Beach treasure

My favourite beach on Graemsay is known locally as the "shell beach". Although shells can be found on other parts of the island shore, this particular beach has layers of them, together with cold water coral. Beautiful! I love walking on the beach, largely because of the view and to hear the waves lapping the shore. I have to remind myself to look down at my feet and wonder at the myriad of sea creatures that once inhabited these tiny shells.



Some of these shells are so small!



Below are "Groatie Buckies", a local name for this tiny cowrie shell, which is supposed to bring luck to the finder. They are shown next to a 50p piece (if you don't know the UK currency then this won't mean much to you!)


And not forgetting the plants which grow on that in-between space of land and sea......

Just random.....

I went for a walk along the beach the other day - accompanied by Button of course. She is quite insistent that I "take the air" in the morning.

There are various large chunks of metal littering the shore, embedded in the sand. I like the texture and form of them among the seaweed, stones and shells.


This is the nameplate of an old wooden hull of a boat, lying on the shore near the old stone pier at Sandside. Again I like taking photos of the ageing wood, rusting metal and peeling paint.

Returning home I came across some crocus sheltering beneath the willows at the front of the house

Harbingers of Spring!

Snow Cat

Yesterday was beautiful with a thin layer of snow crunching beneath footfall. Button decided I needed to go for a walk with her. She has a very demanding tone which she uses as she stands outside the door - "Get your boots and coat on and get some fresh air, woman!" So we set off to to walk along the shore. Above is Sandside Bay, with snow dusting the Hoy Hills behind - looking all the world like a Christmas Pudding with a dusting of sugar - where's the Holly?

Below Button was finding it tedious that I kept stopping to take photos. This just goes to show that she has good thermal insulation - it's SNOW she is lying on not sand!


The tide was coming in and melting the snow. Fascinating to watch......


And Button clearly thought the above picture lacked some focus - so she provided it.....


Below are some oystercatchers keeping their feet out of the icy water - who can blame them


And - er - here is Button trying to work out how she can get to the aforementioned oystercatchers...... sigh..... she is far too curious for her own good!

I saw a sea shell on the sea shore.....

Lots of sea shells........ these are photos taken from the "shell" beach just below Sandside. It's my favourite beach with cold water coral mixing with the shells along the tide line and above.

The road is paved....

.....with good intentions as they say! I had planned to do more with my blog over the holiday, however have been fighting a virus so as you see...... didn't manage to post much!

Anyway above is sunset on Boxing Day. The sun has just sunk behind the Hoy Hills. The weather is still glorious for December. So still and calm! The reflection from the lights of Stromness reached the Graemsay shore last night. It was beautiful.

I went for a brief walk along the shore yesterday and noticed that "the links" have taken a battering during the recent storms. The links are made up of sand and marram grass and I've noticed the erosion in the 8 years I've been here. I've heard stories that years ago the links were flat and wide and wedding marches would process along the top of them. Now in places you'd have to tightrope walk along a ridge and clamber up and down gullies.

I am fascinated by the way the landscape is constantly shaped by the elements, but it will be a shame when/if the links finally disappear. For one thing our "main" road runs by them. The council have talked for years about re-routing the road but who knows when it will happen.

Button has been enjoying the still nights and has been out for the whole night two nights running! I did give her a yell at 3am this morning when I was down making a cup of tea, but still no sign. She eventually rolled home at 7.45 demanding breakfast.....