Black is SO over-rated....

Photo courtesy of Magicseeweed.com

Folk say that people in the UK are obsessed with the weather. Hmmm in Orkney we are obsessed with the wind..... speed, direction, tide.....

And for any readers not sure where Graemsay is - at the moment we are wearing purple to the right of the North of Scotland.... I always liked purple..... but not on a weather chart....

Preparing for the storm....

I got all my supplies for Christmas in yesterday, so today I've been working as well as making sure all hatches are battened.  We've already had hail showers, with thunder and lightning. I've been racing to unplug the internet modem at every rumble!

The skies have been quite dramatic today but it has barely got light. These photos were taken from an upstairs window at 2.30 this afternoon.

Though things were a bit brighter at 10am this morning.

The hens are hopefully comfortably settled in their hen house.  They have had to be kept shut indoors in most of the UK since 6th December by order of DEFRA as a prevention measure due to fears of transmission of avian flu from migrating birds to domestic poultry. Sadly the two cockerels had to be "despatched" as they would have fought in the hen house, and the girls are more settled without a cockerel around.

They have lots of straw, as well as roosts.  The hen house is a reasonable size with natural light (I'm about a 3rd of the way down it taking this photo). They are being fed more often and I'm giving them lots of veggies and things for them to rootle about with, as well as extra grit and shells and food scattered among the straw to stop them getting bored!

The hens only get up once it is proper daylight and go to bed as soon as the light level drops, so even on good days at this time of year they would only be out for a few short hours.  In this weather they are better shut in anyway to prevent them being blown away!  They have a small run cobbled together outside "for the duration", but it's a bit "Heath Robinson" so in bad weather they get shut in for safety.

I've left Charlie, the barn cat, with extra supplies of food.  He'll just hunker down among the hay and straw. Plenty of mice for him to catch if he feels like it!

As for Princess Button, she's nice and snug and warm, thank you very much.  She's got plenty of food and is quite happy indoors. Indeed we will have arguments when she needs to go out "to do the necessary". Sigh.... she refuses to use a litter tray so out she has to go!

There will be no more beach walks for a few days yet!

Mmmm think I might join Princess Button on that fleecy blankie!

Winter solstice

The circle of friends guard the light so the sun remembers to return tomorrow.  Sunrise was at 09.05 this morning and sunset at 15.15.  That's 6.09 hours of daylight. Tomorrow is about the same but Friday we get a full 6.10 hours of daylight!  Whoo hoo here come's summer!  Haha I know, delusional again.  But still, we are on the road to my favourite light filled days.

Santa arrives via the Stromness Lifeboat!

With our own wee ferry still being repaired, the Stromness Lifeboat and crew stepped into the breach and brought Santa out for a visit to Graemsay.  He was on his way to the Community Centre in Stromness but always does a bit of a detour for us which we all appreciate!  It was a chilly, breezy day, but most of the Graemsay folk were at the pier to meet him, plus a few extra "wee ones" who were visiting their Grandma and Grandad!

Lifeboat coming alongside....

Ooooh look there's Santa!

And he arrived with some elves! And .... a penguin....

Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus stayed on the boat, protected by an elf as it was too windy for them to come on the pier.

Even quite big "children" got presents.... sometimes teenagers don't mind still being considered kids ;-)

And yes, the dog gets a fuss from Santa too!

And ahem.... some very big kids get a hug from Santa...... well he didn't get me a present!

And a lovely wee boy wanted a hug too....

Then Santa led the elves, and ahem, penguin in a couple of songs (Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, and Jingle Bells).

And soon it was time for Santa and his gang to head back to Stromness.  Thanks lads of the lifeboat for bringing him out to Graemsay!

Bye Santa!

Relief boat

Last Friday as I headed back to Stromness for the ferry I got a message from our ferry company to say due to technical difficulties all further sailings of the Graemsay ferry were cancelled.  Eeeek. After a couple of phone calls to neighbours it seemed the harbour pilot boat was going to be put on at 4pm to take us home.  It can only take 12 passengers so there would be a relay, with the school children going home first, but I didn't mind as long as I got home!  Above is the pilot boat coming alongside the MV Graemsay (the Hamnavoe ferry that sails to the Scottish mainland is in the background).

Folk were ready to get on board, along with their shopping.  The crews of the pilot boat and the Graemsay helped us all get stuff aboard, and helped some of us onto the boat - it was a bit of a step up for me!

Inside the cabin.....

Through the window as we sailed out of Stromness harbour....

I sat in the navigator's seat!  Left a bit, right a bit...ooops the map is upside down, reverse those instructions.  Hahaha! Thankfully my help wasn't needed ;-)

And the Hoy Hills come into sight, with the light fading behind them....

The journey only took 15 minutes and then there were willing hands to help us off at the pier. Fortunately our own ferry was back in service the next day.  Though we were very grateful to the crew of the pilot boat for getting us home!

There's a lot of weather forecast.....

I've been scarce due to a slight virus that has been getting the better of me.  Think I'm winning now! But think I will hibernate for the next week anyway due to the weather forecast.  Apparently Storm Barbara is heading our way and she's a bit of a wild lass!  We are forecast winds around 80mph for Saturday (24th) and Sunday (25th).  I feel most sorry for folk trying to get home or away over the festive season.

As long as the power stays on Button and I will be nice and cosy. We'll manage if the power goes off too - I just don't want to think about that!!

So - posts may be a bit intermittent over the next few days...... who knows!

Have a lovely festive season if you celebrate it as such.  Me, I celebrate it as a winter festival, I'm all for feasting and merriment on a dark winter night.

Ooooh and tomorrow is the shortest day in this part of the hemisphere.  Whoo hoo bring back the light and longer days!!

Old buildings

I've been playing with an "app" on my phone (adding filters) and these photos I took around Graemsay.  I think the "distressed" look somehow adds something to the photos. It seems to awaken the history within the stones themselves, a blurring between past and present.  Hope you like them!  Above is the croft of Dean.

Spot and "distressed" Button. Ha!

The gable end of an old stone house, with Stromness in the background.

The same house, end on.  This is at Sandside, right on the shore. With coastal erosion that gable end may soon be RIGHT on the shore.

And old binder, by the old forge and houses at Sandside.

The old kirk at the other side of the island.

Detail of one of the windows.....

Hope you enjoyed another "view" of Graemsay!