Randomness....

It's been a dreich couple of days, with low grey skies, breezy and rain. So here are some pictures from the last week or so.

This set were taken by Mr W of Imperfect and Tense when he and Mrs W were out visiting Graemsay last weekend.   Above, Mrs W, myself and Madam Button take a walk along the shore.  Orkney Mainland in the background...

And Madam Button......

I think this is probably the most active they have seen her!

Button is somewhat distracted. I loved the crossed paws!   She's been watching too much "Strictly" (Strictly Come Dancing/Dancing with the stars)

A tree in my garden and looking over to the Lighthouse....

A better version of the lighthouse with moon than my blurry one earlier in this blog!

And a couple he took in the morning of the sunrise.  As sunrise isn't till after 9 Mr and Mrs W were in Stromness for the ferry in plenty of time to get these shots....  Both are very Turneresque.  The pictures, not Mr and Mrs W....

These are a few of mine.  Two from Stromness Harbour. I love the low light of Winter...

And the MV Graemsay sailing out of the harbour....

And these were taken through a car window (don't worry I wasn't driving!) looking over the Stenness Loch and towards the Hoy Hills....

High tide....

Not quite at the highest point of high tide but getting there.  As you will see, we still have grey skies, and some rain showers, but still NO WIND! And it is very mild, 10 degrees C which is amazing for Orkney at this time of year.  Not that we get much snow or frost, but usually the wind chill factor keeps temperatures down.  Sunrise is still after 9am (9.07) but sunset is getting later by a minute each day and is at 15.23. Yay!

No hunting for shells and treasures today as tide was coming high up the shore.... (I like Winter sunshine as I look tall. Hee hee!)

These 3 birds (shags or cormorants, not sure which) were hanging on till the last minute before they flew off. Obviously wanting a lie in. Well it is the Christmas Holidays...!

Eventually they take flight and join their pals.  You  can see the black heads bobbing in the water....

I set off a flock of curlews as I approached the pier....

The aforementioned pier - nearly underwater.....

Low cloud and incoming rain....  The sheep stay out all year, but the cattle have been taken off the fields now as they make quite a mess of the land and damage the grass for next year.

The grass reclaims the old buildings....

Definitely rain coming in...

The old Manse on the hill with the main road below it....

No shells today but some treasures from another day.....

Meanwhile in the garden one of my benches has been colonised by several varieties of lichens...

The stone dyke (wall) too. They are just gorgeous.

A positive forest of lichen.....

Sky.....

Feathery clouds

There is a lot of sky around in Orkney with low lying land and wide horizons..... great at any time of year.  Here are a few sky pix from December!

Sun rising over Hoy

More feathery clouds (taken from the "main road" on Graemsay.

The MV Graemsay sailing round to the pier on a calm day just before Christmas

More feathery clouds over Hoy

A sunset.....

And OK there's not much sky in these.... But the sunset is reflecting on the Orphir hills

And a close up of the hills, and "home".

A wee bit blurry but the full moon rising behind Hoy High lighthouse, with a fire burning on the Orkney mainland, hence the black smoke to the left!

Orkney, a Wonderland of Nature....

Sunrise over Hoy High Lighthouse by Charlie Groundwater

These photos are taken by others and used here with their permission.  Orkney has such an abundance of natural wonders...  so enjoy pictures of a few of them....

Graemsay from the Cuilags (Hoy) by Graham Campbell

By Graham Campbell

And while he was up on the hills he got some super photos of the mountain hares in their winter white.  Unfortunately there is rarely snow on the hills so they are rather obvious to any predators instead of being camouflaged!  Though they are always on the alert so not easy to photograph, unsurprisingly!

By Graham Campbell

And this is my favourite!  I just want to hug it!!

by Graham Campbell

Then in the Bay of Firth on the Orkney Mainland have been a pod of Common Dolphins.  Graham also took this photo...

By Graham Campbell

And wildlife cameraman, Raymond Besant, took this lovely short film of them.  You need to click here to view it.

And finally, also by Graham, some photos of the "Merrie Dancers" (Aurora, Northern Lights etc).

By Graham Campbell

By Graham Campbell

By Graham Campbell

I hope you enjoyed looking at these wonders of Orkney!

Boxing day

In the UK the day after Christmas is known as "Boxing Day". It grew from a tradition of employers giving staff gifts of food etc.  Now it is a public holiday, welcomed by many as respite after much gorging of food on Christmas day!  It is also St Stephen's Day, which no doubt has some special meaning in the Church calendar, as well as in a Christmas Carol (Good King Wensleslass last looked out etc....)

Anyway I had a lazy day today with a bit of a lie in as I had a late night (for me last night) as I was invited round to neighbours for the evening.  A good time was had by me at least!  We played some games in two teams and it was fun - well I would say that as the team I was on won all 3 games. Hee hee.

This morning I've done a few domestics and went for a brief walk to the coral beach with Button.  It's been a grey day with low cloud and some drizzle.  But still very mild and no wind so it was lovely to get some fresh air.  So here are a few pictures.... mostly of Button.....

The coral beach and a treasured "groatie buckie" - a tindy cowrie shell (bottom right, pink ribbed with a darker spot)

Still life, with Button....

Lichen on a garden bench (several varieties...)

I dare not mention d.i.e.t.....

Oooh this shrub looks interesting......

OK I'm going in..... (meanwhile I'm worried the branches won't hold her weight!)

OOOOOHHHHH!!!!! (how can the spikes not hurt her?)

Then back home for tea and the last of the Welsh cakes (me) and a nap (her).  And a moody sunset to mark the (early) end of a good day....