For Harry

For Harry - this. Rest in peace me lad.

What a day it's been. Lovely diffused sunlight, a stroll with the good Mr Toots round the castle grounds, some snaps made with the pinhole camera, a bit of developing and tea with Eve. What more could one ask? - well, I now have several images in 'private collections' as well as a small exhibition is the internationally renowned Stag Tearoom in Stornoway. Onwards and upwards :-)

 Your carriage awaits

Mr Toots Wilson wonders what lies before him

Back in the day

Back in the day when Eve was World Masters champion 2006 for the track pursuit, we ran a team called Yasumitsu-Schlapp. Now don't go asking why  as it's a long story and I'm not sure it's true anyway. Still Eshima Yasumitsu was a fine Keirin rider from Japan who came over to race the Worlds - along with a few of his compatriots. Keirin riders - especially in Japan are bonkers hard-men. Full of bits of titanium from crashing but with lots of money! I found this snap of a few of them plus David, Eve [or the right with her worlds medal] and Yumi on the left - a club member based in Manchester. For some delightful reason the Japanese fellows wanted to ride for our team whilst in the UK - so they did. And we are still in touch from time to time now.

River on beach[ not himself and herself].

Life is a little less hectic these days although I did rush down to Donald's today to take some pics of himself and 'herself' while it was a little lighter. Lots of fun though and by the look of the negs, I may have something.

Now check out this little vid.

Coffee table without legs. But with pages.

I like photographic books. There I've said it. No doubt I should go to PBA or something to take the 12-step  recovery from acquiring them. There's a load of them at the top of our stairs lurking over to the top of he less than efficient Kiev camera I mentioned before. And more piled by the bed so I can peruse them before sleeping and, on occasions on waking too. Why not? eh?

The current read is a fine tale written by one Charles Duncan- Photographic Pilgrams Progress. I like it. Written some time at the start of the last century and daft enough for me to understand it. Usually, my fare is imagry - Ragnar Axelsson's Last days of the Arctic - in German. The photos are in Greenlandic but I can understand them - and marvel at them. Go. Go now and have a click on the link - there's a vid there too. I think I can safely say this man's fine work stands up there with the work of James Ravilious for me. Yes, go on then, have a look there too. but come back please. I have more to say.

But the piece de resistance is the Magnum contact sheet book. It's huge. And heavy. So heavy that it really requires its own legs. Great book though - if you can hold it for long. I wouldn't usually purchase such a tome but I apparently got an award for being top 'wrestler of miscreants to the ground' operative of the quarter or some such nonsense. Still, work gave me a voucher and I bought this book/table. I still don't make contact sheets though! Where would I sit with them on the settee too?


Snap; Eve at the end of Traigh Mhor - Tolsta. I sit in our little house writing this - on the lump of land at the back!

Boogieing along with Lou Reed; after an audience with The Globe’s.

Colour; yes, just a few shades. - as it can be in Harris

Now the record-player is working, the extensive collection of [old] discs are getting  spin - Lou Reed at the moment due in part because I'm in a good mood. and due in another part because it came to hand first. [excuse me while I de-fluff the needle]. Bother, now the speaker plugs are playing up. Ah well, I like quiet anyway.

We were down in Harris today South Harris that is - not that you could see it much as the clouds were low and wet. But the roads are a give-away with 25mph being about the max you can drive down there on account of the bends. That's the Golden Road for you. A one point I actually attempted a snap - from the car with the Voigtlander Bessa 6x9 with my new card mask inside to bring it back down to 6x4.5 ish. [I wasn't driving at the time in case the plod are reading this] I tried but was beaten  back by the lashing rain drenching me before I could but snatch a quick-one through the open car window. My best laid plans to finish the Ilford FP4  film in the Baby Graflex came to nothing too as the day got darker rather than lighter - and wetter rather than drier. You get the idea. I think I must have felt a little grumpiness coming over me if I was honest. I know it's not like me but I was getting a tad up-fed. 

Then we arrived at The Mission House Studio in lovely Finsbay. The place is always a wonderful place to be  at any time whether it's to browse the wabi-sabi loveleeness of Nickolai's cooked clay, the imagery emanating from Beka's photographic artistry or wallow in the vibe-rary of the musical interludes held in the Studio from time to time. Where else can you listen to Beethoven Quartets in such a venue? Eh!

