Tuesday 7 August 2012

ORKNEY 13: INVENTURES

A new word has come into the family vocabulary.  The story is this: when we were all on holiday in Orkney sometimes one or other of us took Alastair, or possibly Ishie, out for a wee walk usually by way of diversion to give us all peace!  It was never a very onerous task as this often meant simply wandering along some path turning over stones looking for creepy-crawlies or collecting shells and the like.

One feature of this activity when I was heading off with them was that we never knew where we were going to go.  And as often as not I would engage them in the decision, e.g. left or right? over a fence? through a gate? etc.  Invariably we were away for ages and came back from these "adventures" full of stories of what we had seen.

Well, on this particular day in Westray Alastair and Ishie were fretting so John suggested "Right.  Let's go on an adventure! We'll all walk down to the castle (about a mile away)". This was met with absolute outrage from Alastair!  He howled and howled and finally declared "But that's not an 'inventure' because you're telling us where we are going!"

I had to stop and think about this!  Yes ... quite right!

JOHN'S PHOTOS BELOW OF SOME ALASTAIR 'INVENTURES'

Mairi, Alastair and Grandpa heading off to Noltland Castle in Westray.

 Rackwick Beach

 Scapa Flow museum moving ships on the battle planning table in the museum.

 Rackwick in the tidal pools.  Check the blue crocs on his feet!

 Grandpa showing him the working of a steam engine in Scapa Flow museum.




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