Ah...Tuck... I had my first Skullsplitter in the dockside pub on Rousay. Unbeknownst to me, there was a very dignified senior citizen lady watching me out of the corner of my eye, and she determined that I was Canadian. Weeks later I had dinner in Stromness with this wonderful gal, who lives in an old stone croft near Stromness. She is a long lost distant cousin. The pub we went to had many Hudson's Bay era pictures on the wall. She commented that she saw me in that dockside pub on the adjacent island that day, and figured it was me, but was intimidated to outright ask at the time! The beer as we know, is strong. The name Skullsplitter was a controversy some time back. Seems the idea was that the bureaucrats there decided that Skullsplitter meant..."Ya drink too much of this powerful stuff, and your head will feel like it is splitting the next morning." NO brewery would make that a marketing goal, if they wanted to stay afloat in the fickle marketplace. Nothing enjoyable about a headache. Further, it seemed rude, irrevereirreverentnt, and very prejudicial towards the descendants of the Thorfinns. The attempt was to disregard the legitimacy of the name, the history, and the culture. The point was made that there was a legal case to be mount, in respect of the slur the authority was making against this family. I knew of this, and was not surprised to see the name recognized and endorsed, however reluctantly. It was simply stupid. I tried to have our LCBO send some beer here, which they agreed to do, at about the same price as gold nuggets. Nice to know there is some available next door in Michigan. Actually, as I recall, it went down much smoother than you would expect of a jacked up potent brew. Loved the label! So....Michigan then....hmmmm. On Jun 18, 2010, at 4:21 PM, Tuck wrote: > All, > > Skull Splitter (named not because it splits YOUR skull, but for > Thorfinn Skullsplitter, who got his name by his unique method of > political negotiation) is but one of the several beers from Orkney > Breweries in Quoyloo. It's a dark beer , rather malty, and not too > hoppy. But there is also Dark Island to try and Red MacGregor, and my > favorite, Raven Ale. We can get several of those here at a place > called Zeke's in Dowagiac, Michigan, where they boast about 300 beers > on their extensive list. But none taste as good as when sipped before > a blazing sunset over the Loch of Harray. > > I understand there is now a second brewery in Orkney. Can anyone tells > us what they know about that? > > > Tuck > On Jun 18, 2010, at 3:19 PM, James Thompson wrote: > >>>> People who live in Orkney may not understand this phenomenon, >>>> but I discovered by accident, that some there, surly do. >> >> But it's not just the surly ones! >> >> Jim >> >> >> --------------------------------------------- >> This message was sent using the UIA Web Mail Server. >> ULTIMATE Internet Access, Inc http://www.uia.net/ >> >> >> >> ------------------------------- >> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ORCADIA- >> request@rootsweb.com >> with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and >> the body of the message > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ORCADIA- > request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes > in the subject and the body of the message >

All, Skull Splitter (named not because it splits YOUR skull, but for Thorfinn Skullsplitter, who got his name by his unique method of political negotiation) is but one of the several beers from Orkney Breweries in Quoyloo. It's a dark beer , rather malty, and not too hoppy. But there is also Dark Island to try and Red MacGregor, and my favorite, Raven Ale. We can get several of those here at a place called Zeke's in Dowagiac, Michigan, where they boast about 300 beers on their extensive list. But none taste as good as when sipped before a blazing sunset over the Loch of Harray. I understand there is now a second brewery in Orkney. Can anyone tells us what they know about that? Tuck On Jun 18, 2010, at 3:19 PM, James Thompson wrote: >>> People who live in Orkney may not understand this phenomenon, >>> but I discovered by accident, that some there, surly do. > > But it's not just the surly ones! > > Jim > > > --------------------------------------------- > This message was sent using the UIA Web Mail Server. > ULTIMATE Internet Access, Inc http://www.uia.net/ > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ORCADIA-request@rootsweb.com > with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and > the body of the message

My reasons would be censored by our "friend" -- Charles Tait Photographic Limited, Kelton, St Ola, Orkney, UK KW15 1TR Tel 01856 873738 Fax 01856 875313 Mobile 07785 220269 All outgoing and incoming mail is checked by Norton Antivirus email charles.tait@zetnet.co.uk website http://www.charles-tait.co.uk photo gallery http://gallery.charlestait.com Charles Tait Photographic Limited Company Number SC240761 Warning: This email is intended only for the addressee. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any sale, usage, distribution or copying of this email or its attachment(s) is strictly forbidden. If you have received this message by mistake please notify us. It may contain data that is copyright,confidential or otherwise not for distribution.

I stayed with my cousin in Sandwick, not far from Skara Brae several times - the last before he died for over six weeks. ah such memories. I tried the Skull-splitter too! Visit the Kirk nearby which he and I opened and closed each morn and night and visited an archeology site nearby. Marion from Maine . I'm looking forward to tasting a Skull-splitter beer and it > will taste so much better knowing the controversial history of the label! > I don't know what I'll find when I set foot on Orkney or view Skara Brae > for the first through my own eyes. Blessings and gratitude for sharing your stories of Orkney with me! Heather Gehron-Rice, Lancaster, PA and about 1 hour west of Granne Anne Slater!!!

