Island Travel Nurse

Island Life: A Winter Story Weather has closed in and we are below limits both on route and at Fair Isle. This afternoon’s flight is now cancelled...but we are in the air! And Skyelark is in the hold. So the opportunity to fly out here during a heat wave (Down South In England), we expected no weather issues...maybe some wind, since Shetland is famous for wind speeds... But precisely because of the heat wave, the fogbank came in today, along with rain and some lightning while we were midair. Oh well, looks like we will be taking the Good Shepherd Ferry tomorrow. For those who have never experienced island life, the day-to-day realities of living in the middle of the north sea during winter can seem mysterious, and sometimes even a little intimidating. Yet, despit...

  View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ed Reif (@edreif)

What’s my best experience of seeing Orcas, Hawaii? Alaska, SeaWorld?  I’d always say that the best experience I have had of an orca sighting is the one I last had, which is today. Thanks Dan for the Orca alert, and, taking these super-closeup photos with your camera. There’s a direct correlation between orca being seen when the sea is calm., and also we being more aware of wildlife now on the island.

  Small is beautiful Sarah is joined by Skyelark

Mackerel is best eaten when it is super-fresh. From sea to table time mere hours .This is a little bit more than the JUST ADD WATER approach, or the Betty Crocker add a fresh egg-- you totally participate in the cleaning and preparation of the fish as well. THE IKEA EFFECT--In simple terms, if I am part of the process, I'll think the result is better- regardless of the quality of the end result---Hence I think I am a good cook too! As with IKEA, it's just a few slabs of wood and veneer held together by dowels and bolt locks, But IIII  put it together. MACKEREL is one of the loveliest of fishes, one of the tastiest, one of the cheapest and one that is still plentiful in Shetland. Yet it's scorned by nearly everyone, including the locals who cosider tit peasent food(Lobsters too) considered too strong-flavored, oily and, well, fishy.  Well, since we are long stay visitors, we have no such objections to cooking and eating this super food.  It takes a bit of work but cleaning...

We are closer to Norway than we are to Edinburgh, Yet Shetland is part of Scotland, and Britan's most remote inhabited island.  What a gem this Fair Isle is, and to honor it,  Sarah and I have continued to post in this blog Sharefairisle.com Had to take the plunge today, and brave the frigid waters. It was invigorating to dive head first into the ocean. It is also a constant reminder of the beauty and power over life and death. It would be hard to stay more than a few minutes submerged. Sarah went looking for Puffins. The are nesting for two.mpre weeks so there is an urgency to find them. Stock Photo-no stolen valor here- We are on a photo safari for our own cinematic golden kodak moment Skyelark is enjoying her new neighbors, the 1000s of sheep...and a few hundred bunnies too. We witnessed the sheep dogs corralling a herd. ' It was sublime...no photos  or video this time, as we wanted to experience this organically, plus we didn't want to stop a dog from working! S...

 She thinks my tractor's sexy.  Lots of grass to cut. The sheep have a head start. Sarah and Skyelark meeting the plane that we were supposed to take last week-finally got weather clearence Walking Skyelark down by The South Lighthouse Sarah bought me this hand-made tartan mask made by a local resident

Windows 2021-As the self-appointed custodian of the Nurse's Hus (house), Cut the grass behind the kitchen window with Sir Mows A Lot. Sheep were unavailable for the task. Tended to the tomatoe plants with help from Skyelark.

  The next episode...We were here in December 2020, when the wind, moisture and lighting were golden. The Summer offers a green and clear color palate. Both seasons offer their beauty. It's savage and free range. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ed Reif (@edreif)

  "Looks like lamb is back on the menu" gonna find me sone sheep.  I woke up early to get a head start on the strenuous idleness that the Shetland winds, weather and wounds will enevitably bring. What a savage and beautiful country lies in between.I don't think less of city life, but I do and will think of it less here. "Looks like lamb is back on the menu" gonna find me some sheep soon... I woke up early to get a head start on the strenuous idleness that the Shetland winds, weather and wounds will enevitably bring. What a savage and beautiful country lies in between.I don't think less of city life, but I do and will think of it less here. Here’s the thing about Shetland: there are no wrong decisions, only decisions to be made. No matter where you go, you’ll be awestruck, inspired, and have your breath taken away—after spending last December there, I’m willing to guarantee it.

Sheep Story A Jewel In The Ocean Set in the middle of the North Atlantic, 38km (23mi) from Shetland and 43km (27mi) from Orkney, Fair Isle is as far away from civilization as it’s possible to get in the British Isles. Measuring barely five kilometers across and two kilometers wide, the island is home to a tiny permanent population of just 45 people. In fact, it’s the most remote inhabited place in the UK. My Sheeple - An adventure story involving an airplane, some sheep, and extreme weather. Have you ever had one of those days where you say to yourself (and anyone else who will listen) – I love my life. Sarah at The South Lighthouse Malcom's Head The number of sheep in all the Shetland Islands is calculated to b...

 Lighthouses are not just stone, brick, metal, and glass. There’s a human story at every lighthouse; that’s the story Dave wants to tell. South Light on Fair Isle is a pharologist's*  delight - a superb  example of a 'Stevenson Lighthouse', one of many around the shores of mainland Scotland and the isles, built in1891 by this famous and prolific family of Scottish engineers. (*pharology - the study of lighthouses!) Designed and built in 1891 by David A. and Charles Stevenson (cousin of author Robert Louis Stevenson) it entered service in 1892. The lighthouse tower at 85 feet is the tallest one in Shetland and there are 106 steps to the top. In 1998 it became the last lighthouse in Scotland to be automated. Its foghorn - also Scotland's last - was dismantled in 2005.Its light is still operated by the Northern Lighthouse Board and the beam, consisting of 4 flashes every 30 seconds, can be seen from at least as far as Orkney - some 25 miles away across open sea.