The weather has a huge influence on everything that happens on Ramsey Island and all the staff and volunteers keep a close eye on the forecasts.  The internet is the usual source of weather information but when the connection fails we have to rely on the ‘Forecasting Stone’, which is usually very accurate but it does require a trip down to the farm buildings to check.

With strong winds still blowing across the island, following yesterday’s gale, there were no visitor boats again today.  When we volunteers went down to the farmhouse this morning for today’s instructions, there was a long list of tasks to be done.  While Steve chopped kindling and then did some maintenance around the Bungalow, Nicola made some insect homes from clay pipes and heather and did some painting.  I went down to the south of the island and cleared heather which was starting to encroach on the path.

I had lunch down in the amphitheatre-like bowl of Aber Myharan, sitting amongst the bluebells on the cliff top in the bright sunshine, watching the gannets fly past above Ramsey Sound – a pretty perfect spot.

There were some interesting patterns in the clouds in the afternoon as I finished off cutting back the heather…