Home again....

Truth to tell I've been back a few days, but just now taking a breather and some time to catch up here. I've been away on holiday down "south" to London and Exmouth in Devon.  I'll post photos of that adventure sometime in the coming weeks...... I enjoy going away, but it's good to come home. And there have been blue skies and warm sunshine on my return.  A lovely end to the summer.

Meantime I arrived home just as our ferry developed engine problems.  So we've had a week of uncertainty with various replacement boats brought in to get people home, children to and from school etc.  We currently have the MV Golden Marianna, which should still be running between the more Northerly of the Orkney islands of Westray and Papa Westray.  However it's been brought to do the run between Stromness, Graemsay and Hoy until our own ferry is back working. Currently a reconditioned engine is being put in, or so the story goes.

One slight problem for me is that before I went on holiday I'd run my heating oil low so that a neighbour could fix a new valve onto the tank. So I'd ordered a fresh tank of oil to be delivered this week. Unfortunately the replacement vessel for cargo has a weight limit so couldn't bring the tank over. However a drum of oil has been delivered so that should keep me going fora while.  Actually the weather is quite warm at the moment, but I like to be prepared for the inevitable change!

Hopefully our ferry will be back at full capacity soon.  It's also coming to the time of year when the island farmers are wanting to ship lambs and cattle over to the mart in Kirkwall so the ferry will be busy over the next few weeks.

Which reminds me, just before I went on holiday one of the local farmers had a bull to send off to the Orkney Mainland.  He had a cow to keep him company on the voyage, but he seemed peacable enough.  Bloomin' big, but peacable!  I took this photo from the safety of a vehicle...just in case!

Up up and away!

Ready for his sail to Stromness.....

And now for the final sunset of summer. I took these photos just before I headed south and while I was away the sun snuck behind Graemsay to set, on it's way to hiding behind the Hoy Hills for winter.....sigh.....

Look, we could roll it down the hill like a giant cheese.

Night Night sun....