Of gardening and cake...

...and hens and Button, of course...  Today has been another glorious day. It's unusual for the weather to be better than the rest of the UK.  But while many parts of the country are struggling with ice and snow, or grey skies and wind, we have blue skies, sunshine and warmth in the sun!  I was even gardening today in just TWO layers! In MARCH!  And no coat, hat or scarf!!  Extraordinary. And I'm making the most of it as I know the weather will change soon.  Meanwhile, I do spare a thought for those struggling under grey skies and snow..... honestly I do....

Anyway, this weekend I've been making the most of being outdoors and have started tidying up the garden after winter.  With hard frosts overnight it's still too early to plant out young plants and seedlings but I can turn over the soil at least, and cut back and clear borders.  Of course all this activity is accompanied by the hens....

And supervised by Button.... She's standing on the anti-hen, anti-cat cover...it's working well!

Cat's are just SOOOO curious!

I think she was hoping to be wheeled back to the house for dinner.... NO chance!

Meanwhile, after a little light digging, and lunch, it's time for a dust bath...

While I marvelled at the delicate flowers of pulmonaria (lungwort) just opening. This specimen was shipped in from Kent.  It's done surprisingly well!

And then it was time to retire to the house for Cake!  Coffee and walnut to be precise. Made this morning before venturing forth into the garden....

Mmmmm the best way to end a lovely day. And tonight the clocks go forward for British Summer Time!

Easter and Eggs....

No not the chocolate variety...REAL eggs.... the days are getting longer and with the additional daylight the hens should now be gearing up to laying eggs.  I had to have stern words with them this week. As you can see above, they were resting on their laurels!  I got ONE egg on Wednesday. Of course ALL the hens said it was theirs!  I told them I expected increased production given a) it was Spring and b) the amount of food I was giving them and c) they were getting supplementary worms from the garden too! Bah!! Young hens will lay throughout the winter but after the first year, as the light declines, so does egg production. I could put a light in the hen house and they would continue to lay, but I think they deserve a bit of a rest and to stay "under the duvet" for winter, much like myself!

Here is the first egg of the season.....

Fortunately yesterday and today I did get two eggs each day so perhaps they have been listening!!

Meanwhile the hens have been enjoying the sunshine like the rest of us in Orkney. While most of the UK is still under cloud, snow and ice, and suffering lengthy power cuts and struggling to keep livestock alive, we've been getting lovely blue skies. Cold, but sunshine and NO wind. It really lifts the spirits.  Easter is upon us, and although I don't celebrate it as a religious festival I do celebrate it as a Spring festival.

Today is "Good Friday", and a public holiday in most of the UK, but not in Orkney! I have no idea why.... however on Monday there IS a public holiday (known as Easter Monday) which we share with the rest of the UK.  I'm enjoying a few days off work and a chance to potter in the garden.

Here are some crocus from earlier today. Such delicate flowers I marvel at their resilience to the wind.

So Happy Easter to those of you that celebrate it.  Meanwhile I shall continue my egg hunt!

Supplies arrive!

Photo courtesy of Mick's webcam - the island in the distance with the wind turbine on is Flotta, about 15 miles away.

Our ferry was back in service yesterday, to Graemsay at least, and I got some urgently needed supplies delivered.... cat food (for Charlie in the barn), milk, and..... yes chocolate and biscuits!! And a neighbour got some Hot Cross Buns for me from town... yum toasted!!  So I am all set for the weekend....

I'm doing fine for cake - thanks for asking.  I usually have plenty of ingredients and can do *something* in the cake line in an emergency!  This one is a chocolate and orange cake (a Mary Berry Quick Cake recipe).

So - I'm all sorted for a day or two!  I don't think the problems have been solved with the ferry engines but at least we are getting some service back now.  Unfortunately Moaness, on Hoy, are still without some of the services but this time due to low tide.  So I shall be grateful for small mercies!

No boat today?

Our pier is empty today!  The above snap is from neighbour Mick's webcam which looks onto the pier. Actually it's a bright sunny day so I think the dark glowering effect of the sky is due to sun on the camera. Love the effect of the sun on the sea though.

But our ferry has a broken engine. Not sure how serious but no boats this morning and others today under review.  The island children get an extra day off school - I'm sure they are not complaining! And of course, no post, and no groceries from the town or other cargo delivery.

We've not done too badly this winter with cancellations. Though the boat hasn't gone to Moaness on Hoy so often. We seem to be getting lots of East winds (usually the prevailing wind is Westerly), which is not good for our pier and even worse for the Moaness pier.  Ah well - the joys of living on an island!

Hopefully the problem with the engines will be resolved soon and our boat will be running tomorrow.  Otherwise I might need to ask the coastguard to drop chocolate!!  It is nearly Easter after all and not an Easter Egg in the house!! Wah!!!

Yes it's still cold....

No excuses for not blogging. Except I got kind of bored of going on about the weather.  It's still cold but at least we don't have the awful snow and ice that other parts of the UK are suffering under.  It's just cold.  Last week we also had a strong to gale force East wind - direct from Siberia.... so it was perishingly cold! Button and I hibernated..... however today the wind dropped and the sun came out so, as you can see above, Button and I took a bit of a walk on the beach!

