Studio 222 Newburgh North Fife

Studio 222 Newburgh North Fife. Sarah Honeyman and Catriona Wallbutton, jointly cut the celebratory cake, 3 years have passed and joyfully offering a wide range of arts and crafts, also various courses....see their face book site.

Pure happiness exudes, the cake was good too.

Last Year

Ceres North Fife

The provost, Ceres North Fife, seated in the heart of the village at a road junction, nearby the village green, home of the oldest Scottish games. nearby too is the Folk Museum and Eatery.

 

Isle of Mull Inner Hebrides

Oban bound from Mull. The Isle of Mull — or simply Mull — is the second largest island of the Inner Hebrides, off the west coast of Scotland. A wonderful place as are all of the Scottish Islands. All are surrounded by clear crystal waters...full of abundant life.

Jelly fish, Holy Isle of Aran. Between are several fish farms producing Salmon.

On land heather flourishes.

And all amongst the blooming heather. Will ye ....

Drystone wall Mull, or more correctly a wet stone wall given the normal weather.

If you're lucky you just might be serenaded by Yvonne Macleod an inspirational accordion player, much loved.

Himalayan Balsam North Fife

Himalayan Balsam North Fife. This stand has now been cleared as the riverside to the West of Newburgh has been cleared being part of Fife Coastal Path. Regarded as an invasive weed, it still has attractive qualities.

Tayview 17th & 18th August.

Tayview 17th & 18th August.

Oilseed Rape Harvesting North Fife

Oilseed Rape Harvesting North Fife. I was alerted this morning by the grumble of a combine harvester, from my garden the combine drifted along, beyond The River Tay at low water exposing various sand banks.

I'm impressed by the sophistication of modern combine harvesters, here displaying the tilting table and undercarriage, keeps the operator level headed. lol.
This machine looks brand new... a massive investment.

Notice the reel on an opposite tack to suit the terrain and shredded debris issuing from the rear. Clever stuff.

Potato Harvest treatment North Fife

Pre Harvest Potato treatment. burning off the foliage with sulphuric acid. Once the potatoes have flowered they can be harvested. Spraying kills off any blight and further growth, after a week or so the leaves and stems are shrivelled up and are no obstacle to efficient harvesting of the tubers by machine. Gone are the days when potatoes were picked by hand...a multitude of sore backs saved but income from employment now channelled to a few....contractors and land owners. This is acid rain big style, it can be balanced by an input of lime later. Imagine though the soil organisms having to flourish in such hostile conditions, truth is, they don't. Much farmland is now a dead growing medium requiring constant adjustment with chemical inputs. Next time you see a molehill, say, be happy because they live on worms which consume organic waste converting it into a balanced fertiliser. No chemicals needed, respect for all that lives ultimately will save us all.

The same Field earlier

Field Pea Harvest North Fife

Field Pea Harvester North Fife. What an incredible machine, a harvester with attitude, hydraulic struts to maintain a horizontal status to the processing unit behind the spacious 180 degree all glazed cab. Radio contact with all the other gathering vehicles, fabulous views too.

 

Pea harvester on its slow way downhill, notice the opposite tilt of the processor  relative to the wheels, clever. Going by the shape, it involves a rotating drum where the peas are miraculously separated from the stem leaf and pod. Trundling along at about 3 miles an hour. Peas in the hopper, debris spilling out the rear looking like boiled spinach. 

Pea plants produce nitrogen in the soil, so no need for artificial on the next crop. A win win for sensible and wise managers. Earlier, the field.  Although harvest was still motion a yield of 80 tons was recorded at that time

Gangtok from Rumtek Sikkim

Gangtok from Rumtek Sikkim, a few thousand feet below across the valley. Beyond are the snow capped peaks bordering Tibet. An overcast day in 1980, I imagine much has changed since, huge development in housing, a massive reduction of the rain forest, even 34 years ago the forest was being consumed much quicker than regeneration. At night, sitting outside, the thwack of an axe could be heard, miraculously by morning some ones wood pile would have grown. Wood is / was the main fuel for cooking, charcoal for heating. Ostensibly, the forest was protected against removal of timber though the stripping of orchids from the trees to feed cattle seemed ok. Imagine, milk obtained from orchids, Ambrosia.

Gangtok is a municipality, the capital and the largest town of the Indian state of Sikkim. It also is the headquarters of the East Sikkim district. Gangtok is located in the eastern Himalayan range, at an altitude of 1,650 m (5,410 ft). The town's 100 thousand population belongs to different ethnicities such as Nepali, Lepchas and Bhutia. Nestled within higher peaks of the Himalaya and enjoying a year-round mild temperate climate, Gangtok is at the centre of Sikkim's tourism industry.

Gangtok rose to prominence as a popular Buddhist pilgrimage site after the construction of the Enchey Monastery in 1840. In 1894, the ruling Sikkimese Chogyal, Thutob Namgyal, transferred the capital to Gangtok. In the early 20th century, Gangtok became a major stopover on the trade route between Lhasa in Tibet and cities such as Kolkata (then Calcutta) in British India. After India won its independence from Britain in 1947, Sikkim chose to remain an independent monarchy, with Gangtok as its capital. In 1975, after the integration with the union of India, Gangtok was made India's twenty-second state capital.

The precise meaning of the name Gangtok is unclear, though the most popular meaning is "hill top". Today, Gangtok is a centre of Tibetan Buddhist culture and learning, with the presence of several monasteries, religious educational institutions, and centres for Tibetology.

Rumtek Monastery, originally built under the directions of the 12th Karmapa Changchub Dorjee in mid 1700 AD, after [Ralang Monastery,first] and [Phodong Monastery,second], Rumtek served as the main seat of the Karma Kagyu lineage in Sikkim for some time. But when the 16th Karmapa arrived in Sikkim in 1959, after fleeing Tibet, the monastery was in ruins. Despite being offered other sites, the Karmapa decided to rebuild Rumtek. To him, the site possessed many auspicious qualities and was surrounded by the most favourable attributes. For example, flowing streams, mountains behind, a snow range in front, and a river below. With the generosity and help of the Sikkim royal family and the local folks of Sikkim, it was built by the 16th Karmapa as his main seat in exile.

Karmapa leads the way in circumambulation of the Gompa through the incense and into the Shrine room.

Rumtek Monastery at the arrival of a new printing of  the  Kanjur and Tanjur in 1980, an auspicious time.