I'm looking forward to tasting a Skull-splitter beer and it > will taste so much better knowing the controversial history of the label! > I don't know what I'll find when I set foot on Orkney or view Skara Brae > for the first through my own eyes.

All, I have crossed the English Channel by three means - car ferry, hovercraft, and tunnel. The tunnel is like riding a subway. You roll through the English countryside at a gentle pace, then the windows go dark and you glide along for a half hour or so, just like being in a subway, then you emerge into the light again and on the Euro side the train picks up speed until it is really going some. But as for crossing the channel, ho hum. there is no sense of distance nor geography. I took a hover craft once, in winter, and you sit inside, the windows are so covered with spray and fog there is nothing to see, and the barf bags were passed out early and use copiously. No thanks. Last time I took the ferry we got off the train in Calais and boarded. It being noon we went straight to the restaurant where there awaited us large roasts of beef, pork, ham, and turkey, with loads of nicely cooked vegetables, plus a good selection of wines. Taking our tray to a window seat we watched as we sailed, watched the heavy ship traffic in the Channel, chatted with some folks, saw the White Cliffs rise in the distance, and about the time we were finished we were landing at Dover. Now THAT's the way to cross. Likewise I prefer to arrive at Orkney on the ship from Scrabster, past the Old Man, looking for puffins and gannets, round the end and into Stromness harbor. That, to me, is the proper way to reach Orkney. I'll say this: if they build a tunnel (which they won't we needn't worry) I won't use it. Speaking of that, we no longer cross the Atlantic sitting in a silver tube, knees in our noses, eating with our elbows touching each other, trying to get some sleep with your backside aching and then arriving with horrendous jet lag. This August we will come in the front of the plane, which means a flat bed, great food on a huge tray, plenty of leg room, but alas still the jet lag. However the last two years (and will again next year) we crossed in style, sleeping in a king size bed, glorious meals (dress is formal, m'dear) plus shows, lectures, and sea air, arriving with no jet lag, and able to b ring as much luggage as you wish. iI's called the Queen Mary2, and indeed, it is the only way to cross. Tuck On Jun 18, 2010, at 1:13 PM, stephen davie wrote: > I agree that tunnels are for ants and worms and groundhogs. > I do the bridge thing, under my own limiting conditions and caveats, > weather being one. I have seen > some dandy bridges in central america dangling there about 75a years > past their prime! > They will never build a link tunnel to Orkney, because it is > expensive, unnecessary, and somewhat > detractive and offensive to the life there. Just one theory. It could > be propelled by some underlying value, > like the housing for an oil pipe to ship the crude offloaded in > Scappa Flow, to the mainland and onward down country > to some thirsty refinery. Petrol flow from Scappa Flow...now the > tunnel makes sense! hmmmm > > On Jun 18, 2010, at 12:59 PM, KJEMEM@aol.com wrote: > >> My purely selfish opinion comes from the fact that, although I have >> been >> known to use them, I have an irrational real of tunnels and >> bridges. You'll >> never get me in the Chunnel and I have been known to try to drive >> over >> bridges with my eyes shut. I hope there will always be a boat. >> And, if >> tunnels and bridges are created there should be some form of public >> transport >> over them so that everyone wanting to get from point A to point B >> wouldn't >> have to have/use a car to do so. >> >> Karen >> >> >> In a message dated 6/18/2010 11:39:50 A.M. Central Daylight Time, >> tuck12@comcast.net writes: >> >> All, >> >> To me, not being a resident of those grand isles, a Pentland Firth >> tunnel sounds like a massive expense for little return. It >> wouldn't do >> much not being done by ship - just a bit faster - and would >> service, I >> suspect, far fewer people than would ever make it cost effective. >> Sure, it would be an all-weather job, but then sometimes retaining >> some sense of the wrath of Mother Nature is not bad for our >> humility..... >> >> >> >> ------------------------------- >> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ORCADIA- >> request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes >> in the subject and the body of the message >> > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ORCADIA-request@rootsweb.com > with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and > the body of the message

I agree that tunnels are for ants and worms and groundhogs. I do the bridge thing, under my own limiting conditions and caveats, weather being one. I have seen some dandy bridges in central america dangling there about 75a years past their prime! They will never build a link tunnel to Orkney, because it is expensive, unnecessary, and somewhat detractive and offensive to the life there. Just one theory. It could be propelled by some underlying value, like the housing for an oil pipe to ship the crude offloaded in Scappa Flow, to the mainland and onward down country to some thirsty refinery. Petrol flow from Scappa Flow...now the tunnel makes sense! hmmmm On Jun 18, 2010, at 12:59 PM, KJEMEM@aol.com wrote: > My purely selfish opinion comes from the fact that, although I have > been > known to use them, I have an irrational real of tunnels and > bridges. You'll > never get me in the Chunnel and I have been known to try to drive over > bridges with my eyes shut. I hope there will always be a boat. > And, if > tunnels and bridges are created there should be some form of public > transport > over them so that everyone wanting to get from point A to point B > wouldn't > have to have/use a car to do so. > > Karen > > > In a message dated 6/18/2010 11:39:50 A.M. Central Daylight Time, > tuck12@comcast.net writes: > > All, > > To me, not being a resident of those grand isles, a Pentland Firth > tunnel sounds like a massive expense for little return. It > wouldn't do > much not being done by ship - just a bit faster - and would > service, I > suspect, far fewer people than would ever make it cost effective. > Sure, it would be an all-weather job, but then sometimes retaining > some sense of the wrath of Mother Nature is not bad for our > humility..... > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ORCADIA- > request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes > in the subject and the body of the message >

