Bit blowy

 It started quite early. We awoke to 50mph winds which seemed to come from everywhere.

The lads started clearing the upstairs rooms ready to start plasterboarding. We rock wooded as small area of attic and then they moved some of stuff up out of the way. The rubble bags were also moved downstairs but it was too windy to move outside.

We headed off fairly early for todays usual hospital appt to change Robs dressings. He also had a ct scan on his shoulder. Fingers crossed it shows it is possible to fix it.

 We sat on Victoria pier with our sandwiches and watched gulls flying backwards. The wind by this time was even stronger and it was raining, the tide was very high. We wouldn't have liked to be on the Bressay ferry.

After a bit of wind blown shopping we headed back to see a bit of the Shetland hotels roof on the road.

It was quite a tricky drive with water splashing over the road. This was the Bridge of Walls

We got home safely to see a fair bit of wood had been blown around including the big crate which had been blown about 20ft across the driveway. Rob had to stay in the car until it calmed down a bit.  Jill took him a coffee.

Inside the house, unfortunately, the kitchen roof had started leaking again so Michael had  put buckets underneath. Will look at it next week. The window was leaking too but they will get changed over soon.

The upstairs back bedroom is today's then and  now.

Making the most of the weather

 It was cloudy but very calm today so we cracked on with outside stuff. Jill painted one of the stable doors with top coat and top coated the extension window while Patrick made a cracking new door from the viking timber. Then it had a quick coat of oil/timber care stuff.

This is the old door!

Michael did a fair bit of swearing getting the last upstairs window out but the new one is now in. This means there is just one to go on the front of the main house.

So, this is how it started and this is now.

It was nice to chat to Barbara and Donald who popped past to see how we are getting on. They live in Walls.

Late afternoon, news of a great grey shrike at Hillswick broke so we headed off for a bit.

 Unfortunately we didn't find it but we did see lots of snipe and a field of golden Plover.

It remained very gloomy accept for a glimmer of sunset through a gap in the clouds at Mavis Grind on  the way home.

It got dark before we got home as we stopped at Co-op in Brae. Driving in the dark here can be quite hairy as the roads can be narrow but drivers are nearly all very respectful. During the day everyone waves their thanks for letting them pass and at night you get a horn beep instead. The waves are very cheering and it is nice at night to get the same sort of greeting. It is such a friendly island.

It's supposed to be very windy tomorrow.

Good chin wag

 Jill painted the bathroom with its first coat this morning and put a 2nd undercoat in the window outside. It really makes a difference.

 Michael was on another job so Patrick worked on the last couple if doors. He has so much patience!

 We then discovered that our good friend Nick had made a late decision to do some migrant watching on Fair Isle. This meant passing through mainland so we headed out to pick him up from the airport. We did a bit of bird watching en route to Lerwick. Nothing at Grutness but we caught up with the Hornemanns Arctic Redpoll at Toab. Sweet little bird.

We then went for a lovely Indian at the saffron and a really good catch up. Lovely.

Today's then and now

This was the old kitchen and will be our bedroom eventually. 

Wind ows

 The wind calmed a bit today so Michael had the opportunity to put two windows in today so the house gets a bit drier and less windy inside!

One of the old extension windows is staying in until we build a new extension so Jill sanded it down and undercoated it the same blue. It definately looks better.

As we have been here the 6 months we thought we would do a daily bit on then and now. ( Our daughters idea) Starting with the bathroom. When we moved in and now.

. Bathroom gets painted tomorrow.

It was a day of wet and dry - not just sandpaper. This should be called the island of rainbows.

There was a rare bird in the village so we drove down to have a look. It was raining so we stayed in the car as neither of us can do much walking for the time being. We did get it, but no photos. It was an Eastern Yellow Wagtail. We then took the long route home towards Sandness and the sun came out. We found a gorgeous grouse by the road  (car window shots).

Love the fluffy feet.

We got a shock at Melby as the winds had wrecked havoc with the beach and road. Huge stones had been shifted and it looked like the sea had been dredged of weed and it was dumped on the beach. The burn that used to be well under the bridge was almost at Bridge level.

The coastal path has also been eroded.

The sun came out and it looked beautiful.

And then to top it all, a beautiful sunset