Please take a photograph of your group "in action." Don't forget to ask for permission from everyone for the photo to be published on the web. Then email it to the address below and we will upload it to the gallery.
Photography Group One 1st May 2024
Ten of us met at the roadside Car Park in Finstown on a day with little wind and some low cloud but with the sun trying to get through. We set off to the Community Garden where we found lots of lovely colourful flowers out as well as tree buds bursting forth. The Burn was a great source of images.
Jocky Wood was painting a new picnic bench with the appropriately titled Wood Stain! He does a great deal of the work on the garden as well as his own just up the hill opposite.
Six of us then headed for Binsgarth Woods.
The track was muddy in places but the spring flowers were out all the way. There was Pink Purselaine, Wild Garlic, Wood Anemone, and the invasive Salmon Berry. Since the tree leaves were not blanketing the light, one was able to get good photos close up. The Burn had lots of interesting tree roots and hanging tyres and ropes from the kids' dare devil antics. Then it was back to the shop for rolls and along to Tom's house for a cuppa and a nice piece of cake. Thank you very much for that Tom and all the stories too.
The next meeting will be going to Westray on Wednesday 29th May for the day. Arrangement will be made nearer the time.
All in all a lovely morning, taking time to look at the flowers and listen to the Wrens, Willow Warblers, Chaffinches and Robins singing in the woods.
Keep clicking.
Walking Group One 25th April 2024
Five hardy souls collected today at Happy Valley for the first Hill Walk of the year .The temperature was cool with a North Easterly wind blowing and a hint of rain on arrival.
Off we set heading towards Russadale Quarry, spotting a Buzzard on the way.Turning into the footpath we remained sheltered from the wind all the way to the top of the hill.
The sun was out at the Quarry and a Greenshank was feeding at the edge of the Lochan. Then it was up the Peat road to the summit with spectacular views across Stenness and Harray Lochs, plus a view of the Closed Road beyond the Watch Stone. On the other side we looked over the Flow and down towards the Oil Platform and South Ronaldsay
Then it was back down after a stop for a snack and finally a walk around Happy Valley itself. The Daffodils planted by James and others were looking lovely and the Bluebells are days away from opening. Then it was on to a well deserved lunch at the Pier Cafe, having walked 4 miles and gone up 800 feet (and down again )
The next walk will be on Friday 24th May and hopefully more hills and views.
Keep moving.
U3A Photo Group One - February 2019
by David Appleton - 19:12 on 27 February 2019
In anticipation of normal February weather in Orkney we had arranged an indoor venue only to be treated to a warm, sunny Spring day. It gave an opportunity for some to take pictures of glowing sandstone buildings and beds of colourful crocus and daffodil plants.
Nine of us gathered at Orkney museum, Tankerness House where we had time to explore all 12 galleries, some of which a number of us had almost forgotten were there. The exhibits ranged from the first settlers, the Picts, the Vikings, the medieval period and through to the 20th century. There were many interesting subjects, some with technical challenges of variable lighting levels and reflections from glass cases. It will be fascinating to look through the results next time.
Keeping up our traditions, we went for tea, coffee and cakes as a prelude to browsing prints of the project ‘doors and door knockers’. There was a surprising variety of door knocker designs given that several members had commented that so few doors nowadays seem to be equipped with knockers. The doors ranged from the sturdy, through the well weathered to just a surviving latch mechanism.
Our next outing on 27th March is due to be arranged by Tim and he will send out details soon. The project for this month is ‘spring’ in any interpretation of the word.
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