Wildlife on the croft

We've had the most beautiful, mild  winter weather here in the Outer Hebrides over the weekend and again today - just beautiful, it makes Christmas shopping so much easier :)  I popped outside on Saturday to try and take a photo of a beautiful little Robin Redbreast which has been visiting the garden for the last few weeks - I'm not sure if it's the same one, but in my head it is!  I got a little distracted by this scary creature in next door's croft though - he's a bit of a brute! . . .

. . . and a front view . . .

. . . sorry, blurry pictures - he was making me a little nervous - just look at these horns!  His fleece is a funny ochre colour - obviously this ram has been brought in to em . . . 'service' the sheep, I guess it's that time of year, but I can't say I'm very well up on the breeding habits of sheep - I'd really rather not know LOL :)

I thought it was very sweet that my neighbour has painted his flock in lovely festive colours though, hehe!  They look very pretty . . .

Again, more to do with, er, that scary looking ram - poor sheep!!  I don't know what the different colours of marking mean - don't go there :-0

Anyway they all looked very pretty on a glorious Saturday morning :)

I finished my 'camouflage' beanie, which fits 'Little S' perfectly but as I suspected he wasn't too keen - "it's too scratchy,' he said, I think it's a little too girly, despite the colours, the spiral design isn't 'boyish' enough . .

The magazine in the background 'Handmade Living' is really lovely - I bought it last week when I 'chickened out' of doing some Christmas shopping and beat a hasty retreat home with it, hehe!  I love this project in it for making ice-mobiles - it's featured in a book called 'Nature's Playground' - a really lovely idea for Wintry weather (which we currently don't have!) . . . 

I might try it with 'Little S' if we ever get some snow and ice! (and I can wean him off his Game console!)  You simply gather some leaves, berries, or other organic material and freeze them in dishes of water, adding string to join them -  freeze overnight and voila!! (Use pastry cutters for interesting shapes)  Cool, eh?

I did eventually get - a  very blurry - pic of that elusive Robin - they are so sweet . . . 

I'm sure it's the same one that keeps 'visiting' me - my very own 'special' Christmas Robin - everyone should have one LOL!

Off to post my parcels and cards later today - and hope to get some supplies for a little crafty project - if I manage it, I'll share it with you :) :)

Bye for now :)

Alison  x