Category Archives: Northern Lights

How They Danced

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I received an alert from a friend last night that the Merrie Dancers (aka Northern Lights, Aurora Borealis, Mirrie Dancers) were dancing.

So, I quickly finished up cooking supper and stood outside the back door to see if I could see anything and whether it was worth staying out there.

And yes, they were beginning to rev up.

There was definitely potential so I kept popping outside every few minutes but it didn’t really get going until much, much later.

After supper, I checked outside, saw nothing much (I may be a bit blasé about Northern Lights these days – they’ve got to be pretty spectactular to make me leave my supper or a warm room) and went to my desk in the sitting-room to transcribe my Great Great Aunt Kate’s diaries.  I’ve reached February 1947.  I like to get two weeks done every night and it is not easy – the writing has not got any bigger.

But I had the genius idea to put the Burradale webcam up in the corner of my screen so that if anything kicked-off, I could see it in the comfort of my warm sitting room.

And then the sky really kicked-off.  I ran outside with my phone and took as many photos as I could manage (it was cold and windy) standing from my best vantage point – the compost heap (or Northern Lights Observational Point, as my OH likes to optimistically call it).  A spade is a spade in my language.

I  can honestly say this was the best display of the Merrie Dancers I have ever seen.

This morning wasn’t too shabby either.

While the sun rose, I put Haakon in the garden (shh, don’t tell OH) and took off his sugardine poultice that the farrier had put on yesterday (just to get out any final bit of infection).

Red sky in the morning…. and yes, tonight is F11 with heavy rain.  Meh.

Crofting Chores

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(lots of photos – sorry!)

I was just heading upstairs to bed last night when I thought to myself “I wonder if the Merrie Dancers are out?”

So out I trudged outside and looked north. There was a definite glow.

But it was very cold, so rather than freeze, I went and ran my bath, which takes ages.  While I was waiting, I turned off the bathroom light and opened the north facing window to see what I could see.

Yup, much better and less cold.  At least the bathroom is warm, even hanging out of the open window.

This morning was beautiful too.

Off to work at Turriefield packing veg and the rain poured down outside.  But a good almost double rainbow, though.

As I had more chores to do when I got back home, I didn’t go into my shed to make a sheep. I spent my afternoon cleaning out the water troughs/buckets in Clothie, ready for the horses and ponies when I move them over.

I used “the Eggbox” and in full four-wheel drive we trundled over the hill backwards and forwards four times with the very full and heavy water containers.

It saved my poor screaming back.

I say “we” because of course little Miss Pepperpot came too and every time I got back in the car, and put my seatbelt on, she would lick my nose!

Once done, I put Eggbox away and got Skippy out to take my final load of water to the Shetland ponies’ track.

It is almost dark outside now and I think the Merrie Dancers are forecast again so I will probably spend my evening popping in and out of the backdoor (or the bathroom) checking to see if they are dancing.