Winter light.....

Above is a benign sky with a gentle Winter sunset behind the hills of Hoy.  The last couple of days have been wonderful. NO wind, not even a breeze.  A rain shower today with rain falling vertically. I'd forgotten it could do that! I have got used to rain spitting horizontally through keyholes, and drenching mean like a bucket of cold water thrown over me.......  so I made the most of the calmer weather (wind getting up already for next gale) and went for a wander around the shore.  Yes it's the same bit of shore as always - there is a reason for this....well two reasons.... 1) - Button likes to come for a walk and I'm loathe to take her too far from home ground and 2) - I'm lazy ;-)

The light at this time of year can be very "flat" and blue/grey......

The waves have been throwing these boulders around like toys....

Button warily regards the waves rushing in.....

The old pier has taken a battering too....

An old creel for catching partans (crabs) has been washed up on the shore....

Stromness in the distance.... shells and coral strewn along the shore.....

The waves washing over the end of the old Sandside pier....

White water off the pier....

Teetering on the brink!

A black and white photo of a black and white cat! (Button of course!)

Buildings about to tumble onto the shore....

This ruined croft house really IS teetering on the brink!

Ah there's that old creel again.....

Remains of the old wooden boat that was burned on the shore last year....

Old bales, old buildings, old pier....

One of the many sparrows around the garden.....

Buds on the willow trees just waiting for Spring!

And the girls enjoying the grass in the garden!  I let everything die back in the garden in winter. I rarely even go in there myself except to put food out for the wild birds.  Everything takes a battering from the salt spray, sand and wind that it seems cruel to try and grow plants for winter! So I stick to perennials or hardy shrubs and everything dies back for Winter ready to grow anew in Spring. But the hens get shelter from the wind in here so they love rootling about among the dead leaves, and grass.

And one hen has started laying again. Yes!  Maybe Spring is not too far away...?

The Nativity ..... a little late!

Due to storms, wind, rain, lightning and hail our island nativity play was postponed till a quieter time after Christmas. So on a fairly benign afternoon we all gathered in our wee community hall.  Irene (who used to be the teacher on the island) organises this each year, so it's a surprise for parents as well as the rest of the audience.  She and the children did a great job again this year!  Here are a few photos of the event.....

The audience gathered to sing carols....

Music was provided by Irene and young Andrew.....

Here come Mary and Joseph (baby jesus making an unexpectedly early appearance...).

Baby Jesus - head first into the manger....

The shepherds then arrive on the scene....

The Angel Gabriel shows up...

Joe took the part of the Narrator.....

A young "King" is afraid she might miss her cue.... (Think she looks more like Hiawatha!)

Meanwhile a young shepherd is trying to make his big sister "Mary" giggle...

The Star in the East (hmmm think it was in the North West actually but nobody minded).....

"We three Kings...." a quick change for "Gabriel", and a cardboard cut-out required as we ran out of children!

"Mum, Mum, can you see me, I'm a King!"

Time for the bows at the end.... "Mary" insists Baby Jesus sits up to take a bow too!!

While "Joseph" shows everyone that "Mary" hasn't quite got the knack of swaddling yet as Jesus's trousers are falling down!!   

Nativity plays are just priceless!  Thanks Irene for another great performance from yourself and the children!

PS When the children sang "Away in a Manger" I had a tear in my eye and I don't *do* Christmas!

Happy New Year!

Yesterday the weather was cold, wet and windy but I still made it over to Stromness for lunch with friends. A lovely way to end 2013.  Then last night it was up to the farm where A. and C. were hosting the Hogmanay party.  All the folk on the island that were fit and well, plus their visitors, were gathered for Midnight and wishing each other a Happy New Year.  Lots of lovely food (mince, clapshot, plus a lovely buffet, mulled wine and lots of other alcohol) made for a lovely evening.  I'm not a night owl these days so headed for home at 12.30 while the party was still in full swing.

Today I did one of my favourite things - headed to the beaches with Button.  It's been a glorious day, chilly, with a light breeze, but brilliant sunshine.  So do join me on my new year walk!

The beach is strewn with tangles and seaweed from the recent storms....

And oystercatcher's were feeding among the seaweed and along the shoreline.

I love the sun glinting on the wet sand....

This old pier was built around 1860 when the lighthouses were built - it was used to bring the stone for the lighthouses over from the Point of Ness in Stromness.The old buildings are part of the "steading" of Sandside (farm buildings) which were once homes too - low croft houses.

Button is not too keen on wet paws....

And eventually sits somewhere dry and waits....

Meanwhile I was fascinated watched the gentle ripples on the shore - so different to the crashing waves during the storms....

See "home" is quite close to the shore..... did I mention I live next door to a lighthouse? ;-)

Then it's a scramble up the dunes to head to the shell beach.... Um... Button has to wait patiently while I scramble up - she, of course, just needed two bounds to get to the top.....sigh....

The old steading..... note to self to take more pix of these lovely old buildings.....

And onto the shell beach..... Button not caring about the finer points of "artistic" photography and gets in every shot....

The old pier wears the seaweed like a skirt....

It hangs on through all the little crevices....

An artistic shot of an old winch.... had to edit Button out of this one too!

Lots of shells strewn across the beach!

And then back to the house for tea and cake..... meanwhile the hens are having a dust bath just outside the garden!

Happy New Year to everyone and may 2014 turn out to be one of the best for us all!  I'll leave you with a short video taken down at the shore this afternoon, with the sound of the gentle waves, the breeze, a curlew and a grumpy Button meowing because I'm taking too much time doing "arty" stuff *again*!