Up the stares and along a landing

It's been seven days since I last posted, but for once I can't blame a lack of muse, as there's five blogposts in draft from various goings-on and all manner of what-have-you. Between being out there doing stuff (work is slowly picking up again) and maybe a lack of motivation to be tippy-tappetting away at a keyboard, there has been a week's silence from Old Tense. One consequence of lockdown (and I will let you decide, dear reader, whether it is a favourable outcome), is that my nominal two posts a week target has been buried under a flurry of Tense Towers tales, such that we're several months ahead of schedule. And there's more local legends and parochial prattlings in the wings, pending a possible second wave of virusness. So, without further ado, let's begin catching up on recent events hereabouts.

Last weekend, a third oil platform sailed into Scapa Flow and anchored off Howequoy Head. This is the Stena Don, a frequent visitor to Orkney when things are quiet in the spewing-forth-of-fossil-fuels business. It arrived with a complement of three ocean-going tugs which helped to tether the rig in position. Our corner of the Flow was busy that day, as there were also three freighters at anchor with no goods to ship anywhere.  

At one point, a helicopter landed on the Stena Don, and we wondered who was to-ing or fro-ing (if you're wondering, yes, I am on a bonus scheme with hyphens in this post). Later that day, there was a peculiar conjunction of two of the tugs, Njord Viking and Loke Viking, so we reckoned that the chopper must've been Dr Dolittle coming to see his Pushmi-Pullyu.

With all the staring out of the window, I noticed a tiny thing on the sill (well, apart from all the dust etc), but what it was, I couldn't begin to fathom. Shaped like a cartoon bone, purple with pale speckling, what the heck was it?

My best guess is some part of a flower?

Whilst I haven't seen a dragonfly so far this year, I was cheered up immensely by this rock engraving from Rob at Orkney Beach Craft.

Rob is now busy with a house name plate for us... with a difference.