Happy Flowers

Just when I was convinced by the cheerless day or rain yesterday that Autumn had arrived , today it was high summer again with sunshine for most of the day and a warmth that needed no jacket. I swam at 9am and wandered into the town afterwards for a coffee at Julia’s and people watch. There was a cruise ship in Kirkwall and buses had brought some of the folk through to wander the streets of Stromness. When I got bored with doing that I wandered about marvelling how places seem to radiate happiness in sunshine. 
Having watched too many episodes of Rescue at Sea, I thought the loud insistent claxon that started up was a call for the coast guards but found it was only the fire alarm at the Library. No drama at sea and as it turned out no drama at the library either. 

With my knee reminding me that it would be a painful idea to go rambling round the Ness I opted to sit with Robert Rinder and his first book, The Trial in the garden in the sunshine and be eaten by midges. There was a brief shower of rain as I had lunch, but the sun has returned and I have resumed my garden seat looking out over the water at Orphir and the boat traffic. There is little wind, hence the midges, but enough for a yacht to glide past under sail. There is a red fishing boat stopping at buoys to collected lobster creels and the Lady Jean, a cargo ship, is chuntering her way into harbour. Shortly, the Hamnavoe will back out of dock and pirouette in front of me to face into her journey to Scrabster. I wonder how many more summer days there will be for me to be able to sit here in peace and stillness with warm sunshine.