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We have been told by many a person that January is the windiest months and brings all manner of strange weather. Well we have had many a sleepless night this month lying listening to the wind getting up speed and battering the roof time after time. So far we have survived and I am sure that next January we would have forgotten this only to be reminded again,as the weather has a habit of doing that.

As we have taken to working on the interior of the house now that it is weather proof it was by chance that I managed to capture the strange clouds and truly spectacular sunset, the first in Febuary, which greeted us as we made our way back into the living part of the house.

Mr B and I sat on the wall in the garden and just looked at the changing colours as the sun set down behind Wideford Hill in Kirkwall.

The best sunset this year by far

I would like to recall a funny story which happenned to Mr B and myself not long after arriving in Orkney.

We were on a trip to Kirkwall and walking from the Shapinsay slip to the Hatsons Industrial Estate to look at a well known (but very expensive) establishment that sells Rayburns etc. The establishment that also took over three months to get replacement parts for us but thats another story and one that I shouldn't air for fear of reprisals.

We had just passed the garage on the main Hatson Road when an orcadian gentleman approached us. Having only been here for a few weeks we hadn't quite got used to the lingo or accents and as he approached we were unsure as to his purpose.

He stopped in front of us and in a broad scottish accent was heard to say

"Would you be able to steal a car for me? "



We were both taken aback as one of the main reasons we love Orkney for is its honesty and values. Mr B hurriedly apologised and we both took off at speed away from the gentleman who looked somewhat shocked at our refusal.

Walking away we both looked at each other and asked if the event had really happenned and if the man might have been inebriated etc.

A few steps further on down the road the penny dropped.

Something didn't add up and the more I thought about it, I eventually realised what he had actually said.

On realising this I gave my thoughts to Mr B and he hurriedly returned to the man to ask him again what his request was.

It became evident that the man had broken down the day before and had returned to the garage with another vehicle in order to tow away the dead car.

What he had actually said was

"Would you be able to steer a car for me? "

Mr B, the man and myself had a chuckle and we obliged his request and helped him tow his car away from the garage.

Perhaps we both need hearing aids or maybe a crash course in not being judgemental.

I took this picture after a hail storm

Looks just like the day one of my children burst their bean bag. The mess it made caused all sorts of havoc, static polystyrene beads stuck all over our clothes the hoover and every surface it came into contact with

After reading a fellow's blog (Hermits Life on Sanday) it reminded me about the time we had a rat at Barebraes.

You would think that having 3 cats would at least deter the vermin on the island but in true Barebraes style the doon sooth cats are a bit mamby pamby when it comes to the wilds of Orkney.

It took them a few months to venture outside the boundary of the house and took even longer to get them accustomed to the wind. Billy on the other hand was an Orkney cat, but after a few months of being let into the house and a warm bed to sleep on he has turned from a lethal killer to a lap cat.

Our house has a small lobby where we hang our coats, there are 2 doors leading off to the lounge and the bedroom. We installed a catflap in the front door so the cats could get in and out.

One night after retiring to bed I was woken by a clunk of the cat flap opening and a strange baying noise and a shrill squeekin coming from outside the bedroom door, this was followed by another clunk and then all quiet.

There then followed some dialogue:

Mrs B "Did you hear that"?
Mr B "Hmmmm what" ?
Mrs B "I think there is something outside the door"?
Mrs B " Its was squeeking"
Mr B " What was"?
Mrs B " Go an have a look"

Now Mr B never wears pjs so in the buff he got out of bed and opened the bedroom door taking with him the torch.

Mr B "Oh my God" hastily slamming the bedroom door

Mrs B " What is it"?
Mr B "A Rat and its alive running round the lobby"

In sheer panic and in the dark apart from the torch ( why on earth we didn't turn on the light is beyond me) Mr B grabbed the air gun that he had purchased to ward off rabbits from the trees and looking like Elmer Fudd with torch and rifle he approached the door. Opened the door aiming torch and gun and shot. then quickly shut the door and ran for cover.


This process had to be repeated a few more times as the pesky rat wouldnt die quickly. It was squeeling and jumping everywhere and due to Mr Bs state of lack of dress I dont think that he wanted to be leapt at by a rat.
Eventually it bit the dust and from then on the cat flap was locked at night.

We have had a few more pressies left by the cats some live some dead but non so lively of as large as that rat




It was at least 10 inches long without its tail. ( and thats not a fishermans tale )

Valentines Night, a night for lovers.

Mr B and myself had an early bath put a dvd on the pc and settled down for a quiet night. The DVD was average and the snoring of the dog set the scene a treat.

At 8.30 we received a call from a kindly neighbour who lives at the North End of the island informing us of the likelyhood of "The Northern Lights or Merry Dancers"

I have seen these once when we were in Cananda, at the end of a logging track in Revelstoke we camped for 2 nights in our winnebago (dubious spelling) under the starry skies with a bonfire made of some of the logs the loggers had left behind. It was truly romantic and we sat there for hours watching the lights dance across the sky. Unfortunately the lights were only white light and not the multi coloured stuff I had dreamed of seeing one day.

Well armed with this information I got all excited and decided to tke a look out the door. The stars were covering the skies and it was so clear and still that it didn't feel that cold seeings as I was standing in just me nightie and dressing gown.
Mr B followed and suggested that we took a walk up the track to the top of the brae as we would have a better view. We stumbled along the track in the dark and stood to watch. There were a few ripples that looked like searchlights , but the lights from the barns and outbuildings along the north road made it difficult to see it properly.

"Maybe we should go to Ness in the car " I suggested,

So we donned coats wooly hats and wellies over our night gear and drove down the road to Ness.

Standing at Ness with the stars the sea crashing onto the beach and the camera at the ready we waited.

Mr Bs legs were getting cold as he forgot in his hurry to pull on a pair of trousers but we waited.

Unfortunately the lights were absent, but this didnt spoil the moment and we felt that the evening had best been spent staring at the skies than sitting indoors listening to the dog snore.

On the way back we were ambushed by 2 rabbits running across the road and one decided to head but the car tyre and became brown bread. I gave Mr B a hard time for killing the rabbit as its partner got away and would undoubtidly be heartbroken at the loss of its soul mate on valentines night.

Mr B was unrepentant