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Thursday 30 August 2018

A film around Orkney



Here's a short film from the air over Orkney (approx 16 minutes).  Rory Auskerry was visiting his family who live on the island of Auskerry in Orkney and took the chance to take a flight over the islands.

His introductory blurb of the YouTube video says:

Orkney looks amazing from the air! During a recent visit to my home county, my friend and fellow aviator Tommy Sinclair kindly took me up for a trip in his Jabiru J430 aircraft. We toured around the Orkney mainland and checked out some of the sights including the Old Man O' Hoy, Flotta Oil Terminal, The Kitchener Memorial, Brough of Birsay, Balfour Castle, Cubby Roo's Castle, Kirkwall Harbour and Deerness before landing back on Runway 24 at Lamb Holm. It was a beautiful clear day and I loved flying in the Jab and chatting to Tommy.


Wednesday 29 August 2018

Around Sandside.....



Many of my photos are from around Graemsay and more often, from a few hundred yards around the house.  With a poorly foot they are now largely through a window!!

Above you can see the sun has moved across to the horizon from mid-summer where it was behind the hills on the right of the above photo.  Sad face....

The harvest is almost done on Graemsay.  It's largely silage and hay for winter feed for cattle and sheep.  My field behind the house is rented out to a neighbour and they have used it for hay this year.




I was able to get out and feed the hens finally this week (a neighbour had been doing it while I was away, and then when I was incapacitated on my return).  Happy hen bottoms!


Some photos through the conservatory window of the changing weather.....











And of course, Button, sofa, lighthouse....




And outside the front door these wild daisies have done well this year..... even growing up through the bench!  Looking their best at dusk I think as the white is the last "colour" to go as night falls.



Tuesday 28 August 2018

Home.....


It was lovely to come home to a gorgeous sunset - at least I had something to watch when I had my "feet up"!

I'm having work done to the house including some decorating while I was away.  House is still in upheaval and Button and I are in the "spare room".  Button is learning to adapt.....


However, given half a chance she prefers to sleep on "our" proper bed......


But as long as she has a blankie to sleep on she is happy.....


And we have a different view from our bedroom!


Button has been inspecting the decorating...... I wonder if this is some form of "quality mark"?!!


All. Over. The. Floor....


But I've kept two for "pawsterity". LOL!


Monday 27 August 2018

From the air....



A few pictures of the flight out of Orkney from Kirkwall airport, over East Mainland and the linked South Isles....







And coming into Edinburgh..... you can see the extinct volcanoes that make up much of the Edinburgh landscape!


Sunday 26 August 2018

Greenwich, London...




Update on foot:  Good news is there are no broken bones (this is good news as I have oseteoporosis). Not so good news is I've damaged the soft tissue (ligaments, tendons, muscles etc) which can take as long as broken bones to properly heal.  The better news is that I don't have to wear the boot all the time, as long as I wear a bandage on said foot.  So indoors I'm moving about better.  At the moment when outdoors I still wear the boot, but hope to discard that as foot gets better.....

Anyway back to when I was in London. Despite having a gimpy leg and wearing a boot, I did get out a couple of times as I was keen to see how I did in the "real" world...

So here are some photos of one of my favourite places.  Greenwich, in South London.  The Royal Observatory - home of Greenwich Mean Time!

This is a 24 hour clock showing Greenwich Mean Time (we are currently an hour ahead of that as we are on British Summer Time).



The architect of the observatory buildings was Sir Christopher Wren....


Mum and Dad used to take me here as a child.  Loved the observatory in particular....


And here I am on the famous Greenwich Meridian line where East meets West... my feet in each direction - of course!


And the view is wonderful.  In the centre is the Queen's House (not "our" current Queen.....).  See info here.    The architect was Inigo Jones....  London Docklands is the backdrop to the older building...


Closer view....


And to the left the high rise buildings of the city of London with the Shard, Walkie Talkie Building, the "Gherkin" etc and the bend in the River Thames.....


And to the right of the Queen's house is what I knew as the "Millennium Dome" built for the 2000 Millennium, but now renamed the 02 arena


I was staying fairly nearby with friend, Anne.  She has two cats that are quite adorable (don't tell Button).

Nixie....... um.... I was eating a tuna sandwich.  Anne is vegan.... he's not used to proper food being in the house. LOL! He soon found I was a soft touch!!



And his brother, Ollie.... aka Six Dinner Sid.....


And I had all the necessities near at hand...chocolate....biscuits.... TV remote... frozen peas for ankle!


And very tame "wild" life outside!! Urban foxes were around early in the day waiting to be fed by a neighbour....


I'm hoping I'm a bit more mobile on my next visit!



