Shim sham

Taking the air on the old ferry deck, diesel fumes wafting across my face and the view splashing before me, I noticed a man, a solitary man sat, sitting on a seat. I contemplated his being and the way his hair flipped and flapped under his hand as the wind came in. Then he went inside.

See, look..

Bosta and a lump of rock or two.

Toots baking in the sun by the recreation of the old house

Nice eh? Eve and Toots looking at the bell.

We wuz there. At Bosta, sun and everything. Well, once the rain had stopped anyway.

This is a fav beach of mine. Best in winter when its empty but not exactly busy on a nice day. Toots had not seen the new bell thing so there we were clambering over the rocks as the tide was out getting as close as we could to the very quiet bell without getting wet.

I am going through my anti-complicated photography spell so took out the old Kodak Retinette 1a loaded with Hp5. What a lovely little camera this is.

A day at the seaside [as usual]

We took off in the jalopy picking up Toots on the way. He opened the door and I shot him three times. Luckily it didn't do him much harm so he came along with us from his beach to another beach.

Hectors peats

Hector and the 2010 stack

Hectors new peat stack is a mighty fine creation. High and long and a wonderfully neat shape, I believe it to be the best in North/New Tolsta this year. At least it is at the moment since its one of the first built in 2010. No doubt there will be others to come and we shall see if they are as straight, high and noble as this one. Brilliant work Ishbell and Hector.

meanwhile

Mr Windy - looking distraught at his misfortune.

Mr Windy is indisposed. His leg has stopped bending properly or something. Happened just as he was about to sign up for a 65 mile bike ride. Huh!

Plenty of time to develop his snaps now - so not all is lost!

He's in Amsterdam

Inauguration of the Bosta Bell

"What's my motivation here Robert?"

Now Robert the American film-maker is back in Amsterdam at S.W.O.M.P. I have here another snap from his visitation to William's out at Cromor. Here we can see the great orator gazing into the moor, working on his motivation for the scene .

We were happy to be present at the inauguration if the Bosta Bell where Marcus Vergette paddled out to his creation to give it a final pat. Great turnout by the locals who had a barbi on the beach on a lovely sunny day. One local did ask "What exactly is it for" which left me struggling for an answer. Its nice though

Hot hot hot

.. and on Jura. Yes, a Scottish island and its too hot outside! Here's Eve with her hastily constructed sunhat since we had only packed the woolly hats. Oops!

The film-maker

Robert the film-maker in Cromor - giving Bill his 'motivation' !

The Great Man - and Robert

Robert Stuart has now left the village. On his way home via The Uists and Barra then Oban, Glasgow, Amsterdam, New York, then on to Nicaragua later. We wish him well for his travels. He had a great time here and as soon as I get the link to any resulting films I shall post them here. No doubt Hector will be waiting to see it too.

Moving and the like

You may have noticed if you reside up this way, a tall American wandering hither and thither with a big pack on his back pointing a camera at various personages. His name is Robert Stuart from New York. Just back from Amsterdam via Paris and travelling on to Nicaragua Robert is sampling the life of an incomer Crofter - see over at Island Crofters. Since Mr Stuart is rather mesmerised by the Big Isle of Rust he also pointed his movie camera at Hector and Ishbell and other important people on the island.

I took the opportunity to turn an old camera on him too - using my 1x18cm Soviet view camera that is held together with elastic bands and gaffer tape and came up with this - my own little portrait of him - drinking his coffee.

BHF walk

I was there. I didn't walk but I did stand and do 'stuff' in a uniform. Lovely weather, lots of people walking and a good cause too. Angela called me on the radio I'm told. I wondered why it was making a right racket!

Jura Church

Sport

Of course, sport is rather taking the upper hand at the moment it seems with most of the world hanging on every moment watching if Wales' Geraint Thomas will hang on to the points jersey in this years Critérium du Dauphiné in France. No doubt the Tv company who sponsors the team he rides for will be ignoring the South African sports event that is going on to follow Mr Thomas' exploits. And so they should.

Meanwhile, I have been taking snaps through a welding mask glass. As you do. Well, as I do.

Pap - view 2

Look at that

...and we did for a week. Out of the wide window door things, once bleary eyes had been prised open, the curtains drawn back we were dazzled by this view. This in fact was one of the cloudiest days hence I snapped it. Those lumps in the background are Paps.

If it had been Alexey not Eric..........

Had Barnhill been occupied by Titarenko not Blair. Had it been a photograph and not a book and had it been 2010 and not 1948, this might, just might have been a half-decent attempt at a homage to the great man.

As it happens its a nice snap of persons unknown going onto the ferry to the mainland and a lovely sunny day. So sunny was it that I sat for a long while in the hot sun with my dear Eve and Mr Toots Wilson and watched the world go by. Slowly. It was a tremendous few hours. However, the downside was I got covered in some sort of beetle creatures. In my hair, down my top and even it transpired, in my knickers!!! Was a tad uncomfortable for a few moments till I had extracted the wee fellows.

To get there we went through here

Keeping the Jura Lairds at bay.

[and who can blame them since one is the father-in-law of the P.M.]

Ughhh. [see above and everything]

There is quite a nice pub here. Well, just to the left of here as it happens; down the steps that Eve fell up [before she entered the pub too].

Boiden Cottage

From Boiden Cottage there's a road, the only road as it happens and this is it. Tis a fine road with proper grass up the middle and lovely bumps that slows cars down but which had Toots tearing his hair out. An evening stroll down here to the next little group of houses and a Pap or two in the background was a fine way to spend an evening hour.