Tuck - I think some people choose to live an isolationist life, I agree on the wider scale that is impossible as you say. The recent volcanic ash problem showed just how natural events in other parts of the globe affect our daily lives here in Orkney with the impact of cancelled flights (essential for hospital appointments as well as having an effect on business and tourist travel). Natural and man-made disasters affect us all. Next year Tuck hopefully I'll get to meet *you* too! Sian Graemsay On 17/06/2010 23:52, Tuck wrote: > All, > > We appear to have weathered a small storm of controversy. I think a > simple rule of thumb when replying to the group ought to be this: > attack (if you must) the message, but never the messenger. > > As for living on an isolated island, I believe the sentiment being > expressed by some, myself included, is that in this world there really > are no more totally isolated places, as we are all linked by a common > sea and a common air, so that what happens in the Gulf of Mexico - or > Chernoble - can and probably will affect life even on Graemsay and > Stronsay. > > Having said that, and much as I enjoy life here in the middle of the > US, I still dream at times about a simpler, quieter life, closer to > nature in Orkney, and envy those of you who have achieved it. The best > I can do is visit there when possible - and the next visit will be in > the summer of 2011. Last summer my wife met Sian. Perhaps we can meet > a few more of you next time. > > > Tuck > On Jun 17, 2010, at 6:23 PM, Norman Tulloch wrote: > > >> Well, I think we have the answer as to what happened to Royce: >> >> Obituary Notice >> Royce L. Perry (1943 - 2010) >> >> Royce L. Perry, 66, passed away Thursday, April 1, 2010. >> Funeral: 12:30 p.m. Wednesday in Arlington Funeral Home Chapel. >> Interment: 2:30 p.m. in Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery. >> Visitation: >> 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Arlington Funeral Home. >> Survivors: Wife, Carole Ann McDonald Perry; daughter, Jennifer >> Christine >> Perry; one sister; one brother; numerous nieces and nephews. >> Published in Star-Telegram on April 5, 2010 >> >> http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/dfw/obituary.aspx?n=royce-l-perry&pid=141499170 >> >> I assume that's him, anyway; presumably there can't have been too many >> people of that name in Texas. >> >> Sad. >> >> Norman Tulloch >> >> >> ------------------------------- >> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ORCADIA-request@rootsweb.com >> with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and >> the body of the message >> > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ORCADIA-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > Version: 9.0.829 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2944 - Release Date: 06/17/10 12:33:00 > >

Karen - you sound like me. I hate tunnels and bridges. Besides there is some beautiful scenery that can only be seen by a boat. Evelyn S. Hlabse Richmond Hts., Ohio On Jun 18, 2010, at 12:59 PM, KJEMEM@aol.com wrote: My purely selfish opinion comes from the fact that, although I have been known to use them, I have an irrational real of tunnels and bridges. You'll never get me in the Chunnel and I have been known to try to drive over bridges with my eyes shut. I hope there will always be a boat. And, if tunnels and bridges are created there should be some form of public transport over them so that everyone wanting to get from point A to point B wouldn't have to have/use a car to do so. Karen In a message dated 6/18/2010 11:39:50 A.M. Central Daylight Time, tuck12@comcast.net writes: All, To me, not being a resident of those grand isles, a Pentland Firth tunnel sounds like a massive expense for little return. It wouldn't do much not being done by ship - just a bit faster - and would service, I suspect, far fewer people than would ever make it cost effective. Sure, it would be an all-weather job, but then sometimes retaining some sense of the wrath of Mother Nature is not bad for our humility..... ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ORCADIA-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

