow...... here's a little piece of genius which ties in nicely with my poor efforts at capturing 'Harvest'.

Enjoy.

For more poor efforts click here

Arbroath Cliff Jumping

Do you think they read the sign?
Twenty years ago I might have considered this. The quality isn't brilliant and the music's even worse, but you have to hand it to them..... Nutters!

For more Scenic Sunday posts click here

Skiving

This is the view I get from my 'skiving' corner of my work. I'm not there very often you understand. It's kinda like the back door to my office. I go here to'escape'. But I love the red of the wall, the blue and silver of the sign and the sky above. Every day it's different......this was today.

Make of the sign what you will.....

for more Skywatch Friday posts click here