May the 4th be with you …

3rd May – What a beautiful start to the day, blue skies, sun, birds singing and heard my first Cuckoo of the season.

By 7am, grey skies and cold! And it stayed like that for much of the day.

Friday 4th May – Change Over, Ironing, Bread Made, Grocery Shop and The Wee Scottish Gallery Facebook Page all done by 9am! And what another beautiful start to the day.

10am – yep – grey cloud!

Another nonstop day, but more about that in next entry.

In the meantime, please go Like the new Facebook Page … Wee Scottish Gallery

8.30pm and time for tea and then the gravity blanket will soon be calling Zzzzzx

Spring Lambs …

What a manic couple of weeks! And way behind with my journal. It has been nonstop busy! But … the joyous news is … that I have been sleeping! The Gravity Blanket seems to be doing its stuff. I have still woken during the nights, but managed to pretty much fall right back to sleep again. I am nae very good at explaining things, but the gravity blanket is the most amazing feeling. I have my fathers legs , now those of you who know , will know that this is not necessarily a good thing, yet this weighted blanket makes them feel so light and I’ve had no aches during the night from them.

18th April – Saw my first Lambs of the Spring.

Lost me phone in the evening. I’d left it in the Fridge! I know, well, don’t know, so please don’t ask.

Haven’t had a Brambling in the garden this winter, but this morning (Sunday), heard a noise and there was one in the Cherry Tree above the feeders.

Woke in discomfort, this was due to the Poodle & the nest he had made out of me Gravity Blanket. Told him I would look at getting a kennel for him today!!!

Trying to integrate Barclay and others, McQuack nae impressed and puffs himself out at Barclay! Also, think Barclay fancies the Tame Sheep!

Tuesday 24th April 7.30pm – The first Swallow has arrived, but a summer it doesn’t make!

Wednesday 25th The Tame Sheep has it in for McQuack and chased him down the glen!

Thursday 26th April – 4.31am, woke to Bruce cock a doodle doing! Wtf!

6.30am Bruce’s song was replaced by that of a Song Thrush, beautiful

Saturday 28th April – Beautiful but frosty and a covering of fresh snow on the hills.

Alistair in earlier tonight, so we headed off to the pub for tea.

Sunday 29th April – Cool start but beautiful & it soon warmed up.

Visitor sat out with Coffee enjoying the sunshine, when McDuck appeared off her nest and without warning, pretty much beat the hell out of Bruce the Cockerel! She soon had him literally pinned to the grass and was showing no mercy! I had to intervene with a stick, then Bruce turned on me! The visitor just sat drinking his coffee taking it all in!

1st May – Seriously, where is this year going to?!! May Gosling, but still no sign of Ducklings yet, surely can’t be long now? Though Muscovy do take 35 days.

2nd May – Another manic day and just as manic tomorrow. All will be revealed (Hopefully) at the weekend. It was a downpour last night and the river was in full flow this morning.

Looking out onto more new born lambs as I type this.

All in in all, it’s been a stressful couple of of weeks and the Tulloch menagerie are still running amok.

McDucks Downy Nest

Alistair & McQuack

Gravity …

Continuing on Saturday 14th, was just thinking about Bedfordshire, when we notice the outside light come on, there was a pussy cat visiting Tulloch. All I saw was it’s wee white paws. Barclay was beside himself!

Sunday 15th – And 2.10am wide awake, oh and cramp thrown in for good measure. WHAT? Was Loch building yesterday, does that not warrant a wee bit of extra sleep at least??! AND I had taken two sleep Gummies!

Struggled on throughout the day, but come 3pm I could do no more. Tonight I would move back into the marital bed after having a few nights in spare room. Don’t think it really matters where I sleep, I still struggle.

Monday 16th – Awoke at 4, but nae up til 5, this was good. Had woke earlier with a hand across my face, but Alistair said this was due to the fact he has been able to spread out the last couple of nights! Mixed weather, but milder at least. Great progress with the Gallery extension. I mounted prints for best part of the morning, then it was website work and hopefully getting SEO sorted.

Noticed McQuack spent most of the day swimming on Loch McBasil, which saying that Muscovy Ducks are different to other Ducks and usually don’t do ponds etc, am impressed. McDuck was late off the nest this evening for her break. She is doing ever so well, I’m counting down the days til Duckageddon, so she surely must be.

