...and here we are again at Ronas Voe
The calving was fast and furious to begin with so lack of space in the byre meant that we had to turn out cows when their calves were a few days old. The weather was great and the ground drying up nicely.
Naturally another week brought rain, hail, sleet and snow and it hasn't improved much in the weeks since so the second wave of calves is still in the byre and I don't see them going out for another few weeks yet...but I'm feeling pretty cheerful today, only another three to come and that'll be the calving over for another year. We might even get the rest of them out of the byre before the 15th of May..blissful thought.

windswept

Hurricane force winds off the scale on Christmas Day, then stormforce 10 on the 28th and this is what's left of the old henhouse at Knowes. The wind seems to be coming up again now so perhaps a gale for the NewYear?
Looking back, last years Christmas pictures are all snow and glow, hungry but photogenic sheep; so a very different image of Shetland for Christmas 2011.
We celebrated the season in the time honoured way, gathering and feeding friends and family, toasting absent friends and loved ones, but this year, because of the gale and the resultant 24 hour powercut, we ate by candle light. Which was lovely.
Drew and Jane decided to add a 'slow food supper' to this years festivities, so perhaps a new tradition is established for the 28th! Now we are looking onwards into 2012, and looking forward to not bothering with the bells!

winter work

So, the last of the cows are in the byre for the winter, a week or two earlier than last year.
We had a good few weeks o' weather at the begining of November but the ground was still fairly wet and churned up as you can see here.
This is Lizzie putting out a few beetpulp nuts onto the silage as a little treat for the last of the heifers. The picture was taken a couple of days before they were finally put into the byre and mighty happy they were when we took them down the hill to join the other cattle inside.
This picture was taken at about three in the afternoon but, as you can see the light's fast fading. Since then, of course, we've had some pretty rough weather - high winds and torrential rain- as you'd expect at this time of the year in the far north.
I love the byre, first thing in the morning especially. The cows seem so peaceful and content; warm dry and well fed. There is nothing which makes you feel as calm and peaceful in yourself, as a cow's breath.

Craft Fair

Here's Lizzie with our little 'shop' at the craft fair; two and a half days of greeting old friends and making new.
At the back of the picture you can see one of Lizzie's lovely felt hangings; motifs taken from pictish carved stones. This one is of motifs found in Shetland, do you see in the middle there, that's the Old Scatness bear.
I think that this might have been the best Clickamin Craft Fair yet. It was run in conjunction with the Shetland Food Fair so a pretty marvelous showcase for the delights of the Old Rock.
After the frantic weeks of the run up to the craft fair it seems quite strange not to be sewing but we're having a peerie break just now, taking in the last of the cows, battening down for the winter; but we will be back to making felt when I get back from a couple of days on the mainland. Next stop Christmas.

November

Meanwhile, in a galaxy far far away, another month clunks into the bucket of eternity... and we are flat out on preparation for the Great Clickamin Craft Fair starting on November 11th.

I say flat out but that of course means I start sewing at about 2pm after I've fed the fowl and the cows and wandered around the Hillhead and the Knowes pocking things with a stick and musing my muses. Lovely day so a lot of that.

Half the cows are back in the byre now and the rest will be soon. The last of the calves will be going off to the marts on saturday.

The bull with his seven heifers should be o.k. outside until after the craft fair. At the moment they seem to be happy staying way up on the hill; they can just be made out in silhouette on the skyline- if I can count the eight of them as I drive up the track it means that I don't have to climb up to check on them!
Right, I've set myself the target of finishing five rabbits before bed so I'd better make some coffee and sew!
TTFN

Hello all you lovely people out there!
What a busy time we have been having, here in Shetland, to be sure; three lots of heavyish snow, children coming home for the holidays and going again; Tom and Natalie engaged!! and Lizzie off on her travels with the Learning School ( isn't that tautology?)
Anyway, this month she is in fabulous New Jersey and off to see the sights today, I know this because she just called me. It is so different from my day when one could just drop off the radar for months on end (yes, I was a bad lass) well, thank goodness, these days we have emails, mobiles, Facebook, cheap transatlantic calls and blogs so I pretty much know what my kids are up to whenever I choose to look and they can keep tabs on me.
So,what have I been up to today? Oh, just the usual stuff, you know, silage related things, in one end and out the other
...aaand taking delivery of my fabulous new stove!! and isn't she just beautiful? she should be, I can tell you! Yes, I'm all of a flutter. should be able to manage a dozen loaves at once! have to get a bigger freezer! ttfn x

first snow

Took this picture last week sometime, when the snow was all fresh and lovely, but there hasn't been any fresh snow to speak of for a few days and it is all looking rather grubby and tired.

