Fresh [ish]

Fresh from driving round the flippin island half the night and then trolling through piles of paperwork while the new pooter awaits attention, I got to slosh a film from the Viv wide & Slim from Sundays stroll in the rain on a local beach. Thank goodness for the tranquility of these places - though perhaps tranquility ios not the right term for Sunday since the wind was howling and the rain falling. Twas lovely though.
The day before in the sunshine below;

An exhausted fence on Harris.

What a orrid day!

It rained. And blew a bit. So much so that we just managed a short walk on the beach in the rain, hanging onto each other for support in the wind!.
Then I had to go out on a work job. Still, managed a quick listen to the podcast on Flimwasters.com where they mentioned some great work by Tom Stoddart. And if you don't know his work check it out now!

Two new snaps from me today. The first one from my Fanks for the memory collection and another beach snap - not from today I might add! Both taken with the old Zorki6 with Era100 film. I'm liking these.

Gent

Spent a fine day strolling on Harris and had the pleasure of meeting this fine Gent. He agreed to be snapped wif me old folding bellows camera :-)
While I was there I took the opportunity to snap up a few fanks. Here's a lovely one .

Apologies

Apologies for the singular lack of snaps of late but been busy with work. And recovering from an exciting flight back from Edinburgh yesterday! At one point, I was thinking how nice it would be to be on board the Isle of Lewis ferry - that's how dodgy it was. But full marks to the plane drivers who kept the black side down on the runway.
Be back snapping soon.

BTW; don't forget the Grinneas nan Eilean 2009 at An Lanntair starts this weekend with a launch do Saturday evening :-)

I fank you!

We wuz robbed!

Of course I should have won furst prize at Richmond Show! But, they did and now, some years on I wonder what these kids are up to.

We were going to go across the wAter this weekend but neither of us are feeling at our best at the moment so we stayed at home. I did a little light darkrooming and have a couple of nice-ish prints and Eve took some turf off the veg patch. Yes, yes I know, but my back is crook.

Big celebrations on the winning of Milan-Sanremo major cycle race by that young [and I quote here] 'Not bad for a feckin useless gobsh!te trackie' Mark Cavendish.

Another side

Hirstian

Dull.

After a wonderful day yesterday when the sun shone, the breeze dissapeared for a while and the beach was a real pleasure, the rain - or drizzle and mist - has come back. Now wonder apparently. When Eve & I ventured over to see Alastair to take him his paper, he told us that if the mountains on the manland get that close - by which I think we mean "seem that close" because of the clear air, then bad weather is come - despite what the forecastrs said. He was right.

It will soon be time to get cutting the peat for the fire. Hopefully, we will have some lovely dry weather like last year and my back will be feeling like the top and bottom of it are joined and I can get out on t'moor. Here's a snap from last year with the old Massey waiting to be loaded up by Paul the Crofter.

I

Filmwasters

If you have not been to this site - go. Tis a great place with great people and all that. and its all film-based stuff too. As it happens, the great Leon Taylor of said site has just finished an interview with my good self to go out as a podcast in the near future. Obviously, I'm not going to listen to it but if you care to it will be on www.filmwasters.com later this week - Leon's dogs allowing that is!


Above is a snap of Roy and Ziggy in their home. Taken with the Ikonta A with Fuji800 film and slightly altered.

Fine fellow

There are some fine fellows in my village - not least Clocks here. Bumped into him whilst out on a stroll. Clocks was out with Ben, his grumpy little terrier. If its pigs or cattle that need looking after or yo require some painting doing, then Clocks is yer man. BTW: no idea why he is called Clocks as Donald is his given name!

Many Fanks

Fanks for the memory

I've been out and about today [before settling down to a bit of light work later ] checking out the popular sheep gathering points hereabout. Its the start of a little project that will last the whole year - entitled "Fanks for the memory". Eh? The title is great but now the images have to follow. Here's the first few of many.

Oh

So, I get up all sprightly at 4am to trott down the island for a little light work, car loaded with cameras and film, only to find that the rain was lashing down. So my idyllic morning sat by the loch snapping happily went by the board. I came home and slept!

In the meantime, to fill the gap left by the un-taken snaps, is a fine fellow posing outside his greenhouse in Delph, Saddleworth in Engerland some years ago - when the sun shone !
Taken with some old folder or other.

What a wonderful evening

I had the opportunity of a visit to Harris last evening and I 'chose' the day well. Clear skies and a warm sun gave a soft light over the rocky landscape as I bowled along the Golden Road. And yes, I had a camera [or two] with me but seeing I use film and I only got back late, I have none to post here yet. I'm out early too so I'm hoping to catch the sunrise over The Minch - as long as the rain stays away.
Meanwhile, here's another colour snap from a few days ago. North Tolsta o'er The Minch

Donnie Cash & Rab Dylan

Yes, yes, I wus there. At the Woodlands Centre in a rainstorm snuggling up to the half a million other people in there last night. A fine evening by all accounts although the back of my legs are still sore from standing so long. Partner Eve won second prize in the raffle so we have some choccies to eat :-)
Loved most of the fine performers but special mention from me for Chain and Ball or something like that who played an excellent set - even saw Mr Woody 'imself tapping his toes. The last band, although being fine musicians, played a rather enigmatic set - two songs by Jacob Marley [I think], one by Johhny Cash's preacher and another by Sting. Ah well, kept us all amused anyway.

Wierd weather todsy but just back from a stroll on t'beach which we managed without getting soacked. Must be a record.

Panic over

I've seen sense again and got back into the darkroom - despite the fact that the little heater I have in there seemed to make only minor in roads into the cold today. Now I'm sat in front of pooter, I'm still cold. Cold right through.
Anyway the smell of the chemicals lured me back to the B&W side of life. I love the nuances of life and B&W can be rather like that. Obviously black and white but less obvious are the nuances of the tones. Or something.
Anyway, the prints I did are too big for my scanner so you'll have to make do with this scan of a neg from last year o'er back of t'village.

Take a look at this site where you can see in the list of competitors for the 2009 Artic Marathin is Stornoway policeman Neil MacDonald. Best of luck to him!

Just a bit of colour!

I'm wavering between colour and B&W. I mean, I think this is lovely - from an old camera and some modern yet out of date film. DON'T LET ME BE TURNED TO THE COLOUR PALLETE!

Black & white - again

....whether I like it or not. Woke up this morning to a quiet glow and snow lying deep [ish], and crisp and almost even. Snook out wif the Hassie and some HP5 - but rather muckled up the development with Presyscol.

I don't 'do' colour

Now, this is nice place to start one's walk..........

The sheeps are waiting to see if there is something to eat. There was not...

Eve poses for the Kamera and COLOUR film!!!!!!!!!!

..but I do have a bag of old colour film - mostly slide film that sits stupifying in the box room - so named because it is full of boxes.
Since The Red Snapper has been up, my feelings towards colour have softened a little - although not so much that I would actually print something - especially since my ink-spraying machine is being cuddled back to life by the nice people at Point1 in The Smoke [Stornoway]. Anyway, with some out of date Reala in the Kiev 6c complete with wrong size filter and lens hood to give a horrible vignetting, I shot some snaps down Rhenigidale way.