Mrs Globe - for that who is Beka - was about to celebrate the anniversary of her birth and we had been invited to attend the occasion. Only Nickolai had told me in Harris time [ie; within several hours of the time stated] not mainland time [within 15 min of stated time] and although I have been here all of six years I assumed the latter not the former. As a result we were 2 hours early! 

Of course we were heartily welcomed with hugs and everything. That's how nice they are! Tea was drunk, choccies consumed and chats exchanged and I sat in wonder of these two lovelees and their sweet childlings. Had a really wonderful time and although we left before the hoards arrived later - since I had to 'work', we, Eve and I, came home all happy, all creatived -up and I, suitably un-grumpied. It was a great day.

Happy Birthday Beka. May it be a great day.

Ps, the snap may be old but is was made on film!

....and what bag do I require to carry my cameras? apart from me that is!

It seems to be the recurring question if one frequents the right/wrong forums. Take rangefinder forum for example; they have an interesting line in bag talk. Domke this, Billingham that. Vintage leather gas-mask bags and all. I was rather taken with the notion of a gas-mask bag but could not for the life of me find one Aladdin's Cave - our local emporium of consumer cheapness - apparently.

A wall is a wall [and I love walls] whatever bag the camera comes out of. 

Needless to say, I use whatever bag that comes to hand that being the big yellow thing at the moment. I can throw lots of things in there and not find them for weeks at a time. The Vivitar UW&S camera disappeared in there for months before it fell out one day while I was looking for my purse. I have a little purple bag too - and if I'm not mistaken that as actually made for a camera - but it fits the purse rather better. There there's the old Fuji bikes bag an old cycle-team sponsor gave me - and the back-pack - both lurking somewhere around the place loaded with a camera or two, a few rolls of film and a broken filter. Probably.


The bug I have been fighting o'er the holiday period seems reluctant to leave me at the moment and sadly I had to postpone a little portrait session down the road today. I shall be back again next week - honest!  With yellow bag too.

In the meantime visit Barefoot Crofter. I will.

How many cameras is enough?

There are a few cameras lurking around the place. I tripped over an old and less than efficiently working Kiev6c this morning. I must get rid of the thing before it kills me. It almost has already when it fell on me when I fell in the local river- as you do. As I do anyway.

 Eve enjoying the land/seascape

 Me enjoying a proper wall 

 O'er the top of Carloway

Broch

I was going to write something interesting about 'how many cameras is enough' but I can't make my mind up. I can't even make my mind up what cameras to take with me when I go out for the day - or on holiday. Like the time we went to Cuba [where a younger Lord Wiesmier - he was a mere Sir at the time - got rabbitnapped in Havana ] and I took far too many cameras, never knew what to shoot and in the end shot nothing much! Lesson learnt, or so one would have thought.

When I have answered the question myself I'll try and write something about it. In the meantime these snaps were from a little trip to Carloway, Dal Mhor and Dal Beag tother day. Taken with the Pentax p30t and Polypan-f [although the Zorki6 and the Baby Graflex were in the car - no doubt sulking.]

I suggest you visit the following blogettes to while away the time;

Proper photographiser and wizzo darkroom wizard Andrew Sanderson  whom I note has been visiting this site - and no doubt wondering what in goodness sakes it's all about.

and;

John Banting. Look at the site :-) 

toodle do

just as well my dear Eve doesn't mind my indecision !

Sally forth to Seaforth

We did sally forth too. With an old camera or two.
Wasn't right bright or anything but one has to get out and breathe the fresh air. Tally ho and all that old chappies.

Eve at Frank's corner. [1]

Seaforth Loch by the road to Eishken Estate is lovely. I mean - really lovely. No-one there usually, wonderful hills lochs and sometimes deer, seals sheeps, 'orses and eagles. Only this was a Scottish Bank Holiday and only the sheeps were out to play. Although an eagle did do a fly-past while out for a evening snack as we set off home.