Woodpeckers, Wagtails & Siskins all very active.

Tuesday 17th – And up at silly o clock, laid in sunroom for a while listening to the rain on the roof, 5.30am, could feel sleep coming on, so away back to bed I went, Alistair would get up and Barclay would join me. And 15min later, ”twas no good, up again!

Still a downpour and we got wet in said downpour.

Exciting progress with the gallery extension today, an entrance has been cut through. Gives us a much better idea of the finished project. Whilst Jim, Dawid & I were stood admiring their work, main door crashed open and tame sheep ran amok through gallery!!

Delivery this afternoon and … did you heed my words and take shares out in insomnia industry?? I hope so, as the Gravity Blanket has arrived! So heavy, that Alistair had to carry it upstairs for me, but I have every faith in this product and it will be worth every penny if I get some decent sleep. *Watch This Space*

The Grand National…

Thursday 12th April – 3.30am and up like a shot! Perhaps should have had a Gummie?

Framing this morning and got done by midday.

Beautiful day (When out of the breeze).

Saw a Peacock Butterfly sunning itself in the meadow.

Daffodil leaves poking through.

Work continuing well with Gallery extension

Friday 13th April – 6am, nae even finished me first coffee and Barclay was digging the biggest hole in the garden!

7.30am and I waved goodbye to our charming guest Angela, wishing her well with her next chapter in life. And … that is now me having a week off from Airbnb! This will be the first in over a year. Love it, but I am just exhausted at present.

It turned out to be a grim cold day, an abundance of Finches in the garden.
Jim & David made great progress on the Gallery extension and got tables, chairs etc ordered for it today.

Saturday 14th April – 3.01am and that was me up!
Saw the breaking news of us bombing Syria.
Today was nae a day I was looking forward to, yet, has always been a great one in previous years, The Grand National.
For as long as I can remember, Dad would put my bets on for me and we always had great chat in the morning about it.
Today would have been no different and then we would have been discussing the latest news on Syria, we enjoyed talking politics too.
Mother telephoned am, did I want a bet on the National, I said no, everything had changed, it did not feel right.
Though as the day wore on, I began to have second thoughts, Father would indeed want me to, so I made my selection and got my bets on with William Hill.
Alistair home early and a spur of the moment decision was made to continue work on Loch McBasil, am exhausted as I type, but thoroughly enjoyed it.
4.55pm, dropped tools and headed on indoors to watch the National.
Champions theme was playing, (That was what Mum & I walked into Church to at Father’s Thanksgiving Service).
Jockeys steadying their rides and they were off, by time they had finished their first time round, I was already out of my seat, heart in mouth and talking to Dad, Pleasant Company was in the lead and was looking comfy.
What a finish, a photo finish and congratulations to Tiger Roll & Davy Russell on your win and to Gordon Elliott and his yard, not forgetting owner Michael O’Leary.
But, not only I had I got 2nd place, I also had 3rd with Bless the Wings.
Just a shame that William Hill app & site is down and no one can collect their winnings!
Back out to Loch McBasil to tidy up, then will finally collapse on the ole sofa as soon as Ive published this.

Father & I with his horse Claudia Miss

First Place

What a difference some sunshine makes

Gallery Visitors!

Loch McBasil

Progress slowly been made

Sixteen Squid!! …

What a dreich morning! Continued with clearing workshop out, still nae finished by time Jim had arrived at 8.30am, shortly followed by work colleague Dawid.

9am…. Work on The Wee Scottish Gallery extension has begun!! Yes, pleased to share with you that we are extending and there will be a Gallery within the Gallery.

So, it was a hive of activity the day.

Tonight, a DHL van pulled up, driver carrying small parcel, but would nae hand it over until I had paid £16 customs fee. WHAT!! For once, I hadn’t actually ordered anything, it had been for Alistair. Sods law he wasn’t here, so I had to pay up and look big.

When Alistair eventually arrived home, he pointed out it was a present for me. Sleeping tablets (Well, Gummies).

Actually, if you do shares, now would be a good time to invest in the insomnia market, As reckon it’ll be doing fairly well due to us.

