Happily Ever After

Life in The Rural Retreat with a beautiful wife, three cats, garden wildlife, a camera, a computer – and increasing amounts about running

Earlier posts can be found on Adventures of a Lone Bass Player, where this blog began life. Recent entries can be found here.

Goodbye Dolphin James

by admin - 19:22 on 23 January 2011

Dolphin James, one third of the team behind the soon-to-be bestselling Bumper Book of Black Isle Snappery, took up a camera after seeing the bottlenose dolphins leaping around the waters off Chanonry Point.

But during the past year he's found a new passion – one that comes a close second behind his wife-to-be (or possibly just ahead of her). That, of course, is pursuing pine martens.

Not having the good fortune to find them in his garden, the avid wildlife snapper is forced to spend many cold and draughty hours hiding in woodland so he can see the subjects of his passion. That's his excuse, anyway. The only alternative is his camera trap.

One of James's secret martens triggers his camera trap

Now he plans to take his enthusiasm a stage further by setting up pine marten snappery outings for paying customers, centred on a purpose-built hide in secret Black Isle woodland. I presume that guests will be taken there blindfolded and in the back of a van after signing the Official Animal Secrets Act in their own blood.

There's now a Pine Marten Workshops page on James's website and a mailing list to keep potential guests up to date with developments. I can think of two Yorkshire visitors who'll sign up straight away.

So it's goodbye Dolphin James, hello Marten James. Until he gets bored again. Some people have no staying power.

Matchgirl Update: My beloved has abandoned me again to take another jaunt to Shetland, just in time to participate in the annual Up Helly Aa festivities on Tuesday. She's to stay a week rather than her usual three days, partly because on Wednesday the island will be one vast hangover. Those Vikings have a lot to answer for.

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