When you have a little dog with short legs you become sensitive to mud when you are out for a walk.  For much of this winter the field beside Park View has just been too muddy for walking with Lily.  And the thought of going any further down the Water of Cruden was not even on the agenda.   Until Monday, that is.   A shower of snow the night before and a hard frost made a longer expedition possible.

As we made our way along the banks of the burn a big skene of Pink-footed Geese flew over.  I always enjoy seeing and hearing geese in flight or feeding in the fields.   I suppose before long they will be making their way back north again.

One of my grandsons is fascinated by wind turbines.  He knows every  single one on the road between Aberdeen and Hatton.  He always spots the “Hatton windmill” as he calls it, and knows he is nearly at “Granny’s House”.  So I thought I had better have a closer look at the turbine which has sprouted up at Uppermill Farm.   I wonder how my grandson will react when the windfarm at Hill of Braco arrives.  He has a very different reaction to wind turbines  to Mr Trump.

Has this been an especially good year for snowdrops?  Or is it that I am just noticing them?  All along the banks of the Water of Cruden you can see them growing wild in little clumps.   One place they are particularly spectacular is at Nethermill on the road to Cruden Bay.

 

 

 

I have been watching them growing on the banks of the burn in the garden of Burnbank, waiting for the light to be right. Every time I cross the bridge I look down and admire them.  I am very grateful to Glenys and Philip for letting me take some pictures there  Incidentally they told me that their house used to be a Bank (hence the name) and latterly was the work place of two seemstresses.  No doubt older Hatton people will remember that.  Whatever, they have a lovely wild garden beside the burn, even though they suffered quite badly with the floods before Christmas.

There is always something to see on the banks of the Water of Cruden.  And by the way, Lily got home without too much mud on her tummy!