Summer days.....

Summer days in Orkney mean blue skies, warm temperatures, gales, rain, mist... just about anything really!  We are back to a more settled spell of weather at the moment, apparently.  So here are a few photos taken over the last week.

Above a yacht sailing in Hoy Sound, past Hoy High lighthouse. Nice day for a sail....

Madam Button finds the warmest spots in the garden.... always....

The hens have been laying well.  Though NOT in their proper nesting boxes. Typical!

Except for these two sisters who insist in squeezing into the SAME nest box at the SAME time to lay and egg... Sigh.....

The garden took a battering from the gales, the wind changed direction several times so managed to get most bits of the garden at some point.  This poor elder tree now has blackened leaves, and a lot of the perennials were damaged.  I'll chop the perennials back, give them a feed an hope for the best.

I'm leaving this ornamental grass for now.....

Though some of the borders and flowers have survived.

And even some fragile looking plants have survived where they were protected by others.

And my lone foxglove survived!!  So pleased about this!

Some lovely views from the garden of boats sailing past....

And an Oystercatcher was happy to have a rootle around the grass in front of the house after the rainfall.  Hopeful of worms I suppose.

There were some magnificent skies too......

And a gorgeous view from "up the road" at a neighbouring house.