Boxing Day Gales

It’s boxing day in the southern hemisphere; it is supposed to be well into summer but it is freezing cold with sleet and snow! I never fail to be surprised by the Falklands weather.
Braving the cold we took a walk to Whalebone Cove to blow away the cobwebs and get some fresh air after the excesses of Christmas. The wind was so strong we were bent double, rosie-cheeked and watery eyed. The wind rocking the Landover and huge waves crashing onto the shore. There was a rock shag on the hunt for fish among the huge surf, completely at home and adapted to its environment it looked unfazed by waves and howling wind. Likewise a pair of Rudy headed geese with their goslings didn’t flinch at the cold.
As I write this now we are back home with a cup of tea and a lump of Christmas cake. The children are dosing in front of the TV. Through the window, beyond the reflected lights of our Christmas tree, I can see a cruise ship in the harbour disgorging boat after boat of visitors. No doubt its passengers are feeling very relieved to be on dry land rather than rolling around the Southern Ocean. These cruise ships often bring more visitors for a few short hours than the entire population of the islands. The yellow-coated passengers stream past our garden, peeping through the window, wondering what life is like for people on the islands, and never experiencing the quietude of when the ship leaves. How lucky we are to have the opportunity to live here and enjoy this place through the seasons.