An Encounter…..A Bit of Nostalgia……The Scouring Of The Shire?......
by Bernie Bell - 08:20 on 30 October 2025
An Encounter…..
Some years ago, Mike wrote about an encounter with an owl……
https://theorkneynews.scot/2018/07/12/an-encounter/
Yesterday afternoon, he had an encounter with a Raven.
He was walking on the track between the Bay of Hinderayre and the Hall of Rendall, a track he walks most days, when he noticed a Raven flying above him, riding the North-East breeze, along the same direction as Mike. He stopped and said ‘Hello’ – it cocked an eye and kronked at him. He said ‘Speak, Raven’ and it did, in its own way.
He felt that there was a connection, a thread between them. As he stood on the track, the Raven maintained its position over his head for a minute or two before heading off over the sea towards Gairsay.
Mike came home and told me the tale and I reminded him of the time that’s in it.
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A Bit of Nostalgia……
This was on a friend’s FB page…..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aY5W8WJyCOg
My responses was…
“I remember those pubs in Ireland that sold ….everything. The shop would be at the front and the bar at the back, where the men would sit with their dogs under their seats. My Dad would take me, sit me in a corner, give me pop and crisps and I’d tickle the dogs and…listen. Good times.”
One of the comments on the original post…..
“In the 70s my grandfather had to drive around the local area looking for my great grandfather as he often would cycle home from the pub and fall into a ditch.”
….prompted this response from me…
“My Grandpa would go the Fair (animals - not brightly lit rides) in the nearby village - get a skinful and fall into the hedge on the way back. When the evening meal was ready, Granny would send a posse of the children out to find him and bring him home. More of Grandpa here…
https://theorkneynews.scot/2019/03/17/memories-of-the-craetur-comfort-2/ “
Memories…..
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The Scouring of the Shire?.....
I saw this on a friend’s FB page…..
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=25100690439554856&set=a.186344328082812
…and my comment was……
“Sauron? Indeed - The Scouring of the Shire is what's needed.”
Which got me thinking that, when I’ve finished ‘To The River’ by Olivia Laing - which is a soothing thing to read in a different way - it could be time to embark on their journey with the Hobbits again. Why? This is why…..
https://theorkneynews.scot/2020/11/29/something-settling/
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