We'd been down this way before on similarly warm and damp days but then we had nice 'orses to gaze at. Not one was around. Hopefully they are tucked up in a nice warm barn somewhere and not melted for glue ! We strolled along the road towards the estate house - a lonely road ina wonderful place. Only interrupted by one vehicle too. I snapped hither and thither till all the film was gone.

We strolled along this way.

Leaving this view behind us

And we crossed over here - albeit on a bridge

.. and just in case you are wondering, I shot these snaps today with Coelyne of the Coelyne's No. 2 Folding Pocket Brownie and some Foma400 [taking account of reciprocity. Eh? ]. Only a 100 plus years old camera! Eat your heart out pixel-poppers!

The aperture on this gem says '1-2-3' - which means nothing to me. But the hole in the front with the pointer thing for the aperture pointed beyond '3' looks small. Could be f-45. Guessed, but that's what I used.


[1] It's a bit of a long story but in short, when we had to take old Frank [black labrador] and Rockie [Patterdale Terrorist] back to their human on the mainland, we stopped here very early in the morning in the dark on the way to the ferry as Frank required a 'comfort-stop'. Only I didn't recognise the signs early enough and ended up cleaning the car! Meanwhile, dear old blind Frank had legged it along the road into the dark - with me chasing after him! I got him of course since his run wasn't very fast. At all. We pay homage to this corner every time we pass with a silent 'woof' - just as Frank usually did.

New Year already?

Doesn't seem two moments since the last new year. Not that long from 2000 either. Must be getting old.

Anyway, 2012 has ended well. I or rather my dear Eve found this neg that someone asked for. And being the nice person I am, I have made a print of it. Two as it happens and both lith on Forte FB. This is one of them.

Now, don't all get carried away and think you can order whatever print you like from me because finding this neg was a masterpiece of luck - and hard work, by Eve.

OK, I admit it, I have found the other neg I was looking for too - and a print in Lith has been made but, it's too wet to display and I have not got time to dry it. I have to work you know. I shall be out wrestling some nere-do-well to the ground [metaphorically speaking that is] tonight so must prepare myself. Whilst you lot, out there in The World have been having a knees-up and plotting for 2013.

Well, Happy New Year to all of you - whether you want one or not. I'm planning on having a good one anyway!

Oh please, that wasn't the game I was playing.

Lily

Flattered is not the word for it; flabbergasted-up is. 

Look, the game was this; I produce a printy thing of dubious quality with an image you may or may not recognise and then someone buys it - for a slightly less than exorbitant fee. I've heard of people doing that and it works. I wasn't offering a print of any image on my blogettes or something!!!! I mean, if I could possibly find the neg in the folds of the settee or, in the unlikely event that it may have found its way into a neg-sleeve and being able to find it without sending myself into the depths of despair, I would print/try to print the snap. As it happens the two lovelee potential purchasing personages may and I emphasis the MAY here, may just get an image in the post. Possibly.

I will have two [or possibly more ] lovelee framed printy things in the An Lanntair local 'artistes' exhibition next year and they will be for sale. Nice too - all lithy things and everything. But, and here's the rub for cheapskates like myself, the cost of these maybe more than £20 + a bartering element yet to be decided. Or, 55 guineas. Framed by the ever-wonderful [but currently a temporary monoped] Coelyne of the Coelynes at Oiseval Gallery in Brue - to whom I owe the framing costs!

Stella and Jake.

Look, here the settee/neg-storage facility. EH? Now, you understand the issue? [apologies- pixels].

And no you cannot buy the settee. What's going on? It was secondhand when we got it - actually, now I think of it the thing may be third or fourth hand. I shall await confirmation from its previous owner currently vacating in NZ. And besides, its long enough to sleep on should Lord Wiesmier throw me out of bed or someone comes to sleep overnight unexpectedly  Or sometimes even if I know they are coming. That's the sort of person I am and the size of house we live in.

And I like the settee. I do have neg storage sleeves - a few anyway- and books of neg storage sleeves but they are such a pain to fill and organise. No, actually I don't organise!

Anyway, if you see a neg in this lot you like [see settee above], I shall probably pretend I didn't hear.

On the other hand, buoyed by the success of first online print-sale, I may do it again. Soonish.