I think each of us that choose to move here are motivated by different reasons and what you might call values. I was motivated to move by the need for a different lifestyle, a different pace of life. To be honest, my pace of life can still be pretty hectic trying to juggle work, home, garden, social activities on and off the island, voluntary community responsibilities as well as the usual challenges of island living. And yes sometimes I do need to rush around the town to get all my "messages" done before racing for the boat and get frustrated at supermarket and traffic queues. But it is a pace of life I choose rather than one enforced upon me as it was living in London. I love the natural landscape and do feel more connected to nature. It wasn't part of my choice in moving here, but I have come to love the history of the islands, and the many connections with generations past. Each year there is a knock on the door with someone returning to visit the home their ancestor lived in (In the early 1800s onwards the house once was home to two families each with 12 cildren who spread to all corners of the globe). I love the fact that Stromness is full of artists, writers, poets and other creative people who share their creativity with the community, and there are various festivals throughout the summer. But I also have visited other places where I feel I could have been at home too - it's just that serendipity brought me to Graemsay ;-) I love living in Orkney, but I don't have rose tinted spectacles - the community as a whole has many strengths, but also has it problems, and many challenges to come eg- one of the larger builders has gone into liquidation with immediate redundancy of 70 folk. That is a large number in a small community........ Sian Graemsay On 18/06/2010 02:04, stephen davie wrote: > > > Sian and Bruce have filled in some of the blanks about island life in > Orkney, but there are still lots of unanswered queeries as to values > which motivate people to live there, to stay there, or to move there > from elsewhere. I spent a very moving day on Wyre, in the rain, > alone, and with no means of returning to Stronsay for some number of > hours. I recall the roaming chickens, and that reminded me of the > more rural areas of Manitoulin Island here. I made one of the best > friends I have in life, on this list. It is like we are kindred > souls, as we both have Orkney roots that run deep and historically > interesting, we both were affiliated with north american indians, and > we both are profoundly proud of our norwegian/orcadian roots. As our > lives move onward towards some sort of sunset, we have both deduced > that it is those simple things in nature which matter each day, and > which inspire us. I think I am happy where chickens run free, in > Cuba, Orkney and the Manitoulin. Sian mentioned the sunsets. I have a > foto I took on Papa Stronsay of a sunset on June 21. I can relate, > Sian, to your thinking and feeling. Also, to be divest of the dreaded > auto accident threat in your neighborhood. An incredible blessing. > Last year I had my first ever accident, and it has cost me half of my > hearing, and I am insured a life of daily discomfort. Had I been > living on Stronsay, what happened to me would never have occured. And > nobody I know of has ever been attacked by a sheep! > > For all the years I have been jabbing and flabbing on this site, and > with the friends I have made here, I have wondered about the mystical > sort of element that Orkney possesses. I recall in my trip there, > people actually asking about the family roots, and distant relatives > and people who's families that lived alongside my family, actually > grequently said..."Welcome Home!." This I found to be a real > privilege to receive. People basically at some point in life ask who > they are, and where they came from. It starts with the premise that > none of us could get to pick our own parents. Computers have > accelerated the genealogy research passion, beyond previous limits, > due to time and cost. > >

My purely selfish opinion comes from the fact that, although I have been known to use them, I have an irrational real of tunnels and bridges. You'll never get me in the Chunnel and I have been known to try to drive over bridges with my eyes shut. I hope there will always be a boat. And, if tunnels and bridges are created there should be some form of public transport over them so that everyone wanting to get from point A to point B wouldn't have to have/use a car to do so. Karen In a message dated 6/18/2010 11:39:50 A.M. Central Daylight Time, tuck12@comcast.net writes: All, To me, not being a resident of those grand isles, a Pentland Firth tunnel sounds like a massive expense for little return. It wouldn't do much not being done by ship - just a bit faster - and would service, I suspect, far fewer people than would ever make it cost effective. Sure, it would be an all-weather job, but then sometimes retaining some sense of the wrath of Mother Nature is not bad for our humility.....

All, To me, not being a resident of those grand isles, a Pentland Firth tunnel sounds like a massive expense for little return. It wouldn't do much not being done by ship - just a bit faster - and would service, I suspect, far fewer people than would ever make it cost effective. Sure, it would be an all-weather job, but then sometimes retaining some sense of the wrath of Mother Nature is not bad for our humility. There was a huge hue and cry about the Chunnel, with arguments ranging from rabid foxes running through to infect Britain, to the notion of Britain no longer being an island. I feel most of those argument were bogus - no foxes have come through and besides rabid bats regularly cross the channel - and with modern communications nowhere is really an island anymore. In the case of Orkney, the good a tunnel would do would be mainly an all weather use, and the bad might well be a wave of tourists and visitors which locals would most likely become annoyed with, feeling the loss of their more or less private sanctuary. Does this sum up something of the arguments concerning such a tunnel? Tuck On Jun 18, 2010, at 8:55 AM, dear dron wrote: > 2010/6/17 Charles Tait <charles.tait@zetnet.co.uk> > >> Last for today. >> >> >> But I like most Orcadians am 100% against a Pentland Firth tunnel. > > > Why, for what reason?? > > Andrei > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ORCADIA-request@rootsweb.com > with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and > the body of the message

2010/6/17 Charles Tait <charles.tait@zetnet.co.uk> > Last for today. > > > But I like most Orcadians am 100% against a Pentland Firth tunnel. Why, for what reason?? Andrei