Tuesday 21 August 2018

Well that wasn't supposed to happen......



I set off last week for a trip (ahem) to Guernsey in the Channel Islands to stay with family, and a trip is exactly what happened..... at London City Airport.....on a step...... fortunately my ankle is intact. Unfortunately another bone in my foot broke. Ouch! 

Short version - I'm fine.  Longer version read below!

It happened at "arrivals" as I was on the way to baggage reclaim.... fortunately passengers came to my aid as I lay on the floor texting the friend, Anne, who was meeting me "Don't panic, but I've had a fall".  (Reply was "What do you mean don't panic. Tell them to come and get me!"  - they couldn't, security and all that).

Anyway a security person patrolling came along and got me into a wheelchair.  It has to be said against First Aid rules as she got me to stand up and hobble down more stairs to a wheelchair at the bottom, despite my saying I couldn't put weight on my foot and I felt faint!  But we made it! (yes letter going off to airport about that...). Wheeled through to collect my baggage and be met by a First Aider, who did know all the rules.

He wheeled me through to meet Anne, who bless her, is becoming used to visiting A&E with me (New York, London, Croydon...).... and we headed for the first aid room, which apparently doubles as a baby changing room.  Um yes there was a baby there.  Wait outside while room vacated and I get wheeled in.  When I say "room" it's more of a cupboard..... I got wheeled in and no one else could get in, so out came a chair that was there and I was manoeuvred round it. As it was a baby changing room it had a wash hand basin and a hand dryer.  Any time anyone moved the hot air shot out into the room.  At this point I was convinced I would faint!  Anyway I got onto the couch at the end and everyone stayed well clear of the hand-dryer!  First Aider chap was very efficient but as I was a woman ( well spotted) he had to call a female first aider to deal with me.  So when SHE arrived we had to start all over again explaining what had happened...  Iced compress produced and plonked on foot which was starting to swell up rather nicely. Unclear as to whether sprain or break so recommended to go to A&E (Accident and Emergency).  No need for Ambulance we said we'd make our way via a taxi.  Having done this before (several times.....) we decided to get the taxi to take us to Anne's house so we could dump luggage and go to a local hospital.  Then if we were still there at 1am it was just a sort journey "home".

First aider orders taxi and takes us to cafe so I can get a cup of hot sweet tea! Cafe busy.  We very politely ask people to move so the wheelchair and I can get through.  People move an inch...seriously.....  NOBODY got up out of their chair to make way.  Got tea at last and then got wheeled to taxi.  I realised nobody really looks where they are going or considers other people.  Many of course were looking at smart phones.  But all were in small "boxes" not engaging with their environment at all.  Constantly had to shout warnings to people or ask them to move.  And boy if they had to move their luggage, did we get dirty looks.  It was a depressing experience.

Taxi journey back to Anne's was a nightmare with taxi driver driving very fast and then slamming on brakes.  We also narrowly avoided a collision with another vehicle, with screeching of brakes.  Sigh.  By the time we got back to Anne's we were BOTH feeling sick. Anne's mum lives nearby so was on hand with more tea and lots of sympathy.  We then set off to A&E in Croydon (Surrey).

It's fair to say that the hospital is very old and undergoing some refurbishment.  But we got seen pretty quickly for an A&E, and didn't have to wait long at triage.



Sent through speedily to be seen by a nurse and later a doctor. Receptionist gave me a form to fill in with a list of questions relating to injury. "Was an animal involved?"  Nope can't blame Button this time.... OR Pecky Hen!  I was then seen by a nurse for usual blood pressure, temperature checks etc.  Goes back to sit in waiting room......

Nurse arrives with a piece of paper and a pen - could I fill in a customer satisfaction survey please.  HUH?  No seriously.  Tick boxes from "poor" to "excellent".  I look at nurse... he might need to stick needles in me..... I'm taking no chances, I tick Excellent and ramble incoherently in the "Why" box. (He was excellent actually and it's a sad indictment of our health service that someone with many years training and experience has to rely on a tick box exercise on level of service provided).

Called to see Doctor who is very jolly and makes lots of notes.  50/50 as to whether foot has broken bone or bad sprain etc.  Off to X-ray......

Get called through to X-ray very quickly and sit on table.  Confusion then ensues as the clinical record they have for me isn't ME!  It's someone else with the same name and date of birth but who lives in London and not Orkney.....  Many phone calls made by radiographer......

Meanwhile I lie on table and wonder what the dripping sounds are.  I sit up..... I am surrounded (I kid you not) with buckets and large boxes which are catching drips from the ceiling...... it's raining heavily and seemingly the ceiling is leaking badly.... all around me and the electrical equipment.  Gulp...... 

