Wrecks

I forgot to mention in yesterday's post the incident with the Graemsay ferry last week. Apparently last weekend it hit a submerged wreck (the "Inverlane") in Burra Sound (the channel between Graemsay and Hoy). The boat sailed on and nobody was hurt, though I think it made a big "clunk" noise and startled crew and passengers alike. Divers inspected the hull of the Graemsay and apart from a scratch and a bit of a dent there seems to be no major damage.

However the outcome of this incident is that the Graemsay ferry now has to sail East of the island to Hoy and back (instead of the usual route West-about) which adds about 15 minutes on the Stromness-Hoy-Stromness journey. This doesn't cause much of a problem usually but for the first sailing of the day the time has been brought forward by 15 minutes as the delay made the kids arrive late at school registration.

A survey of Burra Sound will now be conducted, but who knows if the ferry can resume it's original route as there are actually SEVEN wrecks, which appear to have become unstable. These wrecks are as a result of Word War II fortifications of Scapa Flow which was the home base of the British Navy. Various booms were laid across the channel at entrances to Scapa Flow, and old ships were sunk (known as "block ships") to prevent submarines gaining access. However in October 1939 a German submarine got through the defences and sank the ship the "Royal Oak", which remains a war grave in the Flow to this day. After that tragedy the Churchill Barriers were erected linking what had been small islands (Lamb Holm, Burray, South Ronaldsay) to the East Orkney mainland as well as acting as submerged barriers. Other block ships and booms were used as defences too.

Nowadays the wrecks are used for recreational diving, and in the summer several dive vessels sail daily from Stromness Harbour. Once the harbour was home to the herring fleet, now it's used mainly by recreational boats, as is the case I'm sure in many harbours around the UK shores.

PS - we didn't get the snow forecast for this weekend. In fact it's been a lovely warmish day!

Let it snow, let it snow, let is snow.....!

Well OK they are forecasting snow on the "hills" and I don't think Graemsay constitutes a Hill of any great height anyway. But it is still very chilly in comparison with last week. Brrr. Though snow is no stranger to even the South of the UK in June so one shouldn't be surprised we may get some snow flurries this far north. I may have to put duvets over my veggie patch. The poor wee peas and broad beans that have just stuck their heads above the ground will be retreating beneath it again at this rate.

I've mainly been busy with work this week, but the farmers have been out ploughing and sowing seed for winter feed crops, as well as lambing and finishing off calving. It's lovely to see the fields populated with livestock again. Though it never ceases to amaze me how the lapwings and oystercatchers managed to raise their chicks with the cows and calves, or sheep and lambs across the fields. And the birds *choose* to lay their eggs among the livestock - there are plenty of places on the island "animal free". It seems as if they are trying to make life difficult for themselves!

Yesterday on the way to the afternoon boat I saw a wee Oystercatcher chick in the road. It was running for all it was worth straight up the road. Three adult oystercatchers were having hysterics in the air, and one was on the ground doing the "broken wing" trick to deflect me, the perceived predator. Eventually the chick got to the verge and stuck it's head in a clump of grass - but with the rest of it showing! I was really concerned as the road gets busy (for Graemsay) at that time on a Friday with folk collecting kids from school, going to the boat for groceries, or going over to town for the evening and I wasn't sure the chick would survive playing "chicken" on the road. So I decided I needed to take direct action and pick it up and place it through the fence on the edge of the field. I try and avoid handling wild bird chicks in case it causes the parents to abandon them, but the oystercaters were screaming in my ears as I did it and were quick to land near the chick when I retreated, so hopefully it will be OK and anyway it's chances of survival were increased by removing it from the road at that time! It was a dear little thing - just a ball of fluff with some spots on and a black pointy beak. I could feel it's little heart racing as I gently lifted it up and placed it through the fence. It promtly started sqeaking so it's parents were in no doubt where it was. Today I haven't seen the chick but the Oystercatcher's are screaming "Here comes the Giant" when they see me (even 4 ft 9" constitutes a giant in some circles it would seem) so I'm assuming they still have the chick!

Orkney had Royal visitors this week, with the Duke & Duchess of Rothesay (as Charles & Camilla are known in Scotland) visiting Kirkwall and Stromness. I wasn't in town on Monday when they arrived which was just as well as traffic struggles in the tiny street as it is without additional interest from Royal watchers. They met folk from the Lifeboat and the Ladies Lifeboat Guild in Stromness as well as visiting one of the Renewable Energy Centres in the town and Charles & Camilla spent time talking to the small crowd in the street. At least the sun shone for the occassion.

I think the folk of Stromness were somewhat bemused by all the security precautions taken for the Royal visit. One of my friends had a "bloke on a fast bike" sweep past her car as she was down at Warbeth beach dog walking on the day of the visit. Clearly checking out that she and her Shetland collie weren't a security threat!

Orkney will get another royal visitor next week when Princess Anne will visit some of the lighthouses in her role as President of the Northern Lighthouse Board. She visited Graemsay about 12 years ago but is going to the Northern Orkney Islands this time.

