November weather....

 There's a lot of weather about this weekend!  One of the many gales we get at this time of the year.  Though the really bad ones are in January and February.  But last night was a bit noisy with winds in excess of 50mph with gusts much more.  The wind direction was north-westerly so it wasn't too noisy for me to get to sleep.  I leave the radio on when it's very windy which helps.

Lots of rainbows between heavy showers. I was out filling up bird feeders when I spotted the one above.

The days are getting shorter now, sunrise is 07.45 and sunset about 16.08.  But there have been some lovely late afternoon skies....

Lenticular clouds forming over Hoy High lighthouse.... I was hopeful of spaceship clouds but they didn't materialise.  Now that would have made a good picture. 

Clouds over the old croft of Windbreck

Big clouds between Graemsay and Stromness

A solitary beast (can't tell whether cow or steer from here!), while sun lights the valley through to Rackwick on Hoy.

Rain showers between Graemsay and Hoy.  Scarratain, a traditional Orkney house with a turf roof on the foreground.

A choppy sea this morning when I went to check on the hens in their wee house!

And finally, Button snoozing.  She's on some medication now as I had noticed she had lost her "spring". She takes stairs slowly and one at a time. She also needs little steps to get onto the sofa and bed, where  before she was up in a single bound  But she will be 16 in January so she's still doing pretty well!  After consultation with the vet she's on anti-inflammatory meds.  Thankfully in a liquid so it gets mixed with food.  She's fine "in herself" - still vocal, still going out, eating and drinking ok.  Just more of a ground-level cat at the moment!   And I can report an improvement even after a week!  Still not springing up, but actively trotting, and even ran across the grass today.  So hopefully she at least feels a little more comfortable.