Ha! sounds like me after this morning spent attempting to get water to the little bull and his six companions in the byre at the Knowes; doors frozen, bit of hose I found to siphon in through the crack between the doors also frozen, bin to siphon into, three miles away at the Hillhead. harrumph.

Anyway, the snow in the garden looks quite disgusting now as it is covered in bird poo; I'm still feeding the ducks n hens and turkeys in there (not to mention dozens of starlings.) Actually I think they could go back to the hen run now as the polecat problem must be by-with until spring. Did I tell you Lizzie caught nine of the blighters in the end?

So I have decided to come home for lunch and shall have another go at the water this afternoon when I go over to check the smoker; we are trying salmon for the first time, Tom brought over three sides the other night. Drew found a recipe for the brine on the net (where else?) But I'm not sure how long to leave it for, I'm trying six hours with oak chips. Be good if it works.

I just can't get away from them! First morning at Les Imberts and the neighbouring cows come looking for me! We used to have a Charolais bull lovely creatures, calm and easily pleased.

The weather was really pleasant in France; started cool but improved day by day and I spent the last afternoon soaking up the warmth from the stone walls of the house, dozing in the sun.

The clocks changed while we were away and as my plane bucked and bounced out of Inverness airport on a dark, dank monday afternoon, the last drops of lovingly gathered serotonin dissolved in to my gin and tonic. 'Oh God', i cried, 'I just can't bear another Shetland winter'

More ducks!

After watching us for, oh a year perhaps, from various vantage points the other side of the valley, they appeared one morning sleeping, one leg up - head tucked under, by the front door. They responded to my welcome and waddled into the garden for 'fowl' breakfast. The others didn't turn a feather so now they are an accepted sub group of the colony that is trashing my garden.

They're Muscovy ducks and are called Gibby and Sunny; we don't often name our creatures, especially if they are, one way or another, 'passing through', but these girls are so entertaining and responsive their name just popped into my head. It wasn't until the other morning, after a gale-full night, when it seemed that G&S had flown away that I realised how disappointed I felt and how fond I'd grown of them, which made me think about possessiveness and other stuff common to human nature. But they can fly like blazes and, like all blessings, free to come and go as they please, I hope they chose to stay awhile.

sick day

Having a cold all week but being too busy to wallow, I decided to take a morning off to finish some rabbits in comfort. However it is the most beautiful morning and I really must go and run about in it. We are off to lunch at Wadbister (of da famous 4 degree voe fame) with massed Shannons and Willses so better get my skates on This cold that I've had was brought all the way from Norway so have endeavoured to keep it from the general population - remembering the tales of whole island populations laid bye with the advent of airmail etc. not to mention long-buried plaits and scarlet fever, that I was regaled with when i first fetched up on these shores. I was listening to the week's History of the World in a Hundred Objects on the iplayer whilst rabbiting this morning, the one about the turquoise feathered serpent, the population being finished off by old world smallpox. I think we have forgotten how easy it is to spread viruses... this blog was actually supposed to finish with thoughts about preparing for Christmas but it seems to be finishing on a note of gloom if not doom! so think I will just stop there, I will now go forth and gather some of those rosebuds while I might, or rosehips anyway. ttfn

Not Cross

I was thinking of calling this week's blog C.r.o.s.s. (constant rain over Shetland syndrome) but look! the sun is shining today, and how peaceful it seems after seven sodding days of rain and gails. Took this little film on friday morning; I'd planned to get to the Knowes, feed the stots and be back in time to take my loaves out of the oven. Of course, the blighters were right at the top of the dog-leg park, as far up and away as they could be. I was wearing the ancient but lovely Barbour we got from Natalie and, as a consequence, the stots just weren't sure it was really me. It took a fair bit of coaxing to get them to the other end of the park where I took this film. I love it when they start to run, it reminds me of a schools radio program of my childhood - 'How things began' -with a roving reporter speaking from prehistorical La Salutre, is that right? anyway, horses being stampeded over a precipice by stone age hunters. very exciting! Oh, and the bread was just perfect.

There's a real feeling of autumn in the air; we had a fabulous week of bright sunny weather and then on Thursday I woke with a real feeling of dread at the darkness of the morning. The wind has been blowing from a different 'eart' and the starlings have been gathering on the telegraph wires (and in the byre come knock-off time.) The annual diaspora of young is well underway, hence last week's otter and the many flattened polecats on the road. Yesterday I noted ten young corbies attending to an dead sheep along by Swinister, good for them, the carrion crow has a busy and useful winter ahead. In the politunnel the leaves yellow on the mangetout making for easy picking of the last delicious pods.

But we have had a fine, blustery day with a bbq lunch followed by a brisk walk down to the ebb with five young Shannons, as merry as grigs in the late sun. a good way to end the season.

