It's blowing a gale here, time for ninja headgear to make killer sushi

This scene is nicer than the sideways rain we've got at the moment!

Now I realise that wind and rain are the winter norm here, to be honest despite the horrible driving conditions I'm really missing the snow. It at least looks quite nice doesn't it? Unlike today which is wet and fierce, rather than being battered in the face like a wet angry kipper. Or a flock of sardines with tiny angry tails (do sardines flock?) - there's just too much wind action to be just one tail flapping and slapping your chops in this type of weather. I really wonder sometimes what on earth I've done to put myself through this. I think perhaps a balaclava maybe in order - just to add to my normal everyday glamourous wardrobe. I wonder if you get stripey ones? Or just ninja style black ones?

Perfect hen feeding headwear?

As I ventured out in pj's to do the hens (clad in glamourous wellies, fleece, hat, scarf and head down) the hen food managed to try to set itself free by flying out of the slow cooker filled pot of tasty treats and home made porridge - needless to say the hens were in the byre all snuggled up together. There were tentative glances out the door of the byre as I arrived with food, the lack of hens flurrying toward me lent me to think that they'd rather have their food indoors today thank you very much. Hens it would seem are not a fan of this weather either. And, of course being a sap I obliged! For my efforts though I was rewarded with 8 eggs.  Thier little plastic bucket fits nicely into the sturdy slow cooker pot - which saved them being clattered about the place and I slowly made my way, almost horizontal in strides against the wind, back into the house.

Home-grown egg with Nori, home grown beetroot with pepper and Nori - a few of the delightful little mouthful from the kitchen!

On a much happier note, its nearly light until 5pm. We had a few lovely bargains in a local charity shop, my son got a pair of brand new jeans for 80p (levi 501's) which he's really chuffed with. I managed to make some sushi, which having only made once before under supervision, I was happy to say worked out quite nicely. I even made a red pepper and egg omlette for one of the toppings which looked quite nice. And, beetroot and pepper too, which worked very well. I might see if I've enough photos to put up the easy recipe I have and maybe have a go at making it again. And, best of all I got all the ingredients locally in a wonderful shop here.....which I found an old photo of from 1940 - how cool!

'Picture of Victoria Street Kirkwall showing the old shop front of William Shearers' date c1940, photo Craig Taylor

However, on a different note, but weather related - when my lovely son read the 'vegetable garden guide' chart on the wall for January - he chuckled informed me that swiss chard and perpetual spinach can be harvested  from the garden at this time of year - UM not in this climate - if I had any growing - I'm pretty sure by now it would be over the sea in the land of Norway or Canada - depending on the wind direction. But, we did have a little laugh about it. Winter growing outdoors here of any kind, veggie or flower, um I don't think so - that's stuff of fairytales and dreams!