Where does the time go?

I know we all say that.  February seems to be racing past!  I'm really busy with work right now, working part time for one University plus some freelance work for another. I'm really enjoying the work (I'm a health researcher), but it does eat into my free time!  Still the days are getting longer and despite some wintry gales and rain we are still faring better than the South and South West of England. My thoughts are with everyone there - I noticed this week all the news-hounds had obviously moved on, but the devastation will last weeks or months yet and I do feel for folk affected.

Anyway - yet again, here are some photos of a walk with Button along the shore!  I'm full of good intentions of walking further but I've been unable to sneak out the house without Madam Button, and I don't want to take her too far from home and into the domain of the other island cats.  So we stick to the beach near home for now.....

I like to try and get out each day for some proper fresh air. I may not go far, but 20 to 30 minutes along the shore is a wonderful tonic and a good break, plus the opportunity for some vitamin D!  Although I work from home I do tend to keep fairly regular hours of working 10 to 6 Monday to Friday. This is partly as I work with other teams and they work regular hours, and partly I am neither an early bird, nor a late owl these days, and in order to get all my work done I keep fairly conventional hours.....but....I also get to walk on the beach :-)

And I apologise for not responding to comments for a while - I LOVE hearing from folk, but I just don't seem to have the energy to reply by the end of the day - sorry, but thanks for commenting...

Anyway, here are some more pictures of a walk along the shore with Madam Button this week (between windy days, and showers).

The old stone pier down at the shore, the sea so still and calm....

A pair of Oystercatchers enjoying some respite from the wind too....

A young gull, some ducks and more oystercatchers.  The Wind Turbines on the hill standing out clearly (click on the photo to enlarge it - honestly there ARE wind turbines in this photo!).

The two black largish birds are shags, who have to stand with their wings out to dry as they don't have oil on their feathers like other sea birds.

Stones thrown up during recent storms, nestle among the more solid rocks. The water is so clear!

And yes I went paddling!! Kept my boots on though .....

Meanwhile Madam Button likes to alarm me by living life on the edge....

I try and ignore her as I'm sure she does it on purpose to frighten me...

On the way back I stop to admire the delicate crocus. It amazes me that they manage to survive our strong winds.... though they do get some shelter from the willows here.

And among the willows some dwarf daffodils.....

And the buds on the willows are starting to get all fluffy too.....

And recent rain has revealed more old crockery by the dry stane dyke (stone wall)....must get out there with a bucket!

I certainly need to pick up the glass as the hens love wandering around here....  Speaking of which, the cockerel wants his photo taken too...  Handsome chap, though he may have to be - um - dealt with soon as I don't want any unexpected chicks or a population explosion again this year!

He followed us home - excuse the salt covered windows! No point in washing them till Spring as they are dirty again with the wind, salt and sand within a couple of days.  Well that's my story!  Not sure if he wanted more photos taken or dinner!

Meanwhile out the back of the house, the Hoy High Lighthouse looked very dramatic against a darkening sky

And on past Stromness the renewable energy "sea snake" was on it's way out to Billia Croo for more testing.

Right - time for tea and a curl up with a good book and Button, ah a nice relaxing Saturday afternoon.....

Out and about....

....but not that far! Yup more "along the shore" I'm afraid.... this time I didn't go far as I'm recovering from a head cold.  You know how it is, nothing serious but you feel horrid. Anyway, getting out in the fresh air was good.  Above - you can see the Hoy Hills hiding under the duvet...

Pottering along the shore.....

With shells.....

And an old creel

And an old boat, which was burned on the shore a couple of years ago is still a favourite subject .....

I love the texture of the burned wood....

And the old metal lying in the boat too make a good subject....

And of course Button has to get in the picture.....actually she was trying unsuccessfully all the time I was taking these shots.....sigh...

Of course if I'm in one place for very long the hens have a habit of finding me too....

This hen is actually very tame but she does look rather fierce.

Here the "ladies" are enjoying taking the air too on a still calm day in front of their henny hoose. It was cold, and a bit grey but NOT windy.

This is the wonderful lichen that is growing on one of the fence posts....

The newly painted Hamnavoe ferry was coming round the corner too.....

Meanwhile Button was stalking along the roof at the front of the house - bored with my "faffing about" taking pictures!

