Off to a good start

Steve found a surprise yesterday - an extra early set of twins - a sign of many more to come!  The next couple of weeks will bring a shift into another new season here on Enlli, as the observatory gang return, volunteers start to arrive, and lambing starts (proper start date is the 15th March).

We've enjoyed the first couple of months of 2017, and the weather seems to have been much kinder this winter compared to previous years.  It's only in the last fortnight or so that conditions seem to have become more unsettled and stormy.

Here's a brief photo round up of January and February:

There have been some stunning skies with beautiful sunbeams in the low winter light

The wildest seas all winter were witnessed last week as Storm Doris passed through:

I managed to get to the mainland for a break in January, and attended a basketmaking/chair seating course at West Dean college. I took with me the frame of a drift wood stool that Ben had made me for Christmas and learnt how to weave the seat using rush.

as well as improving on "square" basket techniques.

A  load of luggage gathered from the mainland on my return....

Porth Meudwy

Steve also managed a  short break on the mainland, by kayak, although he had to get back before the storm hit so only managed a couple of days.....

When the clouds have occasionally parted during the winter nights I have ( Steve here !) been doing some astro-photography again with some new targets and some old favourites.

This unusual-looking galaxy is M82 . It features a starburst exploded core with massive jets of hydrogen caused by a close encounter with its neighbouring galaxy M81 . It is about 12 million light years distant from us.





























This image is of the ' Crab Nebula ' . This is the shock wave of an exploded star...a supernova !





Below is the best known nebula in the night sky...the Great Orion Nebula . New stars are being formed in its heart and their radiation is blowing a huge hole in the centre of the nebula .

Below is the companion galaxy of M82...this is M81 , or Bodes Galaxy located in the constellation Ursa Major .

We do get a bit muddled after a few months of isolation on Enlli - goats in the kitchen and dogs in the yard...???

Meanwhile, at our new cottage in Rhiw, Jason and James, some timber frame building friends, have started work demolishing the old cabin in order to make a start on the new one....progress will be documented!