Pondering the wind........and coffee



A brilliant cartoon by Alex Leonard of The Giddy Limit,
(Thank you Alex for your permission to include a few brilliant cartoons on here, now and again!)

Now, we've got a weather 'alert' like many folk in the UK for bad weather gales and severe gales from the south west (the end of a hurricane Katia, approaching from America), although does look like it may be worse on the mainland than it will be here. But, with weather who knows what will happen it might arrive, it might not, doesn't hurt to be a bit prepared. It can of course get a bit windy here, just a tad, I do wibble on about that alot! And, our house is not unlike the one in the cartoon - brilliant view, but quite exposed and by the sea. Orkney is a relatively flat landscape, which allows the wind to do its best! We had a 50MPH recently a real rocks in the pocket kinda day and that did a fair bit of damage outside to the garden, but we're due something similar again, deep joy. With that in mind, I may hang the laundry indoors today...............or be brave and put it out in the manner of an extreme weather outdoor laundy expert? Might end up over the fence or with me a like that though............ I've added a weather widget - looked like the wind might not get bad at all.....however you never know!



A brilliant view of extreme laundry in Orkney, a cartoon by Alex Leonard of The Giddy Limit



In our main town (Kirkwall) I've noticed lately alot of leaves lying on the ground, battered and brown, the sycamores are beginning to shed thier leaves. This isn't a colourful autumnal frenzy here - the cycle goes, big wind in septmember, some leaves blown off, others brown, going crispy, bigger wind later in the month, more leaves off, all leaves brown and crispy, bigger wind..............repeat as necessary until no leaves remain. I main sound cynical, but its generally a bit like that. Occasional things do get to go a bit 'autumnal', alot of the Rosaceae shurbs and trees appear to manage it up here (Rowan, Rosa rugosa, Whitebeam, etc). I might get a peek at a bit of 'autumn' then, normally I'll head away for a bit 'sooth' to peek at a bit more!

With that in mind, I'm pondering, we did the big 'clear up' yesterday and battoned down most of outside (just in case). But, I'm pondering the willow hedge and whilst I don't want to cut it back at this time of year, cutting back at this time of year aint great here, the wind does alot of damage to undormant shoots - I'm thinking that maybe to save more of it blowing over (5 over so far) therefore I might have to? I'm really undecided, but I might 'need' to do it, if I do I'll cut it down by 1/3 now and then more next April after the wind damage and new undamaged regrowth become apparant. I might sound a bit reticent about this but it happens every year, its horrible, die-back induced by the wind can be 10cm to over 1m on a shoot, but you bite your lip and deal with it.

Ponder, ponder, more coffee ponder.



A brilliant windy view out the windae by Alex Leonard of The Giddy Limit,



If I'm out there - I'm pondering lifting the rosemary, sage and the thyme - or at least lifting the first two and  harvesting the thyme. If my choice is lift them and perhaps keep them going indoors or let the wind 'harvest them' and send a bundle of my home grown pot pourri of herbs garni to Iceland or Norway (depandant on the wind direction?!). Whilst I've no issue with sending herbs to those kind folk in those regions, I'd rather harvest and use them myself! And, if I'm out there then the caldendula flowers probably need to be cut and put on the big wooden platter in the downstairs sunny room to dry on the table in the warmth of the house. When dry these are great as a saffron substitute and recently I've read of a way to infuse oil with their petals and make salves (a great hand cream) and a rather natty gardening hand scrub which I'd like to try.

Ponder, ponder, more coffee.

Finally, if it gets really bad I'll have to figure a plan for the chickens, don't want them flying away do I? I had wondered of adopting a strategy similar to this hilarious one (!?) lets hope it doesn't get that bad......for me and any folk affected. Keep tied down and a few rocks in your pockets if its windy with you!



A brilliant extreme hardy farming in the wind cartoon by Alex Leonard of The Giddy Limit,

 As for me I'm off to tog up and go out there and lift/chop a few things, coffees drunk!

More from the brilliant Alex and the Giddy Limit, a brilliant Orkney cartoon about life up here...... at http://www.giddy-limit.com/

We're trying to work in the garden...........

