Sail boat....

This sail boat, Tecla, was in Orkney waters recently.  Photo by Irene Mathieson of Breckan.

Autumnal weather.....

These photos were taken last weekend.  Above, Hoy looking very moody.....

While I was feeding the hens showers were incoming!

The hens were happy for breakfast.  Though to be honest they have food "ad lib" in hanging feeders.  But they get treats in the morning so are happy to come and greet me....

Hmmm the treats are not supposed to include cat food (Charlie's breakfast). Wonder if they noticed I stole their eggs?

Button meantime stayed indoors keeping her paws warm.  She's woken up and having a yawn here... or complaining that she has to get up for dinner!

She's not a cat who sits in a box so it was a surprise to turn round and see this...... She does make me laugh!

And later during the weekend the sun came out (though it was still windy as can be seen by the "white horses" on top of the waves).

October harvest.....

Apparently there is something called "Bale Art" and some of the Orkney Young Farmers groups have entered with some great ingenuity!  Here are a couple of the groups.

First up East Mainland Young Farmers with their very scary sheep (who look rather like Dougal the dog from Magic Roundabout).

And here are the Sandwick (West Mainland) Young Farmers Club's entry....

All in good fun and with a serious message to promote Scottish Lamb.

Hay, Haylage and Silage tends to be in round bales these days, silage is wrapped to help it "ferment" and give it a higher sugar content. It's used for cattle and sheep (NEVER horses).  I think the harvest is over on Graemsay now having taken place mostly while I was away.

Autumn is definitely here.  I'm doing my best to embrace it......

The Milky Way over Graemsay....(and Hoy)....

No not a giant chocolate bar!  The astronomical version.   Maciej Winiarczyk who lives in Caithness does the most fantastic photography of the Northern Lights (aurora), and night sky.  He was in Orkney recently for the Science Festival and took these photos from just outside Stromness.

The very bright light on the left of the photo might be Hoy Low lighthouse, judging by the map he provided for the direction of the shot.  The hills are on the island of Hoy. Both photos were taken on long exposure within a few minutes of each other.

The yellow glow is the remains of the sunset.  I love watching the night sky, often sitting on a bench in the garden.  Though the many lights in Stromness now dull much of the Northern lights from Sandside :-(

You can follow Maciej Winiarczyk on Facebook (there should be a link if you click on his name).

Back on Graemsay!

Copyright Sheena Graham-George

Yay!  I'm home after being away on holiday in Dorset, then after returning for 4 days off to Edinburgh for a work conference and then down to York for work.  Nice as all that was, it's good to be home! 

I hope to catch up with some posts shortly.  Meantime the photo above was taken by artist, Sheena Graham-George, on a walk along the top of the Orphir hills.  You can see the wee island of Graemsay  with a tiny white Hoy High lighthouse, as well as the Hoy hills in the background.  Shared with her permission, of course!

A film around Orkney

Here's a short film from the air over Orkney (approx 16 minutes).  Rory Auskerry was visiting his family who live on the island of Auskerry in Orkney and took the chance to take a flight over the islands.

His introductory blurb of the YouTube video says:

Orkney looks amazing from the air! During a recent visit to my home county, my friend and fellow aviator Tommy Sinclair kindly took me up for a trip in his Jabiru J430 aircraft. We toured around the Orkney mainland and checked out some of the sights including the Old Man O' Hoy, Flotta Oil Terminal, The Kitchener Memorial, Brough of Birsay, Balfour Castle, Cubby Roo's Castle, Kirkwall Harbour and Deerness before landing back on Runway 24 at Lamb Holm. It was a beautiful clear day and I loved flying in the Jab and chatting to Tommy.

Around Sandside.....

Many of my photos are from around Graemsay and more often, from a few hundred yards around the house.  With a poorly foot they are now largely through a window!!

Above you can see the sun has moved across to the horizon from mid-summer where it was behind the hills on the right of the above photo.  Sad face....

The harvest is almost done on Graemsay.  It's largely silage and hay for winter feed for cattle and sheep.  My field behind the house is rented out to a neighbour and they have used it for hay this year.

I was able to get out and feed the hens finally this week (a neighbour had been doing it while I was away, and then when I was incapacitated on my return).  Happy hen bottoms!

Some photos through the conservatory window of the changing weather.....

And of course, Button, sofa, lighthouse....

And outside the front door these wild daisies have done well this year..... even growing up through the bench!  Looking their best at dusk I think as the white is the last "colour" to go as night falls.