Brace yourselves, we are told!

[Rosaboobie]

All is very calm, JK - Goodbye Gerturde, hello Henry - he is due tomorrow ha ha!

[draclvr]

No rest for the weary, eh! Batten down the hatches again!

[Val]

Hang tight!!

[Rosaboobie]

Just sitting here at my desk watching my beautiful Short Eared Owl trying to hunt in this wind. I just love owls, and he is exceptionally beautiful.

I do miss my Kenyan owl - a Verreaux's Eagle Owl - he was huge and when he closed his eyes, you could see his pink eyelids. I used to lay awake listening to him as he perched in my hundreds year old Baobab Tree.

Edit: It is now 11.20 a.m. - I had to be brave and put the trash out in 65 mph winds - and its a long walk to the road - totally soaked and I got blown to the ground on the way back to the house ha ha

[Winfrey]

And here I was worried about your dogs!!!! Stay safe!! I have visions of everyone's trash blowing in that wind!!!!

[Rosaboobie]

I have a plastic barrel for my trash tied to my fence with wire and several bungee cords with huge stones at the bottom, and still it wants to move ha ha!

The dogs dont stay out long enough to get up to any harm, Winfrey.

[Diat60]

Just reading about your weather on BBC Scotland and they said the northwest would get the worst of the wind, up to 94 mph. Now you know why the islanders built low stone houses!

[Rosaboobie]

And can you believe that all our walls are dry stone walling - not a drop of cement - and they dont even move. Of course, I dont mean our house walls, although I have seen a couple of abandoned cottages built that way. No wonder they built the houses here with walls that are 3 feet thick, or approximately one metre if you have gone metric.

Yes, Diat, it was 68 mph here at midday! Only 1st February and we are up to H for Henry on the storm front.

[draclvr]

I was amazed to read that the stone walls are dry stone! I've wondered if all the stone used came FROM the island itself??

[Val]

http://www.britainexpress.com/History/drystone.htm
There are dry stone walls all over the UK. Amazing! Was fascinated when we travelled through the countryside years ago.

[JKEerie]

We have had some very windy days even here in the Northeast US. Gusts 50 to 60 mph (nothing like what you're getting, Rosy.) These windy days invariably tend to fall on trash days. It amazes me how many of my neighbors do not have the sense to secure their trash while in the bins and then to secure the bins themselves. Since I'm retired, I have taken it as my duty to secure my neighbors' trash bins as the trash men generally come around while everyone is at work. I know just where to stow them in their yards so they are shielded from the wind. Other bins come sailing down the street from the far end. I try to grab them as they're traveling by and secure them somewhere so they eventually can be found. There is one that I flipped and placed over a utility box near where I found it. It's still there after 2 months!

[Rosaboobie]

And a trash bin hurtling at speed can be a very dangerous missile. Here we have a crow problem, and it just amazes me that some people here still dont protect their trash out on the roadside. Often you see bags that have been ripped apart, and the contents scattered. Most of us use an old carpet and a heavy stone to keep the birds away before the lorry comes to collect it.

That link was fascinating, Val - and since we have no trees on Sanday, the birds use the walls to make their nests.

For sure, Drac, there was a local quarry here at one time.

[draclvr]

I swear I could just get lost in the history and wildlife on Sanday! Too bad the weather is just too cold and windy for me!

[Rosaboobie]

You would absolutely hate the climate here, Drac, thats for sure. Fortunately I did all the reseach beforehand, and moved here with my eyes open. I have said it before - give me this climate any day to the constant extreme heat of Kilifi. Although the babies would probably not agree with me. Maloo was a pool babe, and I am sure she must miss her swimming.

[draclvr]

I would indeed... We have such extremes here from below zero F to 100+ F with extremely high humidity to go with the heat. My main thing would be that I couldn't grow tomatoes!!