Spring Sunset

We've had poor weather the last couple of weeks, chilly, breezy, heavy rain, low temperatures. However now Spring does seem to be emerging. The temperatures have lifted, some blue skies and sunshine, and the rain has made Graemsay green again. The fields and gardens are beginning to get that lovely vibrant lush spring flush of grass. Last night I managed to catch the sun before it sank below the clouds.

I've planted tatties, onions, carrots and broad beans in the garden, and have courgettes and marrows in pots in the conservatory, but have got behind with planting out the peas. However it amazes me how quickly things do grow once they get started. Nothing will grow much till the earth warms up a bit anyway. Though the garden is a bit of a sun trap so the veggie border is beginning to warm up.

Here is a lone pansy that self seeded among the flagstones of the Old Post Office (which ajoins the house). I rescued it and potted it up as it would get squished being near the doorway - I use the Old Post Office is used as a shed now. The "new" Post Office is located down at the Lighthouse where the "Post Mistress" lives. Yes Graemsay has it's own post office, though only open a few hours a week but the service is excellent! We even have our own postman who collects outgoing mail from the post box in the middle of the island, and collects the incoming mail from the boat each morning (Mon-Fri) and delivers to each household. Orkney along with other rural areas is constantly striving to keep open rural post-offices and so far Graemsay has held on to ours!