April 2025

 

Hello everyone, welcome ! We are loving our dandelions, so much so that last year we painted our front door yellow to match

our greenhouse on the south facing wall of the house and coming into it's second season is looking lush with raspberries, strawberries, peaches, figs and the grapevine

and with the sun out it's time to harden off some seedlings ready to plant out

~~~~~~

Northern Lights

The aurora borealis could be seen this month, conditions were good with cloud free nights, showing a mass of stars and red and green

the beams from the lighthouse affect the light but you get the idea

                                 ~~~~~~

A magazine that we have subscribed to for many years is "Permaculture" and I thought that this month's cover page was worthy of including 

~~~~~~

Wedding celebrations

This month the islanders and folk from far and wide  celebrated the wedding of Heather and Tim at the beautifully refurbished Kirk

North Ronaldsay was filled to capacity with people, love, laughter, music and dancing,

an amazing day 😊

A Bride's Cog is an Orkney tradition, it's a large wooden vessel filled with a mix of rum, whisky, dark beer, sugar and spices and after the bride takes the first sip the vessel is then passed around the guests.

Heather's cog was made by Tim's father from oak, it was smooth as silk and stunningly made, a true work of art.

The handles were inventively made in the shape of the two islands, Papay and North Ronaldsay, where Tim and Heather are from.

Thank you Tim and Heather 

for a wonderful celebration,

wishing you both a fantastic life together !

💙💛

~~~~~~~

On the theme of weddings, Malcolm and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary this month

~~

our's was not quite your traditional wedding 😊

Malcolm's Mum waited 45 years for him to get married and then he turns up as a camel!

before you ask, Malcolm was at the front, the groom always arrives first.

Thank you Tony Cardy for driving us that day in your splendid, gleaming red Humber around Diss and on to Gissing Hall

I'm not saying that twenty five years has taken it's toll, but, I used to have dark brown hair !

and Malcolm didn't have hair when I met him.

plastic sunflowers (no expense spared !) and cake made by my lovely Mum 💕

~~~~~~~

This month's recommendation

I still have my Dad's 1950's Imperial portable typewriter and have wanted to use it but it needed some attention .

Then I found this one of a kind family business that service and repair old vintage typewriters in Bexhill-on-sea and they have made a beautiful job !

Highly recommend them.

Using the typewriter again has brought back happy memories of seeing and hearing my lovely Dad tap away in the evenings.

George Blackman Vintage Typewriters Ltd

20 Sackville Road, Bexhill-on-sea, East Sussex TN39 3JL

tel: 01424-217550

email: georgeblackman@tiscali.co.uk

Facebook: George Blackman Vintage Typewriters

~~~~~~~

Just for a laugh 😂

(Positive Attitude Quotes Facebook page)

~~~~~

What are the chances of finding a message in a bottle on the remote shores of an island in the North  Sea ?

well, I found one out on an afternoon walk and replied to the message.

The bottle had been released in March 2024 by a six year old girl who lives in Scotland on the Moray coast and she was delighted that it had been found.

~~~~~~~

A gap in the windy weather has meant that at long last we have been able to get the roof on the new field shelter and shed

Ponies and I just love it 💜

ponies always in unison

and never far away from each other

Wilma enjoyed her friend coming for a sleepover

Tilly cat all ready for going shopping

~~~~~~

Pause for thought

(from Libaura - Reiki with Libby Facebook page)

~~~~~~

Starting tomorrow the island will welcome the first of eight cruise ships visiting North Ronaldsay this season, with 110 passengers and crew disembarking  for bird, wool mill and lighthouse tours, as long as the wind and weather conditions are favourable.

So with the usual tourists wanting lighthouse tours  and friends and family coming to visit, too, looks like it's going to be a fun and busy summer.

~~~

Wishing you all happy and sunny days until next month

Malcolm & June

💙 💛

March 2025

 Hi everyone, welcome 😊, hope you enjoy this month's selection of island pastimes.

The roadways of North Ronaldsay at the moment are fringed with daffodils and look fabulous

and the waves have been great,

here it comes....

get ready.....

whooshhh....

swans taking in the sunshine by the lighthouse

the fulmars are back on Nouster Beach ready for the breeding season

and a lone seal coming into the shallow water

a calm, sun lit day on Nouster Beach

You are never alone on a walk on North Ronaldsay 

~~~~~~

This month North Ronaldsay hosted it's own three day Science Festival

an amazing three days filled with fab activities and talks for every age group ~

thank you Alex and everyone involved for making this event such a success 😊

~~~~~~~

This is another rather lovely exhibition starting this month, in Stromness at the Pier Arts Centre, featuring some of the hundreds of photographs taken by Dr Beatrice Garvie during her time on North Ronaldsay in 1940's

Thank you Fiona for all your wonderful work bringing this together 😊

~~~~~~~

A recent visitor to the island, Ed Bollom, took some amazing drone photographs over our croft,

it was fabulous to see our cottage and croft in a whole new light !

it highlighted that some things are still a work in progress, like putting a roof on the newly built pony shelter when the wind drops !

beyond the garden wall you can make out some of the pony tracks to their favourite spots and you can just make them out near the far wall sunbathing 😋

in the next photo, these round stone structures about 200 yards from our cottage are called "crues" and were originally allocated to the crofting families to grow their vegetables, the 4 foot high walls kept the  crops from the wind and away from the sheep !

there are 21 crues in all along the shore of the north coast

Thank you so much Ed, brilliant ! 😊

looking forward to seeing you again later this year

~~~~~~~

Book of the month

(from 1000 Libraries's Facebook page)

and this one certainly does !

having watched the latest series of The Great Pottery Throw Down ( I didn't know about the previous seven series !!!! ) I feel drawn again to pick up some clay and make things !

buying the clay is the cheap part, buying the kiln is the bit that makes the purse strings squeak !!

~~~~~

Pause for thought

(from Happy Home Facebook page)

~~~~~~

Wilma says "let sleeping dogs lie "

Tilly cat says "do not disturb, I'm sunbathing ! "

and Mr Blonde and Zara are being too busy with each other

so from me and 'im in the greenhouse it's

(from Mermaid Musings Facebook page)

wishing you all a lovely happy, sunny April and Easter weekend

🐣  🐣  🐣  🐣  🐣

Malcolm and June

💙     💜