Colour

I set the photo per week challenge this week; Colour.  Easy methinks.  Nope.

I started with my SWRI competition sock:



Interesting, but not Colour.


Then I saw this fantastic shade of blue on the beach:


Gorgeous, but still not Colour


Today  sat down to darn a black t-shirt, looked at my sewing box and inspiration struck!


Colour.  I took 7 photos and this was the only one I liked.  Macro setting with some old bleached jean fabric in front of the flash to reduce it.

It's been a long weekend here, the kids get 6 days, Jo gets 4 days.  We gave the trike a yearly maintenance.  The back tyre and inner tube have been changed.  We've decided the tyre probably needs changing every 6 months rather than 12, the old one to the new one was like a wet towel vs wood, so floppy!  I've put it to one side in case there's another rags to riches, maybe someone could use three old bike tyres, maybe I could?

Jo worked out how to disassemble the gear cable system so we could replace that.  He managed a good 80% of the task then looked pathetically at me for the last bit.  Still, the casing and cable have been changed, cassette aligned and oh boy does it change smoothly!

All that's left is an oil bath for the gear hub and a good clean and re-lube of the chain.  That's waiting for the summer hols.  I'll also be going over the whole frame and catching rust before it eats away.  Oh, and applying some yacht varnish to the odd worn spot of wood.

Jo did an estimate of the mileage on the bike: about 2000 miles.  Yep, two thousand miles!

That's about it really, I'm knitting away and doing some research into maybe selling my knits.

TTFN

Distractions

Last week's photo challenge was "Distractions"  I have so many!

I'm definitely discovering the limits of our camera when it comes to "low light"  Anything short of blazing sunshine and it wants to use the flash.  That makes for washed out colours and reflections.  Maybe I should ask for a new camera for my birthday.

Distractions...well, I got distracted.  I knew what I wanted but kept doing other things.  Today, after being distracted by a chat to next door about their fence and the houses I finally set up the shot.

Originally the sheet was meant to be a backdrop, but as pointed out by a fellow competitor, the photo actually has its own distraction, the background PC and my beading box.

So, in this photo we have my newly completed Elysium shawl (Ravelry pattern link); some merino top I dyed ready to be spun; a hank of zwartbles yarn ready spun and waiting for a nice day to be washed; a puzzle magazine and my spinning wheel.





Yep, another shawl knit.  This one was quite interesting.  You knit three squares and two triangles; crochet them together and then knit on the border and neckline.  As with all lace, it came off the needles looking like a confused string bag:


But a multitude of pins and a spritz of water later, it looks like "a particularly lacy toilet mat".  Thank you darling!  To be fair, he did guess shawl first.  It's now drying on the rug and should be ready to be released before Madam Doglet needs her morning loo run.




Life is going well "oop 'ere" I'm finding I speak more and more Northern England the longer I'm here, I can only assume I'm exposed to more English accents than Scottish at the moment.

Realised today that Jo has in fact cycled to school every working day bar approximately 7.  Those 7 were all due to bike malfunction and me needing time to sort it.  He's cycled to church, to the Co, all over it seems.  I've got plans to walk more this year, weather permitting.

That's the great thing about living here; because the land is so flat you can easily walk for hours and not really notice.  Plus, the scenery!  Lack of traffic, scenery, openness, bliss.

Still not regretting moving here.  Someone today commented it has been a "dark winter" I told them that compared to our house in Tod, where the sun didn't touch the house for months at a time, this place is positively light.

Anyway, it's late, bed calls.  I was asked to choose this week's photo theme, I chose "colour" ideas abound!

One year on

Yes, we have been here just over a year.  How time flies!

Our little bungalow went from looking a little sad:



To more lived in.


My shell collection has grown.







And the trike has worn through it's first tyre.  We discovered that my mountain bike has the same sized tyres...mountain bike tyres seem far more suited to Tiree roads!


One year, 12 months, 365 days.  Every so often Jo and I are asked if we still like it here.  We can truly say we've never regretted it.  Even with the gale force winds making draughts appear where you're sure there's no possible way we still love it here.

This week it has been pretty darn windy and when it wasn't it was wet.  Madam and I have been indoors and getting a bit mopey really, we need our fresh air.  Today the wind has dropped to a breeze (England definition.  By Tiree standards it's probably "nippy") so I spent a good hour and a bit out with the dog on the beach.

Crossapol beach really is a joy to walk along.  We saw a jogger off in the distance and signs of people, but met no one.  These sandpipers (I think) were having a good time:



I even got a little video.  I love how they seem to float along, their legs invisible at a distance.



The tide was on the way out, I assume there were rich pickings!

We didn't get as far as I'd have liked, Madam was feeling cool and old and we still had to walk back.  Probably about three miles, not bad for a thirteen year old arthritic doglet.  She's had one of her big painkillers and is snoozing on her bed, probably won't move until dinner time.

The ferrets have had a lovely half hour out and about without being blown across the drive; even Nushu dared to leave the safety of the garage.

This week's photo challenge was "portrait".  I present a portrait of Madam Doglet:





That's it really.  I could bore you with photos from the last year, but they're all here anyway.  Instead I shall leave it there and go enjoy some knitting.

TTFN.

Of cargo trikes and safety

I think I discovered today the maximum wind speed at which it is safe to operate an unladen cargo trike. I think it's around 40mph sustained wind speeds with 60mph gusts. This is based on cycling home into winds the metoffice puts at 46mph with 67mph gusts. Just a little on the far side of safe. I'd be fine if it was straight head winds, it's the cross component that is dangerous. Corners proved a little awkward and I had to lean into the wind (and use the camber of the road) to stay upright. It's pretty impressive when a gust can stop you dead and prevent you peddling.

