Norq From Ork

Sunset Beaches

Blah blah, weather rubbish at the weekend, lovely in the week when I’m at work …usual story…. Anyway, never mind, at least the evenings are light enough that we can pop to the beach after work which Orkney Beef and I managed to do that on Monday.  The dog came too of course because we have a ritual of losing a tennis ball every visit and she didn’t want to break that. The sea was flat calm and the beach deserted making it look idylic and a far cry from the blow you over winter waves we also see here.

I’m going to plump for cow parsley to call this wildflower that can be seen everywhere in Orkney at this time of year.  However consulting The Orkney Book of Wildflowers I see that there are many varieties of this plant and they can look quite similar.  If I’m wrong on this one please feel free to correct me. ……Nicely 🙂

And in the words of Father Ted, Orkney Beef isnot small, he’s far away

Books and Balls

The summer evenings continued and I managed a few minutes in the evening sun to start a new book.  The Oystercatcher Girl by Gabrielle Barnby.

I thought I would kill two birds with one stone by taking the ball thrower into the garden and throwing the ball over the wall into the neighboring field. The dog would be entertained and exercised and it would test her ball finding skills in the long grass giving me chance to read a page or two between throws.  It turns out that unlike the beach, where she can lose a ball at every visit, her skills at finding a ball in a field of long grass are remarkable.  She found it in seconds and returned it to be thrown again…… all 698 times until I cried.

Cake and Cotton

I had a long overdue catch up with a friend yesterday and we tried a new coffee shop that’s opened close to where we live.  I managed to resist all the cake but must confess I had a super thick hot chocolate that was so rich I couldn’t even finish it.  Returning home through the moors I stopped to picture the beautiful ‘bog-cotton’  or cottongrass that is seen around Orkney at this time of year.  I love it, it’s so pretty.

Hats and Tartan 

This week we are going away for Miss Lashes graduation.  An opportunity to get dressed up and I’ve had weeks of consultation from friends about my dress.  I also borrowed a hat from a friend of mine who could open a shop she has so many.  It was great fun having a trying on session and I was spoiled for choice. I’m sure she had one in colours I didn’t even know were invented. However I picked one in the end.

Orkney Beef and Tech Support will both be wearing kilts, and one of my most heart-warming moments was seeing Orkney Beef helping him try it on.  Here he is six years ago when he last wore a kilt for my wedding, and last night when I was allowed to take his photo in an extremely rare opportunity.  What a difference a few years makes!

 

Here’s hoping the sun shines in Edinburgh for Miss Lashes graduation ceremony.  There will be tears, I’m sure of that!

 

Have a great week everyone.