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Tuesday, 25 December 2012

All is calm, all is quiet.....



It's been a lovely Christmas day, no wind, no rain.  I went for a walk along the shore this afternoon, listening to the calls of the curlews. I watched a heron take flight and land. Hundreds of geese took to the air in a cloud.  The sea gently lapping on the shore.  Wonderful.

I choose to spend Christmas on my own. I don't celebrate the religious significance of the season, for me it's more a mid-winter Festival. A time to reflect, rest, and of course, eat chocolate!

Last night it was nearly midnight when I went to bed and I saw the moon peeking through the window blind. So I pulled up the blind and went to sleep with the moon dancing off the water in the bay, silhouetting the Hoy Hills, and streaming through my window. I awoke to sunshine and luxuriated in being able to lie in bed with Button purring beside me, rather than feeling the need to rise to an alarm.  Though with Charlie the barn cat wanting breakfast and the hens no doubt tapping at the door, I didn't tary in bed!

Charlie having a (later than usual) Christmas Breakfast



The chickens glad of a calm day to get out and stretch their wings and legs....


The recent gales have heaped the seaweed in a bank by the shore


Water running off the field has gouged channels in the coral sand


And amazingly this is quite natural - the tide line with the seaweed neatly laid out in a straight line!


Now it's time to curl up on the sofa with a good book, a glass of wine and the smell of dinner cooking in the oven!

8 comments:

  1. Your Christmas Day sounds idyllic, Sian, and I wish you a very merry midwinter! This moment around the solstice when the Earth seems to hold its breath is always magical, I think. May the ferry never fail to bring you fresh chocolate supplies!
    All the best from the DB family.

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    1. Thanks DB. Hope you had a lovely Christmas time with you family too. I think the earth is exhaling today - gales and rain again! Or maybe she's got a cold and is coughing and sneezing??! Some ferry cancellations today but thankfully "Santa" brought me lots of chocolate ;-)

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  2. You have made your day sound idyllic!
    Best of the Season to you!

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    1. And to you too! I know I'm a bit eccentric - but I do enjoy my own company and am quite happy having a relaxing day all to myself - well me and the cats and hens! There's a time for socialising and a time for solitude :-)

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  3. Isn't it luxurious to lounge in bed all snuggled up with kitty(s)? I awoke up to SNOW! -- (the weather prognosticators said it would miss us, but it didn't!) Glad you had a quiet day. I had my favorite kind of Christmas, spent with family and my BFF. We drank red wine and ate too much, and laughed, and were all together again for one more year.

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    1. Sounds like you had a lovely day too! And snow - ooooh loverly. A PROPER Christmas! Back to gales and rain here I'm afraid.

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  4. I'm glad you had such a lovely quiet Christmas after all the island festivities, Sian. I envy you your weather - it's been dire down here. Sigh....

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    1. Sorry the weather is so poor for you.... I tried bottling some sunshine but it escaped!

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