Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 23 April 2017

HAPPY NEW WEEK and HAPPY NEW MOON on Wednesday!

I want to send special wishes to OG. I hope she will get out of the hospital soon!

Everyone have a wonderful week!

Women of the Shetland Isles with Shetland ponies, circa 1900
Photo labelled Public Domain (Copyright Free)
Shetland Museum Photographic Archive

  • Today's pic:

    "Anyone for a cuppa?"

  • Diane:  I hope you meet that deadline!!  - (sounds scary!)

    Annette:  I often run off a couple of favourite pictures when in Boots (chemists) so that in theory, I can make albums of the children when they were small, or of our hols. In reality, they get left in their envelopes for months or years until I do something about it  < sigh>   how did we ever have the time to go to work?  The house is also festooned, in every room, with grandchildren portraits - I even got one of those huge plastic pocket things which you can hang up in your kitchen or wherever, and slot in the latest pictures until they are replaced with yet more....  It also now takes a long time to dust as there are framed pics on many surfaces.  As my family do not live near, I like to see them daily.

    I hope that Heather is enjoying Denmark. Somewhere I can lay claim to have visited, even if it were only for one long afternoon many years ago. We do have some friends who we see regularly on our Canary Island trips, who live there in Skagan, an absolutely beautiful place.

    Have visions of OG skittering along with her zimmer, now, thanks to AQ!   -  she sure can go fast with that thing, LOL!!

  • More tales of our holiday ----

    As I started to say yesterday (? was it?) we stay at the top of the island, so nearly every journey begins with travelling South, and involves going through beautiful valleys between the mountains.  There is only one large main road which clings to the coast and that is on the Eastern side, and of course travels from the airport both north and south to the main towns. So we begin on the Western side, and turn right just after the statue to a local famous man, Unamomo, then ride down the island admiring all the views.

    A typical view , amongst the desert like terrain.

    The mountains we are aiming for are in the distance:  see the tiny pimple on the top of the left hand one?

    A small village.  There are many of these - I do not know how any of them make a living! (sorry about the reflection but I took it through the car window....)

    One of the lovely windmills, some of which have been lovingly restored after falling into disrepair.

  • Its getting nearer!  

    We climb -- and climb -- and climb.  My OH does the driving as I am nervous of the winding road and the fact that there are sheer drops to one side, and many large coaches full of tourists appearing around the curves without much warning.

    When we reach the top and the "pimple", which is a viewpoint, we are rewarded with fantastic views to all sides. We get out of the car and wander around.  To the north, where we have come from:

    This shows the road we have travelled upon to get here.

  • Bear with me.... I just wrote another post and lost the entire lot because I pressed something....

  • We walk around the building at the top (after using the very welcome "facilities..." - there is also a cafe there, too.)

    To the front of the above, there are wonderful views, too distant to capture all in one shot:

    The sea can just be seen on the top left hand side of the above pic.

    I like the way the villages seem to nestle gently into the bare, folded, volcanic landscape.  There are people all around us, talking in many different languages and excited about the views.  But down there, there is a strange silence; it must be like looking down from the space station and seeing the world silently.

  • Back inside the building, and going through the cafe, there are boards with descriptions of the geological wonders which create these special islands. Plus a little of the history.

    I was most interested in the new large board displays of birds and wildlife to be found there:

    How's that for a bird of prey?!   Their Eagle.

    Their version of our lowly Bluetit.

    One of the pretty turtles which are out there, but not often seen.  Sadly, one year I found one on the beach, tangled up and very dead with fishing nets around it.

  • Hello everyone

    Greetings from Denmark!

    Thanks to you all for your news and pics, etc.

    My hosts are at work today so I'm Home Alone. Waiting for the rain to stop and will go out for a walk.

    Last evening, my first this trip,was spent in the way that I knew it would be, reminiscing about my OH and the happy memories of the part he played in their lives. I went to bed with tears not far away. GEORGE- sending you hugs. I don't think that the aching void can ever be filled. Other things, our children and sometimes new relationships come into our lives, but they don't and can't and shouldn't extinguish the memories. I speak as one who has been twice widowed and whose late husband was a widower when we first met. He loved me dearly but could still become emotional when talking about his first wife. It never caused any problems in our own marriage.

  • No scooting by OG yet; Not allowed to do any distances (or high speed) until declared fully weight-bearing. However, she is getting more efficient at what she is allowed to do (always accompanied by a member of staff).

    I managed to complete the rope and post just before lunch today. Photo to follow when time and weather allow.

  • Thanks for your news, E-E.  I was only joking about OG whizzing around! Good to hear that she is getting better at movement.

    I see you're not sitting around at home, and have got to the end of another project.

    Clare:   Some photos that might interest you, coming up in my travelogue!!

    Good to hear from you Heather.  I hope the weather is reasonable in Denmark.