OK, today thus far is not going to plan. It's dry - which is ace, but its a windy. I need a 'not very windy day' as I've a pile of mulch matting to try and lay. Bah to windy weather, its only 20 MPH at the moment and gusting at about 32 MPH! But, it looks like we're NOT working in the garden today - but I might give it a go anyway. I'd like to get a crack on but the wind is a pain in the derrier - however - I know its windy but......

 OK, let me be blunt, its not quite this windy (55MPH)- when small children are made to go out for a walk by thier evil mother and they blow away unless they hang onto the railings at skara brae..............

 Not quite that windy, to make the windsock dance about like this - that happens at about 35-45 MPH - but its fairly breezy..............................

Image copyright Alex at the Giddy Limit - Brilliant!

And, I shouldn't complain really as its definitely NOT this windy (this picture always make me giggle - thank you Alex at the Giddy Limit!), but any excuse to get such a funny picture into my blog! Its not this windy but its not weather to easily lay 100m of mulch matting and trench it in!!!! Anyway I'll get ready and watch the day..........who knows....?

Petrol and chillis

Picture is brilliant and is the copyright of Alex of the Giddy Limit

Living rurally and on an island - we benefit from many things but sadly not the price of petrol - to get back and forth to work! Alex writes the cartoon up here in the local paper and I kept this one as he had it perfectly captured, when will the price stop going up? I paid 144.9 for one litre of petrol yesterday - I think he's right, its really best not to look at the price anymore, I dinnae want tae ken!  Anyway that didn't get me down for long, can't do much about the price of petrol, try to drive less, thats all I can do.

Anyway, my good news today, aside the arrival of the polytunnel frame (Thank you McAddie and Reeve, Local Hauliers extrordanaire!) was the fact that I noticed today that all of the home saved chilli seeds have now popped up to say hello - go them! Clever little home saved seeds.

Whilst the picture below has only a few seeds in it, don't be alarmed I saved the seed from all of the chilli's that fruited - so I've oodles and sown half of them which have all woken up to say hello and have a stretch - the correct term I think is 'germination', I think that it didn't really tell it all. The fact that a whole plant, be it chilli, cress, giant redwood or a big pumpkin can come out of a seed is amazing. One of lifes miracles! The waiting for them however, is a tale of patience (really!) and the successful awakening my slumbering seeds, and by offering them a bit of company, a nice view and a bit of chat they've eventually done me a favour and woken up (finally!). I'd take a photo of them all, but its too late, they've nodded off again and to take a picture, so here's one from the seed collecting and a link to how to do it. (Next year I must wear gloves!)

Quite soon I'll be potting them up, or posting the few I don't keep onwards to their little homes elsewhere. And, whilst it feels a long time ago, its not been that long since we had our fix of spring on the mainland in Edinburgh. It will arrive here soon enough I'm sure, not too soon though, as I've tonnes to do before it arrives properly. Mainly involving being chained to a computer, writing up lots about stuff, which makes my head hurt. But secretly, I'll be thinking about wearing my wellies, mucking around in compost, being at the beach etc, which will help me to get there eventually!

Weather forecast, wind with more wind, followed by..............

Thursday 18th November not much to report today, I've been stuck inside working away on the computer. I did venture out at lunchtime, but was finding it hard to walk in the wind. Today the met office informed us for the next few days weather will be windy starting at 30mph, gusting at 60-65 mph, it is forecast to stay like this for at least the next couple of days - ! Ferries cancelled, some buses cancelled and some of the roads across the Churchill 'barriers' (a set of causeways which link up a lot of the 'south' isles to the mainalnd of Orkney) are shut due to high tides and wind. It can be said we've probably more 'wind' days affecting things than 'snow' days folk get elsewhere.

Up here the weather forecast is something we're often glued to in the morning most seasons it can be very unpredictable - so if planning anything through the week - we check out 'when' or 'if' we can do a task and on 'what' day we might manage to get out if the weather isn't playing fair. Or for having a cuppa and staying indoors!! It made me think of one of my favourite local cartoon strips which I've mentioned before - 'The Giddy Limit' in which you get a good idea of how the wind effects day to day life............. these wonderful illustrations from Alex at 'The Giddy Limit'.........................says it all for the next couple of days I think!

This is excellent weather for being indoors with a cuppa, or  for blowing away a few of those cobwebs when you go for a walk even if its only to the local Post Office...........................
 

