Ann Cooper's Ancojo Fire Starter-1st Minor Puppy Bitch

Best Puppy Dog and BPIB Northlyte Wind Walker to Santaviga, owned by Mr & Mrs Pritchard.

Mrs K. Maskell's Kazkell Dazling Dream-2nd Post Graduate Dog.

Mrs. M Duncan's Papwings Moonlit Shadow

Skywatch 5.

A skyful of clouds above the ripening rape fields in Strathearn, Perthshire, Scotland.

For more skies of the world see http://skyley.blogspot.com/

The Milky Bar Kids

Hard at work

In relaxed mode!

St Andrews Cupar & District Open Show.

This was a local show for me as it was held in Perth Ice rink on Sunday.Here George had a 3rd place, Mo a 2nd and Swallow a 2nd while Spencer was placed 2nd in the Any Variety Veteran Stakes for which we received the princely sum of £3.00. It was better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick and would always help with the cost of the petrol..(and my coffee and sandwiches..and, oh, .....a cake)!

Mrs A Skelton's Adnamashan One in a Million was Best of Breed and Toy Group 4

The judge, Mr Carl Sparrow, goes over the Papillon, A. One in a Million.

The short list from the Toy Group.

Eventually 1st was the Maltese followed by the Pomeranian, then the Chinese Crested and then the Papillon.

Some things I find on dog walks.

I've searched through my reference books but, as yet, have been unable to identify this little butterfly (or is it a moth?). The photograph is not the clearest and it has been magnified but the wing patterns can be seen fairly clearly. Can anyone help?

To me, this close-up of the ripening pods on the rape crop signifies anger with the tangled mass of heads.

I had just re-leashed the 3 dogs on approaching the village when I came upon 2 baby rabbits sitting on the track. Luckily,the dogs hadn't spotted them but one shot off into the rape crop. However, this one was more curious. I don't think dogs and wildlife photography are a good mix!

I love these new green larch cones. They remind me of wax models, (or soap, funnily enough).

Has someone been combing these clouds above our village? This is my weekly contribution to SkywatchFriday. More, beautiful, strange and colourful skies from around the world can be seen by looking here http://skyley.blogspot.com/

Holly's 3 pups.

Here we can almost see the 3 pups, minutes after the 3rd was born last night just after 7pm.

Holly (Meerwings Holly Blue at Pyatshaw) is an excellent mother and therefore extremely protective of her pups so not much chance of photographing the whole of the little bodies.

There are 2 dogs, 8oz.and 6 1/2oz, and 1 bitch, 7 1/2oz.

All are beautifully marked black and whites (but I have been known to get this bit wrong--as well as the sex sometimes!!!)

The sire is Mo (Pyatshaw Ravel)

The pups and Holly this morning, now all cleaned up after a lot of vigorous licking.

All 3 are feeding well, which is a bit of a relief after some previous, disastrous whelpings with another bitch.

Butterfly hunting.

Last year there were very few butterflies to be seen in this area and, so far this year, very few either. Usually, on a quiet, sunny day I can see quite a few Peacocks, Red Admirals, Painted Ladies, Orange Tips and an array of Whites as we walk the tracks through the fields. I wanted to photograph them close-up but I'm not the fastest photographer on the planet and they never seem to want to stay put long enough for me to focus the camera. After nearly falling in the ditch trying to get a closeup of a bee on the comfrey and being caught up in the bramble patch I gave up empty handed but was rewarded back home with a Painted Lady on the stone chips near the front door!

At last, a Painted Lady butterfly.

I had searched the bank of brambles, but no luck.

Bees aplenty on the comfrey.

I also drew a blank among the Rosehip bushes on the bank.

My Veteran-Spencer, an update.

Yesterday, yet again, Spencer went Best Veteran in Show at Livingston C.S.Open Show.

This photo of him was taken last month when out on a walk up the glen.

Banff, Moray & Nairn Open Show.

My friend, Sue Gray (Gennasus) took this photo on a hot, sunny, very windy day after the Show in Lossiemouth. Swallow is not easy to photograph as she flits about ceaselessly, just like a true butterfly!

She ended up Best of Breed and 2nd in the Toy Group.

12 papillons were present in the classes.

Rape in the sky!

No, not that kind, but the crop from which rapeseed oil is produced!

It was a lovely day yesterday, although not nearly so warm as of late as I took 4 of the dogs down through the ripening rapefields. Luckily I don't suffer from hay fever.

This is my contribution to Skywatch and if you want to see more skies from around the world visit http://skyley.blogspot.com/

George and Swallow raced away ahead, down the track between the rape fields. The sweet, sickly perfume from its flowers is dying back a bit now as the flowers begin to fade.

This little snail must be a hardy little fellow as he was nearing the top of a thistle plant!

We came on this collection of beehives farther down but didn't approach any closer as I could see the bees buzzing around them. They have plenty rape flowers in the vicinity from which to produce their honey.

I have zoomed the camera on to the far side of the river Tay, where we can see the polytunnels used to grow the soft fruits, raspberries and strawberries, for which Tayside is famed.

George scrambles back up the steep banking after having a drink out of the ditch.

Across the rape field, in the distance, silage making for winter feed has begun.

The ponies have returned to their field in the village. They had gone for a few weeks to pastures new but now their grass here is lush and green again.

This tiny fledgling thrush must have fallen from a nest. I thought it was sure to be caught by a cat but today I saw it again briefly before it vanished in the undergrowth. I hope it survives. I did see a parent bird with food in its beak closeby.

Some of my garden flowers.

The trailing variety of petunia- the surfina is growing in troughs hanging from the front railings.

..and I need help here. I know the name of this fairly common flower, but as usual, I've had a "senior moment", one of many, and I just cannot recall what it is. They bloomed spectacularly, in pots, last year and come in a variety of colours and sizes. I just remember that it is a common, well known name!

P.S. ..of course it is................A Begonia (this is the double variety)!!! Thanks for the help.

The cheeky face of the pansy.

Chives (+ a fly!) grow abundantly in our garden.

..as do wild strawberries.

Lily of The Valley grows in the shade of the dyke.