Charlie, What a treat it must have been for you to experience the variety of weather Orkney provides. I was expecting something like what you described, before I arrived in Stromness. Except for the brief period of morning drizzle on July12, last year, it couldn't have been more consistently "nice" weather-wise whilst I was there. Having just signed up for the newsletter, I've not had access to the tales of Bruce Fletcher and Sian yet; but I've had a powerful yearning in my soul to return to Orkney from the day I left the place. Orkney is the only place on this planet that has given me an instant sensation of having found HOME. It's comforting to know I'm not the only person who has been touched by the magic of Orkney. Katherine Plum City, WI/USA ---------- > From: Charlie Petersen <charliep@olypen.com> > To: ORCADIA-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: Re: Re: [<orcadia>] First time > Date: Saturday, July 10, 2004 8:17 PM > > Katherine, I was there in April, not nearly long enough - 4 days - but I > experienced every kind of weather from very wet gales to brilliant sunshine. > Any weather there is okay with me! I hail originally from Milwaukee & > Chicago, but now live, "retired" in the Pacific Northwest after 40 years in > the hospitality industry in Colorado. This weather here, the seashore and > the people remind me a lot of Scotland - but the tales I'm reading from > Bruce Fletcher and Sian make me very "homesick" for a place I've only > visited. > Charlie Petersen > Port Townsend, Washington > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Katherine V. Gannett" <kvg@nelson-tel.net> > To: <ORCADIA-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Saturday, July 10, 2004 2:11 PM > Subject: Re: Re: [<orcadia>] First time > > > > Ted, I understand what you mean. For me, it's the feeling of being drawn > by > > the ancient connectedness to the earth, the changing seasons, and the play > > of light of land, sea, and sky. It's very frustrating living in > land-locked > > Wisconsin, not having access to an ocean, let me tell ya (I grew up on the > > central coast of California); I alleviate that frustration somewhat by > > driving down to Lake Pepin, which is a 28 mile long, 3 mile-wide portion > of > > the Upper Mississippi River. At dusk, I can almost successfully pretend > > it's a Scottish Highland loch, or a Norwegian fjiord, but I can't quite > > pull it off because we have too many trees on the bluffs! > > > > However, next month, I'm moving to Cedar Falls, Iowa to attend graduate > > school at the University of Northern Iowa, and I'll have new scenery, and > a > > slightly different climate, even though I'm trading one land-locked state > > for another one. My road back to Orkney leads through Iowa, first, I > guess. > > > > This is my wish for you: that when you have the opportunity to travel to > > Orkney and Shetland, the weather is your version of perfection, too. (If > > you're anything like me, and are affected by the magic of Orkney, once > you > > get there, you won't want to leave. Last summer, I wept when I boarded the > > ferry to begin the return journey to Edinburgh, via Scrabster (but, I'm a > > hopeless romantic)). > > > > Cheers, > > Katherine > > ---------- > > > From: invoicer@bellsouth.net > > > To: ORCADIA-L@rootsweb.com > > > Subject: Re: Re: [<orcadia>] First time > > > Date: Saturday, July 10, 2004 2:41 PM > > > > > > Katherine, It is good to know that there are so many people in the > > U.S.A. that are interested in Orkney. I am about 5% Highland Scot. There > > is something that attracts me to to the islands. Standings stones, > otters, > > close families. Hope to stay in touch. --- Ted --- > > > > > > > > From: "Katherine V. Gannett" <kvg@nelson-tel.net> > > > > Date: 2004/07/10 Sat PM 03:02:20 EDT > > > > To: ORCADIA-L@rootsweb.com > > > > Subject: Re: [<orcadia>] First time > > > > > > > > Hello, > > > > My name is Katherine Gannett. I live in Plum City, WI. It's mostly > > sunny > > > > and the heat is rising to the upper 80's today. I was born with a love > > for > > > > Scotland, and have had the blessing of visiting there twice in my > life, > > so > > > > far. Most recently was during last summer, for seven weeks of summer > > school > > > > through the Wisconsin in Scotland program in Dalkeith, near Edinburgh. > > It > > > > was a grand time of learning and making friends. This weekend, last > > year, I > > > > was in Orkney. I wish I was still there, too! I may have been > > "spoiled," > > > > though, because the weather was, to my senses, perfect: Sunshine, with > > high > > > > fluffy clouds scudding across the sapphire sky, and warm, but not too > > hot. > > > > The wind blew with some force, but wasn't a full gale. The Saturday > > morning > > > > dawned with a sea-haar sitting on the streets of Stromness, but it > > lifted > > > > by 8:00 a.m. The memories of standing on the cliffs at the Brough of > > > > Birsay, looking out over the sea are vivid. I'm going to live in > Orkney > > > > when I finish graduate school, somehow. > > > > > > > > Sigurd, I very much enjoyed learning about the Orcadian weather > > vocabulary > > > > you presented to us this morning. Thank you. My favorite new term is a > > > > "kithy-wind," whilk I imagine is a whirlwind on a grand scale like a > > > > tornado or a cyclone, rather than the little dust-devils that chase > > down > > > > the streets here. > > > > > > > > Katherine > > > > Plum City, WI/USA > > > > > > > > ---------- > > > > > From: invoicer@bellsouth.net > > > > > To: ORCADIA-L@rootsweb.com > > > > > Subject: [<orcadia>] First time > > > > > Date: Saturday, July 10, 2004 12:55 PM > > > > > > > > > > Hello, My name is Ted Odom. I live in Marietta, Ga. Right now it is > > 85 > > > > degrees and raining. I have loved Scotland all of my 50 years. In > > 2002 in > > > > visited Inverness and Edinburgh. My next trip I will visit Orkney and > > the > > > > Shetlands. This web site is wonderful. --- Have a good day --- Ted > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ==== ORCADIA Mailing List ==== > > > > > To unsubscribe from the Orcadia mailing list, send an e-mail with > the > > > > word > > > > > 'unsubscribe' in the message body to orcadia-l-request@rootsweb.com > > > > > > > > > > > > ==== ORCADIA Mailing List ==== > > > > To unsubscribe from the Orcadia mailing list, send an e-mail with the > > word > > > > 'unsubscribe' in the message body to orcadia-l-request@rootsweb.com > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ==== ORCADIA Mailing List ==== > > > To unsubscribe from the Orcadia mailing list, send an e-mail with the > > word > > > 'unsubscribe' in the message body to orcadia-l-request@rootsweb.com > > > > > > ==== ORCADIA Mailing List ==== > > To unsubscribe from the Orcadia mailing list, send an e-mail with the word > > 'unsubscribe' in the message body to orcadia-l-request@rootsweb.com > > > > > > > ==== ORCADIA Mailing List ==== > To unsubscribe from the Orcadia mailing list, send an e-mail with the word > 'unsubscribe' in the message body to orcadia-l-request@rootsweb.com