Viking Parade and No Nightfall...here I come!

URGH!!! Just as I started to get used to the beautiful, sunny, breezy weather, the Artic cold winds and rains came back to remind me that I am not in the Poconos on a lovely Spring day. It's Scotland and that can and usually mean cold, and unpredictable weather. Look at this pic taken today from our office window. The clouds are dark enough to rain. But will it? Maybe. Maybe not. There's enough sun in the area to thwart that possibility. You just never know around here.
Yesterday was the summer solstice and you wouldn't have known it around here. It didn't get above 55 degrees (without the windchill) and believe me, the wind was a-blowin'! So you know it was cold.
And when the temps start doing a yo-yo dance, I tend to get sick. Luckily, Andy is there to offer (yet another) cup of tea and a nice massage.
He's pretty swell...the man even twists my locks for me. Since there's no one here I can go to (and I HATE doing my own hair) he's extremely helpful. Now, how many men--black or white men would do that for their ladies??

I'm telling you, I will cut a bitch that gets between me and my man.

But back on the subject of weather, it turns out, I'm going to be spending a couple of days in sweaters, coats, and scarves. Tomorrow, Andy and I are flying up to the Shetland Islands, way the hell off the northern coast of Scotland for a summer festival called Johnsmas Foy. The main reason we're going is for the music portion of the "foy" (I think that means festival or hootananey in Shetland talk). I don't think Missy Elliot or Ludacris will be on the venue. But hey, life's an adventure! The Shetlands are depicted by the black dot in this picture of Scotland. It's way the hell up there, huh?
It's a strange area. A group of over a hundred cliff-edged floating rocks..completely deforested and a long time chilling spot for the Vikings. The islands are pretty small with very few roads. In fact, no where in Shetland is further than 3 miles from the sea. Needless to say, their economy is based in fishing and salmon farming. We'll be staying in the main town, Lerwick. I don't know much else about the place except these folk can do some serious drinking and they have their own distinct dialect derived from the longtime connection with Norway. I've checked the weather forecast and we're not expected to have a day over 52 degrees. That's not terribly bad...if it's November!! And I hear the wind is a bitch! So, it will probably feel like the mid 40s during the day....lord (groan), what am I doing?


I'm not sure what else is there to do besides fish, drink, play some music, and drink some more. I know there are some prehistoric and norse settlement to see. And maybe drink there too. But that's all I know so far.

The Shetlands are so far north that they average over 19 hours of daylight. Since we just had the longest day of the year, I am told that I won't actually see any nightfall...just dusk if I'm lucky. I wonder if I'll get any sleep. I couldn't imagine being there in the winter when it's perpetually dark for months.

Besides the music festival (and no, I don't know what kind of music...possibly rock since all the folk festivals usually happen earlier in the year), we're suppose to see a Viking parade! Last night I told this to one of my oldest and dearest friends, Herman. He just laughed and said, "You're a long way from Opa-locka, Peggy."

Yeah, he's right. I've come a long way from my decrepit, poor Miami neighborhood full of crack cocaine, prostitutes, and gang violence. And I've still far to go.

Obviously, I won't be seeing any people of color. So, I'm lowering my standards for this one. If I find one person, just ONE white person with a tan (not redness due to windburn), they shall be my brother or sister for the weekend. Wish me luck, my people!

Thankfully, we'll be back on Sunday and hitting a jazz festival in Glasgow!

We'll see what I have to report when I get back, eh?