Sandness Hill

Last Friday, Elizabeth (Crossroads) came in the afternoon for 3 hours to look after Mum. It was a beautiful day so I took off for Sandness Hill (249m). Great feeling to be out in the open spaces listening to curlews, skylarks and ravens. From the top there was a great view back to Bousta in the distance across Sandness. The bare gravel in the foreground indicates that the climate here can be arctic-alpine! Bousta is in the middle of the picture on the near coastline ... if you look very, very hard. Looking south west gave me itchy feet but the old leg muscles said otherwise. That's the walk back to the Dale of Walls that I think Sorley has done.
The view north to Ronas Hill takes in the Melby area of Sandness.
The white house on the far end of the row of houses on the righthand side is Sand Cottage where Gudrun, Maya and Sage will be staying.
Using the full zoom this is all you can see of Muckle Bousta. Sitting at my desk and turning my head to the left I can look up and see the top of the hill from where I took the photo.

This is an old (relatively, Gudrun) poem that I just had published in a Borders poetry journal.

Leaving Edinburgh

When Gudrun left that morning
for the Guildhall in London,
Tricia went to Marks and Spencers
to buy curtain rings,
I went home over the Bridge
listening to Tippet in the fog
and Beth went back to the flat
to have a good cry and
await the plumber.
On the counter were her earrings,
in the sink, her hair,
and in the music, her song.
Now that she has gone, somehow
we have to come to terms
with the Gudrun she left behind.

You may know it but hope you like it.