We Are Enjoying Ourselves

That's our mantra in these circumstances, when rain is battering down. We had already donned an extra layer so were ready for whatever the weather threw at us.

And throw it did, as we visited the Stones of Stenness and Barnhouse Village then Maes Howe. The main street of Stromness ran like a river, we were treated to a stunning double rainbow but we reached Dounby in sunshine. The road across to the East coast was awash in many places as the field drains overflowed the ditches.

Thanks to information gleaned from Orcadian blippers, we visited Betty's Reading Room at Tingwall, a wonderful system of relaxed reading, borrowing or swapping of whatever books happen to be on the many shelves at the time, in comfortably rustic surroundings. I swapped one book and 'bought' (by donation) another, which I shall donate on completion, Mr Flum 'bought' one on clock repair, which will prove useful at home.

And so we splashed our way back to our cosy flat, now festooned in soggy clothing, grateful for weather forecasts by which we prepare our itinerary and hoping everyone else passed the day safely as storm Ali crosses the country.