And I reckon that was summer...
WARNING, this post witters on a bit so please bear with me.
On Monday morning I sat in the sit-ooterie looking out at the loch surrounded by a grey haze, with the rain dripping from the roof. I had only put on the acrylic roof a month ago and it has survived some awful winds and rain but as the sheets were only a metre or so square, they had to overlap and sure enough the rain seeps through the gaps and subsequently drips down on me. Admittedly that is much better than no roof at all so I’m not complaining, just saying.
I tested the solar light too as I had not touched it for three months since installing it, and that didn’t work either, until I unplugged the solar panel and then it shone brightly. I haven’t a clue how to fix it. You can see where this is going, can’t you?
Next day, yesterday, I re-assesed all my (not very) had work that I have done in the garden and I have to admit I am happy with it. All the better for having cut the grass of course. As I am having a visitor from south on Saturday, I have been busy trying to remove a year’s detritus, clearing the way for a 4x4 plus caravan to get here down the track and just as importantly, get away again to catch the ferry back, one day next week. I have been told which day but I’ve forgotten.
What I am really trying to do here is to show off all the flowers plus produce from the greenhouse. Don’t worry, it’s mainly pictures as there’s not much to brag about, but I thought you would be impressed with my very short movie of a bee flying from flower to flower on the monks hood plant, see first picture above. I had it on repeat in the camera but that hasn’t moved across to this format so it’s not as impressive now.
Note the healthy growth of weeds in the background of the picture above. I had to clear the bed of chickweed and other undesirables back in April when I put in the Chrysanthemums. They are in a tunnel that protects the plants from the wind but it is not very high so I had to kneel down on a natty little kneeler. Unfortunately it caused a cricked back which is just now finally easing off; it is an old problem caused by early morning horse riding when I was in my early twenties when I should have known better and I’m paying for it now!
I had lunch on Wednesday with friends from Mainland Orkney who have come out here for a short three day break in a delightful cottage overlooking the bay. It proves even Orcadians like to get away to a different island to relax for a few days.
See: Mount Pleasant, Westray, Self Catering
We really are spoilt for choice here in Westray, no matter what the season. Spring , summer and autumn all have their own quirks, and winter which I reckon is from January to mid-March, can be problematic. That is when there can be all types of weather and I usually have a bad case of being snowed in for a few days any time during that period.
I live up in the hills, in a frost pocket so I know what to expect. For everyone else there usually is not a problem getting about. Westray man Robert, who keeps the roads clear in winter, will have been alerted to bad weather and he will have been out in the very early hours gritting the roads so most of the population can carry on as usual. I happen to be one of the few folk that can get caught out and remain stuck at home until the weather turns, but I am used to it and I always have supplies in store in readiness.
Autumn is particularly picturesque here. The fields change colour, harvest is gathered in; we may have an Indian Summer in September or October and after that I shall have the thrill of cleaning out the greenhouse in preparation for the coming spring.
The ferry timetables change in September so just as we are getting used to the summer sailings, they return to fewer ones as the visitor numbers dwindle. There is of course an advantage to be had as fewer visitors can mean there will be a bigger choice of where to stay here in the off-season. There is always something to do here no matter what time of year you come.
For Westray folk the off-season is the time to assess how the tourism has affected us and think of ideas of how to improve or change things for the following year. Lots of folk plan their annual holiday breaks from late November on, reaching a peak over Christmas and New Year. Some Westray folks take advantage of the quieter times to go away themselves for a well-earned rest. However Westray can be likened to a swan, all serene on top but unseen under the water there is a lot of fast paddling going on, particularly for accommodation providers who take the opportunity to repair and refurbish in readiness for the coming year. This is a costly job which visitors may not appreciate.
Apart from planning for the coming season, there are the sociable things to do like for instance, school concerts, the Harvest Home, kirks fill up with folks back from holiday, perhaps there will be weddings, the Development Trust will be holding a conference here this year, the gym and swimming pool will be at capacity again, the shops will be gearing up for Christmas and parties, and folks will take trips over to Kirkwall to do their shopping for the odd last minute items that we cannot get here.
Westray does not shut down during winter, but the cafés will have fewer opening hours, the galleries too, but the hotel will be especially busy over Christmas and up to the New Year www.pierowallhotel.co.uk when the roads will be less busy than summer, leaving them safe for the cyclists among us who sometimes like to brave the winds and rain. I had lunch at the hotel last Monday which set me up for the rest of the day, meaning I certainly didn’t need an evening meal.
If you need to keep an eye open on what is happening here you can always look at the Orkney.com web site where you will find lots of interesting snippets of information. For more local news the Heritage Centre publishes its own island newspaper Auk Talk which you can have delivered directly to your inbox, call 01857677414 during office hours until the end of September for information on paper or internet delivery and prices. You will also find news updates from the Development Trust inside Auk Talk.
I recommend the Lynnfield Hotel in Holm, Kirkwall, if you wish to stay on mainland Orkney before or after visiting Westray.
After the tourists have gone home, life gets busier here, so I shall endeavour to keep posting throughout the rest of the year, but not as often as during the summer. I shall make fewer posts per month, possibly two or one as the holiday season calms down so please do not desert me if you are expecting one every week, I just need a little more time to breathe between issues. If you subscribe you will keep receiving them automatically.
Please feel free to let me know if you disagree or if I have written some incorrect facts.
That’s over 1400 words and I usually limit myself to around 800, so there’s no chance of a bit of poetry this time.
Enjoyed that Peter - you're good wae words :-)