A Des Res in Stromness

Oh it was lovely to be back with the Stromness Selkies this morning- such a welcoming bunch of dippers and I’ve really missed them. The sun shone, the wind blew and the sea was full and restless. I was caught on the hop as the ladies sprang into action and were in the water before I had even got out of my swimming coat far less remembered to take off my ‘walk to the slip’ sandals. Fortunately they are able to get wet but still……. As for blowing up my float……. I’ll need to be organised for a very different dip to the Porty one. Just as quickly they were out and car ready while I was still struggling  to find my way into my towelling robe in what seemed to me, as a ‘sooth moother’, a gale. I’ll have to up my game.

My jab devastated arm is still inordinately painful . I don’t understand why as it’s never happened before in the previous 7 jabs. It’s not the soft tissue that painful it’s the muscle you use to lift your arm or put it behind your back. I might have preferred to have had Covid if this is what preventing it entails.

After a shower, I had a coffee at the harbour and watched while great big tourist buses came and went from the Viking Venus cruise ship berthed in Kirkwall spilling American tourists out for half an hour’s stravaiging the streets of Stromness. I was on a mission to buy some ibuprofen because someone told me that if I took it with paracetamol the latter was more effective. We’ll see.

The sun has gone and rain is forecast but I’m comfortably holed up with my ‘sock’ and my book and a  glorious view of the boats coming and going to the Harbour.