Longer days and lots to do

June was a busy month in the Learner Gardener household.  I had something personal in my life I had to complete, and this has taken most of my spare time over the last few weeks.  When I could, I put a little time aside and the Biker Man and I would spend a quiet hour or two out and about in the countryside and on Orkney's beautiful beaches.  We spent the solstice evening at Birsay, walking along the coastline and taking photographs at 10.30 pm.  We didn't stay up as late as Life on a Small Island but hope to make it to midnight one of these years.  Having to get up early for work put paid to doing the midnight watch this year.  However I think a good many people were intending to stay up late, we left quite a few people behind enjoying the view as we left Birsay that evening.

Barony Mill, Birsay

A couple of weeks ago we spent an afternoon out at Barony Mill near Birsay.  This is still a working mill in the winter months, producing beremeal and  flour for a local bakery and shops.  In the summer it is opened up for visitors. Beremeal flour is also available for purchase from the mill.  Of course I came away with some of its fine oatmeal and beremeal to try out in some Orkney recipes.  More can be found about Barony Mill here.

We had a wonderful guided tour which culminated in the setting off of the waterwheel which set in motion the millstones and the machinery of the mill.  These are some of the photo's from our visit.

As you can see it was a beautiful sunny day

An old mill stone

 Some of the ironwork

The waterwheel in action ... and the lovely little waterway the water ends up in.

I wish I'd managed to get some internal shots that were good enough to post, but I was so engaged with listening to the excellent tour guide that I forgot to get some photos until near the end.  Then they were so rushed that they are not worth publishing.  We will be going again though, as it is a wonderful place to look around. 

Spitfire over Orkney

The PT462 Spitfire flying over Kirkwall Harbour

 

We had a rare treat this week.  Probably a one off event that will never be repeated.  We had an air display on Thursday evening featuring two biplanes and a Spitfire.  What a wonderful evening.  The weather was perfect and the visibility couldn't have been better.  I've never seen so many people around the bay.  Visitors and locals alike all turned out to see the display which was put on with the support of local businesses.  My little digital camera is getting a bit long in the tooth, and can manage just 4 megapixels, but I am really delighted that I managed to get one close up image.  

Kirkwall is coming alive with visitors and the summer sunshine is highlighting the colours of the island.  Below are just a few more images from last week.

Small boats in Kirkwall harbour

The cruise ship Vistamar

A fishing boat returning to harbour

Lobster (or possibly crab?) pots on the harbour side

Orkney Folk Festival - how to party Orcadian style

We nearly didn't manage to get tickets to the folk festival.  Just days after they went on sale to the general public, many of the shows were already sold out.  I was lucky to get tickets for a couple of the late night sessions, starting at 10.30 pm.  Now given that I'm an 'early to bed, early to rise' type of person it was going to be a real challenge for me to stay awake - not only until the shows ended but simply until 10.30 when the shows started.

The Biker Man and I have never been to a folk festival - and we didn't want to miss the opportunity now that we are living on Orkney.  Next year though, I'm going to be queuing at the door of the box office the day it opens.  What a brilliant time we had at both events.

The highlight of the weekend was 'The Chair'.  Such a huge collective talent on stage - they had everyone foot tapping, clapping or dancing from the moment they opened their set.  Absolutely brilliant.  Orcadian's really know how to party.

More about The Chair can be found on their website The Chair - Stomp Music from Orkney

The youngsters are comming out to play

Everywhere we look there are young animals.  We've had lambs in the fields for about a month, skipping, gathering in little gangs and generally misbehaving.  The landscape is now being filled with cattle.  Baby calves totter by their mother's side or sleep in little nursery groups in the sunshine.  And now we are beginning to see young wildlife.  For the last few days we've had a young hare in the garden, often nibbling on the dandelion leaves just below the window.  The evenings are light until quite late now and we are able to go for long walks.  It's still a little chilly though.

The weather has been variable but it has produced a constantly changing light and, as you can see, the landscape is becoming greener and more lush.  Summer is on its way.
 

Sunshine ... it makes everyone content

What a different a little sunshine and warmth makes.  This week Kirkwall has suddenly boomed with visitors.  The cruise liners are now calling every week and the main street is full of people looking in shops or simply enjoying the atmosphere.  The tour guides are starting to get busy again.  Above is a photograph of St Magnus Cathedral with a tour group just outside the door. For Orkney, you could call this crowded.

Round the corner at the Bishop's Place it was a little quieter. Oh, and by the way we have more trees than many people think on Orkney.  In Kirkwall, Stromness and Finstown there are a number of small rookeries.  The birds are quite raucous and over the last few weeks have been nesting.  It's been quite an art to avoid being hit by 'little presents' as you pass by.  

Early mornings

It's just after 6am, the sun is shining and I've already been awake for 2 hours.  The light mornings are beginning to affect my body clock.  I must order a pair of blackout curtains for the bedroom or I'm going to be awake even earlier as the length of the day expands.

Happily, the benefit of waking so early is that I can get my exercise routine out the way and spend little more time online.  

Outside the birds are chattering away.  Below are a couple of photographs to show what it was like earlier on.  As you can see we are getting more and more cattle in the fields.  Many of them have young calves with them.

Not a cloud in the sky.