I think I'm glad I got out into the garden at the weekend and made the most of the sunshine - for a few days I think I'll be glued to my computer writing up!! Not much fun for any of the cows and sheep who are still outdoors...........................no wonder they are very happy go on their holidays to the comfy barns over the winter!!!

Images copyright and reproduced by kind permission of The Giddy Limit

The etiquette of 'down-the-hill-and-over-the-fencelaundry'................an extreme autumn island sport.

A typical autumn 'extreme garden sport' in Orkney...... 'getting the laundry in'
Image copyright Alex Leanord http://www.giddy-limit.com/

As I listen to the wind, howling (OK it's only at about 50mph again) around the house I can be thankful I got the washing in earlier tonight. Whilst the clothes were still wet and could do with longer out 'there', I quickly did a pro-con evaluation of the situation. There is an ettiquette to this sport, after all; a brutal sport with a very short and unpredictable season.

OK it's windy - it's October - often the end of the outdoor extreme laundry season, this month the pegs just give up and ask to come in the hoose. I've a few hardened tough guy 'storm pegs' who think they can take it - but they soon beg for mercy.

OK each sock had the typical rule book 3 pegs each - each shirt had 5 or 6, trousers 3-4 on each leg, and jumpers a goodly few more. They *might* manage another half hour on the line, although I've given up on towels - the last couple I put out snapped the line - combination of the weight of the pegs used to secure the towels I suspect, the action of the towel being thrown about and an old line (well we put it up 6 months ago - in this climate I guess thats old). It should be stated however, our peg technique is well within the acceptable range of the local norm.

OK we are washing more than normal as we're off soon 'sooth' to the 'mainland' much excitement and the requirement for clean/dry clothes - our usual grubbiness isn't appreciated when we're gadding about with chums. We're going to have to wear oor 'posh mainland stuff' which might not even 'have' to be wind and waterproof, what a treat! Trips away often call for extreme laundry in the face of adversity - or getting it dry before the ferry leaves.........nevermind the wind speed, tether yourself quickly and just use more pegs....

OK, how much can I be bothered at this moment to retreive laundry from the line, rather than chance finding it later on various fences, fields, broken lines and potentially a nearby island, country or another continent - hmmm I'm not hugely fussed about doing any of that extra extreme laundry workout, I've alot on tomorrow. And, apart from that, the socks aren't bi-lingual and are quite shy really. An evaluation of other appointments is required when considering the timing of events during the art of extreme laundry - this sport often requires full committment for the 'post salvage match analysis' with phrases such as 'whar's my stuff'', 'did you give me two socks' and I can't remember exactly what I had out there - so I *think* I got it all............mebbe?!



Stage one 'attempting the pegging oot' typical scene for extreme outdoor drying in Orkney
Image copyright Alex Leanord http://www.giddy-limit.com/thegiddylimit


The washing came in, all accounted for like many in Orkney, I'm quite good at 'extreme laundry'. On the other hand - we do have a remarkable amount of odd socks - hope the 'lost' ones are having fun and learning the lingo elsewhere! OK, outdoor drying is more of an 'extreme sport' (the giddy limit character 'Liz' http://www.giddy-limit.com/thegiddylimitliz.html is clearly a black-belt see image above) which can be a good workout at this time of the year, than attempting 'indoor drying' but I'm more likely to find socks again if I dry it indoors (or maybe not......)!

We don't own a drier - there was one in this house which I asked to be taken away - they eat money with two kids, a beach habit, gardening clothes and outdoor life to sustain - we've never needed one, you get into the swing of juggling the laundry, even in a wet climate. I'd rather take my chance out there in the wind - or by having a regular laundry theme decorating the house than use precious money to dry clothes. The good life meets Widow Twankey, I can cope with that.

Alex Howard has a regular weekly column for our local newspaper - we cut out alot of the weekly cartoons and put them up in the kitchen - this is our all time favourite from The Orcadian 23rd October 2008.

Image copyright Alex Leanord http://www.giddy-limit.com/Year4Archive/no.165.html

Now, his website is hugely funny with a great archive of all the cartoons at http://www.giddy-limit.com/thegiddylimitarc.html we often give the books, calender or his cards as pressies - they truely are wonderful and great at portraying life here. And, no I don't get a discount!

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