On the street where we live....

We are getting new flagstones outside our door on the street where we live! This clip was filmed on Friday but for some reason was not used on TV last night. I was looking after Miriam's baby while they filmed the interview and the guy reading the GMB extract was my GP until he retired.... this is such a small place that one day we will all make a living taking in each other's washing. Talking of which that is my jacket she is wearing!!

Forgot the Ba'

Hello and Happy New Year Followers!

Forgot to tell you about the Ba'  - this will be no news to local followers but for the Kiwis you can read the details here http://www.orkneyjar.com/tradition/bagame/  . Basically it is an all day rugby type scrum between the residents of the two sides of the town. Through the steam you can see Les in a red jacket and black hat - he was not playing just spectating thankfully. THese photos were taken by our pal Carolynda. For only the second time in 11 years, the Doonies won and the ba was dunked in the harbour. We had long since left the game to go for our meal but we got text updates every 15 minutes - the wonders of modern technology. A great start to the new year!

Gogo Olive

Right so here we have two Shamwari on a night out in Kirkwall. The elephant is called Ken. The Leopard is called Auntie Fiona. Both were there to hear the band Stereo Lobsters and to raise money for Gogo Olive the charity that my two neices run in Zimbabwe helping women knit their way back to self sufficiency. http://www.gogo-olive.com/o-olive.com/

We all had a brilliant night, wearing knitwear as instructed and the Lepoard won a prize thought the poncho didn't - for very obvious reasons!! They raised £2,400 in 4 hours and the dancing burned off as many calories!

This morning's partial eclispe

Partial solar eclipse this morning - we are having all sorts of funny skies this week - very red sky tonight or should I say this afternoon. Another new phenomenum is the advent star of TESCO - quite a revelation in Orkney it stays longer than daylight and those that know say it only closes at midnight - here it is shining out  this afternoon on the way home from Granny's! We can get all kinds of stuff that we never needed before

stuff that we did not even know existed and stuff that we don't know how to use. However one thing you cannot buy there has been found in Granny's cupboard - a bottle of 2004 sherry made from Westray grapes - by ME!

Christmas past...

 

So all the biscuits are off the tree and we will be taking it down tomorrow - very sad as it has been a good tree and not dropped a single needle (shows how cold this flat is!) We have had a lovely Christmas and New Year with lots of visitors and lots of visits out. As always everybody got a stocking from Santa but as the temerature was chilly the presents were quickly discarded in favour of the stockings themselves. Hope you'all had a good one and that some of you are getting ready to join the workforce tomorrow. We are getting the Andrew & Georgina ready to go back to Edinburgh on Thursday - snow permitting!