In the bleak mid-winter..... well not quite....

But it *is* only 28th October so we are somewhat surprised by the bad weather so early. The whole of Britain seems to be suffering an icy blast at the moment. Here snow showers have been occurring during the night and through the morning. Though it is only lightly dusting high ground at the moment. I suspect lower ground is too wet and still too warm for it to settle for any length of time.

But with high winds and snow showers forecast for most of the day the local Orkney schools are closed (well apart for one or two). Tomorrow's forecast looks a bit brighter with less wind. I do hope so as I need to go over to Kirkwall to collect Jasper!

Many phones are still off across the county (and several on Graemsay). Radio Orkney hasn't been able to broadcast for a couple of days due to damage to a transmitter and some of the digital TV channels have been disappearing too suggesting the local transmitter mast has also had some damage.

But for today I've ordered some groceries to be delivered on the mid-day boat, have checked rechargeable torches, radio etc and will just hunker down and see how things go. I have quite a bit of work to do so I sincerely hope the power stays on at least!

Picture of Hoy hills taken just now from the front door - looks like they've had a dusting of icing sugar - anyone got a sprig of holly?! Is it me or do the Hoy Hills look like a sleeping Brontasaurus?? OK - maybe I've been shut in the house too long.....

Obsessively checking weather!

OK so I'm getting obsessive about the weather...... but I just read the forecast for tomorrow....... and it's still only October....... sigh.... it may be a loooong winter. If you don't hear from me for a couple of days - SEND CHOCOLATE!

TUESDAY 28th: Overnight snow showers merging into a more prolonged period of snow, moving down from the north by the morning. At the same time F7 to gale F8 NW to N'ly winds increasing gale F8 to storm F10. For a time blizzard-like conditions are possible - especially over higher ground - where drifting is likely. Some accumulations of snow are also possible at lower levels, more especially by evening as winds begin to ease. Across the west of Shetland, Fair Isle and Orkney gale F8 to storm F10 winds are likely to gradually back N to NE'ly before beginning to ease a little during the afternoon. However, the north and east of Shetland could well see winds easing for a time before strengthening again to also become gale F8 to severe gale F9 NE'ly as clearer conditions follow from the north.

Wind, wind and more wind.....

Today's title refers to the weather, not my blog outpourings - though you may think differently :-) Well I was just about to upload my Sunday blog entry when the power went off! We’d had power fluctuations over the weekend (probably due to the high wind) so I sat waiting for power to come back. After three minutes sitting in the dark I decided I ought to go and find some light. Had just got the kitchen and sitting room looking pretty with tea-lights and candles and on comes the power again. Was in the middle of texting a friend to ask for the results of the “Strictly Come Dancing” show when the power came on so I was able to sit down and watch it!

Today there is still a strong wind, north westerly I think but haven’t been out yet to test it. And apparently sleet and SNOW is forecast for the week – though I suspect the ground is still too warm and wet for it to settle for long.

Written on Sunday before the power cut!

Saturday turned out windier than I expected! Seems wind speeds were around 60mph for a while in the afternoon, with gusts more than that. Thankfully Sundaywas less windy. Though it’s all relative – I’m thinking it’s a bit breezy – three weeks ago I would have called the wind today a gale!

At least I have been able to get some fresh air today – first decent spell in three days with a short walk along the shore. Thankfully the hens seem to be doing OK and are still laying OK. Though I think Brown Hen got cross with me – I was waiting for eggs to bake a cake and twice I went to collect them and she was still on the nest. She clucked her irritation – but really, how long does it take a hen to lay an egg?! Anyway I duly collected eggs to find I’d run out of flour so cake making will have to wait till another free day.

