Communication

I often wondered why I was never bothered by midges in Orkney and I have the simple answer - they don’t like the wind. It was windy to start with this morning but uncharacteristically a warm wind which is unusual for me to encounter up here but now as I grab an interval between showers to sit and contemplate life on the landward side of the sea wall, there is not a puff of wind. The RNLI flag next door at the Red Shed is wrapped limply round its flag pole and the midges are now wrapped tightly round me. There is a tiny spider sharing my chair and he is having the time of his life as he captures the stray ones trapped by his web.

Instead of the rollicking sea we found at 9am, the sea is mirror calm now as the Hamnavoe ferry glides into port with its batch of eager holiday makers clustered in the bow.

When it rained this morning I sheltered in the Library and tried to read while watching the world going by outside the window. I left as my head began to nod- it happens every time. It’s the perfect place for insomniacs.

For the sake of equality I should mention, while Granny bragging, that Nina’s Edinburgh cousin also got 8 As in his Nat5s. Well done Theo, you get a mention too!