All, I think a truly isolationist life was possible a century or two ago, but no more. As Sian pointed out a simple thing like a volcano on Iceland profoundly affected life downwind, but even more, think of what World Wars I and II meant to "isolated" Orkney. Worldwide depression, inflation, even the tentacles of terrorism reach everywhere. But there are still a lot of places much farther from the madding crowd than others, and Orkney surely is one of them. For fun, I just perused some real estate offerings there, and found a beauty - which some of you on this link may know. It's a large 4 bedroom house in St. Margaret's Hope, right on t he bay, an 1841 house currently a B & B, complete with a cream colored Aga in the kitchen! All for 195,000 pounds. That sort of thing keeps me awake at night. But where would I work? Still, we choose our lives and happy are those who choose well. Tuck On Jun 18, 2010, at 8:10 AM, Sian Thomas wrote: > Tuck - I think some people choose to live an isolationist life, I > agree > on the wider scale that is impossible as you say. The recent volcanic > ash problem showed just how natural events in other parts of the globe > affect our daily lives here in Orkney with the impact of cancelled > flights (essential for hospital appointments as well as having an > effect > on business and tourist travel). Natural and man-made disasters > affect > us all. > > Next year Tuck hopefully I'll get to meet *you* too! > Sian > Graemsay > > On 17/06/2010 23:52, Tuck wrote: >> All, >> >> We appear to have weathered a small storm of controversy. I think a >> simple rule of thumb when replying to the group ought to be this: >> attack (if you must) the message, but never the messenger. >> >> As for living on an isolated island, I believe the sentiment being >> expressed by some, myself included, is that in this world there >> really >> are no more totally isolated places, as we are all linked by a common >> sea and a common air, so that what happens in the Gulf of Mexico - >> or >> Chernoble - can and probably will affect life even on Graemsay and >> Stronsay. >> >> Having said that, and much as I enjoy life here in the middle of the >> US, I still dream at times about a simpler, quieter life, closer to >> nature in Orkney, and envy those of you who have achieved it. The >> best >> I can do is visit there when possible - and the next visit will be in >> the summer of 2011. Last summer my wife met Sian. Perhaps we can meet >> a few more of you next time. >> >> >> Tuck >> On Jun 17, 2010, at 6:23 PM, Norman Tulloch wrote: >> >> >>> Well, I think we have the answer as to what happened to Royce: >>> >>> Obituary Notice >>> Royce L. Perry (1943 - 2010) >>> >>> Royce L. Perry, 66, passed away Thursday, April 1, 2010. >>> Funeral: 12:30 p.m. Wednesday in Arlington Funeral Home Chapel. >>> Interment: 2:30 p.m. in Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery. >>> Visitation: >>> 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Arlington Funeral Home. >>> Survivors: Wife, Carole Ann McDonald Perry; daughter, Jennifer >>> Christine >>> Perry; one sister; one brother; numerous nieces and nephews. >>> Published in Star-Telegram on April 5, 2010 >>> >>> http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/dfw/obituary.aspx?n=royce-l-perry&pid=141499170 >>> >>> I assume that's him, anyway; presumably there can't have been too >>> many >>> people of that name in Texas. >>> >>> Sad. >>> >>> Norman Tulloch >>> >>> >>> ------------------------------- >>> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ORCADIA-request@rootsweb.com >>> with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and >>> the body of the message >>> >> >> ------------------------------- >> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ORCADIA-request@rootsweb.com >> with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and >> the body of the message >> >> >> >> No virus found in this incoming message. >> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com >> Version: 9.0.829 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2944 - Release Date: >> 06/17/10 12:33:00 >> >> > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ORCADIA-request@rootsweb.com > with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and > the body of the message

Anyone looking for Skull Splitter beer - if you have access to a store chain called "Beverages and More" (BevMo for short) they usually stock it in a 4-pack for about $8 or so (US). I believe it's also available on their website. Alan Hepburn San Jose, Ca

