Last week of Papa Stour! So sad to go, but so excited for my next adventure. I finished the metal roof and installed glass to to the top of the solar shed. I continued my gardening, putting some spinach into the raised beds. The I did a lot of cementing and used big stones to build up the wall. We had some beautiful days with sunshine and no rain, so I also went fishing, hiking, and played fetch with Judy, the local dog. This morning I left Papa Stour and am now in Lerwick. I'm staying at the Islesburgh Hostel and it nice. Then I met with Marc at the Olive Tree and we had one last meal together. I am now back in my room and am doing some studying for the ACT. After I publish this post I am going to walk to the Broch of Clickimin, which is a stone tower used during the Iron Age, for this region it would be 500 BC to 1000 AD. Then I'm going to get dinner and head to bed, looking forward to my adventures tomorrow.
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Sorry for the writing last week's entry late. I thought I did, but didn't. Sunday evening, I took a beautiful hike with Susan on the east coast of Papa Stour. On Monday, we needed to get a lot done before the storms on Tuesday. We Got the metal roof on and the wood sides of the solar shed stable enough to handle 50 mph winds. Had to work an extra 2 hours to ensure no damage. On Tuesday we had the day off, so I did some gardening and worked on my chess set. Later that day the winds died down so we walked over to Johnny Walker's house and saw the lovely decorated interior. Afterwards I made nettle soup. On Wednesday, we continued to work on the solar shed, building up the cement rock wall. The next day was Susan's last, so we finished our working and had a last supper in celebration for her time here. On Friday, we continued working on the solar shed and got some more pallet wood up. Then we had another last supper for Jordan. Overall a very good week. My fourth week of wwoofing was probably the best week so far. On Sunday I cooked the mackerel and chilled out the rest of the day. To start the week's work off, I built a metal poly-tunnel on Monday. On Tuesday I helped build the roof of our solar shed. Later that day, I planted broccoli and turnips in the raised beds. I did some gardening and juiced nettles on Wednesday. Then on Thursday I worked on the raised beds and continued working on the solar shed roof. I finished the week off by installing two massive triple pained windows, then finishing the roof and front of the shed with pallet wood. It was a very productive week. Looking forward to starting up again. Check back next weekend for my next post. -Jamieson S. My third week of wwoofing was quite an adventure. I started it off on Sunday by hiking to the west side of Papa Stour. It was incredible. Then I went back to work and painted fence posts Monday and Tuesday. I also helped one of our Neighbours with their potato field. On Wednesday, I picked nettles, made a cover for the raised beds, and then got to see orcas in the bay. The next day I designed and built 2 more raised bed covers so they were ready for planting. On Friday we said goodbye to Anna and Max. Then made nettle juice and started building a poly tunnel. After lunch, Derrick stopped by with 4 mackerel he had just caught. I removed all the guts and blood so they are ready for cooking. At around 7, we welcomed Susan, a new wwoofer. She is from Boston and is a grandmother of 3. So far she seems pretty nice. Hope it works out. Thank you to everyone who is reading these posts! I'll have Week 4 up next Saturday. My second week of wwoofing was great. I finished my weekend and went back to work. Started Monday by cementing the wall and cleaning tools. Then it started raining so we had to cover everything and head inside. In the afternoon, we did a seaweed run and covered all the raised beds. Then on Tuesday, I painted Hellen's and Allan's tiny house with creosote (which is an engine oil based coating that waterproofs wood). Then I cemented the pipes to a rock wall in the chicken coupe. The next day, I went to Lerwick with Marc and spent 3 hours getting pallet wood. Then we got some groceries at Tesco and I took a bus back to the ferry. When we got back to the house we unloaded and sat down for dinner. On Thursday, I started digging out a duck pond and made a draining trench. Instead of taking a Siesta, I got a knitting lesson from Hellen! After that I finished the duck pond and headed inside for the day. That evening, Jordan and I watched the relatively new Obi-Wan Kenobi show on Disney +. On Friday, we started off by putting the fish netting on the arched poles over the chicken coupe. Then I adjusted the duck pond to drain better. After that I got some extra pieces of netting and patched the holes in the net. After lunch, Hellen and Allan put the plastic covering and had started filling the it with water. The ducks were loving it! The I went with Marc and Jordan to do a rock run. I was a very productive and exciting week! I'll talk to you next weekend! On Thursday Morning, I woke up at 5:00, took a taxi to the airport, and flew to Shetland. Then I took bus to Lerwick. I walked to the Inn I was staying at and dropped my luggage off. The main shops were all on a small road so it was super easy to find everything and explore each place. I stopped at Jamieson’s first, a wool and knitting shop. After getting some knitting supplies, I visited a few more shops. Later, I got some diner at. A Thai restaurant and watch a show till I fell asleep. At 7:00 I got up and took a Taxi to West Burrafirth. I then took a 30 minute ferry to Papa Stour. Marc, the WWOOF Host picked me up at the dock. Then we went to the farm and I met everyone. There is Allan and Hellen, an elderly English couple, who live seasonally on Papa Stour. Allan is a master carpenter and Hellen sells her own Shetland wool knittings. Jordan is From New Zealand and has been wwoofing since June 2021. Lastly, Max and Anna are a German Couple that are traveling around the UK after completing their master’s in law and bachelor’s in education, respectively. They are here until July. Then we ate lunch and started working on a cover for the chicken coupe. Then we watched a film in the cinema room. We watch a film and eat dark chocolate every evening. The next two days I had off as we don’t have to work on the weekends. I explored the island, visiting some beaches and interacting with the farm animals. There are chickens, ducks, turkeys, sheep, dogs, a horse, a Shetland pony, and a cat. On Saturday, Marc started our daily routine of eating dates and drinking PG Tips tea. Then I picked some nettles and juiced them. We have Nettle juice every night. On Sunday I made breakfast for everyone with my famous scrambled eggs. Then I helped Marc with dinner, where we had roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, and cauliflower. On Monday, I went back to work, continuing the construction of our windproof covering. We used plastic piping and bent them till they formed an arch over the chickens, ducks, and turkeys. Then we added wooden supports to keep the pipes in place. On Tuesday, Allan decided to take some time off, so I joined Marc, Jordan, and Max. We dug 3ft holes and put in 8ft plastic posts that are recycled salmon pipes that were used on Scottish salmon farms. Then we went to the beach and gathered many stones that we filled the salmon pipes with. After finishing work, I got to watch Scotland destroy Armenia 4 to 1! The next day, we started out digging trenches across a field. We did this to drain rain water and therefore reduce moss where only grass is wanted. I was starting to feel sore from all the digging, but I pushed through. After finishing one trench, we dug more holes and put up a few salmon pipes. I finished the day by untangling a massive salvage fishing net, with hopes to put it over the coupe cover. On Thursday, I rejoined Allan and we resumed on the coupe cover. First we put all the pipes on. Then we put on creosote coated wood support beams and made plastic brackets to secure the pipes. On Friday, I coated all the wood we had already put on the cover. In the afternoon, I took some measurements for a wood roof above the coupe gate. Then I coated all the wood required with creosote. To finish the week off strong, I used scythe to clear some grass and nettles. I am looking forward to finishing the cover, making a football (soccer) field and goals, and seeing if I can make a surfboard using the abundance of recycled materials. Although I am having a fantastic time, I miss my friends and family a lot, and encourage everyone to reach out. My UK number is +4407377249013. I have decided to do weekly posts so I will see you all next Saturday on June 25! |
AuthorEnvironmentalist - Surfer - Scottish - Footballer - Cook |