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Archiver > ORCADIA > 2005-10 > 1130370512


From: stephen davie <>
Subject: Re: [<orcadia>] Orcadian Winters !!!!!!!!
Date: Wed, 26 Oct 2005 19:49:20 -0700
In-Reply-To: <910327D8C0F3D8948B12E1F4869426CA@i_eat_moose.moose-mail.com>


Whoopee, another metis! That makes four since I started exchanging on
this site.Countin' me that's five! We are survivors.

Now then, winter in Orkney? Here's my list of possibilities. Glad you
asked. Others are free to add:

1. You could take first aid training and provide assistance at the "Ba."
2. A course in sheep sheering keeps the hands strong, and the legs too.
It can be an indoor or outdoor thing. Not a baaaaaad pastime.
3. You could become a designated tourist watcher. My gracious hosts
there said that from Dec. 1st to March 1st there were five reported
sightings. One was a misfire. He was a guy from Shetland who lost the
engine on his boat and drifted up on a beach in Stronsay.
4. Orkney Mini Kite flying. All kites are less than four inches square.
Anything bigger than that and people hanging on the lines have been
plucked out of the sea between Kirkwall and Bergen.This is restricted
to adults over 300 pounds.
4.5. "With-the-wind ball" kicking. You stand atop Wideford Hill and see
if you can kick five soccer balls in a row in to the Kirkwall harbour.
Most people overshoot in the Orkney winter winds. One guy bounced a
ball off the Italian Chapel.
5. Discover/explore single malts. All of them!
6. Do a snapped telephone pole count after winter storms. That's good
for a few days.
7. Take up nose whacking. This is where after a freezing blow, you go
afield with a chunk of broomstick and whack the frozen noses of the
cows that seem to be blowing all their smoke out of their mouths.
7.5 Try a "Skullsplitter beer." If it seemed strong in the summer, it
will seem about right in the winter.
8. Cook shortbreads.
9. Eat shortbreads.
9.5 And for Pete's sake, don't run short of bread!
10. Go house to house each day, ticking the days of winter off the
calendar. People will appreciate the positive gesture.
11. Advertise free suntan oil in the Daily Orkney News and see if you
get a taker. If you do he'll /she'll be from somewhere like Costa Rica.
12. Learn celestial navigation. This you can study outdoors under a
dark sky about twenty hours a day in December in Orkney.
13. Try Orkney Rollersailing. What you do is put on a pair of
rollerbaldes in Stromness, and see how long it takes to blow over to
Kirkwall. you'll need a tractor to tow you back to Stromness. Brakes on
the blades are a good idea. Some speed restrictions apply.
14. High wind manure spreading. This is where you get a farmer to fill
his spreader with the good stuff, and on a windy day, tractor headed
into wind of course, you engage the pto and see in any of the manure
ends up on the farmer's land. Last time I tried this, I got a writ from
a lawyer in Norway!
15. Long distance chicken flying. Pick your wind in your favourite
direction. One guy on Wyre in a rare big south-easter, tossed a Rhode
Island Red into the air with a tagged foot, and the tag was sent back
by mail from Iceland.

Any additions to the list? Maybe if we get to a hundred it will be
published in the local paper! Nite all!

Stephen


On Wednesday, October 26, 2005, at 02:18 PM, Michelle Therese Choza
wrote:

> Thanks everyone for giving me some good ideas for keeping busy in
> Orkney when I visit this winter. Right now we are entering fall -
> what you Orcadians call "the back end" - and it's my favorite time of
> year. I'm originally from Massachusetts but ever since I was 17 I've
> been traveling all over the world. I've enjoyed fall in all sorts of
> places - middle east, Europe, Alaska, now back home again where we
> have pumpkins, bright fall leaves and fresh apple cider. What is an
> Orcadian fall like I wonder??? Rain and wind?? hehe! We've had
> insane rains here in New England due to all of the hurricanes. I just
> drove by one of our rivers and it had flooded into a huge field. You
> can't tell where the river ends and the field begins!
> I would like to take some kind of dance classes this winter so I
> don't get fat sitting around inside being bored. What is this
> Scottish dancing I saw at the county show? It looked almost like
> Irish Step Dancing only more graceful and the arms of the dancers were
> not kept at the side. Are there adult beginner classes in this kind
> of dancing offered in Kirkwall or Stromness? What about horse riding
> lessons - this is another activity that'll keep me fit. Is there any
> place on West Mainland where I can get horse riding lessons? (I don't
> own a horse.) I'll be staying in lovely Dounby on the farm with my
> fiance so I have to stick with West mainland as much as possible. I
> hope ya'll don't mind so many questions!!
> I've received some curious emails asking about the "Choza" in my
> name. It is Crow Indian for "White Horse of the Wind" !!! I'm of
> White and Crow Indian heratige.
> HAVE A GREAT DAY!!!!
> Michelle
>
>
>
> "I will give everything to Jesus. When I have nothing to give, I'll
> give Him this nothing."
> -Saint Therese
>
> Tell Congress: Don't abandon pets in disasters!
> http://go.care2.com/50041
>
> http://www.Care2.com Free e-mail. 100MB storage. Helps charities.
>
>
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