Wednesday 29 February 2012

An island commute........

The light caught my imagination on the way hame yesterday, I had to stop and take a photo or two, why not I thought, I'm not rushing. It's time for hame, I can take a wee minute to have a peep at the view. It should never be taken for granted, its gorgeous and breathtaking. And while we do all live under the same skies often we don't see passed what's under our noses and we don't look up. Today I looked over and up, breathtaking.

Islanders often 'commute' through the most amazing scenery to get on and about their daily business. I'm no exception. I live 12 miles from the 'city' of Kirkwall, where I sometimes work at the local college, or do a bit of gardening for a couple of folk, when free from womble duties. Well, no surprise here, popped into town after a cuppa with a chum, drop off of eggs (and a whirl of my down jacket through her tumble drier, thank you very much). And, then, I got royally sucked into work yesterday, which was fun (captured by plants, not wombles for a change), you know I don't think I'm over this gardening lark..........
Anyhow, the drive hame, I like to drive over the brae tae the hoose here I love the view off in the distance to the left, me hoose, although so small, a few miles away, you cannae see it just yet. And, like Jacqui over on the isles at the other side of Scotland, I thought I'd share it with you all. It the last part of my commute home, its beautiful, changable, leaves me calmer and enriched, every time I see it.

The view to the right, straight ahead, the island of Hoy, Graemsay nestled in front where we wave to our friend Sian, sunshine, stormy seas and a peep at the edge of Stromness, the second largest town here( and where my 'other' work is based - Womble HQ).
The view straight ahead, Hoy is 'almost' framed in the foreground, the geese are chattering and the faintest cry of lapwings in the distance who are beginning to appear again in the fields  ......
And to the left..........the tides low, the lights going and the homestead is calling, a tiny dot in the centre of the photo........
Now, its maybe not the commute home you'd expect, but for islander like me, this ones not too untypical. Living on an island makes you an 'islander' in my mind, even if I'm not a local, I'm privileged enough to live here and I appreciate it very much.  I love the mix of modern life, tempered with single track roads, passing places and exquisite views of the sea. But, time to clamber back in the car, the peedie folk arriving home hungry and supper to be made (Yesterdays delight......local Aberdeen Angus stew, home grown carrots, onions, home made dumplings and with chappit tatties).

And, Alistair to answer a previous comment, yes, I'll miss it all, very much when we leave! Very much.

27 comments:

  1. Oh my word. What a commute! Well, I live in the south east of England, and I work from home, so right now from laptop in the kitchen I can see my fence, with a few birds hopping on and off, my buddleia, my lavender, my rosemary, a tree about 50 yards away, and a couple of TV aerials. Not bad, in fact quite nice, but not a patch on these! Thanks for sharing :)

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    1. I'm so lucky Jan - but I do dream of seeing the little garden birds that we don't get here, as well as trees! I work from a 'sunny room' (downstairs dining room is a conservatory) - so I look out to sea to that large island of Hoy, Graemsay in the front, hens in the non-garden and the town of Stromness blinking at me across the flow.

      And, not really trees, a few willow about and gorse but of course TV aeriels we have them in common! x

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  2. Lovely views Fay :) Like you I feel so blessed to be able to enjoy the countryside around me, just popping to the library etc I get to enjoy forests, open fields,dry stone walls, fields full of cattle and sheep, open skies,dirt track lanes and the Galloway hills in the background.I'll never take it for granted after living most of my life in towns.

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    1. Dreamer it sounds idyllic too. I love dry stane dykes. And forests are of course very cool.
      Guess you've more sheep than cows where you are? Its the opposite for us, not of course that the cows are out yet........

      x

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  3. We both miss Orkney. It gets under your skin. All these big skies and sea views and the light can be magical.
    I can almost hear the birds and smell the sea, from your photos, Fay.

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    1. Doesn't it just - we moved away before for a year or two to go and do masters in Edinburgh - whilst the change was nice. I prefer this.

      It truly is magical isn't it, you'll be back soon enough......

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  4. it certainly is breathtaking xx Thanks for sharing xx

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    1. Isn't it - very dramatic - and beautiful - often can be grey but I never find it bleak, only annoyingly windy!
      x

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  5. Beautiful views. One of the biggest differences for me of moving to an island is that "the commute" is now something I look forward too rather something to be feared.

    Although traffic looks as if it's getting bad there, I swear I can see a car in the distance.

