I have two hands

I mean, I always had two hands but recently one was a little disabled because of a dupytrens contracture on a couple of fingers. then, the good NHS came to my rescue and the fine surgeon put the finger back in the right place. Only I was in a stookie for a week. Now, that's gone and I'm free !

I've not long developed a film but in the meantime here's a snap from a year or two back.

Do have a fine and healthy New Year

I was there

I might go again.

yep, that's it for me. [for this week]

sports

I might have to become a sports photographist.
I may have found my niche.
At least I found this old neg lurking - and that's a start, surely?

Just William

My good friend William quickly devouring the lovely curry at Bridge Centre cafe in Stornoway.

\if you feel like this,,,,,,

You might want to get some fresh air !

XXXXXXX

Thank you darling Eve for another wonderful year.
you make me so very happy.
xxxxx

Wishing you up

Here is me - in a respectful island dustbin-scape with added human and photo-bombing bird.Wishing everyone - friends, future friends, past friends, acquaintances, anyone who reads this, family and of course my dear wife Eve [who snapped the snap] a very happy and contentful Festival of Over-Consumption and a wonderful and creative 2020.
i might add, i am currently holed up with an arm in plaster having had a Christmas treat - a little op on my finger.

Thank you so much for visiting here. I look forward to a cup of tea with you should you be passing.

I'm being got at

You can gaze at this snap of a road here on the island down Uig way while I endure a minor getting at in hospital to make my little finger work again. It seems I have a family heirloom in my Dupuytens  Contracture. I previously had a op on my right hand but now my left has fallen victim to this thing. I'm having it straightened. Not much of an op and I grateful I can have it done here on the island. The wonderful NHS.
I shall be back to full straight fingers soon.

WARNING; Cute Cat picture

To honest, it's Keith.
Keith akaBilly to give him his full Sunday name.
He is sat there sitting in the warming room - otherwise known as the kitchen, wondering what I'm doing flashing a thing at him. He even stopped playing with string to sit there sitting and wondering.
In fact I was using flash with 400 asa film pushed to 1600 to try pick out a grey cat on a grey floor on a grey day.

then

Giacomelli

A while back I used to frequent this space on Fridays with others work I rather liked. I might just do that again. starting now.
Have I told you about Mario Giacomelli ?

I love Giacomelli's images. I love they are distinctly his. Contrasty and almost abstract - all taken with a simple 6x9 press camera.  Try looking his obituary here as it gives a great review of his life.

Mustard and Miller

I told the Thorpes why

If Eve and I are walking down here, the cemetry road in North Tolsta you can be sure it's going to rain. I told this lovely couple as we walked back,  and they walked back, soaked.

Hulabhaig

Whoa!

I used to play Happy Families you know. That's how so very sophisticated I am. Or was. Many or at least some memories of sitting in a vw van with fellow track cyclists in the car-park at Meadowbank velodrome waiting for the rain to stop playing this terrific game. It went on for years via texts. Never did find out where Mrs Bun went.

All this is irrelevant really since there was no Mustard in Happy Phamilies I'm reliably informed. However, I seem to recall - having been prompted somewhat - that Cluedo did have a Colonel Mustard.

We wuz at this old lovely church down Uig Sands way the other day when I came across The Mustards  at a fine exhibition of contemporary art don't you know. Mr Mustard [Stephan Maria Aust], the photographer, artist and web designer had some fine images on display while Mrs Mustard played her hang. TBH, I thought it was a BBQ but not so luckily. Heike, for that is her given name was contemporising wonderfully with the harp player Carole Miller.

Was a great day curated by sculpterist Andy Laffan and included work by himself, Stephan, painter Geoff Stear and rather flatteringly, myself.

we all look out on something

 And this view is the Crofter's lot as he carves teeth out of rock - or whatever he does.

them 'orses.

 We are so lucky to have a thriving horsey business in the village at the moment. I love sound of hooves as they stroll by on the road. I love seeing them on the beaches too - as here on Traigh Mhor.

The snap yesterday was of this group too.

