Star Of The Sea

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Nature, Photography

Escape Plan

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Nature, Photography

Grace and Power

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Nature, Photography

 

Metamorphosis

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Nature, Photography

These tadpoles weren’t in a the quiet shallows of a river or in a pond or even in a loch, no these tadpoles had started their journey of transformation in a puddle on a track.  We think they got there having overflowed from a culvert, we wondered if they would make their full metamorphosis before being eaten up as easy pickings – although they did seem to have mastered the art of burying themselves in the mud – or the puddle dried up.  Would they ever know what it is to be a frog or toad?  Would they ever know what is was to be in more than an inch of water?  Would they ever develop legs and lose their gills?  For us the sun was glorious for them it would, should it, continue dry up the water they needed.

Do you ever look back on your life and wonder just how you ended up where you are now?

Do you ever wonder if your metamorphosis is complete or still on going?

Do you ever wonder where you might be journeying to and if you will ever make it?

The Parable of the Shore Crab

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Ecclesiastes, Nature, Photography, Religious Thoughts

So I commend enjoyment, for there is nothing better for people under the sun than to eat, and drink, and enjoy themselves, for this will go with them in their toil through the days of life that God gives them under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 8.15

We are still in the 50 day celebration of Easter, celebrating the new life in the risen Christ, a new life that brings hope for the here and now and hope for the future.  A new life that says grab life with both hands for there is nothing to fear, a time to eat, drink for tomorrow we don’t die, or rather the death of this earthly frame is not the end as we once might have thought.  There are those who are sincere committed Christians who believe that as a follower of Christ life should be sombre and frugal I understand where they are coming from but it wont surprise you to hear that I don’t agree with their interpretations.

This little fella was also on the boat with the Scorpion Fish I told you of yesterday, he came up in one of the creels falling onto the floor of the boat and scurrying away to hide under the manmade rock of an old bit of scaffolding.

The Parable of the Shore Crab

Consider the shore crab, it lands on a strange land but neither worries or panics.  Instead it finds for itself sanctuary and bounty beyond measure to feast upon.  It does not through suspicion reject the bounty that is laid out in full sight but eats of its fill, both seeking and finding contentment.

Consider the shore crab, feasting one moment and the next scooped up and set as bait for Brown Crabs.

I don’t believe Christ wants us to be somber dour Christians after all time and time again we hear of him eating and drinking, okay he doesn’t do it all the time but he certainly does it.  I don’t believe he wants us to be forever looking over our shoulders wondering suspiciously how and why something good has happened, for he came to bring us life in all its fullness.  And I don’t believe that Christ wants us to miserable, for if that was the case surely he wouldn’t have made people’s lives better by healing the lame and the deaf and the blind, not casting the stone, comforting the bereaved, welcoming the outcast and … well you get the picture.

I do believe that our lives can be bait for others, attractive examples of what life can be.  Of the contentment and fulfillment that life can offer knowing God will provide.  Knowing that there are places of safety when things seem a bit strange.  Set free from anxiety knowing that the future has already been taken care of by a cross and an empty grave.  I believe that to be a Christian doesn’t mean no more eating, drinking no more being merry, but rather no more worry surely that is enough to put a smile on anyones face!

Shoes To Die For

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Nature, Photography

Well not quite, let me explain.

While on holiday it was our anniversary and we went on a boat trip, not some romantic gondola ride or luxury evening meal on a starlight cruise, no this was a working fishing boat, shellfish to be exact, spoilt rotten aren’t I?

As the creels were lifted from the mud at the bottom of Loch Gair the hope was that they would contain langoustines, brown or velvet crabs and maybe squat lobsters, these are all saleable and the reason Ian and others like him work so hard in all weathers.  Of course other things also work themselves into the creels; starfish in various varieties which are prolific but have no commercial value at all; small shore crabs which don’t grow big enough to have any eating on them; flat fish and bottom feeders, hermit crabs and rare shellfish which aren’t for eating like the pelicanfoot.  The little shellfish get thrown back along with the edible crabs and langousitines which are too small or with eggs, other stuff gets used for baiting the creels up again but you can read about all that over at this post on Hubby’s blog, what I want to talk about is shoes!

Now he looks like a cute little creature doesn’t he?  He is a scorpion fish and I for one was surprised to see him as I thought they prefered warmer climes, but it would appear I was wrong.  This is a little baby Loch Gair has bigger examples they just can’t get into the creels, which was were he ended up.  Unlike other fish that makes its way into the creels however, this fella gets another chance at life, for his dorsal fin which is laying flat in this picture has sharp needles which inject vemon into anyone or fish which might come in contact with them.  If you or I were to stand on one of these fish we would have a severe allergic reaction causing swelling and pain – though probably not death hence the not quiet reference above to the title of this post – maybe cute was the wrong adjective to use for him.

Wester Ross is beautiful but also unforgiving the people who have lived there through the centuries have learnt the value in all things.  Scorpion fish are bottom feeders and like most bottom feeders have thick skin, another bottom feeder common in those waters is the dogfish – part of the shark family – whose skin is so thick and rough that in earlier years it was used as sandpaper.  The scorpion fish carcass will make a good fish stew but its skin, unlike that of a dogfish, had of no commercial value, however when the skin was dried it became like leather so was used to make shoes for the children of the fishermen who otherwise would have probably gone totally without shoes.

So shoes to die for, not quite, but maybe he really is a cute fella after all.

Hiding Place

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Nature, Photography

Curious

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Nature

It flew low and fast right in front of where we were walking – at the time we were heading over some peat moors up in Sutherland – I struggled to follow it and then after it landed it took my eyes a while to adjust and see it camouflaged as it was in the rough undergrowth.  Really I was too far away and usually I would immediately dump photographs of this quality but my curiosity has the better of me and I wonder if there is anyone out there that can help me in identifying just what it was that I saw.

There are three very poor photographs taken on full optical zoom and then further blown up once I had them on here.  One photograph appears to have two youngsters in, but what species?  The other two are of two separate birds but which of them is the parent or are they both?   What exactly is going on?  I have my theories but they are no more than that so any light anyone can shed would be most welcomed.

Fish For Tea

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Nature, Photography

Who Are Ewe Looking At?

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Nature, Photography

Birdie Dance

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Nature, Photography, UK

We’ve been on holiday in case you didn’t know.  Well that isn’t quite right because I am still on holiday while Hubby has popped back off to work today and in his rush to get to work he managed to take all my photographs with him as well.  So having only just got my hands on them for now I will leave you with two of our close neighbours during our break.

The goose and the jackdaw, both of which we say plenty of regardless of where we travelled.

Time to Sit and Watch

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Nature

There is something wonderful about going on holiday to somewhere familiar, that is almost like a second home.  Everything just slows down and there is no guilt about wasting spending countless hours just watching the birds feed.