Escape from the goatshed

I wouldn't want you to think I'm obsessed by the weather, but it's been cold, wet and generally miserable for the last few days.

Yesterday, we had snow - not much, I grant you, but as a rule I don't "do" snow, or rain, for that matter. Consequently, we've been hunkered down in the goatshed for three or four days and today we're going to emerge blinking in to the light, whatever the weather.

We need to get in some food and some other supplies, otherwise we'd probably stay close to the fire because the forecast for today suggests that the Force 6 northerly wind will give us a wind-chill of -4C. Some of you may be muttering "wimp" when I use this as a reason why I'd like to stay indoors, but cold is cold as far as I'm concerned.

I should point out that we don't really live in a goatshed - it's actually a very nice little house - although we quite often have goats wandering across the land. They are NOT welcome visitors and while it is sweet to see the babies, goats in general can be quite destructive. They are browsers rather than grazers so are quite keen on tucking in to our landlord's lovingly tended olive trees. Bad goats.

GOATS: These aren't on our land so are good goats.

I was a bit stuck for some music to go with this and was surprised how many songs have had goats making odd noises added to the song video. Anyway, because we're heading out for the first time in a few days I've chosen Steppin' Out  by Joe Jackson. Our trip out will be nothing like as sophisticated as the video, but it's a good song.

Weather or not

A weathercock at Limbergalm, Austria.

Last week the weather forecasts for this week were dire. We were due snow, force 9 winds and below freezing temperatures.

Today, I look out of the window and, sure, it's not nice out there - rain and a cold north wind - but it's not what we were bracing ourselves for last week.

As I said in an earlier post the word meteorology, the study of the weather, comes from the Greek for things from on high. That doesn't make Greek weather forecasts any more accurate in the long term than any others.

Even so, I have a certain amount of sympathy with weather forecasters. They are frequently held up to ridicule - just mention Michael Fish to British people - and accused of "never getting it right".

That point of view largely ties in with most people's idea that everything is all about them. In other words, a weather forecast should relate specifically to us precisely where we happen to be. This follows from so many people's belief that they are the centre of the universe. I'm afraid it's time to break the bad news to those people that they're just a few random atoms loosely agglomerated somewhere in the universe and almost certainly not at its centre.

Anyway, if you really want an accurate weather forecast, just look out of the window. That's what I do and that's why I'm just about to light the fire.

There are lots of songs about the weather and it was difficult to make a choice. However, I opted for Crowded House and Weather With You because as the chorus says "Everywhere you go, you always take the weather with you". Not entirely accurate, but the weather is definitely always there.

* Picture of weathercock by Peter Haas / , via Wikimedia Commons

When the wind blows...

Tower of the Winds, Athens, on a not very windy day

The Sporades - the island group of which Skopelos is a part - is known as the "gates of the wind" and for much of this month it has lived up to its name.

Right now, as I write this, it's dead calm and the sun is shining, but we've had days of strong winds, often Beaufort force six, seven and occasionally eight. The olive trees in the bottom of the valley have been swaying and swinging and reminded me of weed swirling around in a river.

The worst thing about these winds is waking up in the night and hearing the wind roaring and unidentified objects blowing around outside. From that it is only a small step to worrying about the roof, which so far has stayed exactly where it should.

The prevailing wind has been from the north which has reduced temperatures quite drastically (for here) although on the plus side strong winds do clear out all the muck from the atmosphere and have made it possible to see Mount Athos - the Holy Mountain - quite easily. In a straight line this is about 80 miles away on the Halkidiki peninsula.

Such constant strong winds inevitably cause damage to properties and boats, so it was good to see that the forecast for the next few days is for the winds to abate, but I'm sure they'll be back.

The music for today's post reminds me of my father, who liked this particular piece. I only recall him mentioning it once, but it stuck in my memory. Its title seems appropriate.