The days ARE getting longer - next Sunday is the start of British Summer Time (pah!). Sunrise this morning was at 5.59 am and sunset at 6.36pm..... It was the vernal equinox when there was supposed to be equal amounts of night and day. I have NO idea...I was hibernating at the time....

But this evening it was lovely to go for a walk after work and before dinner. (I stop work at 6pm).  It was too cold to stay out long so I resisted the temptation to run along the sand...

And instead went for a walk along the shell beach, the remains of the old burned out wooden boat still hanging on after the winter gales...

Button enjoyed a brief hunt for mice and voles....

While I gazed over to Stromness where work on the pier is moving apace. Lots of sounds of thumps as piles are driven into the seabed to hold the new pier....

The sun shone on the West Mainland.....

And then we turned for home and dinner, as a shower crossed the bay....

Note....sorry for the oddly shaped photos. I have a speck of dust on the inside of the camera lens which is causing problems and me lots of grief!.....sigh....

A light dusting of snow...

Another busy week but thought I'd share these pictures with you. A light dusting of snow each day for the last couple of days. Disappears once the sun has been on it a while. Ooooh I love the warmth I feel in the sun again now!

Snow on the beach!

And the lambs keep coming....

Sadly the old cockerel died this morning. He'd been unwell for a couple of days. I kept putting him in a hay lined nesting box but he kept getting out to sit with his "girls".  Found him "asleep" this morning at the feet of his girls. They, of course, were quite unconcerned and just wanted their breakfast when I went in. Poor old fella.

Pier Arts Exhibition....

Well someone is messing with time again - it's speeded up!  A whole week since I last posted...how did that happen?  The Walrus has left our shores, a pod of Orca whales were spotted between Graemsay and the island of Hoy....and it snowed... yes Winter has returned. To be expected but unwelcome in THIS house!

Anyway, I realised I hadn't shared some of the photos I took of the latest Pier Arts exhibition in Stromness. This exhibition is of work by Orkney's Arts Graduates from 2011 to 2012. Students who are from Orkney and have been working on art degrees at Universities around Scotland.  I went to this exhibition with Leslye Budge of Longhope, Hoy, also an artist. I loved getting her insight into the process and the work these young artists have put together.  So - here are a selection. Unfortunately I managed to mislay my notes on who did what which is outrageous for the artists....sorry!  But I'm sure you will agree it's a magnificent display from a very talented bunch.  I treated myself to a piece of jewellry by Marion Foulis. No photos as the glass reflected the lights too much and didn't do justice. But take a look at her blog.

These paws had a slightly sinister feel to them....not sure why....

Such a range of different media were used.  This was one of my favourites - partially worked on a 3D printer. Now THAT blows my mind!

These photos were part of artwork submitted by a local artist AND Musician.  Hmm think her name is Louise Bichan









I loved these designs, particularly the one on the left - and no I don't have the figure for it!

These boxes were made individually and contain pottery with old photographs and mementos embedded.










I love these fabrics, delicate leaves and tracery on the fabric

And this sculpture was also one of my favourites. Very organic. And there were accompanying photos of these sculptures placed in the landscape.

Meanwhile upstairs there was an exhibition of work from the local primary schools, called the "Peedie Pier" (peedie means small in Orcadian).  Again there was a great display and I'm sure some of these kids will be exhibiting "downstairs" in the future.

I love the gallery space. Upstairs are the permanent exhibits, a large number are from Barbara Hepworth, Ben Nicholson and their group.  This one shows the gallery off - lots of glimpses through the gallery to draw the eye and the feet! The sculpture in the case is unmistakably a Barbara Hepworth.....

A Walrus in Orkney????

Yes! Apparently..... it's on one of the more Northerly of the Orkney islands, North Ronaldsay.  First one in over 100 years - they are not normally this far South.  This one looks like a young male and appears healthy. Some photos are available here (North Ronaldsay Bird Observatory Blog)

As Lewis Carroll wrote in "The Walrus and the Carpenter"...

"The time has come, the Walrus said, to talk of many things, of shoes and ships and ceiling wax, of cabbages and kings, of why the sea is boiling hot, and whether pigs have wings."

Aye well, the folk of Orkney are talking about a walrus at the moment!

More signs of Spring....

The weather continues to be extraordinarily calm and quiet with sunshine and there is warmth in the sun!  Time to take a look at the garden which is abandoned over the winter. Lots of tidying up to do and it was lovely to start digging the gorgeous black earth again.  As you can see, the hens enjoyed this further sign of Spring too!

Meanwhile Button looks on at a safe distance, supervising the work....

It's still many weeks before I can think of planting seeds. In Orkney it's not wise to start planting much before the end of April.  But a girl can dream... and I've been buying veggie seeds in preparation....

The miniature iris/crocus are flowering under the shelter of the willow trees....

And sheep are being moved .  Mum and daughter leading the way for the flock (while Dad and younger brother take up the rear in the car!!!!). And in the distance farm tractors continue with muck spreading...

We make the best of the weather when it's fine. It could be snowing next week!  But the days are definitely getting longer with sunrise at 07.05 and sunset at 17.41. And at the end of March the clocks spring forward and we get the lighter early evenings too. One of my favourite times!!