bird on the wire

 

There's a bird on that there wire. I saw it whilst out for a wee stroll in the autumn sunshine the other day. Twas a fine day for a change. Mild and no wind. 

I'd taken out a camera with a zoom lens - 80mm at the long end [and used wide open f5.6]  as I had been reading about Saul Leiter and his wonderful work. Ok, his work was mainly colour and city bound but I thought I'd give it a  try - and there are four houses on this road.

It wasn't the most successful photo stroll I have had but it really was lovely all the same.

btw; there is a lovely film about Saul that's well worth your time.

 

quick and dirty

 

A quick and dirty scan of a Colin in his workplace from the test roll in the Bronnie post repair.

at least the chuffin camera works now

 thanks to Black on White of Briftol.

It may not be much of a snap but at least all is good now with the Bronnie

losing the will ....

 

way back

 

Eve is away at present so I have been scouring the cookery books to cook up a storm and make some culinary delight that will easily grace masterchef professionals. Then I open a tin of baked beans.

I used to cook more than I do at present but Eve tells me she loves to cook so, not wanting to deprive her of that pleasure, I let her do it. Now I can barely make cheese on toast - but that's Ok cause I love cheese on toast with onion - or do I mean shallots? 

and if you look to your left ....

 

Stopping the bus

 

We have a pretty good bus service here. I mean, there's buses that come to our little village and everything, several times a day. The drivers wave, smile and stop when you need them. When we moved here some 15 years ago, I was on the bus for the first time after being here a week or so and the driver stopped right outside our little house even though I hadn't even indicated that I lived there - or wanted to get off for that matter. 

As per most urban metropolis', there's a bus station in Stormoway where you can catch a bus to anywhere - as long as it's on these islands. 

The crofter is still here.

 

Mr And Mrs crofter are still here. Kids and Dad Crofter too.

I know, unusual to see him smiling but he did have a childlette locked to his leg at the time and, he wasn't making teeth. Rather, he was taking the opportunity of the slightly less windy and slightly drier weather to knock nails into wood in the pretence of making something big.  Childlette was shy at this moment while big sister was at school.

I took the snap as I was using the old Minolta A3 rangefinder camera from the year of my birth - and it still works rather well. I wish I did.

I am listening to this though.

By the red river

 

There's a distillery hereabouts. Behind me when I took the snap. I haven't shown the place as it looks more like a pig farm than a place for distilling. Apparently the product is good if you like that sort of thing. I don't much like whisky if I am honest. I tolerate it if I have to. Prefer green tea since you ask.

Yes the day was cloudy, wet at times with intermittent sunshine. Nice really.

I have since been darkrooming this sort of thing. Now winter is coming.

Winter is nearly here

 

Eve was messing about out there in this, lookseeing at the art in the little hut out there. I was snucked up in the car playing laziness [not too difficult to be honest] as the rain lashed down. Needless to say I didn't open the window before snapping the snap.

amendment; it's colder here now. iwas out and about yesterday morning seeing Eve off to the mainland for some respite and it was a glorious morning. Sun and everything. Then I espied a cloudlette growing and moving our way as I took my stroll along the coast. By the time I arrived home, the rain was falling.

Brother in law

 

Brother in law and his wife stayed at this little hotel place out there where the wind blows, the sea roars and the sand is endless.

I mean, it wasn't recently they stayed but a couple or more years back when one could move about easily and everything. 

Been here, snapped that

 

Just love this bit of wall.

Not sure why it was built here like that but I'm glad they did.

an admission

 

If I am honest, and I always try to be, it wasn't the cafe that drew me to this area that day but the walls. I love walls. It's a bit like the time I was a cycling coach at Manchester Velodrome where I had a thing about bicycle tyres - although the less said about that the better. 

The walls on the island are lovely in the main. Those stones totally eclipse concrete - even the old concrete walls so beloved of Toots'imself. Even better than the wooden fanks and fences that rot and hang desperately on the wire that runs between fence posts.

What a lovely day out this was.

I can't go anywhere without snapping a dustbin-scape

Of course, dustbin-scapes are the essence of the Outer Hebrides. They are everywhere - literally so as I write as the wind howls and the rain lashes down. If the bins are not tied down - like caravans and trampolines, they'll be flying all over the place. People come from miles around to see our binscapes and so they should.
 

missed the train

 

Don't be fooled by someone telling you there are no trains on the island. However, since they are privatised the service is appalling. Here I found Thomas rotting away in their service yard. I have never found a reliable timetable either.

day out

 

Not been feeling my best of late. Needed a day out with Eve but the cafe we'd ventured to was shut and so an expensive shoppe sandwich sufficed. However, the day was more than excellent on account of the weather, the clouds and yes rain along with the stupendous light we enjoyed.

Couldn't have asked for it better. 

Snap taken on a gifted camera and cheap ebay zoom lens on Kentmere 400.

toots

 

66

 

I have a plan

 

Our village over yonder from just beyond there.

It's been a tad damp.

Eyes have it

 

Went to a fine event in an Lanntair last night. A zoomed presentation by the creators of Eyes as big as Plates Vol2 [and 1 as it happens]. Rather lovely to see the two lovely artists again. They came to the island a few years ago and took snaps of oldies - like myself for example- in their environment. Roddy was in his element too - a hole in the moor being eaten alive by midges , but that's another tale.

Had a grand hour or two then went for something to eat - which I seem to suffering for this friday morning.

Anyway, here's  another recent dustbin scape. There must be a book in these snaps surely!!

not quite sure

 

I was sorting a few negs the other day - piles of the things hang around the shack here - and I came across this. It may be Somerset, the county of my birth and where me old Mum used to live. Wherever it is I quite like the snap.

the lie of the land

 

Keith loves it down here. He told me one night - whispered into my ear and everything. Loves a stroll down the road to here and then sprints up and down the grass, looks at the sea while keeping a wary eye open for the sheeps hereabouts. Keith is not too keen on sheeps since a small one chased him on Paul the Crofter's croft. The beach doesn't appeal to keith much either. He stands by the edge of the track and thinks that's far enough.

Keith

 

Keith is fine since you ask. Whinging somewhat. coming in very wet and jumping on the bed at night. That sort of thing but it's ok.

Here seen as we set out for a stroll to the machair.

New month

 

New month and another failing camera. Off to Black on White in Bristol it goes for a service and loving cla. 

This was the last snap it took before deciding to stop

The mild weather

 

Yes most of the leaves have gone here but mainly because of the wind hereabouts. the callanish stones nestle nearby and we visited to witness them being moved for the hour going forward - or back or whatever it did.

I have just noticed it's November now. How did that happen? I have only just got over the season of gross over consumption.