A Red Dawn

It was a fiery dawn at 4am this morning when I briefly wakened, but the sea was ‘lively’ enough to put me off cycling anywhere in a head wind during the morning.

Instead at 6am I took to the roads and paths round the shore and up behind Stromness. I had the world to myself and never saw another human for the hour and a half that I wandered. The red shanks and oyster catchers were none too pleased with my presence and flew over me when I came too near to their nests. I one point I obviously disturbed some geese who took off with much honking in a perfectly formed skein as they wheeled round to find another field to settle in.

After lunch there was a general miasma of murk which obliterated the Hoy Hills and led to a feeling of general hopelessness. To combat that, I went over to explore the other side of Hamnavoe at Coplands Dock before buying some wine and ordering fish and chips for later. I can’t remember when I last had a fish and chip supper washed down with red wine. Standards are slipping.

The sun has come out as I type and the world is a much more cheerful place again.