Tapadh leibh

PS. Snaps from Boxing Day

Excuse me while I finish eating the mince pie [and secreting-away the evidence]

I deserved the mince pie. Probably not the one before though but now its too late. They have both gone.

I mean, I braved the storm, took The Barking Dog out for a stroll and wallowed around in the surprisingly dry darkroom producing an ever growing pile of duds. And one or two half-decent prints. Like this one: I found the neg down the back of the settee and thought I'd put it on paper - 8x10 size. It's on Ilford RC satin since you ask. And it is, I might add the last print sale of the year [and the first as it happens]on sale here.

The first erb to offer me more than £2 + £1.50p&p can have it.

No it's not here. It in Saddleworth - between Mossley and Uppermill I seem to remember  - on t'canal-side. I was just passing one day. To be honest, I passed this quite a few days. It could be here really. Only the fern fronds would be real not wooden carvings. Still, there you have it, proof positive I didn't just fall asleep this afters while the storm started to pick up to a mild rage.

I'm thinking of considering the option of looking in the darkroom

Oh dear. Have you looked out the window? The oblong one that is. It's still night out there windy and wet too - despite it being after 10am. Am rather pleased not to be on ferry which is battering its way across The Minch as I write -  for the last time for a day or two as 80mph gusts are forecast.

Not sure The Barking Dog is going to get her walkies today if I'm honest. I may have to just poke my head into the darkroom, and if the place is not flooded, I might even make a print or two. And I might sell them too. Cheaply. Very cheaply. Of course no-one will want to buy one but I can pretend  Wrap them up in a proper envelope thing and send it off to some unlucky soul. Not this snap though. That's Mr Toots Wilson looking pleased with himself the other day as I pointed my Kiev rangefinder at him and exposed some film. He probably isn't feeling so happy at the moment since he was meant to be back on the ferry any day now!

Hope Mick & Bee are ok bobbing around in their boat somewhere north of somewhere else!

Not enough

 Wandering down to the beach

Yes, yes, I underexposed them. Hadn't used this camera before and all that [and No, it is not my camera]. Still, managed to rescue them in the scanner thing. Christmas Day and all that. Wif the Crofter who is now ill. Coughing for all it's worth.

Had a lovelee evening at at the Windy's with all their wonderful familee crowded round the laden table. What a meal and after a stroll on t'beach too. Perfict!

Now I'm listening to Lord Wiggins with Paul Weller on t'radio. Perhaps you can too. see here.

Sunshine - Hey!

I looked out the window, Lord Wiesmier with his new companion Gertrude [Dirty Gertie] snuggled by his side and noticed the strange glow. It was the sun again! Eve and I shot out of bed - eventually - once the obligatory chocolate breakfast had been consumed, threw on our boots and set off down t'road to get The Crofter.

At The Crofters

The Crofter was suspiciously happy. Not sure it was anything to do with his recent night out, or he was pleased to see us. It didn't really matter since the sun was shining and the geese had not attacked me. The stroll down the road to the beach was lovely - even if it was straight into the bright sunshine. I'm not complaining as we have not seen it much recently. Three personages came the opposite way casting their greetings willy-nilly. 

SlartibartfastLand

We passed my favourite local landscape - no doubt sculpted by Slartibartfast a few millennia back whilst practising for the fjords.

The beach was deserted. No sand either. Must be the local builders nicking it all - or perhaps the recent storms took it away. Must have at least 1.5 m depth of the stuff gone. The resulting gritty beach that is left is not the most appealing but, we were there, the sun was shining and so were the birdy things flapping around the place.

The beach sported a sign warning not to proceed further. Must have been because of The Crofter's dodgy tum - or maybe the sign had been swept there by the storm. We ignored it anyway. As one does and enjoyed the peace of the grit covered beach.

We had a lovely time since you ask - not that you could tell by looking at the snaps! 

Dark, cold and now wet room

Flip. I don't want to sound ungracious or something like that - especially when some people have been flooded out - again, but I am rather up-fed as the persistent rain than came with the recent gales that swept the island in recent days and have been causing ferry disruption and the like has now penetrated the darkroom roof. I'd already had some suspicions that the thing was leaking from time to time but now the evidence is plain to see - puddles all over the top of the film fridge!