Rax

I know my snap below is not a patch on this image but I have been influenced by the fine fellow who took it.

Not only does Ragnar Axelsson take mighty fine photographs, he is also a fine fellow. I had the pleasure of chatting to the man over a coffee in an Lanntair a while back when his work was included in a exhibition curated by Alex Boyd. Needless to say I was so impressed.

If you have time, do take a long look at Ragnar's work and perhaps even get one of his books. They are very worth it.

Ian

We, that's Eve and I, may not have a sailing boatee any longer but we still have some lovelee sailing friends like Captn Ian Stephen here seen taking a moments rest from tickling the good boat Vega back to her best on the harbour side in Stormoway.

I love the hat of choice.

Post

Please, I can't help myself. Moving and everything.

One day it'll be a nice snap. In the meantime you'll have to put up with this.

The hat

Hats are quite popular here. Particularly among ladies of a certain age and persuasion.
Wearing of hats are rather dependant on the weather. An over breezy day might see your prize  head covering fly into the Minch. Roy of this parish has a fine hat of a certain type - sported by a couple of gentlemen in Stormoway - including this fine fellow.

Herself

I may not be around today. Work have sent me on a wild goose chase to the southern isles - with a storm brewing!

Edit; the wild geese have been blown away along with the ferry timetable due to a  wee excessive breeze. I am still at home and possibly hiding in the darkish room.

It's nearly that time of year

I hate this time of year. I don't follow a religion and some here don't celebrate Christmas [officially] anyway. There's still a profusion of over-indulgence, expectation and sadness all the same.  I hate it all.

Please, lets spend our time thinking about others who may not have it so good as you and I.

That placky bag again

He was walking purposefully and in a straight line too.

Meanwhile, back in Bac, Toots Wilson has finally published - completely out of the blue his new Blurb photobook - Diaries from my Perspective - a diary about the wonderful week we had on Jura island - 10 years ago. A fine book it is too.

Oooh well, at least it's a good drying day.

Contador and the cat

Mr A Contador still in his pomp but rather brought down to earth by the attention of cats claws to the neg. Probably 2017 the last year he raced.

Oooof, and the race is on. That day anyway.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, on the island anyway there's a lot going off on Dec 14th trust me. As my pal Barbara Ziehm said "You could make a day of it; go to the Christmas market organised by Lewis & Harris Horticultural Producers in town first for some lovely Christmassy treats in the morning, then island darkroom and hulabhaig and finish it off with the Stornoway Singers concert in the Nicolson at night. Who says that there is nothing to do here?"

Tour of Spain

Twas a few years ago that we last visited the Tour of Spain to watch the racing and see some people we know. Now, having trolled through a bag-load of scratchy negs here at home I find another snap I like. Ooof, not another sky-rider.

The downside of all this is I'm feeling more and more ambidextrous about such events. They are, even discounting all the people who go to the event to watch a most un eco-friendly event. You'd have thought cycling was green - and I suppose it would be if the event was an unsupported event  Not unsupported by the public but by all the event 'caravan' and the like that goes with the big Tours - particularly the Tour de France, Spain and Italy.

Sit on the side of the road at one of these big races and first the publicity vehicles pass by, then there's maybe fifty police motorbikes and more marshals on motorbikes then the riders on pedal-bikes followed by judges cars, two team cars - each of the 22 teams [plus teams have rider-coaches- vans and lorries with their kitchens for their chefs], ambulances, Dr's car, and countless vehicles for the press. Then there's the TV motorbikes plus the accompanying helicopters and planes that follow the races around. And the broom wagon - rarely used for the purpose it was meant for these days but kept for historical purposes.

Then there's huge set-ups at the stage starts and finishes with the trucks that haul them around. And sometimes flights between different areas of France and other countries - for example like Israel, Denmark and Uk where the race have visited. As far i can see, none of these vehicles are electric or hydrogen powered and I do believe it must change soon.

oooh, i found colour film

No, Poland.


