Sheep, shops & mentorship
Why is shopping for boys (men) so damn hard?
Sunday 19th May
Yes you read that right, I am writing this on a Sunday, the end of the week rather than 2 or 3 days into it.
I’m sitting in a new writing spot, I can just about see Doug and if I turn my gaze to the left, I can see across the fields onto Scapa Flow, Fara and Flotta.
Scapa Flow is the body of water between Hoy and Mainland. It’s a natural harbour, and Lyness, our Ro-Ro ferry terminal was the main naval base for both world wars.
Fara is a small uninhabited island, which used to support a small farming and fishing community until the last resident left in the late 1960s.
Flotta is, in my opinion, a bit of an eyesore. From the house we can see the oil terminal which processes and exports crude oil. At night it’s like looking onto a cityscape. Well in Orkney terms anyway, although the light pollution certainly doesn’t stop you from seeing the northern lights or eleventy billion stars on a clear dark night.
Animals are humans right?
It’s a very grey day, which makes it a great day for getting stuff done, like moving 100 sheep (or so) and their lambs to another field. Our house is sandwiched between 2 of The Shepherds fields and today I’ve taken much joy in watching the dogs do their thing and seeing the flock with lambs afoot jogging down the road.
Once the lambs have found their legs they become so independent, forming little delinquent gangs racing each other up and down, head butting, looking for escape routes and generally ignoring their mothers cry for them to come for their dinner. That is until play gets a bit too rumbunctious, in which case they scatter back to their parents.
Rumbunctious, good word.
Last night I watched a ewe trying to shake off a lamb, it wasn’t having any of it and kept following a few steps behind, calling for her own Mum but not wanting to venture very far from an adult. Eventually, her Mum stopped chatting to the neighbour down the field and came to claim the lost lamb. All bleating ceased as it took a long drink and snuggled up for the night.
Too adorable.
I’ve been accused of anthropomorphising animals before and I really have no idea why! Beatrix Potter was another great influence on me, basically if it involves animals, consider me influenced!
It’s been a slow week
It’s felt like a slow burn week Orkney wise, work has been busy as I overpromised on the amount of work and content I could deliver so I’ve spent most of my time glued to the computer.
Except yesterday, when I took a trip to town for a food shop and to try and find Erik something for his birthday on Thursday.
It wasn’t easy. Last time I was in town I managed to pick up a pretty cool summer shirt from a charity shop, a £2 bargain, but I haven’t been able to find what I call, a decent menswear shop.
Women’s clothes are everywhere and we have a number of brilliant boutiques, my favourite being Hume Sweet Hulme which has a wide selection you wouldn’t normally find on the high street. It’s where I got my selection of super soft polo necks which support me through winter. Polo necks don’t really suit me (no neck Han), but then neither does working in a room that rarely rises above 14℃. Winters in my office include thermals, 2 or 3 further layers, 3 pairs of socks, fingerless gloves, sometimes a hat and always a duvet.
One day it’s going to be warm, economical AND eco friendly. Girls gotta dream 💭
The only shops I’ve managed to find that sell menswear (charity shops aside) are a cross between skinny jeans and suits and the sportswear shop, not ideal for a man who’s standard wear is t-shirt & jeans.
Heading to town for supplies takes it out of me, it’s good to get out but it feels like a long old day. Leaving the house at 8.40am, chasing my tail getting lawnmower oil, envelopes, cinnamon rolls & a BIG food shop before rushing back for the 2.15pm ferry. I was home, unpacked and on the sofa with a cuppa by 3.45pm, but then it was time to take the dog out. Yawn.
Today I have drawn the short straw and am tasked with roasting a chicken. Tasty but time consuming. I also need to make a cake for the inaugural book club meeting on Monday, it’s all about the first impression and cake always helps.
Highlight of the week
The highlight of my week by far was meeting Elizabeth Uviebinené for the second time on Zoom. Uber accomplished, author of The Reset and co-author of Slay In Your Lane and The Offline Diaries, it’s pretty wild to be chatting to her. Elizabeth has created and launched a journalling app, Storia, which is pretty darn cool and by sheer good fortune, I became an ‘early adopter’ signing up for it during it’s testing phase.
On Tuesday she opened up her diary for a group mentoring session to talk about our blocks and help us figure out how to get unstuck. My BIG goal is to write a novel. I have the idea, I have the characters, I have some of the storylines nailed, I just haven’t quite let those things pour out of me head onto paper, phone or laptop yet.
The thoughts come to me when I’m not in a position to put them down, usually when I’m out with the dog or staring out of the window when I should be working and I let them slip away. The plan is to take a wee notebook out with me and have it at my desk so I can jot things down as they come. I’m also planning to use the Storia app, it is designed for writing after all.
And now it is Wednesday 22nd May…I started so well and got most of the post written, but something must have happened to stop me. Roast dinner? So here I am ‘late again’ with the update.
Have a great rest of your week
Han 🌱
The week in stats
Cinnamon buns: 2
Exercise sessions: 3
Hips temporarily hurt: 1, which got me out of the groove…
Cold dips: 1.5 - it’s so warm now, dip 1 was about 12℃ but dip 2, which I’m calling half a dip, was 15℃
Week high: Sunny
Latest sunset: 9.47pm
Increase in day length: 30 minutes
Bad decisions made: 1
The week in Sub-stats:
Subscribers: 55 (↑ 2)
Followers: 79 (↑ 7)
Pledges: 1 (＝)
Last weeks update: 60% open rate; 101 views; 3 likes; 4 comments; 0 new subs; 1 re-stack.