Sunday 12 March 2017

Kirk to enterprise

The old church down by the shore, St Nicholas' Kirk, often features in these pages. It is on our 'regular' route, whether we're pottering and nature watching or pacing and burning some calories. Usually the former. 

Yesterday afternoon, I noticed that the day had become very Spring-like, with warm sunshine and the gentlest of breezes. I know! So a wander down the hill was pretty much mandatory.



The roadside verges were showing signs of the approach of the Golden Era that is Spring in Orkney - daffodils by any habitation, Lesser Celandine in the ditches, Coltsfoot in the rough grass and Marsh Marigold spreading from ditches to wet pasture. I pondered that it would've been Mum's birthday today and she would have very much approved of this floral awakening.

When I arrived at the shore, the tang of rotting seaweed mingled with the shrill calls of numerous pipits, as they gorged on flies stirred to life by the sun's warmth. The old kirk no longer has a congregation, although no-one seems to have told the Starlings. Instead, a local group of volunteers are restoring the building and hope to create a heritage centre for the area.



By chance, yesterday, I also discovered that the kirk has its own blog and I have added a link to the relevant sidebar on this page.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

A very poetic post! Love Spring, always my favourite time of year. sian

Imperfect and Tense said...

Thank you! Sometimes the seasonal inspiration means that the words write themselves.

GretchenJoanna said...

Your photo of the kirk across the water is stunning!

Imperfect and Tense said...

Thank you, GJ. One of these days, I really must take a decent camera along.