Orkney 2022 - 5 Days

Brass plaque on a sidewalk in Oban,

uncanny affirmation that we were where

we needed to be.

It is just five days until we head out for our long-delayed Orkney trip. At "T minus 14 days" I was still hoping, not hoping, that we could take off. Not fully committed at that time I still laundered the gaiters of their Prairie mud, the Idaho baseball cap of summer sweat, counted the t-shirts and bought good sturdy socks.

Now I am all in on this trip, fully committed, and putting it out here, hesitant to say it out loud, bravely doing so regardless.

The final leg of our trip home is the only one so far to have been changed - and for the better. Our final flight lands us an hour earlier making our last few hours' drive home somewhat less harrowing as we both try to stay awake after a long day of travel through both space and time.

Lots to do this weekend - tidy the house, laundry, lists of don't forgets, pre-packing the backpacks. Like our other excursions we plan a trip to "Launderama" in Kirkwall about halfway through our stay which lightens our packs and covers any slips and slides, falls and failures in the cairns and moors, beaches and mud we plan to encounter. 

Weather predictions at this point look glorious, but then any weather anywhere on vacation is just that. On our first trip to Scotland, we were greeted with a skiff of snow, and it is predicted for this landing as well. Once out on the islands, however, the meteorologists claim the sun will shine; we will let you know if they guessed correctly.

So we are going, following the clear direction of our hearts and heads, yearning for adventure, understanding, rejuvenation and new colors for weary eyes. Enjoy this trip with us if you want by following us here on The Chair Outside. I will try to post something each day with pictures and narrative.