Eventually X-rays taken and I hop back to reception (no crutches or wheelchair provided, just hanging onto wall, and Anne, and hopping...).  Then have a lengthy discussion (me on one leg) with receptionist over mistake.     Receptionist thinks I might need to have x-rays done again as they are electronically attached to the wrong record. I said I'm not happy about that, not least as don't want to be exposed to more radiation because of a clerical error.  She calls Doctor.... further prolonged discussion at which point I say I need to sit down......

Doctor then sees me and shows me x-ray.  Small bit of bone has broken off.  She produces a walking-boot (see above).  I practice walking successfully, am given a crutch for stability (seriously dangerous with a crutch and abandon it later).  Hands me notes and sends us on our way (phew).  I'm to report to local fracture clinic in Orkney when I get home.

Once back at Anne's I read notes from Doctor.  "Presented with a tiny limp".  I might have accepted "Tiny, presented with limp"  but seriously how can not being able to put weight on foot, hopping and holding onto anything available for balance be classed as "tiny limp"  Harumph!

And I left the most bizarre to last.....  as we were waiting for a taxi to take us back to Anne's I received this text......




HUH??? Seriously?? Yup seriously.  I ignored it and got another one later that evening.  I am a patient NOT a customer!  Yes I use a service but seriously - how often does anyone have any choice as to which A&E they attend???!!!!!   And collecting "satisfaction" information that way is hugely inaccurate for all sorts of reasons.  Has NHS England lost its senses? Wait that's a rhetorical question because yes it has......

Anyway foot went a range of multi colours before fading..... see picture.  Not as painful as it looks, honestly.  I was well looked after by Anne and her Mum, and had a good time catching up with friends.  Though sadly won't see family this year. 



I arrived home at the weekend and am doing OK getting around the house thanks to lots of help from friends, including Mr & Mrs Tense Towers, and neighbours. I got "assistance" at airports which worked brilliantly, although again depressing to get dirty looks and glares from fellow passengers. Makes me seriously wonder what sort of society we have become.....

Walking boot nicely protects foot and make me look like a) Robocop or b) Ice Hockey Skater!



Off to the fracture clinic tomorrow and hoping to be told things are progressing well. May need to keep boot on for 4 to 6 weeks but we'll see!

And no of course Button is not sympathetic.  Clearly she ignored the memo "MIND MY FOOT!" (as you can see though, it is MUCH better in terms of bruises and swelling).




Monday 6 August 2018

Rain and sunsets....



Yes finally we have had some rain showers.  Still not a huge amount but it's brightening up the garden and hopefully helping the crops and grass grown for feed by farmers for the livestock. Above you can see the Hoy hills under the duvet of cloud.

I love wandering around the garden after a rain shower.  The smell of fresh rain after a long dry spell is wonderful, and the droplets on the flowers are so beautiful.

A rose wearing her jewels....


Grasses sparkling....






Knautia wearing pom poms.....


The verbascum has done particularly well this year and looks lovely covered in rain droplets....


Asters......


And I found a resurgent aquilegia (columbine) which was decimated in the gale in June. Though wisely it is staying close to the ground!


And the droplets accentuate the spider webs....




This sea holly is cloaked in a spider's web AND rain droplets!! Loadsa bling!


Later in the evening the moths were out.  Not sure what this one is, but under the wings are a delicate shade of orange.  Beautiful!


I bought a garden ornament recently made by a local craftsman.  It will move about the garden depending on my mood and where I think it looks best. (Ladies' mantle doing well this season!  This is a new part of a border so will take time to develop)


Erm, Button was unimpressed with the "art".......


Then I think Button decided to do a bit of "nesting"...... Needless to say she didn't do anything useful like lay an egg!






One of the hens rootling about.  Sadly this wee hen died a week ago.  Always sad to lose one of my girlies. 





We'd been down to the beach earlier and added to the collection of groatie buckies (well I did, Button gets bored to quickly to find them).  They are added to the small pile, next to the heart shaped stone.


The sun came out  in the evening so off we went to look at the sunset.  I love the colour the sandstone turns as the sun lights it up.


From down by the old lighthouse pier - you can see the sun is tracking back now the longest day is by.  In the few days since I took these pictures (maybe two weeks ago actually) it has moved a fair bit, but I've missed the sunsets so no pix!


A bit later..... by the sandy beach


And then I turned around and there was THIS! The end of the rainbow *exploding*!  I've never seen a phenomenon like this before!


You can see the rainbow more clearly in this one.....


And then walking home....


And here is a short video by the shore watching the sunset - turn up the sound as it's more for those effects..... oystercatchers, curlew, gulls and the waves....


PS - August is a busy time so I may not be posting so much.  Will do some retrospective posts when things slow down!