Every Silver Lining Hides a Dark Cloud

With the car in the sick bay, we took the chance of a beautiful morning to ride forth early into the sunshine and saviour Orkney scenery at its best.
Lochs Harray and Stenness sparkled a deep blue under a summer sky. The land resembled a patchwork quilt of green and yellow, while ink black cattle grazed in fields which ran down to a water's edge fringed with seaweed of yellow ochre and burnt umber. And all the while, the hills of Hoy loomed dark blue in the background.

We dawdled along stopping to take photos and inspecting the standing stones at Brodgar and Stenness and watching the archeologists busy on the new dig at the Ness of Brodgar.

Tea and toast followed at Julia's café before coasting home in high spirits, only to hear bad news on the car front- the kind of bad news that is attached to eye watering amounts of cash.