Norq From Ork

I don’t know how it happened, but last time I looked it was early January and now we are in Mid April. I’m happy to be midway through any month because it means pay day, but I’m once again surprised at the speed that the months go by.  The morning drive to work is much more enjoyable in daylight though and sometimes the view is so amazing I have to pull over and take a photo or two.

As an avid reader, I often have a pile of books on the go.  I have a book queuing system and I’m forever going cap in hand to the library asking them to extend my loans just one more time.  The problem is I’m so flat out at work at the moment I tend to fall asleep in the evening and don’t have chance to read them.  The book pile is getting a little out of control and the latest one I’ve acquired is this.

It looks like a must read for an avid sea swimmer like me and may have pushed its way to the top of the queue.  I’m up to about 60 swims now since starting in January and I never regret one.  This week I’ve been swimming with a friend Alison Moore.  A week ago she had her first swim and she’s swum every day since! Remarkable effort and a fellow mermaid right here.

The water is warming up the tiniest bit and I’m exploring more and more swim sights around Orkney.  This week I found an undiscovered haven to swim very close to home.  At low tide, you have a huge lagoon which is really safe to swim in and packed with nature’s best. It was an absolute game changer because it’s so convenient and with several months of long days stretched out ahead means I can go there easily before or after work.

There was another new spot tried yesterday and more fun in the waves.  Ally isn’t over keen on seaweed and through the week I’d been taking the hit by swimming next to it and keeping her away.  In this spot there was quite a lot as you entered the water and it was unavoidable.  ‘It’s just a vegetable’ shouted Kate from the ocean.  And when you look at it like that ……

Bobbing about avoiding vegetables of the seaweed variety

Being a mermaid isn’t very glamorous despite what the films say.  Getting into the water can be undignified if there are rocks and slippery seaweed, exiting the water can be equally undignified and I’ve virtually done it on my hands and knees more than once if it’s a rocky place like pictured; and getting dressed on the beach or by the side of the car can be highly undignified if it’s windy and there’s a passing dog walker.  If there’s one thing that helps the process it’s my Dryrobe. A huge roomy, warm and windproof changing robe which you’ll probably see me pictured in many times.  There are cheaper alternatives, toweling dressing gowns, and other options but for me and many other’s it was worth every penny of investment and with a hobby being relatively free otherwise, I don’t mind spending money on something so useful to stand around gazing out to sea in.

I even managed to swim round the shipwreck in my lunch break and mainline a pork and mushroom roll before returning to the office.  I’m living my best life right now!

I’m sorry (sort of) for spamming you with constant swimming chat.  I’m loving it so much and so passionate about it it’s unlikely to change. That said I’ve some other new experiences planned.  I lined up Geocaching, with one friend and surfing with another today. Can confirm, one of these activities may not happen.

Have a great week all!