I don't think I've experienced such high winds as those that we are having at present, so I've stayed at the cottage today and walked around the tracks and roadways nearby, still managing 10,500 steps.   The beautiful colour of this thistle caught my eye with the water tumbling over the rocks in the background.   The extra is the stand-off committee I encountered on one of the tracks, I won as they all moved to one side as I approached them.