avoid the obvious

I try to avoid the obvious views of Dunstanburgh Castle when I'm on Embelton Bay but it's so beautiful and the sky is never the same twice. So, one obvious shot and three to show there's more to Embelton Bay than the Castle!

20th Jan 09, Embleton Bay, 09:00

Rain Stops Play

Trooper lay listening
The rain knocking on the window
"Come and Play"
And he knew he didn't want to go anywhere

the morning after

Last night it howled a gale and poured with rain but we in the East got off lightly as is the way with an Atlantic front. By the morning it was clear, the ground had frozen and the sky was soon blue.

18th Jan, 09, Embleton Bay, 08:30

The wind was still strong though, blowing the spray backwards off the top of the waves...


Causing the Oyster Catchers to hunker down...


Making the clouds scud across the sky...


and making no difference to Trooper who seems to love the wind in his fur.

publicity

I'm sure everyone around this corner of Northumberland enjoyed having a local pub on the telly. "Oz and James Drink to Britain" visited The Ship Inn at Low Newton in late Summer and it was shown this week. They praised both the area and the beer. Fair enough on both counts I say. The Ship Inn has its own microbrewery and (as a brewing industry person myself in a former life) I can confirm it produces an excellent brew.

16th Jan 09, The Ship Inn, Low Newton, 09:00

Lovers' Walk

I've only ever been on the beach at Alnmouth but today I explored the riverside and found it to be very interesting and picturesque even on a dull day.

15th Jan09, Mouth of the River Aln, 08:30

The Flying Dog flies again

14th Jan 09, Football Hole, 14:00

Big Seas this afternoon - Really quite massive rollers coming in from a far away storm.



Then, round the corner, all was much calmer looking over Embleton Bay


Meanwhile, Trooper was enjoying this new sport. I threw the ball over the wee burn and he jumped the water, collected the ball and jumped back; it was easily 8 feet across. I got this shot first time lucky then he stopped doing it. Becoming tired, he chose to run round the end. His joie de vivre is somewhat bounded by his years.

Long Walk

A chap I met on the beach yesterday mentioned that the gates of Howick gardens are unlocked at this time of year. As we're members, we get in free normally but they don't let dogs in. So this was a chance to take the dog down "the long walk" and very nice it was too.

14th Jan 09, Howick gardens, 08:30




These swans tried to swim up to the edge of the pond but were stopped by a thin layer of ice. The first swan was very puzzled, stopped in its tracks and the 2nd swan ran into the back of the first. A very graceful collision!