Luckily it seems, the water is not in the electrical or enlarger area - although it is adjacent so the New Year will have to see a repair to the joint between the house wall and the roof - made of fibreglass - where it seems the problem has arisen.

Oh well, at least we have a roof on the house that's ok- and food, and warmth and best of all, each other!

fuji 690

There we are, a fine portrait of Mr Coelyne in his usual 'taking snaps of him' pose - hiding behind whatever comes to hand - or disappearing out of the room as soon as a camera shows its face. Mrs Coelyne doesn't mind at all - as you can see here, laughing at one of my more witty remarks no doubt. Or it could have been Toot's or Mrs Toots witty remark. I suspect it was me, but then I would. Even though Barbara is not looking at me. At all. But never mind.

We wus over on the west side today - visiting the lovely Coelynes at the Oiseval gallery in Brue - somewhere west of Barvas but not quite in the Atlantic. Although it did feel like we were bobbing about on the high seas such was the lashing of the rains against the windows. And still does lash on the windows as I write here at home sat in front of t'fire - with the realisation lurking that I have to go to work later and wrestle some urchin to the ground - or whatever it is I 'do'. I don't do any of that actually but tell everyone I do do that so they think I'm rather wonderful - which of course I am although it's not easily realised [apparently].

Anyway, we eated their cakes, drunked their coffee [They being the Coelynes] and talked the talk. As I do. A lot. The rain still lashed down as Mr Coelyne produced this rather lovely camera for me to borrow. Eh? A proper camera and everything - without added blur so it seems. [As Mr Coelyne rightfully suggested, I can add the blur in the darkroom - should these negs ever get that far]. It's like a Leica for grown-ups. Eat your heart out Daniel 'Grass' [he who hates any camera that is not a Leica, son of Mr Grass the nice Leica owner man].

Ruth and Dan 'grass'.

We came home eventually - things to do, sleep to sleep and work to do - really, I do have to fight my way through a storm to see someone or other. I've had a good look at the camera and have decided I might take a snap in the morrow.

Mr Coelyne really is most kind loaning me this gem of a beast. Film and all. I feel obliged to post a snap of 'im that dear Eve snook the other day on the fly with my film camera.  Eh?

Happy Christmas The Coelynes. and everyone else too.

Sorry, I think I may have over-done the festive good greetings. Hope you are not feeling somewhat over-greeted or something.Try a glass of the amber stuff. That usually helps.

Sabi of the wabi waxed, toned lith print

Sabi of the wabi waxed, toned lith print

See, I did go into t'darkroom yesterday. Totally frustrating time I had too. I'm not sure the wonderful Andrew Sanderson would be very impressed. Or Bruce Robbins and countless others. Thank goodness for wabi & sabi I say. I should be thanking Mr Globe for that little gem of wisdom and way of seeing. Anyway, happy festive season to all these personages and everyone else too. May it bring you whatever it is you seek.

I threw some old Agfa Portriga under the enlarger then into Rollei Creative Lith Developer [Hmm, I sound like I know what I'm doing here. I don't I might add]. The result was rather uneven and dull. I mean DULL. Grey sort of dull - even though I poured some old lith developer into the mix - as you must do. Apparently. 

My usual method to overcome a dodgy print is to bleach it back and then throw it into sepia. That's what I did. Eh? Nice innit. Real sabi stuff and everything. Fair lifts the cockles of me heart - and they needed lifting after yesterday, trust me.

I shall be going to see The Crofter this morning - wending my weary way down t'road to see what he's up to. With a proper camera this time too.

Red sky in the morning, darkroom beckons

What a red sky over the mainland mountains. Obviously that means rain. The wind has already got up. I shall accompany the Barking Dog for a stroll on the beach then disappear into the darkroom with a splash of lith and some old paper!

Why not? It's nearly Christmas after and I want to have something to bring you cheer as we move into 2013.

Hubble bubble no toil and lots of trouble

Green with ..... something

Reminds me of last night this snap does. Looks like my head felt for some reason. Thought it was going to explode at one point so I took myself off downstairs into the Summer Parlour so as to not mess the clean sheets - and Lord Wiesmier [and Eve of course]. 

