Last week brought an opportunity to reconnect with friends and favourite spots on the Black Isle (really a penninsula) across the Moray Firth from Inverness. A morning walk down to the Firth & back in the rain reminded me of all the paintings I want to do of this beautiful area! It's been amazingly warm & balmy for this time of year, & blackberries are still plentiful, but not very tasty when picked from a spot lacking in sun. It's lovely to find things appear to have changed very little here - the gold of harvested grain fields is still just as lovely against the many hues of blues & greens of sky & foliage. The old stone remains of Redcastle, once a Mackenzie stronghold, still stands, altho I notice a large new crack near the NE corner. The tide is in on the Firth, & the numerous waterbirds seem to have disappeared into thin air, where we watched a group of oystercatchers in their afternoon search for sustenance on the seaweed-covered mudflats. Note to self: carve out a good-sized chunk of time to paint here daily.