Animals have behaved reasonably today.

Garden full of Siskins again today.

Overcast …

Woke during night, but actually managed to stay in bed til 7am! And then it was Barclay who made sure I got up.

Nice morning again, but more cloud appeared. Got bread made for guests and even set on giving espresso machine a good clean.

11am Deer appeared in field for brunch.

McDuck came out of the coop, so took the opportune moment to head on in, only to find Agnes in a nest box! Thought McDuck was eating, but saw her away doon the glen with McQuack! Hope she isn’t getting tired of motherhood already?

Perthshire Open Studios application came through, so got registered for it.

I do not think we have the brightest animals in the box! Would give fresh grit and treat sticks to the poultry and cleaned out their sandpit and got fresh sand in and all they did was stand at outside of fence looking through, wondering how to get to it all! Gate wide open and these treats are near said gate! However, tame sheep figured it out and grit went everywhere!

You know you are tired, when trying to eat your Rice Krispies and you’re using a fork instead of a spoon! Whilst eating said Krispies, took a read of latest ‘Your Chickens’ magazine, especially article on Cockerels & aggression. Think I’ll put it in the coop for Bruce to browse over.

German guests arrived.

Tuesday 10th April – Hadn’t gotten up during the night, but tossed n turned a fair bit. Cooler morn and overcast. Up at 6 and pretty much on with jobs, then into Gallery to mount prints.

And looking out to Loch McBasil, there I saw for the first time McQuack swimming on it.

By time midday came, my M.E was playing up and I was exhausted, so time for some time out and snoozed.

McQuack totally disappeared this afternoon, but I saw him returning back up from the river around 5pm. I wonder if he’s messing around on the river with wild ducks whilst McDuck is on the nest?

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I Saw The Sign …

Awake 4am! -5c at daybreak, but what a beautiful one, blue skies showing and a wonderful dawn chorus, though Bruce would soon join in and take over that.

Ironing at 7am, thoughts back on work plans and Father, questioning my thoughts, silently talking to Dad asking him for an answer and the iron suddenly broke and I mean broke. Sounds odd I know, but there came my answer!

Walk into Gallery to begin framing etc and there was ‘I’m Checking Out’ playing.

What an absolute beautiful morning, sunshine & blue skies, no jacket or hat required, which was lovely after the downpour last night. Even sat on swing seat for coffee

Quiet afternoon and tiredness hit, so 3pm closed the Gallery and hit the sofa for an hour.

Alistair would decide to continue with shed clearing late afternoon, so I made us an espresso, so nice to sit out again.

McDuck was off her nest twice today!

Nearly 8.30pm and still light!

Duracell Poodle…

Woke and was nae in the best of moods! Was not helped by the Poodle, who in the following hour was in a destructive mood and destroyed a box of batteries, which I may add, Alistair had left lying around. Had a busy day ahead and morning coffee wasn’t doing its thing either! Was wondering how long it takes for ‘Inner Peace’ (See yesterday’s post) to kick in.

Made a start with ironing, only to see a flash of brown race past. The Poodle had now got my bra!

For Barclays next trick, he got a garden cane. It wasn’t even 8am yet and was proving to be a very long day already

even though it had been a beautiful daybreak, it was now snowing again.

Ryan with trailer arrived and it was time to start clearing sheds (More on this soon).

Grocery shop arrived pm, Including the Cherry Juice, Which after googling bedtime drinks, it was highly recommended. 10pm, I climbed the wooden hill, cherry juice in hand looking forward to my new improved sleep.

12.30am I was up! Obviously hadn’t drank enough Cherry juice, though my bladder said otherwise!

Busy day, gallery hive of activity this morning and in the afternoon Frame order arrived. Now can not move in the sunroom because of boxes and that is my weekend sorted.

Haven’t seen McDuck all day.

Friday pm, stepped out before bedtime and had a right Frog Chorus going on, then sensed movement, Barclay was agitated, called Alistair and got the torch, there near the door was one member of said chorus.

Got me Cherry Juice and headed to Bedfordshire.

3.30am! Wide awake! Tried to roll back over to sleep, but mind had already gone into overdrive and bladder wasn’t going to be outdone either, so up I get. Barclay followed too, which is actually quite comforting and I didn’t have to tiptoe around as much, as no guests in tonight.

