January 2020

1st January – Woke up this morning to a lovely sunrise in the east. Hope this heralds a lovely year to come!

2nd January – Err… no! Gale force winds today, ferries cancelled for two days, no newspapers! Completely cut off from the outside world!

13th January – There’s a bit of a breeze today, went for the usual walk around the Ness Point but the footpath is a bit damp underfoot.

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Didn’t bother with the walk in the end, came home, battened down the hatches and put the kettle on.

14th January – Exceptionally high tide this morning. It is the first time we’ve seen it flowing over the seawall in front of the house. Luckily we are about 4 metres above the road. I think some of the older houses on the piers have been flooded.

Going down through the golf course, the 17th fairway is a lake. Spot the footbridge in the photo below.

Looking back along the footpath from old lifeboat station, honestly, there is a footpath there! (see right hand pic yesterday) It is now completely impassable.

15th January – The best thing about the short, winter days is getting to see the sun come up at 9 am. January sunrises are not neccessarily better than June sunrises, it’s just that I’ve never been up early enough to see a June sunrise at 4 am!

Apologies for the repetitiveness of these pics but I never tire of this colourful display!

16th January – There was a nice article on the BBC News website this morning, on the Orkney Festival of the Horse. The festival celebrates farming traditions in South Ronaldsay, it was traditionally held in Spring but is now held in August for the tourists.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-51110516#

Children dress as horses with very elaborate outfits. Historically the costumes were worn by boys but more recently girls have taken part. The festival starts with a parade of the “horses” following which they proceed to a nearby beach for a Plooin’ (Ploughing) competition. Using miniature ploughs, the boys compete for the straightest furrow in the sand. The little ploughs have become family heirlooms and are passed down through the farming families.

Go to February 2020