another february sunrise

And another nice day for the time of year. This is our last day in Orkney as we are heading home tomorrow, and looking forward to getting back to our own house! Being Sunday we are off to the local church with my mum. It is a special day because a baby is being baptised. This is not an unusual event in our own church where babies are baptised almost weekly, but here this is very unusual. The baby in question is being brought for baptism by his mum, but there is little support for the plan elsewhere in his family so his mum is being very brave. She is also taking her own vows and becoming a full member of the church. At the last hour, her friends and family turn out in their finery to support her, and even her baby's dad unexpectedly steps up to the font when the time comes, and there isn't a dry eye in the house. Everyone is very welcoming to us and the children are especially welcome as they double the usual Sunday school attendance. Ella stays home in the afternoon to string beads with Granny while me and the boys head for a run in the car, buy some deisel at £1.56 a litre (just enough to get us to Wick where it is £1.43) and dream of future holidays by checking out some beach-side accommodation we have seen advertised. My sister arrives late in the evening from Glasgow with her partner and pet rabbit, but we get a fairly early night in preparation for the 5am start and journey home tomorrow.