Back in the day way back a year or three back I attended Walter's fine QiGong sessions in Stornoway. I stopped because I got lazy and I rather wish I could do them again if only to take some more snaps of Walter doing the moves. I took these with a Perheo manual camera and guessed exposure which actually worked quite well.
I have seen Walter about the island from time and can report he is fairing rather well as one might expect. Best wishes to him for the coming years.
Greetings once again to my reader. May all your wishes come true.
I'm wishing the rain will stop for a moment or two. That would be nice.
I might even get round to doing some more snaps this year. Wonders will never cease.
Terrible flash induced snap of my dearest Eve, light of my life prancing around the kitchin in her summer outfit in the middle of winter.
Happy Christmas to my reader. Many thanks for visiting. Hope it been worth the effort to come here. May you next years be full of health and happiness. And film.
After it rained all night the sun eventually came out in the morning so a stroll down to the Crofters was called for. It's not that far at all but when the sun shines it is glorious as it is on the way back as above with the warm rays on your back.
The i took off in the car to a beach road at the end of the village when I shot with the Hassie for a double exposure collab I am doing with IshTish on the island. I'm shooting NPS160 for this [it was going to be an E3 film but thought better of it.] while IshTish shoots Tmax400 in 35mm. Should be fun.
We got wet as it happens but all the same it was lovely and just a bit like this snap above. you'll just have to imagine the sea and the sand
This was a time when I had the energy to go places, snap things up and develop the films. However, I do still have energy to follow the cats - Hungry and Keith. With the current mild less windy nights Hungry has taken to going out early morning for a prowl. I do wonder if Keith bashing him round the ear with his paw has something to do with that. Then I find the curled up together in the winter sunshine on our bed. Is it any wonder I seem to have developed an allergy to cats.
I felt sure you'd want to see the animal all-sorts ready for the holiday break.
There's hundreds of these geese around the place. Flown in from I don't know where and settled here on the island.
Perhaps this is the time I did my recently improved knee in again thanks to physio help. Off, all a bit sore so back to the physio excersizes and static bike riding. The static bike [Eve's mtn bike on a turbo thing] is in the potting shed so at least I kept of the howling wind that is around as I write.
No bowls for me for a day or two..
Yes it was wet up there on that track. It's nearly always wet there and the frogs love it for their spawning. The puddles are worth crossing as the views further along this little track can be stunning. I mean, you can't see from this snap but maybe you can in the next;
I was inspired enough to take a few snaps with the Minolta A3 rangefinder camera [1955] and some HP5 film which, you;ll pleased to note, I developed soon after.
For some strange reason it's warmer than some summer days at the moment. The rain still comes along with the occasional burst of blinding sunshine here captured in pixels in Stormoway.
I'm sure you know Toots Wilson, my good pal from the next village and everything. Eve and I did a bit of calling in to Toots Towers as we hadn't seen him for a day or two. And there he was sat sitting as he is wont to do surveying all before him with a slight smile on his face as if he was plotting something. I sat down on the comfy settee set at right angles to his chair, got out the little pixel collecting box I had on me and shot him up - for which many apologies. Not for shooting up Toots [we are not Shetland so camera not gun used] but for the method of shooting.
Yes I used a dig*tal box on account that I have been a tad over-creaky of late and have not felt the urge to shoot film and that's a pity since I have plenty of cameras and film. As you can see though, i have mastered the dig*tal thing pretty well.
The lens used to take this is so wide - 20mm- i can almost see behind me. Too wide for me really.
The day we strolled through the woods - before the snow came. It's almost all gone now as we await the next blow.
There's a few boats still afloat in the harbour. Some of the old fishing fleet has been sold to African countries I'm told. The newest looking boat is whale watching thing I think - next to the lifeboat which very rarely goes out thank goodness.
The Blue Lobster cafe tempted us this day. We'd won a voucher a while so took advantage of it. I must say the coffee was nice and the views o'er the harbour great for espying what's going on, which was not much.
A morning in the house.
A nice snappette taken with a canon 40mm f2.8 and foma film. I mean, I quite like it anyway.
We are off with the Toots' and Coelyne for an early festive meal in our wee capital Stormoway tonight. Should be lovely.
The weather has come in the last few days. A little snow and cold winds. Nice for a change but there's a blow on the way in now. Must tie the cats down.
Been a tad misty of late but it does make for moody snaps like this one from the west side of the island. Old and new cemeteries by the sea. Cemeteries are nearly always by the sea here on account of the ground being suitable - somewhat dry, sandy and not rock.
Then the snow came overnight. not too much but enough to make the place nice and white for a while.