When I read this piece from Heather, it seems that she too is one of those from afar, who is smitten by some blood disease, that draws us back to Orkney like overdue migrating birds in some mystical and all-powerful spring. People who live in Orkney may not understand this phenomenon, but I discovered by accident, that some there, surly do. I have always been impressed with nature, especially when the powers of it are experienced in some remote powerful place. A flower or a tree is always impressive on a busy urban concrete streetscape. But a sea pink twitching in a stiff sea breeze from it's rocky foundation, on the shore of Papa Stronsay, facing east to Norway over that big tempestuous sea, commands your full attention when tripping along the rocks on the shore, you discover it by chance. Tiny there it beckons, flashing bold pink against the dark grey stoney ledges. This experience I had. The sunsets that Sian described, are more powerful than any words ever spoken. These sorts of treasures on this troubled planet, seem to endure the test of time, and you don't have to wander far in nature to discover them, and if you are by yourself, they are overpowering at times. At least that is how I am affected by them. Orkney is a smorgasbord of nature's delights, prepared to perfection and served with great presentation. Nature and the beauty of it, in Orkney, has not been overwhelmed as it has been in too many places. The pace is slow enough, to enjoy it. I sat one summer night, on the only little sugar sand beach on Papa Stronsay. I wore a camo jacket with a hood, and sat on a little ridge that hung above the sand, watching two seals who garbled at me in the almost midnight sunset, one of which wanted to know what I was, and eventually "he" swam in very close while "she" drifted off the beach at a distance. I imagined what it must have been like years before. When I described this spot to the man who graciously invited me there, I explained that this little sand beach was perhaps the only place where a Viking ship could have snuck in there, as did Thorfinn the Great when he hunted down and killed his enemy Roganveld. My host later explained that where I had been sitting was a couple hundred yards or so from where Roganvald was killed! My paternal forbear from which our name evolved, was married to a Thorfinn, which made this site and evening event for me rather overwhelming. Heather's selkies revelation is something which I relate to. Roganvald There is an old Christian hymn which has endured several funeral celebration type services, for members of my immediate family. The words in this hymn connect the power and wonders of nature, to the reality of the Creator. It is a valid concept regardless of how or to whom you pray: "I see the stars, I hear the mighty thunder, thy power throughout the universe displayed." And also..." When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur, and hear the brook, and feel the gentle breeze." Funny to observe in a place packed with mourning people stunned with the passing of a friend or relative, how this tune catches hold, with the nature of it's wording, and people who are known to seldom sing, chirp away like bluebirds on a fence. I guess it becomes obvious, that Orkney's islets are every one something like those more southern castles, each with a natural moat around them. The Orkney ferries are the mounts that carry the inhabitants from castle to castle. The variable alluring seas that spread them apart, mystically and spiritually, bind them together, as does the amazing history. Thank goodness for books, because if I had to recall to memory half of what I have read of Orkney, truly interesting stuff...I would frustrate myself into the ground. There is so much fascinating printed material to soak up. To have roots in those events, is somehow a huge reward in life. I have spent now six years chipping away at a written version of our family's little chip of that huge tree, something I must complete before I "check out" or my kids and theirs just will never "get it. Of my grandparents crew of about 150 people, I am the least qualified to write this, yet the most interested. Others are climbing on board now, and I giggled when my cousin Paul and my Uncle Gord each called to ask if they could come up and shoot a video, to preserve what I had learned, in case I should exit before the completion. Thus, the book has become my life insurance! To Bruce and to Sian, to have chosen to live where chickens are free to roam, and selkies can sing at midnight without fear of reprisal, and sunsets and merry dancers knock your eyes out, is somehow wholly right-minded. To have the guts to make the switch, following your heart, is something which draws envy from those who hear a call, but can't somehow tune it in, or react to reap the reward. I understand from Sian that Orkney too, on her little island, has it's problems. But they must pale when the sun paints it's face on calm morning waters, or the rooster crows without being intimidated, by barn walls or manmade noises. To say that the Orkney thing is esoteric, is perhaps a valid idea. I think somehow it is something which is fairly commonplace, but has been fragmented by the simple fact that so many of us with those roots and feelings are scattered around the globe these days. Maybe someone should organize an Orkney world revival camp-in reunion, on a quiet Orkney island where camping for a few days would pose no harm or invasion into private Orkney lives. If there was a couple years of notice, the numbers attending might surprise you. I have three kids. When I die, one of them will receive a ticket to Churchill Manitoba on Hudson's Bay, the original site of Fort Prince of Wales, where the Hudson's Bay Company provided a new home for so many Orcadians. My ggggg grandpa James was captured there by the French (La Perouse) and taken prisoner with Samuel Hearne in 1782. My son will have the opportunity to visit nearby York Factory, and with the blessing of the government, will be able to overstay there with summer research people. My daughter will fly to Cuba, to Iglesia el Cobre in the foothills of the mountains outside Santiago de Cuba. It is in this spiritual place, where Ernest Hemmingway deposited as thanks, his Nobel prize for literature. Tis a powerful spot in a quiet rural and historical setting. My eldest son, the academic, will fly to Orkney, and visit Grimbister near Kirkwall, then Wyre, where our old forbear built his stone mini- castle and who is buried in the the floor of his roofless ancient kirk beside . Then he will go to Papa Stronsay, on a pre-arranged meeting with the monks, one in particular, and he will sit on that sandy beach. It is a way of passing down roots. By saving the price of a typical local commercial funeral, all three of them can have an experience which will be with them for life. Better spent money, than buying a fancy box made of premium hardwood. Sorry for the blubbering. I enjoyed a couple of these recent sincere viewpoints. I think of Royce Perry this morning, and realize that he was one of us for sure. He looked great in his kilt. I trust the foto is still on the site picture album. So the crew of 165 plus "Pops" survives, and the mystery of the silence, has been revealed, and Royce has moved on. Yours Aye: Stephen On Jun 18, 2010, at 8:50 AM, Heather L. Gehron-Rice wrote: > My ties to Orkney are more esoteric than genetic. > Please allow me to meander a bit through my explanation - but hold on, > I'm coming back... > In High School someone asked me what my favorite animal was - and > out of > nowhere, having never thought about it before, came the word seals. It > wasn't until a good 5 - 10 years later that I heard the tales of the > selkies. When I heard them, the hair raised on my arms and the back of > my neck and there was a deep knowing of that word. So I did the usual > and watched "The Secret of Roan Inish". But being who I am, a somewhat > obsessive over-researcher of any and all things that interest me, I > spent hours researching the term and books that pertain to Selkies. > _The > People of the Sea: Celtic Tales of the Sea-Folk_ by David Thompson is > where I was first introduced to Orkney. And again, there was a deep > knowing and my hairs stood on end. The more I researched Orkney, the > more captivated I became. Reading about Skara Brae was almost a deep > remembering in many ways, familiar though I've never been there and > memories always just out of reach. > Imagine my surprise when I arrived at a weekend retreat I had been > invited to preach at and parked my dark green Saturn next to another > dark Saturn, with an Orkney sticker in the window... Very few have > heard > of Orkney in Lancaster, PA... It took me a while to ferret out the > owner > of the vehicle, but our very own Anne Slater was the owner of said > sticker. (It resided for a while on the back of my dark green > Saturn and > now it graces the rear of my dark blue Honda Odyssey.) I was > shocked as > she told me of her connection... I met Anne during my second year of > seminary. The following year, my third and last was difficult to > say the > least - our then 9 year old has autism and spent time in a crisis > center, and my husband, Doug and active duty US Coast Guard was > assigned > to isolated duty on Attu, the last of the Aleutian Islands. My > birthday > is in February and my card from my grandparents informed me they > couldn't attend my seminary Master of Divinity graduation because they > would be camping or on a bus trip. When I spoke to the Women & > Religion > group of which Anne is apart, she was one of the first to offer to > be my > grandmother and attend my graduation, she and the other two > grandmothers > from W&R bought me a beautiful soft leather briefcase as a graduation > present! > At some point, I don't remember when, I decided that I wanted to > travel > to Orkney, a pilgrimage of sorts, and decided that my 40th birthday > (2012) would be the appropriate year to visit. (My Mom made a similar > trip to Ireland for her 50th birthday, but I didn't want to wait that > long!) I located a copy of Charles's guidebook and marked the pages I > want to see, I passed the book to Mom and she stopped marking places > because I had already chosen everything she wants to see. > So here I sit, about 2 years from my first trip to Orkney, Mom is > coming > and I've invited Granne - Anne to accompany me as well. There are a > few > other friends who've been invited. Much as I love Doug, he is NOT > invited, he hates traveling and waiting so we've decided it's > better for > our marriage if I travel with other people. > I've been researching everything I can about Orkney, in fact had just > ordered the ferry schedule book when the conversation about the > ferries > had begun. I'm looking forward to tasting a Skull-splitter beer and it > will taste so much better knowing the controversial history of the > label! > I don't know what I'll find when I set foot on Orkney or view Skara > Brae > for the first through my own eyes. I do know that when I saw the > pictures of the Orkney Wife (Neolithic statue recently discovered) my > hair once again stood on end. If nothing else, it will be an amazing > life experience, shared with a small group of women who are > important to me. > > Blessings and gratitude for sharing your stories of Orkney with me! > Heather Gehron-Rice, Lancaster, PA and about 1 hour west of Granne > Anne > Slater!!! > > Slater Anne wrote: >> Many thanks to Sian and Bruce (whose reports I read religiously) >> for their >> accounts. >> Both reminded me of Lillian Beckwith's series about her life in >> the Hebrides >> that started with "The hills is lonely". (Which I haven't read in >> about 25 >> years, so forgive me if she is not your favorite person to be >> compared with) >> >> My favorite form of literature is autobiography. Connecting that >> with my >> great-grandparents' lives on Stronsay, comparing how they lived >> there (ca >> 1850-1882) with how they lived in Lancaster, PA, (1882 onward) has >> always >> been at the back of my mind. >> >> Then meeting cousins and friends now still living in Orkney has >> kept me >> curious about how people whose lives extend well beyond their >> island homes >> fit into the society that exists on their home of choice. >> >> Anne (Slater/Watt/Learmonth connections in Orkney) >> in south eastern Pennsylvania) >> >> On Thu, Jun 17, 2010 at 12:49 PM, Sian Thomas >> <sian.thomas@btinternet.com>wrote: >> >> >>> Stephen >>> >>> I think island life means different things to different people. >>> >>> >> >> ------------------------------- >> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ORCADIA- >> request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the >> quotes in the subject and the body of the message >> >> > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ORCADIA- > request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes > in the subject and the body of the message >

