Sunday 8th May - a day off (kinda)...

Well, had it not been for 4 hours in the office today would have been a whole day off!

Yesterday I went onto mainland; there was film showing in Kirkwall that I fancied watching. "The Great White Silence" a digital restoration of the original silent movie made during Scott's fateful antarctic expedition. Not that my trip wasn't an expedition itself; ferry to Stromness, drive to Kirkwall, drink beer, watch film, drive 40 minutes to Birsay for the night (too late for ferry home!), sleep, drive 30 minutes to Stromness to catch 09:30 ferry back to Hoy. Island life huh...

Anyway, some photos from the last few days:

Stromness hospitality!

That is a whale's skull by the door!

Yup, really...

Ring of Brogar; 5000 year old rave site

Coasteering for peedie kids; Yesnaby
Sunset over the Brough of Birsay lighthouse
On the ferry back to Hoy and the office

Tuesday 3rd May - Random photos...

Braebuster and the entrance to Burra Sound

The infamous Bonxie

At Deerness looking toward Copinsay

The Italian Chapel

Scrollwork in the Italian Chapel

Fiddly dee night in "The Reel"

Attack of the suicidal Shags...

Deerness Geo

Sue under Deerness

The Old Man of Hoy from Hendry's Holes

Don't say you weren't warned!

Monday 2nd May - Where has the time gone?

Well, not only did I visit, but I came back for more.

Here I am on Hoy in the Orkney Islands, Outdoor Education Advisor with two hostels and a packed programme to deliver. I guess that answers the question anyway!

Life is totally full-on, with everything needing sorting out, from equipment stores to paperwork, staff to schools, nothing comes onto Hoy unless it comes on a ferry and the pub is about 11 miles away from my cottage at Moaness. Sue has just been to visit and in 10 days I only made time to spend about a day and ahalf with her; shocking behavior but great to see her none the less.

The delivery programme starts on Wednesday and our final member of staff arrived 20 minutes ago; no worries then, just Operating Procedures and a suite of Risk Assessments to right. Not a lot of sleep tonight, but good to go from there...

Must get some photos sorted and up on here soon.

Sunday 13th February - Plans for later in the week...

Hmmm..... and that doesn't include collecting passengers or stopping for a slash!

Friday 11th February - Now you see it...

Wednesday afternoon and Alan was chasing around for somebody to paddle with come Friday. Paul could get the afternoon off and Rob was finishing nights, so off we went, hoping that the Duddon wasn't dropping as fast as the EA gauge suggested it was. Unfortunately for Rob's paddles, it was...

Paul running into ...

... and out of the middle gorge

"It's behind you!"

Extreme cranks or a snapped paddle shaft? You decide...

Thursday 10th February - Birkrigg - again...

No matter how often we walk on Birkrigg, the weather, seasons or just moods make it different every time. Only a few days ago I doubt I could have stood up straight on on the 136m high top; a month ago there was anything up to three feet of snow by the trig. point and this morning it was shrouded in fog. However, the fog ran out to sea with the tide and the sunshine soon broke through. The recent storms have done a great job of clearing the air so that the views extended from Walney and Piel Islands and the Irish Sea to the west, Great Orme to the southwest, Morecombe Bay to the south, the Yorkshire peaks to the south east, the Howgills, Helvellyn and Coniston fells closer to home to the east... I know it's tough, but if nobody goes to look at it, does the view actually exist?

South Walney, Piel and a great big sky over the Irish Sea

Bruce scooting about in the old bracken, Coniston and Helvellyn Fells beyond

Humphrey Head and the Yorkshire Fells

Sunday 6th February - Hmmmm.....

"Winds from the SSW at 58mph, Sea State Rough" was all we needed to know; a blip in an approaching weather system meant that this lot was arriving early and a day of towing and rescue practice off Roa Island was quickly abandoned and the sea kayaks stayed at home!

From Rampside, Piel Island in the distance

A change of kit and with the river boat on the car, it was off to Greenodd to hook up with the Duddon CC lads who would be looking for a river to paddle instead. With all the rain of late, and everything except the Esk being well up, the options were plentiful. So we paddled the Esk; the middle / lower section not even the upper... maybe another day!

Chris entering in the rapid leading into the gorge above Boot village

Under Dalegarth Bridge

Tuesday 1st February - never look a gift horse, etc.

I've had a few lucky hits with the Freecycle website, but when I saw an offer of a "family size tent and inflatable dinghy", thoughts of rafting the Leven for a giggle were at the front of my mind.

And the aforementioned dinghy will certainly serve it's purpose one summers day when there's a drop of water under Backbarrow. However, as my old mate Lloyd might say, "now who would live in a house like this....?"

Beggars can't be choosers, but no complaints from me; Result!

Monday 31st January - Walney Wildlife

And I'm not, necessarily, referring to the seals!

It's great seeing folk enjoy playing in the outdoors, more so when it's a mate and even more so when your mate's eyes are "out on stalks" for all the right reasons.

A quick trip out of Roa Island, past Piel Island and across to Walney; falling tide, nothing much of a breeze, cold and calm. Not that bad a day for Paul's first visit - and the seals were waiting to say hello...

Are they creeping up on us?

Nah - they're only little'uns anyway...!

Sunday 30th January - Hypothermia Assessment?

Turning up to observe a UKCC L2 assessment on an overcast, breezy morning, and having noticed fresh ice forming on Windermere suggested that it was going to be a brave bunch of volunter "clients" and two very cold candidates doing their thing at Waterhead.

Soon everybody was organised; a mixture of SOTs, sea kayaks, river kayaks and canoes, paddlers from 3* to total novice, two groups and off you go. One of the candidates was clearly phased by the variety of craft and range of capabilities; he was going to struggle!

Two 45 minute coaching sessions later, during which a friendly yachting family produced tea and cakes for Steve and me, we set off on a short journey to the mouth of the Brathay. I blagged a spare canoe so could tag along and watch Sue trying really hard to paddle our 16' barge solo and join in the various games as best she could. Good on her for sticking with it and picking up on several questionable "top tips".

By the time it came to the rescue drills everyone was thoroughly chilled and Steve made a good call in pushing the candidates straight into the more testing rescues and roll demonstrations. Much more and there would have been real casualties to have pulled from the water! Funny how this guy didn't seem to feel the cold though...

Greylag goose making the water look almost warm