Welcome to our January 2023 blog, hoping you have enjoyed the festivities of the past two months.

A wintery scene from our cottage and now looking forward to longer days and sunshine !

Our geranium at least seems to think it's summer

~~~~~~

Quote of the month

~~~~~~

Books of the month

really loving this new book from the lovely bookshop in Kirkwall

there are some fabulous old photographs;

here is Hughie, a former inhabitant of our cottage with his hens, sheep and ducks

and earlier transport on the island

~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

Burn's Supper

North Ronaldsay put on a very special 

Burn's Supper for the island, the first since covid.

plenty of haggis and "clapshot"

(a traditional Scottish dish originated in Orkney combining turnips, potatoes and butter)

pipes, fiddles and accordian

speakers, dancing and singing

and a dram or two.

Thank you to everyone who made it so vibrant.

🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹

~~~~~

Pause for thought

from Tao & Zen Facebook page

~~~~~~~

A trip to Kirkwall on mainland Orkney for dentist, theatre or just a day's shopping involves getting on the "air-bus" for a short fifteen minute flight, very cosy and compact !

and of course you get to see all the other islands from a bird's eye view

We do of course have two small shops on the island and most provisions come on the ferry but occasionally you need the mainland.

~~~~~~

The North Ronaldsay sheep carry on much the same as usual

~~~~~~

Not all moons are the same ....

love this artwork

Artwork by Lizzie Spikes - Driftwood Designs

Ecological Consciousness Facebook page

~~~~~~~

Zara looking contented, her main hobby in life is eating, can't blame her for that.

So from us, 

in the most northern cottage 

on the most northern island of the Orkney isles

we wish you happy February days.

Stay safe and warm

Malcolm and June

🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹

December 2022

Happy New Year everyone !

 apologies for being late with the December blog but had computer hitches.

Hope you've all had a lovely peaceful time.

Christmas morning started with a swim followed by sandy champagne and cake, what better way to start the day !

Malcolm kindly offered to be waiter

thank you fellow mermaids !

Wilma just looked on but wanted to be carried back by Frank

and Wilma looks on admiringly as Frank comes to cook our Christmas lunch in true glitzy style, complete with diamonte shoes and sequins.

thank you Frank for our fabulous lunch !!!

Frank has been North Ronaldsay's medic for the past month and looked after us all extremely well but now he is returning home, so here's a little song especially for Frank ...

Chorus

Frankie's going to Colchester, he's leaving on the plane,

Frankie's going to Colchester, hope he's coming back again.

~~

He bought himself a wetsuit and threw himself into the sea,

singing to the seals and shrieking with such glee !

Chorus

He fed the islanders, fifty more, with such a gourmet feast

we've all put on an inch or two at the very least.

Chorus

He brought colour to our island with scrubs of vivid pink,

diamonte shoes and sequins, you really had to blink !

Chorus

Never a nurse like Frankie has the island ever seen,

Oh, so very Prada ! he's our dancing queen.

Chorus

A man of many talents, he's made us laugh and laugh,

Oh, do we love our Frankie?

Oh, yes we do, not half !

Chorus

June Purvis 

~~~~~~~

Around the island in December ....

                                          

~~~~~~~~

Quote and artwork by Judith Haron

artist and advocate for endangered species

"Let there be peace on Earth and

 let it begin with me"

~~~~~~~

Books of the month

Three great Christmas books that we were delighted to receive ......

thank you Helen and Malcolm, look out for the results !

~~~

Thank you Olly and Sian for these next two great books 

~~~

think they knew that I'd ordered a trike !

~~~~~

I have bought myself a trike to get around the island instead of always using the car, and I find difficulty in trying to ride a two wheel bike.

When I look back at my previous cycling experiences it is perhaps no wonder !!

~~~

~~~

Three or four wheels seemed so much more sensible and so much more fun.

Just need to strengthen up my thigh muscles against the Orkney winds !

~~~~~~~

Pause for thought

~~~~~~~

So from us,  snuggly Wilma

and sleepy Tilly

We wish you all the very best of everything for 2023

Malcolm and June

💛💛💛💛💛