tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496522256748038434.post3086804731190275727..comments2024-03-18T17:15:39.964+00:00Comments on Life on (nearly) a Small Island: Made it through the first storm...Sianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13827449325297069660noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496522256748038434.post-62619324179671033562015-01-13T21:37:32.973+00:002015-01-13T21:37:32.973+00:00Fortunately I am now nice and warm - though it'...Fortunately I am now nice and warm - though it's snowing outside! Hope you manage OK with the Winter too. I think you get far more extreme weather in the US than we do in the UK. We just talk about it more!Sianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15086990153239265950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496522256748038434.post-15570030235827508552015-01-13T21:36:13.907+00:002015-01-13T21:36:13.907+00:00Hmm no I decided bed was FAR more comfortable! Au...Hmm no I decided bed was FAR more comfortable! Audio books and ear phones helped me sleep. Button was happy with the sofa to herself too!Sianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15086990153239265950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496522256748038434.post-41268444890549933512015-01-13T21:35:50.078+00:002015-01-13T21:35:50.078+00:00In some ways, Sian, but the valley is very wide an...In some ways, Sian, but the valley is very wide and open, so we still catch the wind when it's from the south-west. :)Perpetuahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01214396019726161983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496522256748038434.post-45075860642234727182015-01-13T21:34:50.790+00:002015-01-13T21:34:50.790+00:00Oh I would be beside myself if Button stayed out! ...Oh I would be beside myself if Button stayed out! She's too keen on her home comforts to do that deliberately though. I always think of Charlie in the barn, but he has plenty of hay to keep him warm and he CHOSE to move out and live in the barn and seems happy there. <br /><br />No mobile phone or internet -arrggh! Now that IS a challenge! Hope you were able to stay warm without electricity?<br /><br />I think quite often you get it far worse in the West than we do. It seems to have lost a bit of energy often by the time it gets to us....Sianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15086990153239265950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496522256748038434.post-24260431038082866992015-01-13T21:32:23.408+00:002015-01-13T21:32:23.408+00:00Hope the weather is kind to you. Think you are for...Hope the weather is kind to you. Think you are forecast snow for a few days. Take care!Sianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15086990153239265950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496522256748038434.post-49814382306083886402015-01-13T21:31:19.199+00:002015-01-13T21:31:19.199+00:00Oh my goodness she did! I saw the photos on your b...Oh my goodness she did! I saw the photos on your blog. So sad to see those big trees down..... Orkney has few trees due to the wind..... they are precious..Sianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15086990153239265950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496522256748038434.post-6876629492812673012015-01-13T21:28:44.996+00:002015-01-13T21:28:44.996+00:00The cat I had before Button used to snuggle up to ...The cat I had before Button used to snuggle up to me in a storm and we'd be quietly terrified together. Button gives me a distainful look - she's not into cuddles. So I have to get on with it! Hope things are OK with you as I know the Storm was heading over your way too.Sianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15086990153239265950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496522256748038434.post-48609959753800415222015-01-13T21:27:12.399+00:002015-01-13T21:27:12.399+00:00Ha! If only ;-)Ha! If only ;-)Sianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15086990153239265950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496522256748038434.post-17573917733039868582015-01-13T21:26:57.496+00:002015-01-13T21:26:57.496+00:00Hmm I'm probably being a bit of a drama queen,...Hmm I'm probably being a bit of a drama queen, but it was wild!Sianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15086990153239265950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496522256748038434.post-81685108354915750302015-01-13T21:26:29.339+00:002015-01-13T21:26:29.339+00:00Yes I've been seeing various video of the big ...Yes I've been seeing various video of the big ferry on Facebook going out of the Flow and it looks hideous. NO amount of money would have got me on that! Sianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15086990153239265950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496522256748038434.post-28749855714887861352015-01-13T21:25:21.726+00:002015-01-13T21:25:21.726+00:00That was so kind of you to go and get the cats mor...That was so kind of you to go and get the cats more food in such awful weather! I have managed to stock up on cat and hen food and can order in supplies before it runs out. I find as long as I have enough food for the hens and cats I can survive on just about anything! I have a well stocked freezer and tins too, but the animals must have their "special" food!<br /><br />I'll have to look up Beefmasters online. The island cattle are often bred from the continental bulls (such as simmental, charolais) and there are Aberdeen Angus on the island too.