S'no snow

No snow as yet, though some is forecast for later in the week. It did seem odd watching the chaos of London in the snow on TV yesterday with not a flake on the ground up here in the North! The countryside does look as pretty as a picture when it is covered in snow but I do feel sorry for any animals out in it and it's not much fun for people a lot of the time either!

Anyway I was glad there was no snow on the ground today as I had my monthly acupuncture appointment in deepest Orphir on the Orkney Mainland and there is no chance of getting there if it's icy. I had a chance to do a bit of shopping in Stromness and stock up in case the weather turns bad again. I also took some quick snaps with my new camera but it was *so* cold I didn't hang about much.

The photo at the top of the page is taken in Stromness Harbour today, a very cold grey wintry day. The pier by the bright red shed where the school kids learn to handle small boats in the safety of the harbour. Sometimes in the summer you can see them out in yoles (old style of Orkney boat - bit like a rowing boat but with a sail and small motor) or in canoes or regular rowing boats. I just love the red tones of the shed against the Orkney stone. To the right of the red building is a black metal building and a stone building, both of which house the Pier Arts Centre. The church spire in the background is part of the Stromness Town Hall, a converted church now run by the local council as a community space. That's where we have our film club nights, and concerts and drama productions also take place there. Almost all the properties along the shore side of the town will have their own piers and some have boatsheds running down to the water.