Early morning

Woke at 3am and couldn't get back to sleep. It was so light, it doesn't really get dark just now up here, and the sun was starting to come up as well. My mind was full of the day ahead - the funeral of Jennifer, a lovely person, a warm, kind hearted and happy friend, who died last Thursday.

Now I've just come back from that funeral. The kirk was full to overflowing with family and friends from all her many avenues of interests. She had been widowed in tragic circumstances and left with a farm and three children to bring up, but she was always looking for the positive in every situation. She was ready to laugh at life's absurdities and made you see the fun side of things too. She was diagnosed with cancer about a year ago and spent a lot of time to-ing and fro-ing between here and Aberdeen but whenever she met anyone, she always asked about them, their family, the village, the kids at the school, the church. She was interested in everyone, cared about everyone and was loved by everyone.

As is the norm in Orkney, the kirk is by the sea, and as we gathered, several hundred of us, at the graveside, the minister's voice was drowned out by curlews, oyster catchers and lapwings and the gulls overhead.