And then here comes the Hamnavoe as she sails towards Stromness

Hail Showers...

No snow this winter to speak of (shhhh don't tell anyone!), but a few days ago there were some heavy hail showers that gave a dusting of snow onto the top of Ward Hill on Hoy.

The sun was soon shining again and it didn't last long....

But folk in the South West of England have been having a terrible time, as have those in Wales too, with high seas, storm force winds, and torrential rain. Swathes of the county of Somerset have been underwater for weeks. There seems to be no end to the storms coming in off the Atlantic either. For once we seem to be escaping the worst of the weather. Yes it's windy and persistant wind which gets tiresome, but we kind of expect that in Orkney and we've only had a few of the damaging storm force winds, though we are getting used to cancelled ferries and needing to keep supplies well stocked.  For those outside the UK who might not have heard of the dreadful weather there's a good article here (thanks to B. a US friend for pointing this out)...click here.

Signs of Spring?

OK it's really far too early to be thinking of Spring, but there are wee signs that Winter may be passing. Though I've lived in Orkney long enough to know that Nature can throw anything at us at any time, and last Spring was colder than the Winter I think!

However in the garden are the dwarf Narcissus above - growing in among the willow trees. I fear they may suffer when the South Easterly gales return but for now they are getting ready to bloom.  And the crocus in the garden are doing the same. These are such delicate flowers that it is always a joy to me when the buds do finally open. Though not only do they have to put up with the wind, salt spray, and sand, but also the hens tramping all over them too.  I feel sorry for new plants in my garden! I often feel like apologising when I plant them!

Indoors I cheated and bought a bunch of daffodils from Tesco when I was in town on Friday. They were tight buds when purchased but after an hour in the house they were bursting forth beautiful blousy flowers.

This reminds me of a pale yellow party dress I had as a child. It was my favourite, though yellow on a child with bright red hair was possibly not the kindest colour ;-)

I love to watch the buds unfurling......

Meanwhile Button was enjoying the sun streaming through the window.... it's amazing that a cat is able to perfectly judge that the warmest spot is in the sun, on top of the underfloor heating, and NOT the fleecy blanket warmed by the underfloor heating..... though I think she got a wee bit warm after a while as she did then move!

Though that was probably more due to some supplies I had just unpacked from a box. What is it with cats and boxes??

And another sure sign that the year is moving forward is that the days are getting longer. Sunrise is at 08.02 today and sunset at 16.50. That's a whole 8 hours 48 minutes of daylight! Compared to 6 hours 8 minutes at mid-winter. Oh yes Spring is on her way!!

Here is the sun rising over South Ronaldsay....... the wee house in the foreground is Scarratain on Graemsay.

Along the shore reprise....

Ringed Plovers among the seaweed with
Stromness in the background.

These photos were actually taken before my trip to London. It was a beautiful bonny day, the sun shone and there was no wind.... I can just about remember it....sigh.... We are no being battered by gales, high seas, high tides and rain. Though not as badly as folk in the South West of England are.  Anyway I need reminding of sunshine so here are yet more photos of a daily walk with Button.

Button lets me take the lead and sometimes gets distracted by an interesting smell, or movement. She soon comes to find me though.

She leaves Button sized paw prints in the sand....

I suspect she was delayed watching the chickens who were also out enjoying the sun. This young cockerel had been rummaging in the old barn....

I loved the ripples along the shore - not even waves, just wonderful delicate ripples....

And another flock of plovers enjoying the peace.

The colour of the sea and sky were so beautiful it hurt my eyes....

Button waits patiently while I snap away with the camera....

Hee hee a wee rock trying out a new wig?

Hmm wonder what Button is thinking as she gazes out to sea?

Stromness looks so close! The ship in the harbour is an old cargo ship which was used while our Hamnavoe ferry was on refit. It only took 12 passengers and wouldn't sail if there was a puff of wind! But that's another story..  And look at those steep fields!

The Hoy Hills wearing a hat!

And the Northern Lighthouse Board vessel, the Pharos coming up the Flow.

Ah - I see it's going to do some work on the Bar Buoy which guards the shallow rocks (skerries) between Graemsay and Stromness. When the tide is really low I feel I could almost walk out to the Bar Buoy!