Today's overdose of blue

Although I haven't checked Abby's SHETLAND MY LOVE wonderblog since yesterday (hee-hee!), I too did not resist that overdose of blue to which we were exposed today.

If snow alternates with those wonderful shades of blueness, David and I packed up for an adventure around our neck of the heather ... Hoswick, so close to us. 

Yes, I always use that catchphrase when guiding in summer - "magic Shetland!"... 60N indeed remains a magic latitude!

And never take it for granted. 

I still remember my first time, as a visitor.

Back in 1998, we pitched our 4-season mountain in Levenwick and I still treasure that early May morning marvelling at its white sandy beach and whispering, this feels just like Treasure Island! ...The rest is history, however, tattoed on my heart forever. Our eagerness to live the dream propelled our will to leave the cityworld for good. Island life is priceless. Besides, I adhere to Kenneth White's concept of being able to embrace an island in geopoetics. Interestingly, our archipelago offers a myriad of isles, islands and other big rocks! During a sabbatical from the classroom, I notably opted to work for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, hence blending my two passions: education & wildlife. For two seasons, I was priviledged to hop on several islands, enhancing my craft as an "upland" naturalist and sharing my love for the [natural] world with local pupils and visitors. I still remember walking the length of Fair Isle with Roy Dennis on a fine summer evening and ringing migrants with Derek Shaw... Or ringing Storm Petrels on Mousa with Dave Okill. ...Pointing out orcas and other sea mammals to tourists & locals around The North Isles and Muckle Flugga on board Dunter II remains a lifetime gift. All in all, slices of life I shan't forget... Yes, Kenneth is right and he too would LOVE to embrace Shetland the way I do!!!

Below and above is a selection of images I took this afternoon. Please note I have not over-saturated any colour... (Just toned down the final one for artistic licence).When the light reverberates on our world, it just shines this way!  As a photographer, I am obsessed with light and composition; as a poet, with the raw beauty of the land and its surrounding waterworld. Barren though never bleak, as the sun spends its lifetime playing with clouds! And since Shetland's main(is)land looks like a chipolatta from space, we hardly dwell too long under semi-vertical or horizontal spells of rain. Clouds come and go, always hassled by the wind.

My heart is firmly anchored to this shore. Another meaning of north so close to my soul.

It might look cold to some of you, however, a Finnish proverb says: there is no bad weather, only bad clothing... How true!

..Right, better go and check out what Abby's been up to today... ;)