Waves upon the shore....

 

Amid the breezy, wet days have been some calm spells with blue skies. These are most welcome and a chance to get out for a wander around.  Otherwise my forays into the great outdoors are limited to feeding the hens and a couple of turns round the garden like a character in a Jane Austen novel!

The seaweed was piled up in a neat line down at the shore after a recent gale.  There was still quite a swell too.

A cumulonimbus cloud in the background there - the typical anvil shape (flat topped where the cloud has reached the stratosphere.  Amazing high clouds!

A short video on YouTube of the swell on the shore and over the old lighthouse pier at high tide (yes I know the horizon is a bit off!).

And as the sun sets.....

Looking over to the "metropolis" of Stromness (population of about 2,000 folk)

And another very grainy photo of Hoy High lighthouse, and a full moon!

Middle of December already!!

 

I kind of lost my blogging mojo for a while there.  Partly as the weather has been so driech, with lots of grey skies, rain and some windy days and I haven't been out taking photos etc.  Partly my internet connection was intermittent (engineers have been out so hopefully resolved). Also partly the Winter lethargy that comes over me at this time of year.

On the positive side, there have been few positive cases of covid-19 reported in Orkney in recent weeks, and those that have been reported are people returning to the county.  The first doses of the Pfizer vaccine have all been distributed around Orkney.  First to receive them are healthcare staff and people in care homes.  I think I will be some way down the line yet and not sure what vaccine I will get as it all depends on availability.  I probably won't change my habits that much even once I have the vaccine.  I will probably see how infection rates go and see what are the further long term results regarding transmission and protection from the vaccine.  But at least there is a glimmer of hope!

Anyway - here are a few pictures taken at the beginning of last week.  There have been some dramatic skies interspersing a day of grey and rain.

A rainbow over the old stable.....

Rain over Stromness 

But there WAS blue sky.....

Though the clouds were bearing down on Windbreck at the top of the hill....

But blue sky over Sandside bay...

And reflected in the windows....

November skies.....

 

There have been some magnificent skies this month.  Above.... it looks like Hoy High is sending out cloud rays instead of light rays!

Another of Hoy High peering over the dyke....

Wonderful sky over Sandside bay, on a flat calm day.

And the Hoy Hills at sunset....

Rain clouds over Hoy....

Rain over the Hoy hills and the croft of Dean

Blue skies - a ship sailing into Hoy Sound (the Pentalina, a former ferry)

Rain showers over Stromness

Cloud bank approaching....

Sunrise with cloud bank....

Calm seas on the coral beach....

Hens enjoying a rootle about after being cooped up in the hen house for a couple of days after a gale...

A dreich day

Hoy Hills and the old Manse on Graemsay

An Autumnal Button....

Heating too high - melted the cat....

A blustery day.....

 

These photos were taken last week, but again we are in the teeth of a gale.  50mph winds at least, with hail and sleet battering the windows at regular intervals.  Thankfully Button and I are indoors......

And while I am warm and cosy indoors, there is some drama going on further down Scapa Flow at Lyness Pier where a container ship, "Vega Scorpio", has broken her moorings in the gale.  Two of the council tugs (Odin and Einar) and the pilot boat (the John Rae) are in attendance trying to bring her alongside.  Hopefully "all hands" will be safe.

A chat with a seal......

 

I had a lovely encounter with a Common (harbour) seal (actually less common than the Grey seals that are usually around Sandside).  S/he followed me up and down the sandy shore when I was walking there last week. S/he was quite inquisitive and came into quite shallow water to accompany me.  The seal was silent - but I chatted away quietly.  I was hopeful it was a Selkie of the legends, though I had no intention of following it into the very cold water!  Photos below were taken with a zoom lens...

I love the whiskers!!

And a few second video of a very small blob bouncing on the water - my companion! 

A wander on the beach.....

 

This time it's a wander on the sandy beach, from whence Sandside Bay gets its name.  You have to be pretty fit to get onto the beach, either down a steep track or via a slide down the sand dunes!  I tend not to venture here much as I usually have Button with me and it means accessing the road.  I know she MUST go along the road but NOT when I am with her!  I know we have little traffic, but still...

Anyway here are some photos taken last week when we had some beautiful weather. Today is chilly and dreich, with rain showers and breezy.  So it's lovely looking back at these.

In the photo above you can see the Manse on top of the green hill, and the Community Hall to the right.  Hoy Hills on the horizon.

Stromness over the water....

There are a number of creel boats that lay creels (pots) in and around the bay to catch partans (crabs)

The soft sand sculpted by the wins and waves...

Birds have been feeding along the shore

Looking out to the mouth of Hoy Sound - Graemsay on the left and West Mainland on the right.

Sunshine on the sand.... gentle waves...

The old lighthouse pier. Orkney Mainland on the horizon

My home looks as though it has a lighthouse sticking out the chimney! Hee hee!

This was a common (harbour) seal that followed me up and down the beach as I walked.  They are often quite inquisitive when folk are on the beach.  Creel boat further out and Stromness in the background.

Hoy High lightouse and Sandside

Zooming in to Stromness Harbour and town...

Where the shore gets rocky...

Heading out West

The road home.... sand dunes on the left....

Skeletal cow parsley....

Heading home.....

A short video of the common (harbour) seal who kept me company

And the gentle sound of waves....