Sunday 17 April 2011

Walking after work, daylight changing and missing folk

For Karyn.........! x (and anyone who likes seals!)
Now I am always accused at home of never taking any pictures of anything BUT plants, can't really see the problem? But as we live in such a gorgeous (if windy) place - seems a bit remiss not to share it with you. I'm finding the extra daylight brilliant as we can now again walk after work (YAY!). I'm also missing a fair few folk at the moment, various reasons - but there you are chums I miss you all and alot more at this time of year as I love walking. Walking and chums of course go hand in hand, as there's nothing better than a good walk and a blether (chat).

We've also been lucky enough in our time to have a few lovely lodgers live with us at our old house in Orkney in Kirkwall - and right now I'm missing their company - walking was one of the lovely things we all did together and its lovely to share the island with folk who've never seen seals or lambs or just let you enjoy them again because its very new and exciting to them. We love having visitors here, and soon we'll be able to share the walking again with many folk. With this in mind I've taken a few photos of a walk the other night - around a place we love the headland in a local town of stromness - from Ness point looking around to Graemsay and Hoy and onwards to the Atlantic. Me, Mr Flowers, who was up for a visit and the dog. I've especially taken pics of the seals for my lovely chum aryn as I know how she loves them and I didn't see much of her when she was visiting due to various family things. Anyway, Karyn these were taken whilst thinking of you - the seals often hid from Karyn - but tonight they are just waiting to say hello!
The headland and the seals in the distance - not bothered at all by our walking. If anything I'm sure they are very happy to see us!
 Having a lounge in the evening whilst the tide is low..........
 They popped a head up to say hello and have a look at what we were doing!
Ok so I like lichens and here are some lovely ones on some lovely rocks by the shore - can't have a walk and take NO pictures of plants (well algal/fungi mutually symbiotic type planty chums)
And of course a ferry, it was a bit breezy when we were out walking - I'd not be too keen to be on that boat - I'm a terrible sailor! We watched it for a while, as it tumbled along, going passed Graemsay and then going towards the point we'd just walked past...
 And then straight past the seals we'd just said hello to................and into the local port safely.
OK, I couldn't pass up taking a picture of this little beauty - scurvy grass - always perplexed me that its called that as clearly its not a grass - but its very pretty, and seemingly full of vitamins which is why its got the 'scurvy' bit - it wards it off in sailors I think? I'm making this up asI go along - so I won't give you that latin name as I'll be told I've invented yet another Harry Potter spell...........
And a random bit of graffitti art on a local 'pill box' from the war (the box, not the art!) - isn't it gorgeous and quite unexpected as you walk along the coast line! Mr T I think.....................has Banksy been to Orkney?
Being a bit silly I do like to try and fill a WHOLE photograph as I'm not very big - I have to stretch out and Peedie who's use to this - looks on patiently!
It's still early in the season,  and with the sun going down, our shadows are still long -- we seemed like giants - especially the dog! Mr Flowers is off home again, but we're missing him too!
Time for home soon - its a bit breezy at the moment, so we're still wrapped up from head to toe. Not quite bikini weather here at the moment!
Hurray for walks after work, looking forward to sharing a few with a few friends again soon - come on, get on a ferry, we miss you all! Watch out Karyn (if you're reading) I've even taken photos of lambs, like a tourist, just for you! The car behind me, when I stopped, clearly thought I was insane - standing in the road, taking photos of a field.

9 comments:

  1. Fay, that lichen is just gorgeous as are the rocks. Must be lovely to have seals as neighbours! Do you have sharks also? I'll never surf if I know seals are about. We have lots of sharks over this way! :)

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  2. MrsB - we do have basking sharks but tbh - here I think the cold freezing water would do for you before anything else turned up!
    I love lichens :)

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  3. Here ya go - cocklearie (scurvy grass). So let's not hear that you've developed scurvy with remedies like this right on hand. ;-D

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  4. Fay lovely photos, I love all the lichen too and everything about living on the islands, Frances

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  5. I really like the photos, it's very enjoyable to see the beauty of where you live. Cheers, Jenni

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  6. Beautiful, Fay, worth all the wind and long winter to have all that on your doorstep. Love the seals. And the lichen. But best of all is the sea! I miss it.

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  7. I get the same complaint - why are there no people in your photos?
    Walking after work is one of life's pleasures. I would trade my steeped in history landscape for your natural one!

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  8. I Enjoyed sharing your walk with all of these lovely pictures Fay.

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  9. Woo! Thank you for posting the pic of the Scurvy grass - I took a photo of some at Balranald yesterday and hadn't a clue what I was photographing! Now I know! xxx

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