Sweet calm..

No wind and early sun. It never lasts when at first light but sweet all the same. What sounded like rain was the tide rising on the stony shore, audible in the stillness.

Now, mid-morning, clouded but not lowering dark,  Still well under double figures and still need to keep seedlings in at night. 

I am checking my seeds and realising I have a couple of gaps... so ebay here I come... Kale,,, curly   kale,,, it comes in all colours and designs and it  cuts all winter.

And my geraniums have not germinated , but it was old seed. I grew from seed a few years ago for sale on the market stall and they vanished at speed.

There is here a ruined cowshed. It was built over 150 years ago and the gable end still stands proud and intact. Great rocks and boulders, carefully placed. A work of practical art, testifying to the great strength and resilience of islanders in past ages.

In each storm we wonder if any of the top rocks in the inverted V  will be knocked off  but they stay strong and steady. 
Such was the strength  and skill.

Electricity only came here in the late 70s.

When I came here 18 months ago there was a chaos re the supply here and I was without power then for five months.  Fine by me as I coped easily enough and had come prepared with a small camping stove, and then bought a gas cooker ( getting that connected with new laws and without paying more than the cooker cost was another saga, but I was able to cook my Christmas dinner)

It actually did my reputation and situation here good!
I knew from my previous North Sea island sojourn that some who came in summer disappeared in winter and that the locals were thinking an old wan would not stay..My neighbour told a visitor we were talking to last summer that they realised " This one was a bit strong, not weak, " and it was one of the best things anyone has ever said.

 I knew I was fine here...  and they needed to see that.
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It was a peaceful time by candlelight and the solid fuel stove, And no internet was peaceful too...  we need so little. 

And I had three large cats  to  snuggle with........