The Queen and the late Queen Mother have also visited Orkney at various times. The Queen Mother owned the Castle of May in Caithness just across the water from Orkney, so visiting was just a short hop away.

The other event this week was the Eurpoean elections. However polling day passed us by on Graemsay as we use postal votes as we don't warrant a polling station, there being so few of us.

And we had our own elections on the island last weekend, as it was our Community Association AGM and the committee was re-elected. We also agreed on a programme of events for the year which includes the Harvest Home (which incorporates Halloween!), Christmas party and some quizzes and games nights. So that should be ample opportunity to sample "home bakes". I have tried to get myself elected as chief taster of home bakes to ensure they are up to standard, but there would be too much competition and to be fair we'd need a committee and then there would be no home bakes left for anyone else. Apparently I'm the only one who doesn't see that as a problem ;-)

An absence of wind......

... no not my digestive system (well that too), but I'm referring to the glorious weather today. This morning I sat outside in the sunshine and it was too HOT! No breeze at all. Thankfully a breeze picked up in the afternoon making life more pleasant for working outdoors. Which is just as well as the island has been busy today. (Photo from South side of Graemsay looking towards Moaness and the Hoy Hills).

Farmers are sowing seed in the fields and moving livestock around. The kids next-door spent most of the day on the beach. I've been pottering in the garden again. Plus some more work has been done with the digger in the garden.


Button enjoyed the lazy sunny day today too, and the hens enjoyed a doze in the sun.

The air was filled with bird song, plus the drone of various water craft from Stromness harbour. Several yachts were out in the bay, the Lifeboat seemed to be doing extended exercises, a couple of jet-skis were around as well as a speed boat or two. Because of sea temperatures, tides, wind etc it tends to be the fairly hardy who take to "watersports" in Orkney, so the area doesn't get as busy as some shores in the South of England where jet-skis and speed boats buzz around from dawn to dusk.

So I've enjoyed a lazy Sunday watching everyone else doing some work. Well two days really as yesterday I watched Mick mow the grass around Sandside. His ride-on mower is broken so he has been using my "walk-behind" one - well he said he wanted to lose some weight....

Another sunset.....

..... I make no apology, I love sunsets. Today's was at 2205 with the sun setting just behind Black Craig over on the West Mainland of Orkney.

And Sandside Bay with the moon at 2210:

Buzz Buzz

I've neglected the flower border recently in favour of the veggie patch, but took a wander past today and the cornflowers are in full bloom. I just love the vibrant blue - as do the bees! There were at least six bees engrossed in the blooms on just one plant.


And the Forget-me-nots are looking delicate and beautiful today too.

And could someone please tell me what this very common perennial is called? A friend gave it to me last year and I've forgotten it's name (if I ever knew it!).

The border is just coming into flower - I like to remind myself of "before" and "after" as some days it doesn't feel as if I've come very far cultivating a garden - and then I look at how it was a couple of years ago and feel I'm making progress!

Tram lines on Graemsay?

No - just tractor wheel marks after the field was spread with fertilizer. Some years the field at the back of the house has been used as summer grazing, but the fence is in poor repair so this year it will be used for silage, or maybe hay for winter feed for island livestock. Once I get the fence fixed and "livestock" proof, animals could go back in there - not mine I hasten to add! I let a neighbour use the field - I get the pleasure of looking at the livestock without any of the work!

Today has been another bright sunny day. I've been out weeding in the vegetable garden. The peas and beans I sowed just before I went south are already appearing above the ground. I have to turn a "blind eye" to the rest of the garden as it will be some time before that is sorted out. As a friend said, just concentrate on what has been done, rather than looking at what needs to be done! Otherwise I get a bit despondant. However I just need a little patience and all will come together.

I see there was a cruise liner in Stromness harbour today. Orkney is visited by quite a large number of cruise liners, though most visit Kirkwall. Usually the visitors are landed in small boats and then go on coach tours around the Orkney Mainland to various historic sites such as Skara Brae or the Ring of Brodgar, with a little time to shop in the town. At least the visitors will take home good memories of Orkney in the sun this time.

And I heard seals calling today while weeding the garden. That is such a relief as I haven't seen seals around for some time. They would usually be around the rocks and skerries of the shore, but the fish must have been scarce as there were no seals to be seen for some time. However the fish must be back as the air was filled with seal calls tonight. Most of the seals around the island are grey seals. In years gone by they would haul out onto the sandy beach in May, but they've been choosing other sites on the island for their sun bathing in recent years.

Here's a photo from about 10 years ago when they would sunbathe on Sandside beach:

A Welcome Home

I've just returned from a fleeting work visit south, and was greeted by an appreciative Button and this beautiful sunset. I enjoy visits south, but I love coming home. Tonight I sat in the conservatory with Button beside me and watched the swallows scooping up the insects outside, the waves lapping the shore and the sun slowly setting at 21:58. A beautiful "welcome home" which cannot be beaten!