Went down to Uig yesterday to deliver some snaps for Andy Laffan's exhibition space - open on Dec 14th for the day. looks just fab.

mining the settee

When I say 'settee' I refer to the metaphorical settee since the old one has gone. I am bereft of proper neg storing facilities so I have resorted to old carrier bags and, neg sleeves for goodness sakes

Horse

From a year or two back on a lovely part of the island.

A river runs through it

Been soaking up the tones of Hannah Peel of BBC radio 3's Night Tracks. It really is sounds for the soul.

This day

Now yesterday [ that's yesterday as of yesterday]was a fine day that finished with a lovely artists gatheration in an Lanntair. Ooof what a bunch a of talented and interesting personages we have here on the island. Talks about sculpture, photographising, writing and life drawing. I loved them all.

tomorrow

Patently, this was not in fact tomorrow but the day before yesterday eg. today.
Only then would you have two, yes two ragamuffins strolling the street of Stormoway.

There was another yesterday here. Only it might have been a different one. Keith liked that yesterday. I didn't even know he had access to a computer then. I shall ask him when I clear out his dirt box .

today

Obviously not today but yesterday. it is today now though.
Or was the day before?
Either way, it is.

It is that time of year again although by the looks of 2011 it started earlier.
I made some the other only, they have all gone :-(

yesterday

Autumn sunshine

BTW for any of you that read this and in a cat's meow of the island, there's a fine exhibition of local artists work on in An Lanntair at the moment - including two small pieces from me.

Some days one just needs to be out on the village tracks

And this day - whenever it was - was one of those days. With my leaky boots on my feet and a hatted head the stroll was just lovely out over here up to some peat banks and a gaggle or rusted, decrepit vehicle remains.

I've been distracted.

Life and everything has got in the way.
I had people to see and places to go. This was one of those places. I went here to clear my mind.
It is clearish now.
Empty in fact.
Perhaps I went too far.

The cat is sat on the mat BTW.
Keith AkaBilly and everything. I might show you a snap one day - only he is less than keen to have his visage on here at this time.

The snap from Cheshireshire is not much to look at but this is well worth listening to.

Wee Urbanscape

Yes, we passed through Glasgow on our recent travels. We survived.

We didn't go down here.

The bag man

Looks like this fella paid an extra 5p all because he forgot to take his own bag with him. Oh well, at least he almost posed for me as he left the shoppe.

The road to Achmore Pier

With apologies to George Orwell.
This brought to mind the comments made when the Western isles Conservative election candidate declared her hand. Since she is not an islander [and a Tory] the comments on social media were suggesting a few topics for her to focus on. For example to; upgrade the railway line from Castlebay [Barra] to Stornoway [Lewis] and also to sort the pier in Achmore. Thankfully she won't get a look in up here - although neither will the Greens who are my primary choice - on account of there being no candidate.

Doki

Oki Doki? No, Doki Doki - apparently.
No, I didn't either :-)

Yes, I spoke to the young ladies in the outfits but since it was a Saturday at the time I didn't snap them up visage-wise.

The station

Whoa! Looks it's the 19th or whatever already. Soon it will be the festival of over-consumption and I shall hide under the stairs - if I could in fact get under the stairs. I mean, I could get under the stairs I suppose but I'd have to take the bath out first and that's not going to happen is it?

The trip recently doon sooth revealed this image to me. Obviously I was still in Scotland - one can tell, but some hundreds of miles, British miles that is, south of here.

Love this sort of revolationary image. It speaks to me. I think it was in a station. Rails and all that sort of thing - and pasty stalls. there always seems to be a pasty stall now.

Leaves

Cheshire leaves. The leaves fall from the trees at this of year so the locals can see more of the sky in the short days. I captured this with my trusty XA and some fujicolor film i found in the back of the fridge.

The locals must be busy kicking a ball about or some such other meaningless but well remunerated distraction as there were still leaves on trees despite the to and froing of countless Mercedes, Porches and Ferraris in the vicinity.

Cheshire garden

Yes, they have sunshine in Cheshire.
Sometimes.
And gardens.
In places