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    1. Nah it was a tractor..........

      I love my drive home, on the one side of the island its heather and moorland and scapa flow. On the other the villages, the sea looking out to the northern Orkney islands, fulmars on the coast nesting again, its beautiful.

      OK, Petrols not a great price but hey I guess the car insurance is less, so its swings and roundabouts.

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  6. brings back memories of my visit to some of the islands of Scotland with my sister a few years ago. My mother used to go to Girl Guide camps where u live in 1930's for 6 weeks during the summer hols. How amazing that must have been. I am sitting here in Brisbane with very high humidity, masses of rain has been falling and everything around me is like a jungle - so much pruning to do when it gets cooler. Maybe I will be lucky enough to get back there some time.
    Susan at Watery Fowls.

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    1. Susan - how lovely that sounds - 6 weeks away in the holidays!

      I can't imagine what heat feels like, unless I draw a hot bath!

      Thank you so much for your comments!

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  7. Thank you for your lovely evocative island blog. I have not been an "islander" for very long but when I look out of my window I still can't believe that I'm fortunate enough to be able to live in such a wonderful place. We all rant about the weather, the price of fuel and all the other small irritations that are part of island life but when the sun comes out all is forgotten.
    Christine (South Uist)

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    1. Oh Christine how I love South Uist - I know the Uists well. An old flame use to warden up there. Many a summer spent looking at corncrakes under the washing line and wondering why folk thought they were so rare!

      Islands get under your skin don't they?

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  8. wow that is an amazing commute! its great that you appreciate it so much :)

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  9. Oh Fay, I can feel your heart breaking a tiny bit as you anticipate leaving. Thanks for sharing the gorgeous stark beauty of your island and its dearness to yourself as well. xo L

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    1. Linnew - I love it and despise its coarseness to plants allat once.

      Its a funny relationship I have here.

      And, if one more person lovingly suggests all I have to do is plant 'orkney hardy species' to create a garden in this particular tornedo ramsacked micro-climate which is the homestead here, rather than whine about my garden. I think I'll be creating my own thriller.

      *As any lady gardener would, I smiled and thanked heartily for the advice given and made them a cup of tea.

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  10. Time I revisited Orkney I think. I don't think I'd ever dare live there, but you don't have to be there long for it to get under the skin. Shetland, on the other hand, I can willingly do without.

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    1. And what's wrong with Shetland? I've spent many a sunny holiday there.....

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    2. I'm with Janet here - Shetlands awesome. OK, barely any cultivatable land, sheep everywhere and horses (peedie ones) which eat everything in sight, but aside that its breathtaking.

      And, full of vikings.

      And, if the statistics are to beleived, possibly windier than Orkney.

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    3. And, Kininvie - Orkney's gorgeous - definitely worth a visit - May/June is my favourite months - you get the best of the wild flowers and the anticipation of whats to come, with none of the disappointment if it doesn't actually turn into summer.

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  11. Beautiful views of the road home!
    And I enjoyed your post about the chickens - wonderful to have an abundance of eggs! Cute little cloth chickens, too!
    Have a great week-end!
    Lea
    Lea's Menagerie

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    1. Lea how wonderful to see you.

      Very beautiful, I'm very lucky and the chooks, oh well, those lot are always up to some mischeif!

      My weekend is now a 'working' one. So tonight/tomorrow are my 'day off'

      x

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  12. Fay, fit a smashin place, I see 8500 folk bide in Kirkwall, nae exactly over populated, jist fine. Am dyin tae find oot far yer gan. If ye come tae Aiberdeen yil be able tae see Ian Woods multi million pound gairden in the centre o the toon. Mind you if he wuntid this sae badly maybe he should hae (pied?) for it in ful in nae burdened is a wi sae much debt. Am awa now, a winna aye be spikin like this or folk il think am even feeler thaen a look.

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    1. Alistair, I ken fine whit you're minding aboot that gairden o' Ian Woods, Mr F use tae work fir his buddies in Dundee, and there's a fair stooshy on the wireless aboot that particular floower festival he's call'in a gairden. We dinnae ken whar we'll bide. Mebbes Fife, mebbies Abeirdeen ways, mebbe even Norway, depends on the loons' job. Orkney is a braw place tae bide, guy windy and fierce but aside the minging weather it's grand.

      I dinnae ken 'feeler' fits it?

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    2. Means daft as a brush, yken, a bitty feel or maybe feil

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