Christmas is coming & the puppy is getting fat

I refer to Christmas as the dreaded “C” word – but I love it really, it’s just a shame we have to think about it so early on. I refuse to consider it whilst the sun shines, but as it gets cooler and the nights a little longer I can get in the mood.  My parents are renting a cottage up here over the festive season which will be lovely and that also means Titus will have a friend to play with (in the form of Dylan the loopy standard poodle). Our four legged beast has doubled in weight and is rapidly growing into his huge feet at a mere 14 kilos at 12 weeks old. By way of domestic preparations, October is normally pickling and sloe gin season – but in the absence of any sloe bushes and vegetable gluts, I only have the cake to think about this year. Professionally, it is also a busy time for Christmas card designs and commissions and I have a stall at a couple of local Christmas Markets this year, so I’m in full Christmas mode! A little self promotion has been employed to help encourage everyone else to think about Christmas too  – I’ve got an article and advert in the Am Bratach this week, “Artist in the Spotlight” in the John O Groats Journal next week and I shall be Etsy’s Craft Britannia “Shop of the Week” at the end of the month.

some festive entries from my last visual dairy - looking through these has given me the urge to start another one....

The Am Bratach article - page 13!

The taste of the sea

Some more photos for you this week – on the art front productivity nil! But Titus has had fun. This weekend marked introduction to the big wide world beyond the garden fence, after the final set of (expensive) jabs. Sunday was beautifully sunny, the autumn hips were glowing red/orange and Henry had a doze on the rocks. Titus tasted sand, sea water and seaweed, saw lots of other dogs and pondered over how birds fly. I was a little spacey (having spent the previous day in bed with a migraine) and sat looking at the beautiful scenery wishing I had brought my pochade box………

 

Commotion and potions

My painting has suffered again this week, so since I have nothing to show you, I thought we’d have a look at this week’s adventures. There is quite a lot of commotion at chez Simpson at the moment. Titus is full of beans, into everything and having fun, but everyone else is run ragged! Our ginger tom is suffering from anxiety and is on chill-out pills from the vet, and we’ve bought him a (expensive) feline pheromone difuser to help him sleep and dream about the function of a cat litter tray. Our other cat, is far more laid back about the arrival of a puppy dog and walks in front of Titus when he’s walking on the lead.

"Don't worry Pumpkin, he won't get much bigger !"

The growing Titus was hanging out of his bed (the cat’s bed) so that has gone back to it’s rightful owners and a new bed has been lovingly made by me.

"Just look at all those big feet"

We had news from our digger driver that he was to remove a beached whale, so we sped off one morning to see it, not having seen a whale before (alive or dead). Not a pretty sight – and nor was the lovely new bed after Titus regurgitated his breakfast on route.

"errr!"

The body of a (manky) female Minke whale, brought in by the recent storms

Summer has definitely gone and everyone is beginning to batten down the hatches, but we have still had some sunny days. I have dug out my woolly hat and added it to my plein air painting kit.

This is me (with hat) off out to paint - and this is the view from the croft house

Henry & Mr Toady (the green and lumpy Defender) have been very busy bombing around this week and helped our neighbours bring back their wee boat from the harbour to overwinter in the dry.

Boat, Brian & Mr Toady plus stressed cat