I’ve been catching up on household jobs today and have finished “autumn cleaning” my office. I must take after some hibernating animal that gets its nest ready for winter as I seem to want to clear out cupboards and sort through things – but the enthusiasm only lasts a couple of weeks……

I took a run out in the car to post a letter – the post box is in the middle of the island. I could have walked but there were heavy hail showers around and I was feeling lazy! Though I had to watch the wind didn’t catch the door. Most cars in Orkney end up with what garage mechanics call “Orkney doors” – slightly out of alignment having been whacked back on hinges by gale force winds! My little red bug of an island car looks so light that I half expected to find her upside down waving her wheels in the air like an upturned ladybug after the high winds over recent days! Fortunately she must be more robust than she looks.

Smoking Rainbows…..

No that does not have the same meaning as “sufferin’ succotash”…. The wind has changed to South Westerly now and become strong gale force after a slight respite this morning. But the spray was being whipped up by the wind so the sea looked as though it was smoking, and the sun came out and suddenly there were mini rainbows hovering over the sea and surf. It was beautiful! Unfortunately too far distant for me to take a decent photo and no I had no intention of going nearer to take a photo for your personal delight!

Just spoken to some friends in Stromness, the phones are on is some places there but still out in others. One friend had her phone fixed this morning by a BT engineer who said that lots of places in Orkney were affected by lightning strikes yesterday. Others report having their phone sockets blown off the wall. The island of Rousay has problems with it’s cable so engineers are heading out there on Monday. The island of Westray is also out of action in terms of telephones (though maybe not all of it).

I’m hoping the increasing winds don’t mean the electricity goes off! Though I do have some lanterns and a battery radio as backup!

A Very Blustery Day….

….. as Winnie the Pooh once said. Today still a North Easterly wind blowing with gusts up to 57 mph. Though yesterday was far worse. We had torrential downpours of rain and a thunderstorm. First clap of thunder and I dived under my desk – not because I was scared but in haste to unplug my broadband connection, and power down the computer. I do have a power-surge protector plugged in but never totally convinced it will work so unplug power plugs to be on safe side!

The electricity came on and off during the afternoon so I gave up restarting the computer. Fortunately I had some work I could do without using computer or internet access, though I still need to complete a report for Monday so I’m hoping things calm down over the next day or two so I can catch up with work.

Several of the island phones are off and I have friends in Stromness also without telephones – clearly the lightning struck something vital.

All was well here during the storm – though I found a couple of keyholes that had wind whistling through them so stuck tape over those! I don’t have a traditional “letter box” in my front door either as most houses south have, as these rattle and are draughty in the wind.

I managed to get out to feed the hens sheltered by the garden dyke (wall) but only Finlay and the White Hen were in evidence. I’m hoping Brown Hen is safely tucked up in the barn, but I’ll not be investigating till the wind dies down a bit more!

I need to go prospecting for eggs too – I’ve run out of cake which is a near calamity. However hopefully tomorrow the winds will ease and I can gather up the eggs.

Tonight the clocks go back an hour – it’s the end of British Summer Time – sigh. I find the dark early evenings (which will soon be with us) take a bit of getting used to. However I do enjoy drawing the curtains in the evening and settling down to read or watch TV or a DVD – I’ve been gathering a collection of old Hollywood movies and musicals to help me through the Winter!

Unfortunately Orkney winters tend to be very dark, very wet, very windy and very long. I forget just how wet and windy during the long daylight hours of the summer months and it always comes as a surprise when the first gales hit. Sometimes they rage for days, screaming like banshees around the house. I was worried that my new door knocker might rattle in the wind – it’s so blooming noisy with the wind I wouldn’t hear it if it did!!

I haven’t been outdoors, apart from feeding the hens, since Wednesday. Though I do trot up and down stairs regularly and have a treadmill in a store room in the conservatory for additional exercise! I get really bored using the treadmill, even with music blasting in my ears – and before you start thinking I’m some kind of exercise freak – exercise is not really a concept I understand. However I am told that walking is good for the health of my bones, lungs and wellbeing so I try and walk at least a mile on the treadmill each day in the winter – the distance is determined by boredom, not effort……. Ho hum……

And I just received the news that my two new rescued kitties will be arriving this week. Hopefully Jasper comes home on Weds and Buttons on Friday – weather and boats permitting. Though our ferry often manages to run even when the North Isles boats don’t due to more sheltered waters, but it does depend on the wind direction at the pier.