All being well, it will be time for me to pick up Eve from the airport after her trip down south. It's be hell here and I can hardly wait.
I did manage a stroll on the beach today since it's like summer - 12c and sunny.
Keith the cat took a leaf from Eve's book and took himself a little trip away from home for a couple of days - without telling me first though. as a result I have been worried sick I'd said something wrong to him or he had been eaten some large unknown creature of the dark.
You will all be pleased as I was that he wandered back into home this morning at 4.30am cool as you like. Not an apology either just a demand for food and then to sleep.
I am mighty relieved he's home.
Just had a visit from Mr & Mrs Toots - which was lovely since I am currently here alone with Keith and Hungry the cats whom I think are planning something nasty for me. Eve is in Yorkshire with family having a fine old time I hope.
Tis a fine place this Bhaltos. Great to visit but perhaps less good to live there. Having said I and Gwyneth do know someone who has come from the mainland and build a house there.
Give it a year or two and come and visit. Not next year as the press are saying these rocks we live on are the location to visit in the next while and it may well be heaving.
I was using the Perkeo while away. it's small and has a nice lens but a hopeless operator.
Recently had a visit from an old friend from the mainland. Mrs OOK came and we revisited places Gwyneth and her late husband Vic had previously been. Here's Gwyneth going up to the sculpture on Bhaltos peninsula the other day. Twas lovely.
Now she's gone home the weather has closed in - wind and rain.
Bit of mainland architecture to keep myself entertained.
I have yet to decided on a theme for my calendar. |W|hat do you reckon "Snaps from a rock"?
BTW; Calum Angus Mackay has a new book out of his images and what have you. Have a look.
My image "collection" will come into this,. Images from the last how ever many years of files I have on hard discs but taken on film. Who knows, I might even like the finished article.
The above image was taken o'er on the mainland recently on what one could say was a typical Scottish day.
This is where nessie hunter is. Lovely spot I must say
Oh I say, we went to see dancers leaping about the other evening. Crept out in the dark to the big town here and sat with other opportunists. Since we live on a on a rock out in the Atlantic the dancers were on film. Scottish Ballet to be precise leaping about to Gershwin and Chopin.
Now, being a heathen I less keen on Gershwin than perhaps I could be but having said that it was a fine performance. The colours of the film were lovely too - could have been shot on Kodachrome - only it wasn't, it was digital.
Next door to the fine Kilmorack gallery if this fine piece of local history captured by my goodself with the help of a box and bellews and some film. Nice innit?
The gallery I might add is well worth a visitation if only to buy his fine and very readable book about the place.
Over exposed, over developed and all together over egged. I think this snap may well be a lith print if I can ever raise the energy again to do such things.We were here for an hour or more traipsing the old streets, breathing in the fumes and generally having a fine time.
There are one and three quarter cats in our hoose here on the rock along with Eve and I. Hungry our migrant cat is settling well and doesn't rip my jugler out every day which is nice. He loves Keith the cat hugely although sadly the feeling is not mutuel. They tolerate each other I might say. One day ......
I rather like this snap. Not sure I'd like to live there mind but it does look pretty.
Creativity was lost on me while we were away although maybe it's a age thing. Maybe there's nothing more interesting going to come from me - although that is rather assuming any of my snaps were interesting.
A fine scape of sorts nestling in the wilds of mainlandshire up here in the NW.
Found this while attempting to capture the essence of the area. I suspect they are trying here to minimise the angels share or something. Yes, we went in.
It's not all as lovely as this mainlandside.
I had taken the Hassie but used the Perkeo here on account of being near a famous camera store just oop the road. I mean, I looked at the building as we passed but daren't go in. But we did go in some fine galleries replete with excellent contemporary art. and we also bought and read books.
Loved A Russian Journey by Steinbeck and Capa. Who knew? I certainly didn't
Back on the rock after a fine few days on t'mainland. this was the view out of the front door of our cosy accommodation. And the sun shone all week in the daytime.
did a bit of light cycling and heavy cafe visiting. what's not to like?
Another recent snap of the man taken before he headbutted the pavement. I might add he is back to his handsome self again now.
It's Toots' birthday today. Not entirely sure which one but I can just remember his retirement day.
No doubt there will be wall to wall balloons, cake and pass-the-parcel at Toots towers. I can't be there this year so I do hope they save a bit of cake for when we get back on the rock.
We wish Mr Toots a fine day and many more to come. I might add I sneakily took this snap in Toots current fav cafe in Stormoway .
We, that's Eve and I are holidaying atm in an excotic location just o'er the water in Scotland.
