Norq From Ork

Sunshine and Smiles

It’s hard to believe we are approaching the end of May. But finally, we are getting some warmer, lovelier days which makes for much happier dog walks.

I  met a lady this morning who was on holiday and couldn’t believe how beautiful it was. Having arrived yesterday she was making the most of it and out for an early Sunday morning run. ‘It’s everything I hoped it would be’ she told me. Well done Orkney, keep it up the blue skies until October please.

 

Orkney looks incredible in the sunshine.  My dad always says he can forgive Orkney everything on days like this.  We soon forget the hideous winds and weather when warmer days arrive. I love the picture I took below on my way down to church this morning.

 

 

A Late Night Sunset

Last night I let the dog out before bed and realised there was still light in the sky at 11.10pm. In June it doesn’t get dark at all and you can read the proverbial newspaper outside at midnight.  Anyway here is last night’s photo, even though I didn’t have a newspaper to hand.

 

 

 

A Flying Visit

Miss Lashes came to stay for a couple of nights this week before she begins her new job in London on Monday. We had such a lovely time, all be it too short. On a visit to a beach near the Churchhill Barriers, Orkney Beef told us how he used to jump off the top of a sunken ship’s mast and into the sea.  Several years ago I took a picture of him standing on it with no sign of the sea, and now the mast has disappeared altogether.  The landscape has completely changed from his childhood days and you see my two walking where it used to be water.

 

 

We also had a family dinner and had about 47 attempts at getting a decent selfie.  Guys, this is as good as it gets before we all got fed up.  Sorry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Green Fingers

Finally, there was an alignment of time, motivation, and weather which enabled me to do some gardening.  A few flowers are beginning to appear and whilst I live in quite an exposed area making growing tricky, I love seeing what pops out the ground every year and never give up trying to grow more. Peonies to follow, hurrah!

Some Sad News

As some of you know, Orkney Beef was planning to do a sponsored cycle in June.  He did one last year with a friend raising money for the Fishermen’s Mission and this year he was planning to do it again.  Unfortunately, as I’ve mentioned on the blog many times before, Orkney Beef has problems with his health and a chronic autoimmune condition.  This has been playing up more frequently in the last few months, and in the week Orkney Beef made the regrettable decision that he was going to have to pull out of the cycle.  It’s not often you see him so defeated and it was heartbreaking for us that he had to make that decision, I know how much it meant to him.  But I reminded him that two years ago he was far worse off, in a coma with multiple organ failure, dialysis, pneumonia and very little expectation that he was going to live.  Sorry to keep going on about it, but really I want him to know he isn’t defeated. He’s actually a winner. I couldn’t be prouder of the strength of character and determination he always shows.   He is so sorry to the people that already sponsored him, some quite substantially, but be assured it’s still a great cause and someone has bravely  kindly agreed to go in his place.  I’ll attach a link so you can show them some love.

Just Giving Page

Anyway, if he gets wind of me writing all this werchie (Orcadian for soppy) stuff I’m in trouble so I better stop. He doesn’t always read the blog so no one tell him and I may get away with it 😀

Have a great week everyone and I like the lady I met this morning, here’s hoping it turns out to be everything you hoped it would be.