I see the Hamnavoe ferry which sails from Stromness to Scrabster (North of Scotland) has altered its sailings again today due to high wind – though I think that might have more to do with problems with one of its stabilisers than the wind. Ah no I see the Kirkwall to Aberdeen ferry sailings are under review so clearly wind is making its mark.

The joy of jammy donuts……

The weather has calmed down today. Very blustery showers and high wind last night, but peace is restored for a short time anyway. Sun breaking through clouds and only a bit of a breeze, though the temperature is lower so it feels chilly.

I’ve just been down to the mid-day boat to collect my “messages” (shopping) that I’d ordered by phone from Argo’s the bakery this morning. Some fresh bread (my breadmaker is broken…), fresh milk, and ooooh some fresh jammy donuts (jelly donuts to my US friends).

Oh the joy of all that sugariness, and the oozing jam of a FRESH jammy donut. MMmmmmm. Quite made my morning!

We can get the baker’s (and other local shops) to deliver almost to our door via the ferry. There is something quite decadent about picking up the phone and ordering jammy donuts to be delivered. OK I know those of you in cities can probably have a vanload delivered to your door whenever you want – but for me it’s a treat!

We have no shops on Graemsay so have to rely on shops in Stromness and Kirkwall. The smaller shops still provide deliveries to the boat. Unfortunately the larger supermarkets like the Co-op and Tesco don’t. But then that’s all to the good as it means we still support the individual shops because they are a lifeline for us – and not just for jammy donuts!

There are no dairy cows on Graemsay so we are dependent on external supplies of dairy products too. Lots of folk in Orkney (and other rural areas) use UHT milk but I have never got used to the taste of it – though I can take it in coffee. But it seems a sin to put into tea! So I usually buy individual pints of low-fat regular pasteurised milk and freeze it. It doesn’t work with full-cream milk as that separates too much, but low-fat (semi-skimmed) milk comes out of the freezer OK. And once shaken (but not stirred) it’s fine for use on cereal or tea (and I drink copious cups of tea when I’m working!).

Flett’s the butcher is another supplier providing regular delivery to the boat. I just love Flett’s sausages – pork and apricot were delicious last time I had them. And fresh fruit and vegetables are also available from them. Today I must email my order to the Frozen Food shop in Kirkwall and stock up on some basic supplies – these get delivered on Friday.

So you see we can get regular fresh supplies delivered to the island – one just has to be well organised to make sure the cupboard isn't bare the weekends in the winter we have no boats!

However sadly our local newsagent is about to stop deliveries as it is up for sale. So we are not quite sure how we are going to get our weekly copies of “Orkney Today” or “The Orcadian” (local newspapers), nor get Sunday papers delivered (which arrived on the Monday evening boat anyway!). Hopefully a new owner will be found soon and we can get a regular supply of papers again.

Hmmmmmm now back to my jammy donut……..

Wild and Windy today...

The wind has been increasing during the day, with heavy hail showers. Wind seems to be gusting up to 50 knots (approx 57 mph) according to the Orkney Harbours website for this area of sea. Glad I don’t have to go anywhere anytime soon as it looks to be windy for a few days to come.

A popular website used by lots of local seagoing folk is : http://magicseaweed.com/UK-Ireland-MSW-Surf-Charts/1/wind/in/

Love the name Magic Seaweed! And it does seem to be a reliable site too – though at times I wish I didn’t look too closely at the dark red patches approaching! Red never was my colour….

Found some photos on Flickr of a recent event in Kirkwall. The Shetland Jarl Squad was visiting and carried out a re-enactment of Up Helly Aa (famour winter Viking festival in Shetland with lots of flaming torches, and the burning of a longboat). So to turn your thoughts to warmer things than wind and hail have a look here : http://www.flickr.com/photos/cullya-quoy/tags/jarlssquad/

I particularly like the one of the flaming torches in Broad Street, very pagan!