Another portrait

 

Yes, on film but heavily cropped and a bit manipulated on the pooter. I like it though.

In other 'news' I am feeling rather pessimistic about the way we [and I mean all of us] live our lives. They way we are is destroying the only place we have - this biosphere. Climate change is real and is affecting the earth hugely but we are unable or unwilling to change our lives to try and help somewhat. It doesn't help that we are battling a seriously flawed economic system that encourages over-consumption. We are living well beyond our means and I really fear for the people that come after us old-uns.

What with the on-going pandemic and now the crash-fest that has been the Tour de France bike race - another completely environmentally unsustainable and indulgent sporting event [which I admit to loving to watch] I am feeling a bit in despair.

On Plate

 

A wet-plate image of myself made by Carl Radford in 2013.

really

I'll go this way again when the campervans go home

 

There are lots of motorhomes down that way being blown hither and thither by the wind and cramping the style of the people who live here all the time.

I'm not so keen.

Down cat woman way

 I met a lovely lady just past here. A lady with lots of cats and a kind heart. She invited me in for a cuppa but for some reason I didn't go and I rather wish I had. Behind where I snapped the snap is the sea loch all turquoise green and clear as it can be. A boat or two pulled up on the beach and silence. 

Lovely. 

I sometimes snap up sheeps

 

It's what I do. It started with The Crofter and his little black sheeps but I kept going - Texels,  Hebridean [seemingly a black sheeps /rabbit cross], Cheviots and whathaveyou. I have yet to meet a Castlemilk Moorit though. 

The thing is, sometime back I read an article about the Helsinki Bus Station theory and it stuck. Well, it did when I read it again to remind me. To paraphrase the theory, " Stay on the bus". So I did. It was full of sheeps.

I can remember the last day of 1999

 

I was alone at the time. Fireworks lit up the valley as time moved on to the next century. 

I told myself I wanted it that way - alone at home, but I didn't really. I felt like this snap looks, bleak.

I met Eve soon after.

In danger of over doing it

 

Have you noticed I have been posting on a regular basis again? I know they are not very interesting but at least I am getting off my over-flattened backside, taking some snaps and showing them here.

Here, a fine Hebridean scene [sans the flippin campervans], houses on a hillock, and well knitted fences . What more can you ask for?

Mick

 

The other day when all was fair, or fairish anyway, I met met up again with the crew of Ferro-gaffer Hannah. We meet Mick here and his partner, the camera shy Bee on a very occasional basis - when they sail into a local port or Loch and we know about it.  This day the winds were just a tad too gusty in the wrong direction for Mick and Bee to sail so we caught up for a quick catch up quay-side. I must say Mick looked sharp with his newly coiffured bonce [Hair by Bee]. 

I took a quick snap of imself using the only camera and film I had with me Olympus Om1n/Polypan-f and I think it did a good job too.

Species Dysphoria

 

I make no apology

 

Toots 'imself posing while dearest Eve holds a less than adequate backdrop. I mean, eat your heart out Rankin. The image I took this snap some years ago while Toots was writing his book. It is yet to be finished.

Love this image. A fav of mine :-)

I must have been on a roll

 

OOOof. What can I say?

 

We had just had lunch in Tarbert

 

William and Gemma joined us for a fine post-lockdown lunch at the Harris Hotel - an establishment I'd never frequented before. It was raining at the time. The mist lay across the hills of Harris as we passed by. I snapped it up.

Lunch was actually ok. Not fantastic but then these sort of places often cannot dial in to Vegetarian cuisine. On the other hand the company was excellent and that's what we went for.

I must go this way again soon.

 

At the back of the village.

When the wind stops blowing for a moment, I shall visit again.

In an Italian bar

 

Can hardly remember what it's like to be in a bar, let alone an Italian one. 

Cafe's yes, we have them here although crowded with visitors at the moment - especially as the rain falls as it does now. 

I like the cafe for meeting folk as there always someone one knows in whatever cafe you visit here. Maybe it's the people I know......

Giro

 The Giro D'Italia bicycle race has not long finished - and a grand race it was too. Too many accompanying vehicles these days though including police bikes - seen here at Giro 2013.

Eight years past

 

Former this and that

 

It used to be a night club. now closed. part of the Star Inn pub next door - now closed. It also iused to be a coffee house back in the day. It's an empty building now

Old habits

 

Teeth on the edge

 

I'm liking this

 

From a day when the sun shone and we took a stroll through the shade of trees in the Castle grounds.  This may have been our midgeless summer since the little buggers have arrived now.

Heavily influenced by someone much more talented than me.

Local places

 

Isn't it like this at the end of your street?

Oh well. Not Toots' street either so I took him down there to take a snap and took one myself with a most unsuitable camera!

A place to stroll

 

You could stroll doon the road to the nearby beach but be prepared for a steep pull back up. 

Paul the local crofter makes a mint towing cars back up from there.

Places to walk

 

This path. I've have been up it so to speak but not down.

Things to see

  Look, a rollette of wire on the machair. 

5 points if spotted.