Heather: I have a label from a Skull Splitter beer on my refrigerator. I've drunk the beer, and NOT in Orkney! I'll look around and find you a six-pack, but I am certain that Skull Spitter and other Orcadian beers will taste better *in situ *And, friends of the list, Heather is no Presbyterian, but she is a FINE preacher! Anne (etc) On Fri, Jun 18, 2010 at 8:50 AM, Heather L. Gehron-Rice < hgehronrice@verizon.net> wrote: > My ties to Orkney are more esoteric than genetic. > Please allow me to meander a bit through my explanation - >

If you would like to write an old fashioned note by hand, there is an address on the Clan Gunn page which I assume is the family home. Immediate Past President Royce L. Perry 1604 Bluebonnet Street Arlington TX 76013 _Clan Gunn Society of North America - The Official Web Site_ (http://www.clangunn.us/officers.htm) I had a feeling something was wrong, but it is sad to find out. It's an interesting Internet phenomena how much you can feel you know people you have never met, and how they can just disappear when they no longer communicate. Karen In a message dated 6/17/2010 8:16:11 P.M. Central Daylight Time, dennice-goudie@shaw.ca writes: > If I had a way of communicating with his family I would love to > offer my > feelings of loss of a fellow genealogist/administrator/human > being. http://www.legacy.com/gb2/default.aspx?bookid=1378826001186&cid=full There are six pages of notes [which can allow for an email address to be contacted in return --- avoiding spam it might be better to write a reply address in a phonetic manner] to Royce's family. Regards, Dennice ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ORCADIA-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

