Someone get this guy a copy of the ferry timetable

I went for a three and a half mile walk to Lady Village to pick up Gail's prescription. I took the camera and snapped away like a tourist. I've taken pictures of the beach at Lopness lots of times, but I make no apologies for repetition in this case as it rarely looks quite this gorgeous. Most of the other shots have gone on Flickr under 'lopnessmonster' and 'the big walk'.

Approaching Northill, I startled a hen mallard and her chicks. She made off across a reed bed, pretending to be wounded so that a predator would chase her as a cheap meal and away from her babies, who paddled away in a ditch. I had to run past them to get them to go back where they came from so she'd be able to find them after. She was taking her act far too seriously and went a hell of a way. I put a derelict house between us and waited for her to calm the smeg down. When I went on, she'd finally gone to ground.

I popped into the surgery and then to the shop to get madam some cappuccini. Then I got it into my head that as I was almost half way to Burness, rather than turn around and head home I would carry on to pick up the Sanday Bus. Trouble is, I got the sailing times wrong and was well early. In the end I went on to walk another five miles, around Roos Loch. I left home shortly before half past three and got home just before eight.

A busy morning tomorrow. First pick up at half past six. Better get some sleep, I suppose. Guten nacht!