Nothing like deciding to do some early morning baking to make you return to bed, so 4.30am that’s what I did

So today (Saturday 7th April) was overcast, but milder, no hat required. Gallery open, steady trickle of folk throughout the day. Made a start cleaning/hosing yard, 2hours it must have took and the stretchy expandable hosepipe has mind of its own, 3 times it got out of control, yes, I got soaked!

McDuck left her nest for 1/2hr break, so I got the chance to see to coop. Her nest is even more downy, am so impressed with her and was thinking, I could sleep in all that down.

Got Alan telephoned today and it was so good to catch up and meant to be I reckon. Have been having a think on work over these last couple of weeks and have sort of felt Dad has been nudging me in a certain direction, proved even more so with call to Alan, just what was needed and head bit clearer.

Ach, made mess up with grocery order, get recipe out for tonight’s stir fry and I ordered the wrong bloomin nuts! So 30min of my time was stood shelling n skinning Monkey Nuts, as I’ve nothing else to do what so ever!!!

French guests tonight seem lovely .

Frogs in the Snow …

Up 5.30ish and morning coffee was greeted with fresh snowfall and… I cocked my head to listen again, yes there it was, a Frog calling from the garden pond. Had seen spawn on the pond in the forest yesterday. Last couple of sleepless months must be catching up with me, as took myself back off to bed for an hour.
Back up and was soon faced with the tame sheep stuck in the poultry coop.

Early yesterday evening, McDuck left the coop for a stretch and feed, so that was the opportunity to get it cleaned out etc (I will not have disturbed) and awww, you should see her wee downy nest, am very optimistic and reckon she will be a good mother (Can’t believe thought she was a he and gay), anyhoo, tried discussing things with Alistair, that we need to be organised, nursery, feed etc and he said dinnae be counting the Ducks before they’ve hatched, as he doesn’t think there will be any! As said, I am optimistic!

Aromatherapy oils and bracelet arrived today. I began with wearing ‘inner peace’.

Inner Peace was short lived when I saw the Chucks had decided to wander out up the glen again!! Will be putting wire on the gates ASAP!!!

Spanish in the hoose tonight, apparently St Andrew’s was very cold today.
New stock for gallery due any minute, then tea, am famished!

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Why Did The Chickens Cross The Road …

Joyous news… McDuck was not egg bound and egg no4 is now in the nestbox, so the ole honey trick must have helped? Though, did hear some duck squeals early doors.

Nae so joyous, 2.15am and boing, wide awake!

27th – Duck egg no 5 is in the nesting box. Rain most of day.

28th – And Barclays latest trick is barking and chasing the Collared Doves out of the garden. I don’t ask why!

got a hen egg this morning.

Finally got print order finished and that’ll be 200+ to mount & more to frame when they arrive!

Then it was time to start tackling the Gallery! Big clean down, rearranging, new stock in etc. I WILL be ready for this Easter Weekend!!

Peter called by, good to see him as always and good to talk.

Totally forgot to have my scone on Sunday, so fed it to the Chucks today.

Tame Sheep accidentally ran into back of me today, sore ankle as I type

29th March – early doors was -8c. Got into gallery to continue restyle, so did Barclay, who pinched a felt Haggis and ran amok with it. Wee felt Haggis is no more!

30th March – Good Friday and nae up til 5am. Dad, you’ve been gone 2 months now, how!

How very apt that McDuck begins to sit her 8 eggs today. I am beyond excited

Easter on mine own, so writing it off and working.

Birds of the week have been Wagtails & Woodpeckers, more than last year. The Thrushes have ceased with their territorial calls.

Snow has returned on lower ground.

Took Barclay and I off for a walk in the forest. Wildlife conspicuous by its absence.

Returned home to see the pets running amok! Chickens were out in car park, by time I wrestle Barclay past tame sheep into hoose, chickens were heading up the glen! I had to stop traffic to drive the reluctant little sods back in! Still had walking boots on and am thinking Bruce doesn’t like Red, as he launched full scale attack on them and me!

Late afternoon, snowing again, was having 5 on sofa, all nice and quiet and suddenly Alexa says ‘Sorry I didn’t get that’.