30 June 2025

June 2025




Welcome everyone, hope you are all happy and thriving 😊 and hope you can find two minutes to enjoy our June photographs


A few flights to the island have been cancelled this  month due to fog, not of course bothering the sheep and a couple of ferries have been cancelled due to the wind.                        



Around the croft Spring Squill and the awesome Olearia









Fuchsia bushes grow surprisingly well here and create a welcome wind break


Ohh, our grapes are growing excitingly well in the greenhouse




Zara and Mr Blonde waiting patiently for the farrier to come for their pedicure



Oh, I do love to see a pony at the back door, always makes me smile 😊





Our friend's goat waiting for morning coffee to be served !!





                                                                ~~~~~


Quote of the month



Don't think you have to be solemn to meditate.

To meditate well, you have to smile a lot.


😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊

Thich Nhat Hanh

😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊


~~~~~~~


This has been a month of visitors !

Malcolm's sister from Madeira 
and his cousin from South Africa



walking and a lighthouse tour were compulsory



as was the post-swim pinkest-knee competition !


  mmm, no guessing whose legs don't get to see much sunshine



we did let Barb join in, but as you can see she feels the cold

 and Mike gave us a yoga lesson in our spacious community sports hall



and of course they both helped Malcolm celebrate his 70th birthday

🎉



getting a bit hot with all those candles !

many thanks to the Bird Observatory team for our great meal





Malcolm says thank you to everyone for all his birthday wishes, much appreciated 😊

~~~~~

and our third visitor arrived by the Noble Caledonia cruise ship the Island Sky




the ship moored just off the island near Bewan Pier, a couple of hundred yards from our cottage, the crew came across first on the Zodiac ribs and lay towels down on the slippery, seaweedy pier for folk to walk along safely




and here she comes ! my mermaid friend Janette from the Scottish Highlands 



it was a pity that the weather was so very wet but it didn't dampen our spirits


we managed a lot of talking and a glass of wine, so all was well.
Janette and I started to swim in the waters of Loch Ewe in 2014 and swam every Sunday for eight years regardless of what the weather was throwing at us, happy days


The tides and weather meant that the visit was cut short, sad to see her depart so soon, 
but she made it !!!!!


Next time we meet we'll swim together again
💙💙

~~~~~~


Books of the month


Thank you Nicola for sending Malcolm this fabulous book, much appreciated and enjoyed



📗 📘 📙 📕

This one may change your life ?



📕   📙  ðŸ“˜  ðŸ“—


from the "1000 Libraries" Facebook page

📖  ðŸ“–  ðŸ“–  ðŸ“–

Hurkle-Durkle

On the subject of books and words this is a great phrase, which dates back to the 1800s in Scotland and is defined in the "Dictionaries of the Scots Language" as "to lie in bed or lounge about when one should be up and about" or a perfect excuse for a day of relaxation.

~~~~~

The weather here at the moment is nothing like summer !! but hope there is sunshine where you are and wishing 
happy hurkle-durkling to you all

June and Malcolm
💚💛





31 May 2025

May 2025

 Welcome to a peedie (Orkney word for small) look at the activities during the month of May on our remote island, enjoy with a cuppa 🫖




When island life just gets too hectic...





you just have to lay down with your mates by your side




and how delicious to have a friend to nibble an itch on your back



happiness is having breakfast with your ponies



Malcolm has been busy creating veg patches and making gates


and picking delicious raspberries for breakfasts


meanwhile Tilly cat thinks that the greenhouse is purely for relaxation



Wilma being slightly grumpy, telling me that she really did not need a bath !!




~~~~~~


We were very privileged to have a long-eared owl come and rest in our garden for an hour one evening,  evidently quite a rare thing on North Ronaldsay






Lots of lambs being born this month and quickly running and jumping around for pure joy









a lone sheep quietly enjoying a supper of seaweed








~~~~~~


The Ocean Nova was the first cruise ship to visit the island, with more than 100 passengers and crew coming ashore for birdwatching, wool mill and lighthouse tours





the crew come ashore first to check out the landing and lay down mats and towels on the slippery seaweed at Bewan Pier




all is well organised, large bins are brought with them for the passengers to deposit their life jackets (for small, medium and large) having been transported from the ship by ribs




See you next month Janette 💙

~~~~~~



It was so good to see our friends Elaine and Gary !!!!




they joined in everything !




swimming, practising to be mermaids,



pinkest-knee contest



dancing 




community beach walks




being silly





repairing some of our stone walls, bottoms up !




and lots and lots of talking !



thank you Alison and team at the Bird Observatory for our delicious meals in the restaurant and for looking after our friends 😊





it was sad to see them leave

~~~~~~






North Ronaldsay's Lighthouse keeper is Billy Muir
(my favourite lighthouse keeper 😊)



and this month he has received an award from the Northern Lighthouse Board for 55 years service as a lighthouse keeper on North Ronaldsay !

signed by Princess Anne




Well done Billy !
Congratulations on your achievement






Some lighthouse photos taken on a glorious sunny day












~~~~~~


Books of the month



Thank you Hayley for sending us this book, it was a delightful read on one of our rainy cold days, when working outside was not an option





~~~~~









~~~~~~


Recommendation of the month

another small way to help the planet and those that come after us



have a look at their website for more information

uk.nakedpaper.com





~~~~~~

Quote of the month


When there is silence
one finds the anchor of the universe
within oneself


Lao Tzu

~~~~~~~


June Birthdays

To all our friends and family with birthdays in June 
" Happy Birthday !! "
to
June ,aka Uvver Junie, friends since 1960 !
Kelly M,  Gill V,  Malcolm, 
 Mr Blonde  
and Charlotte M
💛
and to everyone who is reading this blog we wish 
 you all a peaceful and blissful month of June,
💛💛💛
Malcolm and June
🌻 🌻 🌻 🌻 🌻 🌻 🌻