18 June - Church and a Long HIke



St. Magnus Church and a Long Hike
We went to church in Lerwic, at St. Magnus Church, a member of the Scottish Episcopal Church.  It was a small congregation, probably 25-30 present.  St. Magnus is 150+ years old.  It was a familiar service from when I was preaching at St. Albans in Marshfield.  Congregational membership looked the same as well.  During coffee afterwards we had a nice conversation with—get this—another water color artist!  Kathy was lost to me for a while and really enjoyed the chat.

  

On the way home we stopped at MacKenzie’s Farm Shop and Café.  Turns out they just opened on Friday.  We had a nice lunch, and picked up a couple items for us and to bring home.  Then a quick stop at the local beach, a few photos, back here for a nap and long visit with hostess Niki about craft places in the area and more work on our phone.  This is an interesting photo from a beach near us in Levenwick.  The purple flowers are really quite bright, and contrasted nicely with the rock structure in the background.

After a nap, Dan went on a long hike down to the sea.  While Dan hiked, Kathy was preparing supper and then painting.  She enjoyed getting the paints out and painting some shells she picked up this morning.    

In front of our lodging there are a number of fields full of sheep and then the cliffs overlooking the sea.  Scotland has a “right of roamers” law, so as long as the walker isn’t in someone’s yard he/she can hike the land. First I walked down to some ruins… they are all over!  The sheep graze around them and make a picturesque scene. 
























Then I walked down to the cliffs and got some great photos, saw and heard lots of birds, and allowed my brain to be very calm.  Put in a good two hours.  Here are views:








I love the rocks... photos don't do justice nor show how really huge they are.  The tiny flowers grow in the cracks in many rocks and look so tenacious!!!  There are lots of birds on shore... so far I've only identified one, the African Oystercatcher.  It is colorful and lays eggs on the shore.


Lots of sheep and lambs down near the rocks too!!  When walking through the wet areas I found that following their trails kept me on the drier path!

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