Rut off

TodayWas supposed to be bright and sunny and a last such day for sometime. However when we awoke the signs were promising but they very soon deteriorated and we experienced quite a heavy downpour. This is the view of the mountains first thing.

As you can see the sun was doing its very best to fight its way through the clouds. As ever the surroundings are as beautiful and dramatic as only the highlands can be. A few moments later we were treated to this stunning view.

We have as pictured above four wonderful neighbours who have been with us throughout our stay. The band of brothers the four red stags have been with us every day. It is now the rutting season and these magnificent beast are beginning to toughen up and separate in preparation too heading off looking for the ladies. It is both tragic and awe-inspiring that these animals that are so close throughout the year,for a period of approximately four weeks will try their very best to maime and kill each other. Following this few weeks of madness they will reunite and live peacefully with each other for the remainder of the year. When we arrived they were here and had their full array of antlers. Since then they have dropped the antlers grown new ones, scrape the velvet off in preparation for war. The downside to all of this is the noise that they are making as they bark , grunt and growl at each other.I personally love it however Rae is forcing earplugs into ear canal to enable sleep to occur.I personally love it however Rae is forcing earplugs into ear canal to enable sleep to occur. I personally love it however Rae is forcing earplugs into her ear canal to enable sleep to occur. On more prosaic matters we continue to experience high volume of guests. Today was spent processing these comings and going is and I spent time outside mowing strimming and using the leaf blower to tidy up the site. We continue to count down the days until we leave and ensure that the time remaining to us here is spent fruitfully.

As always Rae and I try to keep as busy as possible as it helps pass the time and neither of us are good at doing nothing. We are off tomorrow afternoon and Monday. The weather is currently not looking too promising. However we are hopeful that will be able to dodge the showers and at least get some decent walks in. We are hoping that will be able to do a couple of our favourite long distance walks before we leave.

On looking at the field tonight there appears to be only one of the boys here. When they leave the concern is that they will not return as they will face not only the hazard of each other but obviously the great a hazard of mankind. It is now the stalking season so they are literally fair game.😏