Another October Day...

Today we have had some respite from the wind and rain, but as I type I can hear the wind getting up again. That is the nature of Autumn and Winter in Orkney (and indeed Spring and Summer sometimes!).  Our ferry is still having technical problems and some sailings are cancelled. The high winds don't help either! There are some days in Winter when the ferry can't get out to us, but the Hoy Sound is more sheltered than other stretches of water in Orkney, so generally the boat sails. Though it can depend on wind direction, state of tide etc. and some days you really would not want to be sailing on it! Generally if the weather is bad I'll check first to make sure that not only can I leave the island but that I can get home again too!  If it's thought the weather will be particularly bad, the parents of the children will be advised not to send them into school. I think most of the children have relatives on the Orkney Mainland so in an emergency they can stay with them if the were to get stranded.

Above you can see a neighbour's cattle enjoying some Autumn sunshine in my field behind the house. OK the sky is grey but the sun was coming in and out, honest! They certainly seem to appreciate the grass in the field!

Meanwhile the mother hen is still clucking around her new brood.  I know this floor doesn't look that clean and I've dumped some oatmeal for them, but she will insist on keeping them there so what can I do! I moved her last week,with some help, to a more cosier base and she promptly removed them! So I shall leave her well alone now!

Meanwhile poor Charlie the barn cat has to be fed above ground level so that the 40 or so chickens don't bully him into letting them eat his food!

Button, of course, is not that happy about the wind and rain as it curtails her outdoor adventures. I've started putting the underfloor heating on so she has taken to napping under a chair where the carpet is warm. Her pose below makes me smile.  I suppose some days are tougher than others!!

And in this photo you can see why she was called "Buttons" by her former owners. Her eyes look like two bright green buttons!