Friday 12 August 2011

Is that a cow flying past my window?

Never been one to hark on about the weather (much) but come on, gusting at over 40 MPH - seriously chaps, not funny, its the 'glorious 12th' - um of August, not November. Have nice look at the angle of the hedge and the angles of the calendula................hey ho,  I WANTED TO DO A BIT OF GARDENING, PAH, TOO WINDY. I'm tucked up inside now, watching the cows fly past the window. Keeps life a bit interesting, kind of. And, to be fair, I do like a bit of cow action, they are beautiful creatures, she's grumpy pants, always scowling, number 321. I'm sure shes just concentrating really, I scowl when I concentrate, whoops!
 Uh oh, she's looking at me, whilst scratching herself on the communal scratching post in the field out of the 'garden reclaimed from the field'. I think she knows I'm talking about her!
OK now, perhaps a year on, you realise what you need 'out there' is actually probably something more like a wee pond or something that won't get blown sideways, I think we need a bit of an all year around feature to look at from up here in the lounge, did I say, the sitting room of this house is upstairs, with 13 windows it has panoramic views. I know we're very lucky, free entertainment - panoramic views of cows flying past the window...................!
And, progress with the veg garden, now moved into the side of the house (yup I really moved the bed, the 20 bags inside it with manure, the soil and started again), now we've got the plastic down for stones from the beach, and the rasps are just at the edge of the bed by the wooden raised bed, you can't see them really due to the blurry effect of the wind. There is kale in there, and brussel sprouts and seal kale, cabbages, onions (not great) and leeks. I've herbs planted too, but they are getting blasted.
Here I am indoors and up in the living room, looking out and thinking of what to do, Cow no 321 is looking on at me, clearly she knows I'm upto something. I love that the cows, the rabbits, hares and the birds react to my movement when I'm by the windows indoors, they can actually see me. They don't appear to be very bothered by me, more curious as to why on earth I'm not out there being blown away. Or, maybe they are after a comfy sofa and a cup of tea out of the wind?

Being brave, today I phoned my landlord. He's not scary, he's a very fine man. We'd talked about the potential of a polytunnel before I moved in, today we talked locations. I've now an idea where I can put up the tunnel. I've got the base poles and the frame. Tonight, August 12th, glorious 12th, I donned my fur lined deerstalker hat, my wellies, my scarf, my jumper, my coat and went 'oot there' where the cows fly past the windows. I paced out the area for the polytunnel, hurray.

I did the silly walk...........
The one where you look line a lunatic but pace in metres, knees up high, counting. Then you forget to count due to laughing too much at your ministry of silly walks, walk and can't hear your counting or hear yourself for the wind. Fatal, giggling, you start again, and again.



Yup, I looked just like that, pacing out my metres, but in a silly hat, yellow wellies, a stripy scarf with the dog looking at me, thinking, there she goes again, on her silly walk!

5 comments:

  1. It does look breezy. Makes me want to head to the coastal US. We haven't been getting much wind around here, just humidity. Watch out for those cows!
    nellie

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  2. I wouldn't mind having cows flying past my window. That would be really fun.

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  3. You certainly have good quality wind up there in Orkney, the cows are clearly bred to withstand it better than the poor caledula! I think you have done a remarkable job creating what is clearly a garden in the middle of all that wonderful wildness, but the polytunnel will be a life-saver. You may even get to wear just a tshirt in August!

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  4. I seem to remember most folk in Orkney walking at a 30 degree angle into the wind. I used to say 45 degrees but they would have fallen over!

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  5. This was so funny Fay-- I loved the cow portraits, and you should be able to get a grant or something from the Ministry of Silly Walks. But I do hope you get your greenhouse tunnel. It will be prefect if you can get it anchored! How lovely to have rooms with such a grand view.

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