My ties to Orkney are more esoteric than genetic. Please allow me to meander a bit through my explanation - but hold on, I'm coming back... In High School someone asked me what my favorite animal was - and out of nowhere, having never thought about it before, came the word seals. It wasn't until a good 5 - 10 years later that I heard the tales of the selkies. When I heard them, the hair raised on my arms and the back of my neck and there was a deep knowing of that word. So I did the usual and watched "The Secret of Roan Inish". But being who I am, a somewhat obsessive over-researcher of any and all things that interest me, I spent hours researching the term and books that pertain to Selkies. _The People of the Sea: Celtic Tales of the Sea-Folk_ by David Thompson is where I was first introduced to Orkney. And again, there was a deep knowing and my hairs stood on end. The more I researched Orkney, the more captivated I became. Reading about Skara Brae was almost a deep remembering in many ways, familiar though I've never been there and memories always just out of reach. Imagine my surprise when I arrived at a weekend retreat I had been invited to preach at and parked my dark green Saturn next to another dark Saturn, with an Orkney sticker in the window... Very few have heard of Orkney in Lancaster, PA... It took me a while to ferret out the owner of the vehicle, but our very own Anne Slater was the owner of said sticker. (It resided for a while on the back of my dark green Saturn and now it graces the rear of my dark blue Honda Odyssey.) I was shocked as she told me of her connection... I met Anne during my second year of seminary. The following year, my third and last was difficult to say the least - our then 9 year old has autism and spent time in a crisis center, and my husband, Doug and active duty US Coast Guard was assigned to isolated duty on Attu, the last of the Aleutian Islands. My birthday is in February and my card from my grandparents informed me they couldn't attend my seminary Master of Divinity graduation because they would be camping or on a bus trip. When I spoke to the Women & Religion group of which Anne is apart, she was one of the first to offer to be my grandmother and attend my graduation, she and the other two grandmothers from W&R bought me a beautiful soft leather briefcase as a graduation present! At some point, I don't remember when, I decided that I wanted to travel to Orkney, a pilgrimage of sorts, and decided that my 40th birthday (2012) would be the appropriate year to visit. (My Mom made a similar trip to Ireland for her 50th birthday, but I didn't want to wait that long!) I located a copy of Charles's guidebook and marked the pages I want to see, I passed the book to Mom and she stopped marking places because I had already chosen everything she wants to see. So here I sit, about 2 years from my first trip to Orkney, Mom is coming and I've invited Granne - Anne to accompany me as well. There are a few other friends who've been invited. Much as I love Doug, he is NOT invited, he hates traveling and waiting so we've decided it's better for our marriage if I travel with other people. I've been researching everything I can about Orkney, in fact had just ordered the ferry schedule book when the conversation about the ferries had begun. I'm looking forward to tasting a Skull-splitter beer and it will taste so much better knowing the controversial history of the label! I don't know what I'll find when I set foot on Orkney or view Skara Brae for the first through my own eyes. I do know that when I saw the pictures of the Orkney Wife (Neolithic statue recently discovered) my hair once again stood on end. If nothing else, it will be an amazing life experience, shared with a small group of women who are important to me. Blessings and gratitude for sharing your stories of Orkney with me! Heather Gehron-Rice, Lancaster, PA and about 1 hour west of Granne Anne Slater!!! Slater Anne wrote: > Many thanks to Sian and Bruce (whose reports I read religiously) for their > accounts. > Both reminded me of Lillian Beckwith's series about her life in the Hebrides > that started with "The hills is lonely". (Which I haven't read in about 25 > years, so forgive me if she is not your favorite person to be compared with) > > My favorite form of literature is autobiography. Connecting that with my > great-grandparents' lives on Stronsay, comparing how they lived there (ca > 1850-1882) with how they lived in Lancaster, PA, (1882 onward) has always > been at the back of my mind. > > Then meeting cousins and friends now still living in Orkney has kept me > curious about how people whose lives extend well beyond their island homes > fit into the society that exists on their home of choice. > > Anne (Slater/Watt/Learmonth connections in Orkney) > in south eastern Pennsylvania) > > On Thu, Jun 17, 2010 at 12:49 PM, Sian Thomas <sian.thomas@btinternet.com>wrote: > > >> Stephen >> >> I think island life means different things to different people. >> >> > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ORCADIA-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > >

Many thanks to Sian and Bruce (whose reports I read religiously) for their accounts. Both reminded me of Lillian Beckwith's series about her life in the Hebrides that started with "The hills is lonely". (Which I haven't read in about 25 years, so forgive me if she is not your favorite person to be compared with) My favorite form of literature is autobiography. Connecting that with my great-grandparents' lives on Stronsay, comparing how they lived there (ca 1850-1882) with how they lived in Lancaster, PA, (1882 onward) has always been at the back of my mind. Then meeting cousins and friends now still living in Orkney has kept me curious about how people whose lives extend well beyond their island homes fit into the society that exists on their home of choice. Anne (Slater/Watt/Learmonth connections in Orkney) in south eastern Pennsylvania) On Thu, Jun 17, 2010 at 12:49 PM, Sian Thomas <sian.thomas@btinternet.com>wrote: > Stephen > > I think island life means different things to different people. >