<br /><br />Take care too and lovely to hear from you! I intend to keep blogging - sometimes the mind is willing but the body is too darned tired!Sianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15086990153239265950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496522256748038434.post-43623089100108089882015-01-13T21:22:14.312+00:002015-01-13T21:22:14.312+00:00Thanks! I feel better having caught up on sleep n...Thanks! I feel better having caught up on sleep now! (As does Button)...Sianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15086990153239265950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496522256748038434.post-18155914613636392702015-01-13T21:21:49.346+00:002015-01-13T21:21:49.346+00:00The worst of a storm usually lasts a day, but our ...The worst of a storm usually lasts a day, but our gales can go on for three days! This current spell was actually two storms, one on the heels of another. Chicago has seriously severe weather I understand. Particularly cold, ice and snow! Our climate is very mild in comparison. We just moan about it a lot ;-)Sianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15086990153239265950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496522256748038434.post-91758521219310001742015-01-13T21:20:31.594+00:002015-01-13T21:20:31.594+00:00Ah - the Barrel of Butter is the name of a tiny we...Ah - the Barrel of Butter is the name of a tiny wee (uninhabited) island with a bit of a grisly history. In the days when seal hunting was legal, local residents paid a barrel of butter to the landlord to be able to hunt seals from it. Ugh.... the name stuck and it's the nearest weather station to Graemsay.<br /><br />Hope you are doing OK in the winds too! Sianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15086990153239265950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496522256748038434.post-36878135146254083402015-01-13T21:18:22.342+00:002015-01-13T21:18:22.342+00:00Brr I hope temperatures have warmed up for you! I...Brr I hope temperatures have warmed up for you! I don't think I'm brave at all! Living on my own I just have to get on with it really. And I know help is at hand if I really needed it. Neighbours are very good.Sianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15086990153239265950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496522256748038434.post-65387548765074642822015-01-13T21:17:21.876+00:002015-01-13T21:17:21.876+00:00The power linesmen (and women) are magnificent wor...The power linesmen (and women) are magnificent working in such awful conditions. They've had the most awful trouble on the West coast and Western Isles from what I hear. They've been kept busy in Orkney too! <br /><br />Our 2nd gale was much quieter and kept to herself so we all slept better. Hope the same was true for you too! Sianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15086990153239265950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496522256748038434.post-63030090787637646582015-01-13T21:15:29.766+00:002015-01-13T21:15:29.766+00:00Are you finding your new home more sheltered than ...Are you finding your new home more sheltered than your old? Hope the forecast snow doesn't cause you too many problems!Sianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15086990153239265950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496522256748038434.post-2143833999342250862015-01-13T21:14:51.174+00:002015-01-13T21:14:51.174+00:00Now tornados are SERIOUSLY scary I would think! I...Now tornados are SERIOUSLY scary I would think! I have a number of US friends who are bemused how the UK is so focused on the weather as we rarely have extremes of weather! I gather some cats get all bouncy on windy days and sometimes can "predict" the wind coming. Button - she mostly sleeps through it, though if it's very noisy she gets unsettled.Sianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15086990153239265950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496522256748038434.post-27348773642015502922015-01-13T21:11:17.822+00:002015-01-13T21:11:17.822+00:00Sometimes it's worse in towns and villages as ...Sometimes it's worse in towns and villages as the streets act as wind tunnels! And there's more stuff to blow about. Hope you were OK and thanks for commenting! And Yes the chickens are fine I think. They're getting lots of extra food to compensate for not so much time out.Sianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15086990153239265950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496522256748038434.post-15439951876180174822015-01-13T21:08:35.498+00:002015-01-13T21:08:35.498+00:00By the end of the winter I get used to sleeping th...By the end of the winter I get used to sleeping through gales! But the really bad ones are tough to deal with....Sianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15086990153239265950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496522256748038434.post-74917790015119737472015-01-13T21:07:44.589+00:002015-01-13T21:07:44.589+00:00Yes the ladies were all present and correct! Thou...Yes the ladies were all present and correct! Though one of the older hens is looking a little unwell tonight so I tucked her into a nice hay bed. Sianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15086990153239265950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496522256748038434.post-32861547699412428582015-01-13T21:06:50.043+00:002015-01-13T21:06:50.043+00:00Yes they often get it worse than us. Lots without...Yes they often get it worse than us. Lots without electricity for some days I think. Brrr...Sianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15086990153239265950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496522256748038434.post-66962833822375678792015-01-12T13:45:11.917+00:002015-01-12T13:45:11.917+00:00I shivered as I read your post. I hope you are ba...I shivered as I read your post. I hope you are back blogging soon.Andrea Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04991540159572449400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496522256748038434.post-70345313354930202012015-01-12T03:47:55.110+00:002015-01-12T03:47:55.110+00:00Stay safe and warm. It sounds like you and Button ...Stay safe and warm. It sounds like you and Button may share the sofa again if the storm continues.Terra https://www.blogger.com/profile/04396481049075747940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496522256748038434.post-33134577278767898662015-01-11T16:50:26.597+00:002015-01-11T16:50:26.597+00:00Yes, your description of the wind is perfect, we d...Yes, your description of the wind is perfect, we didn't sleep much, and one of my 3 cats was out, so I was worried about her, they do have a shed to sleep in, so at least that's something, we had a few slates off, no electric for half a day, no mobile phone or internet for 3 days, just back on. Still wild out there now! x (South Uist)forties@hearthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02755112879921579437noreply@blogger.com