Showing posts with label Off-Piste. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Off-Piste. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

FOOTLOOSE AND BUZZING

The two of us got out together for a walk late Sunday morning. A few people had the same idea, some walking, others checking things in little  boats which were tied up in harbour.  To avoid  constantly tramping on tarmac roads, we worked out a route that took us a little  'off piste'. 

The last occupants of the estate workers homes decanted about fifteen years ago, the other cottages were already well decayed and open to the weather. The chimney breast in the picture is what is left of one of those ruins.   The field, now gone wild, in which the couple are strolling, would have been used by the estate employees.

Country-Sea -Sand-Dunes


The estate house is  long gone, a fire engulfed the ruins. There are still the very thick enclosing walls in which there are arches which serve a double purpose. Though you can't see them in the picture, there are rough overgrown steps that lead you to a road.  You can just make out the harbour wall.  And yes, the darker shade of light blue you see through the wall arch is the sea. 


However, the arch  has a dual purpose, the picture above doesn't show it.



There is an inner arch wall, (dark) and an outer one. It's not a trick of the camera.  The thickness of  the walls allow for two substantial recesses either side of the arches. These are being used by some fishermen as store places for low value kit they do not want to constantly cart back and forth. This is an informal harbour mostly used for leisure by local people.  Expensive equipment would be stored more securely elsewhere. If you look through the arch across to the far side of the harbour, you'll see a guy putting a red buoy into the boot of his car, which would have been attached to creels. His boat is out of view.

This year, this area was one of those chosen to release bees into in an attempt to boost the bee stocks in the U.K.  I saw a lot of busy buzzing bees out and about. Let's hope it is a successful enterprise.  This one obviously likes the Scottish Thistle.


You can espy one delicate gossamer bee wing
....And there was plenty blooming thistle flower for a bee to enjoy.


We left this natural wild place to cut through the ruins of the cottages.  In the grass  was this; how long could it have been there?




Footloose
It looked as if it had stepped and stopped in its track.....  We left the sandal where it was wondering if anyone would retrieve it. Hubby commented "soul-less". 



Returning via the harbour I was struck by this little cheeky touch of  capstan/bollard artistry. Lavender, it seems, will grow in any conditions, anywhere!