Stress Neutralisation 2 …

I returned to visit the Arbroath Penguins today and was treated to a display of Cormorants fishing in the inner harbour.  This one was just arriving to join the party.  I am now confident these are cormorants and not shags, since I can see no crests and they have a pale front and an orange patch under their eye, plus they adopt the classic wings outspread pose on the harbour breakwater.

Something rather strange happened today and I have no explanation so I will just enjoy it and share it here.  I was able to take photographs close to the edge of the harbour with no vertigo whatsoever and later I took some photographs from a higher walkway down into the water and again no sense of panic or vertigo.  It was a windy day so it isn’t as if still air makes a difference.  I know that tomorrow it might be back to the nausea and dizzyness – but today felt great.

This boat in Mackays boatyard and the silhouette is intriguing – I will have to find out more because I am curious.  I found this website about the harbour and boat building in Arbroath which you might like to read too.  This boatyard did the restoration of RSS  Discovery, berthed at Dundee and Reaper – the fishing boat I included on a thread about Anstruther.

As well as the Cormorants putting on the synchronised diving display the guillemots were in evidence too and I managed to get some better shots … they do look like penguins don’t you think?

I took these two sets of photos roughly half an hour apart; the first pair I was down on the small beach opposite the harbour entrance. I took photos towards the harbour and towards the breakwater.  I walked back up the slipway and ate my healthy lunch and then stood above the beach and took more photos.  You can see the tide has come right in and in fact the rock on which I stood to take the first photos is underwater in the second pair.

Here are a couple more of my photos from today

I finished up with an ice cream before leaving Arbroath and returning on the 73C to Dundee and then a 20 to Forfar.  A stop in Forfar to pick up some groceries and then eventually home.  A quiet restful day.

Today I:

• Did not suffer vertigo taking pictures of water below me;
• Just missed catching a photograph of a cormorant throwing it’s head back after surfacing from a dive in the harbour … there are fish in the harbour – or at least there were!
• Found out that the UK apple crop will be down about 17%; and
• Met the most persistent little dog who sat so nicely in front of me whilst I picnicked despite her owner repeatedly telling her to move before she got left there.

I have a little errand to complete and then I will be back with my week’s summary and my influencing thought for next week … don’t stray too far.

Today’s statistics: Cost: £0; Miles travelled: -93.6; Steps taken: 5,000;  Pictures Taken: 101

Day 13: 22 September 2012

I had decided earlier in the week that the weather forecast for Friday, Saturday, Sunday showed light winds with almost none on Friday or Saturday – so these were beach and visiting days – I have my fingers crossed that tomorrow will offer enough wind to get in a few flights … anyway what of today?  I had a day at the seaside … and what a beautiful day it was too!

I wanted to return to Elie and Earlsferry for several reasons but first I stopped off in Anstruther specifically to see the Isle of May trip set off – I would love to take this trip sometime and love being in boats – but my vertigo especially over moving water challenges me when it comes to embarking and disembarking.