Bliss

When the sun shines in Shetland we change; we smile, we laugh, we talk to strangers in the shop. It is bliss. But the garden is full of midges, they are hovering in savage clouds around the domestic fowl.

When I returned from steam-cleaning the byre this afternoon I was looking forward to a lovely garden potter, but noooo!

So I listened to the Archers in the kitchen armchair, glass of pino grigio, my knitting, the sun streaming though the (tightly closed) french windows and it was pretty damn good.

On the way back from the Hillhead, at the junction, we came upon a young otter, wet from - well, were does the burn come through there? hesitating on the road. We let him decide which way to go but rounded the corner heading in the same direction. He bounded off though the long grass often looking back over his shoulder, aware of us watching him. What a privilege it is too live here.

As for the picture, that's the Bod beach at Ollaberry. Lizzie and I put the kayaks in there last night.

Eshaness Craft Fair

We had such a great afternoon, met up with old friends and made new ones, sold enough stuff to keep us happy, and came up with some new ideas. The other stall holders were very friendly and we were asked to to bring our wares two more pre-Christmas sales as well.

Lizzie really enjoyed the experience which is good because D and I will be in France at the first sale, so she will have to go it alone.

random photo day

OK so I'm in week four of The Artist's Way. by Julia Cameron, unblocking my cree -A-T-V-T and this week I have to give up reading!!! It's supposed to be for seven days, but having only just read that far in the book it will have to be four...ish. I've not read for about three hours. It's so hard not checking emails or peeping at facebook every five mins and then there are the usual book stops: eating, peeing, coffee, tea 15 t.p.d., when I'm bored , when I'm tired etc etc. It's as bad as giving up smoking, no really!
You sometimes come across those who proudly tell you that they never read a book; I now realise that these people must have the most amazing inner lives and be hugely creative. My lip will never curl again.
It will be interesting to see how my creativity blossoms over the coming week, Ms Cameron has not let me down so far, this might just be amazing.
well ok maybe just one last email...

Went to my first canoe club training last night, mad dash to BridgeEnd - spent too long making felt in the afternoon. Was in such a hurry forgot me dry undergarments! still, had the wetsuit Susan gave me which is brilliant. It was getting dark and a fine rain was coming in but I was determined to roll upsidedown, just to get it out of the way, and the sea was warm!

Didn't take any pics last night so here is one Angus Nicol took when we were out at Muckle Roe.

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Oh such rain! it woke me up at 3 a.m. and I started to worry about the ducklings - not enough to actually get up and move them ,there and then , but I collared them before taking Lizzie to Scatsta at 6.30. The family unit is now, rather reluctantly, in the polytunnel as you can see here.

Had to retrieve Lizzie later in the morning, because of the mist. When we got back to the house the rest of the guys had gathered in front of the p.t. like a Greek chorus quacking 'come backkk come outttt we love yr babiessss tooo' you can just see Mrs P inside looking out.

Lizzie is, as we speak, steaming sooth on the boat and I will have to get the poor duckies back into the hen-run for the night.

So two pictures to make up for being naughty for two weeks

ttfn vvn

Yes yes, I know its been two weeks but I've been busy with really boring things like painting houses (the old Hillhead white -as its a croft house, and this one green because it is D's favourite colour.) What else? hmm... so dull I've forgotten. Still, my first born duck has 'brought out' but that' s on facebook if you care to look. I usually bung eggs in the incubator but Mrs P. got into such a state I thought I should to let her have a go. I'll put up a good picture here when it stops raining.

We have a stall at a craft fair at Eshaness on the 28th. so I'm making some stuff,for that. Here are some tea cosies under construction and I'll add some coffee and egg cosies too. Wish felt didn't take such an endless time to make. Still my Fabulous Feltomatic makes a huge difference. will show you more later.

Saturday

Spent a blissful afternoon bobbing around St.Magnus Bay with Susan (thanks, it was just bliss) so cool and calm in the gray misty rain, the sea seemed thick and smooth like wobbly jelly. Alas no camera, might risk it next time with the old one .

So, do you remember the new duckling from last month? Well here she is with her siblings, some of whom, as you can see, are turkeys. So sweet, the turkeys are very gentle and responsive, it is as though they are actually aware of you as more than just the Great Provider. Can imagine them flapping fondly towards the Pilgrim Fathers the day before the first thanksgiving.

drying

This is a variation on something you can still see in Shetland pretty often: saat piltocks drying on the clothesline.

The kids went off on the boat sunday night and brought back some lovely fat mackerel and these.

It was great that Emmie managed go fishing whilst home from London this trip, and catch some good fish. We also went kayaking out at MuckleRoe last week, which was really good fun too.

Looking it this picture reminds me of another Shetland pass time; a hundred and one things to do with a blue bin!