Now the house modifications are all done and the place is ready for visitors, we are enjoying being hosts to a lot of our friends and family who have decided to ‘pop up’ to see exactly what craziness we have chosen to do with our lives. Our next visitor is a very long standing friend, Shelia. She came for a few days, flying in from Norwich airport to Edinburgh and then onto Kirkwall. The weather was good and as it was her second visit there was not the pressure to do all the sights. Unfortunately after the first day Anna fell ill with this flu bug and she became bed ridden for a week! I called to doctor out at one point when her temperature kept fluctuating. We have had excellent experience of the Doctors here, and when I said that Anna really was not up to coming to the surgery but would if she had to, there was no question of that and the Doctor would come out to our house. The Doctors diagnosis was that there was nothing serious, just a very nasty flu virus, Anna was prescribed some antibiotics to take if things got worse the next day, but to avoid them if we could. Over the next few days Anna improved but was off her food. It was such a shame for Shelia as she was looking forward to some ‘girly chats’ with Anna, I did what I could but I think Shelia could see through my attempts of feigning interest in such subjects!
Shelia had a day getting some ‘Retail Therapy’ in Kirkwall, unfortunately is was the day a big cruise ship was in and the town was heaving, still she seemed to enjoy the day and said it was fun to see the effect a cruise ship makes to the town. After Shelia flew back, a few days later Anna started to feel well enough to get up and start eating again, the recovery was slow but she is now back to her usual self.
The dig at the Ness of Brodgar has started for eight weeks and I have again volunteered to help out at the ‘NOB shop’. I spend a couple of mornings a week selling pins to sponsor the dig, you stand outside a greet people as they come on the site, it is great to talk to all the visitors some are very interesting, some just walk past with their heads down trying to avoid eye contact! Generally most are happy to buy a pin or visit the shop or both! Last year the sales of these pins raised £20,000 all of which goes to funding the dig. The weather this year is considerably better than last and the excitement is building on the dig, a new trench has been dug and further excavation through the floor levels and to the houses underneath. The BBC are in Orkney for several weeks filming a new series with Neil Oliver, we were invited to the BBC party on the site on one of the first days and Anna spent some time chatting to him, reminding him of the time we shared a flight to Westray in a small plane which had only enough room for him, his TV crew and us two! The excavation continues with more finds, in the next few days there will be an announcement, I am sworn to secrecy, but watch the Digs Blog.