• Photo of the Tower of the Winds, Athens, taken by Georg Zumstrull) [CC BY-SA 2.0 de (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/de/deed.en)], via Wikimedia Commons

K is for the Kinks

This is a bit tricky because there's no specific memory that I can pin to the Kinks, but I do get a sense of my Englishness from them. It's Englishness that has nothing to do with jingoism and everything to do with a sense of almost whimsy mixed up a bit with melancholy.

There are any number of Kinks numbers that deserve a mention but I've picked Waterloo Sunset because it's a beautiful song laced through as it is with great wistfulness. This bit of video is a bit murky, but don't forget it was Britain in the 1960s, we'd only just got electricity.

Also-rans: There's nothing wrong in being an also-ran to the Kinks especially if you are the late Kirsty MacColl. She did a beautiful version of Days. If I listen to both these songs back-to-back I get quite emotional and have to take a long walk with the dog, preferably in the rain.

Words we get from Greek: Meteorology

That's the thing with an occasional series, which "Words we get from Greek" most assuredly is, it just happens occasionally. Anyway, to business, meteorology is, as you undoubtedly know, the study of weather and climate. It's Greek roots are τα μετεόρα (things on high) and λόγος (basically word).

I used to think it was only the British that went on about the weather as in the joke that Britain doesn't have climate it has weather, but here on Skopelos people pay great attention to the weather.

It's not surprising really, a lot of Greek life is spent outdoors, tending olive trees, growing vegetables or even just sitting outside drinking coffee or eating. The weather has a bearing on all these activities. Will it rain? When will it rain? Will it be enough rain? People also go on about whether it's too hot or too cold. I suspect it's only human never to be completely satisfied with something such as the weather over which we have no control.

Definitely the wrong sort of rain. A storm in September, 2012.

Of course, it's not just landlubbers who worry about the weather, seafarers also pay great attention to the forecast. Skopelos is an island and the only way to get here, other than for a few exalted types who have access to a helicopter, is by sea. If it gets stormy then shipping can't get through, certainly not to land cargo and passengers and so we go without.

As I write this, we are awaiting high winds and possible snow (more likely to be rain). Friends who needed to get to Athens for a flight left a day early in order to be certain that they could get off the island. As I said, people pay attention to the weather here. On Sunday, the views were crystal clear and we could see all the way to Mount Olympus, the top of which is covered in snow as are the peaks on the nearby island of Evia.

A light scattering of snow from January this year.

The use of the word τα μετεόρα might just have rung a bell with some of you, particularly if I type it as Meteora. This is the site in the middle of Greece famous for its monasteries which are built on top of rocky outcrops. I don't know for sure, but I presume the name derives from "things on high" as does meteorology. Certainly I imagine the monks in their lofty homes paid great attention to the weather, I know I would.

The Holy Monastery of Rousanou at Meteora.

I'm sorry, I must have nodded off for a while

So, where was I? Wherever it was, it wasn't in front of the keyboard writing this blog. Many apologies for the gap, sorry, that should read yawning chasm, in service. You know what they say: you pay peanuts, you get monkeys.

Anyway, the seasons are showing signs of changing. Things are, how can I put it, modestly autumnal here. There are still days that are warm enough to sit outside and drink coffee and say rather smugly to one's companions "Yep, it's incredible, isn't it.....November 25 and we're on the terrace."

But then every now and again we have a day to remind us that when winter does get going here in a few weeks' time it is likely to be cold, wet and windy with the possibility of snow. A local shopkeeper recently regaled me with tales of a winter only a few years ago when there was thick snow on the ground for two weeks and no power for days on end.

After a pep talk like that I always check to see that we have plenty of logs, candles and gas canisters for our camping stove. A reliable electricity supply to this island is still quite a recent innovation and it is best to have some sort of alternative should the worst happen. Until then, though, I try to make the most of living in such a beautiful place and here are some pictures to show you what I mean. All were taken in the last month or so during various walks around the island.