Norq From Ork

After some pretty serious indecisiveness, Orkney is finally playing ball and we’ve enjoyed some really gorgeous weather. Lots of getting outside and playing in the sea as well as test driving the new hot tub. I don’t really get hot tubs tbh. I’ve never been bothered with the idea of them, this was an Orkney Beef thing. He’s wanted one for yonks and I only went in it because I’m such an amazing wife. But Monday evening was so gorgeous I ended up sitting in it for two hours and getting out was a major struggle. Anyway, I can gladly confirm that this week, Orkney weather does not suck.

The evenings are long and in a months time it will hardly get dark at all which is always a weird feeling.   The current long sunny evenings enabled me to tick another of my new experiences off the list.  As bucket lists go mine seem considerably middle-aged but whatever, I’m enjoying it.  This week I had a try at Geocaching with my lovely neighbour Hannah who was happy to show me the ropes. We had way to much fun for a school night and managed four finds before heading home.

Geocaching for those that don’t know is kind of like a treasure hunt that takes place all over the world.  You download an app to your phone, are given directions to where the geocaches are located and off you go.  Using the compass and clues you hunt around until you find the hidden geocache, in most cases a little camera film case with the tiniest pencil ever, and add your name to the list of others who found the geocache.  Sometimes it’s bigger and you take something from the box and add something to it.  That’s still to come for me but I honestly had the best fun with Hannah which reflects on my over-excited face.

‘I think you might be more tanned than when you got back from Lanzarote’ said my friend this week.  In fact people are telling me every day now how well or tanned I look. I think this is largely due to an almost daily swim in the sea, catching the sun and feeling and sleeping so much better for it.  As it’s mental health awareness week I decided to write a Facebook/Instagram post about how my life has changed, how well I feel and how things are so different from my younger self. I made myself vulnerable, spoke the truth, uploaded it and instantly felt sick.  The internet can be harsh, although I’m pleased to say I haven’t been on the receiving end of that, but I still felt vulnerable.  I’m delighted to say it was incredibly WELL received and shared over and over.  It had the best response and engagement a piece of my writing has ever received.  If you would like to read it it’s pinned to the top of my Facebook page here  And a big thank you to everyone who responded so positively and kindly to me.

It’s been nature week here in Orkney and there have been sightings of Orcas again but as usual I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. On Friday evening I went on an organised Orca watch up at the kitchener memorial a nearby beauty spot.  There were probably thirty or fourty other hopefuls looking but sadly no Orcas came to see us.  It was still a chance to take in a beautiful evening, watch the birds from the cliff edge and take in the beautiful ocean from a height.  So our walk up the hill was not in vain.

Miss Lashes told me how middle aged I was becoming doing such an activity so I’m writing her out the will.

Here’s hoping the good weather stays and I can take more pictures like this

Have a great week everyone, and thanks for reading.