We (obviously) still have power right now, just the odd flicker, but if it goes it could be out for a while, I'm told, as there are only two Scottish Hydro engineers on the island right now. I certainly don't envy them trying to effect any repairs in these conditions.

Quiet week

The winter gales are attempting to blow and the weather is outright cold.  It's not dropped below 0'C that I've seen on my browser plugin but with these winds it's *felt* as low as -6'C.

Madam Doglet has Opinions (capital O required) on the wind going where it isn't welcome during her loo breaks:


Note: the Dogese for her opinions is rather too rude for public sharing.



The "Photo per week" group is going well.  Last week was "Light and dark".  I seriously struggled with this one and then, while using my light box, inspiration struck!  One glass dolphin with lucky penny and the light box and many, many photos later:

I took about ten photos before I was happy.


This week was "Transport".  I considered the trike or the island bus but actually, my main mode of transport, or most commonly used, is my feet.  So here we have my new "barefoot" shoes in the dog's harness.

I'm still adjusting to these, they're just thick enough to protect your feet from anything sharp and are made of wetsuit material, so your feet are actually warmer when wet.  They are most definitely NOT for long walks on roads.  On grass and sand though: bliss!


I've been busy crafting this week, I can't show you what on because it's my Dad's birthday present and he reads this blog.  You'll be able to see after the May bank holiday though.  Instead, I shall show you these short-fingered mitts I've knit:

They need a wash though, the wool is lovely, but a tad rough on my sensitive hands, a wash should see to that.  The yarn self-stripes; I *could* do my own stripes, but this was easier and worked out quite well on the short fingers too!

That's about it really.  Quiet week spent mainly at home and in bed.

Videos!

I was clearing off the camera memory card and found these...

When little sister-in-law came to visit and tried the bike...

Poor thing, as she says is "really short!"


But it does mean she can ride in the basket with ease.

And a very old one of Madam Doglet showing why she has so few teeth (we theorise!)

Not much to report.  Wind has dropped, it's down to "windy" rather than "really windy", around the 25mph averages apparently.  All I know is it's not so darned cold in the living room any more and the toilet hasn't got its own wave machine.

Photo assignment this week is "light and dark"  So far I'm lacking inspiration.  I did take the camera outside an hour ago, but it truly is too dark for it.

Breeze or wind?

On Tiree the wind scale is a tad skewed.

What might be called "windy" on the mainland is called "breezy" on Tiree.

"Breeze" has a wider range up here.  Up to about 18mph is generally referred to by locals as "breezy".  I have noticed very few completely calm days and have already managed to adjust my mental scale of winds.  "breezy" isn't really an event on the island, folk carry on as usual, even the frailer ones still consider the wind to be weak enough to let them outside.

Above this and up to around 40mph is considered "windy" and usually "gusty".  The average person who doesn't need to be outside generally won't be.  The wind brings tears to the eyes almost instantly and the frailer folk stay indoors or look around for a kind soul to block some of the wind.  I can get a walk in up to around the 25mph mark, after that I get blinded by tears.

Above 40mph is allowed to be "very windy" and sometimes even as far as "gales".  The Glasgow plane starts to be unpredictable, the ferry may not get past Coll and life on the island generally moves indoors if at all possible.

But the second biggest factor after speed is direction.  A nice tail wind can shave a good 10-15 minutes off the flight time from Glasgow while a head wind can add as much as 30 minutes.

Our ferries aren't exactly small, they can take a couple of HGV's and a good couple dozen cars in one run.  The Lord of the Isles even has stabilisers (not wheels, big fins on hydraulics to ease the roll).  So the sea being rough isn't necessarily a guarantee of no running.  What does determine the ferry coming in is the direction of the wind in relation to the pier.  From what I've heard; if the waves are coming in at the length of the pier, or side, then docking is possible.  But if the waves are hitting the end, then the offloading ramp can't stay put.  Or it could be the other way, I'm not sure as yet.

Of course the ferry not getting in sees a sudden rush to the Co and Macleod's for bread and milk.  A cancellation of the plane means no mail and no people coming back or visiting.  What I love though, is that no mail doesn't create a big fuss.  No mail today?  Okay, it'll be in tomorrow, probably.  No mail for a day on the mainland?  All heck is let loose.  Even in the little village of Todmorden a one day delay could have a week long knock on effect.  Here it might knock something back two days.

Right now my little browser plugin says the winds are around 43mph from the SSE.  I believe this is the average of sustained and gusts, but I'm not sure.  What I can tell you is that right now having the bedroom window open 1cm, not even past the frame, creates enough howl to drown out anything but someone in shoes walking past the door.  Other observations include: the water in the toilet has a fairly good wave system going.  The house is COLD and even though the heater is on 4 I am having to wear thick socks and a jumper to stay warm.  There's also a fair howl coming down the chimney.

We don't like Southerlies or 'Sou'westerlies' in our house, they hit the front of the house and have a horrible knack of finding all the tiny holes and getting in.  They also lift the lino, even though I've blocked off all but 1/5 of each air brick.

Still, could be worse...I won't say how, Murphy and Sod may be listening.

I dearly hope all my friends and family on the mainland are taking care, staying warm and avoiding the snow.  Take care all!