August 2023

1st August – This month sees the start of Orkney’s high tech postal service. Smaller items of mail are to be delivered to remote areas using a drone.

Initially it will fly between Kirkwall and Stromness and also Stromness to Graemsay and Hoy.

I’m looking forward to getting my new blacksmith’s anvil delivered.

(Photos pinched from the BBC website)

6th August – August is the month for the farmers. All the agricultural shows are held around the county this month and various farming skill competitions are held such as plooin’ (ploughing). There is a tradition in Orkney where young boys dress up as the plough horses in costumes that are passed down through their families.

Doubtless the boys love participating and there are no tantrums, whatsoever, getting them into their outfits!

8th August – We had a delightful visit from a pod of common dolphins this morning. For over two hours they swam up and down in front of the house, presumably feeding. They didn’t seem at all fazed by the shipping passing through.

10th August – After a really slow start to the season, the roses are doing their thing now. We particularly like the richness of this floribunda rose, Trumpeter (Mactu).

11th August – H is creating a patchwork quilt. Here she has created about half of the required patches and is laying them out to get a preview. It’s looking good so far but she still has a lot of work in front of her.

27th August – As reports come in of a diminutive gardener missing in an overgrown herbaceous border, the Coastguard swoop in to join the search. Fortunately H rang the dinner gong and the diminutive gardener reappeared.

We assumed they were on a training exercise but it landed nearby, which is unusual, I’ll update this post if I hear different.

31st August – Tonight was a blue moon/super moon, it’s tricky to get the balance right on these pics but here it is rising over Stenness, across the bay.