I’ve realised something this week: I am staying home waaaaay too much. This time last year, I was walking Scout at least twice a day, I was stopping in at a little dog-friendly pub once or twice a week; I was scoping out all the different restaurants and cafes on the Mainland; I was exploring a different beach, or trail, or park, or cliff on at least a weekly basis.
This year? Well, I did blow out my hip, so I have had a dog walker for Scout each morning since mid-October. And November was a bit of settling in here at the cottage. But those are my only excuses. I realised: I haven’t been to a pub or restaurant in weeks (the trip down south at Christmas doesn’t count); the walking excursion on New Year’s Day was the exception, not the rule. I haven’t been to yoga in weeks (maybe months?). I stay in and watch YouTube or Netflix, or I read, or I cook. But that’s about it (maybe a touch of exaggeration for effect, but you get the drift).
That’s it. Starting tomorrow, no excuses. My hip is fine, so Rebecca’s not coming for Scout anymore. There are tons of places I either haven’t seen yet, or have wanted to re-visit: Birsay, the Broch of Gurness, the islands of Rousay and Hoy, Yesnaby, St Margaret’s Hope, the list goes on. And I had been enjoying the church services at St Magnus, why did I stop that?
So this weekend: Yesnaby (weather permitting – it’s a tad wild out there), church, and The Willows park.