Winter, back with a vengeance

Wicked weather today, 50 mph squalls and hail, and snow. In the afternoon I went in to the shop. There was thundering on the roof. When I went out after five minutes the road was covered in a depth of hail stones and snow. Pony Blue stayed inside for half the day.

We went to Marwick for a brief struggle with the wind.

This is a colour photo, straight out of the camera....

Earlier in the week I was playing around with the Olympus having read some things about using the flash diffuser more effectively.

Venus Flytrap in the kitchen.

Hopefully I'll get the chance to photograph small creatures tomorrow. It is the centenery Orkney Field Club field outing. Meeting at Brodgar as the club did a hundred years ago.

My mum's washing machine lasted for ever, I'm sure it did. I've just ordered our fourth in 9 years. It wasn't a good omen with this Zanussi when the door fell off after a fortnight. Repaired under guarantee, but now a large chunk of the weight compound split off, the machine then jumped about on the spin and punctured the outlet hose, brilliant! By the time I've got the bits (don't think the weight will be easy to replace here) I might as well just get a new one, I don't trust what other damage has occurred with this thing. New plan - buy a Siemens with a five year guarantee.

Plenty of Pink-feet earlier in the week in the fields around the house. Today at Marwick there was a flock of 700 or so. The rooks have half-heartedly been collecting sticks, their efforts will have blown away today mind.

Anyway this weather has allowed me to finish the hoverfly report and to get my wee talk prepared for Friday week.

Helophilus pendulus, it'll be a while yet before I see one here this year I suspect.

Bird report species to write now....