I'd had a little drop of multigrade in my eye a few days before - washed it out and all that but my eye ached all the same. Worse in fact. Washed it again and again with proper eye stuff and everything but things got worse with my head throbbing, my eye socket hurting - yes the one I broke at a bike race many years ago - and generally feeling like my head was about to turn inside out.

I thought I'd better write a letter to Eve in case the worse happened - then, without further ado something went bubble-dubble or some such thing in the sinus area and all seemed to go right. I decided to go to bed and then slept till midday. Alls well that ends well.

Happy Christmas everybody. Have a wonderful festive season what ever that means to you. And thanks so much for popping by and keeping me company all these years :-)

I don't have to do this you know......

 Being in ice block

Money

I don't have to take pictures like this you know. I can take snaps where you can see what you are looking at. But that wouldn't be fun or as hard work as I'd like. And anyway, who else takes snaps like these?

I suppose I could just take snaps of Toots' back whilst he tries to snap up the essence of somewhere over the west side.....

Toots at work

....or a wall walking slowly into a lochen.

Yes that's what I could do.

Thin and thick

 Thin.

This is what happens when you are tired, not feeling so well and are too impatient to wait to develop the film you have shot in lovely frostee conditions in a lovelee place - Great Bernera. See, I sloshed the roll of polypan-f in some Rodinal 1:30 for a while but, didn't take account of the nippy weather out there in the dark/coldroom. As a result it's a all a bit thin as it were. Masterpieces they were too, all of them. I might have to show them lith paper next week [since I do have a batch of developer just awaiting to be mixed up - and some nice out of date paper]. In the meantime I have messed them around a bit on the pooter just so I can see them and everything.

Over-cooked

 Not content with that, I then sloshed some HP5 from the Kowa in some LC29 1:20 - allowing for the cold weather but, over-did it. All over-developed. I might have to show them the bin I think. Scans sort of interesting though with lots of compressed and odd tones. I suppose I could try some Farmers Reducer but by the look of the negs I'll need the whole of the NFU to do the trick!

 Another thin masterpiece 

I mean, look at that! Lovelee and everything - apart from the development and the composition of course, and the venue - but apart from that....

Yet another thin neg

Well, blow me down with a feather, take me to the foot of our stairs and all. I like these snaps. I must try the Lith thingy - it works well with thin negs. See if I can rescue something. At this rate Toots Wilson will have all the masterpieces from this trip - taken with a camera he has hardly used with only the occasional glance at my lightmeter and a total disregard for tilting horizons. Eh? Can't imagine what he's going to say at the Lewis Photographica [continuing] coffee gathering in the morn. Oh, perhaps I can :-(

Be nice if I can get the thin negs to lith like this mock-up!

Out to play with Toots

Yes, yes, it's a snap of a sign. Took it with the Kowa 6MM /HP5 this afters then over-developed the thing in LC29 just for good measure. Thought I'd make up for the 35mm polypan-f film I'd under-developed earlier in Rodinal. Mr Toots Wilson was lurking just to the right twiddling his Mamiya c3 and wondering why the horizon wouldn't go straight. I advised him to not bother with including the sky bit then you don't have to worry about being straight - when everything looks back to front! Eh? Toots took a picture of a rock soon after :-)

That white stuff is frostiness. Lochens were frozen all over the shop and the roads too in places. Had a fine time taking the snaps, cajolling Mr Toots into pressing the shutter, drinking tea at the cafe down t'road on Gt Bernera [open on Sundays :-) ] and enjoying the clear if cold air.

Oh, the fun we had.

Home still

 JD

Whist JD was probably still making the best of Toots' fence, making the wires hang on new posts instead of the Hebridean posts hanging on old wire, I was stopped at home wondering what to do. Wasn't feeling my best to be honest. Managed to fit in a stroll with the borrowed barking dog but other than that???

I did notice that Hectors peats from last year seem to have a life of their own at the moment, describing all sorts of shapes in their otherwise straight form. Not sure if it was because Hector broke a bone in his foot a while back. No can't be since it's Ishbel who does much of the stack building.

PS> Don't forget to check out these images from Harris by the wonderful Jerome Lorieau

Plans for 2013

Man/men/person.

At about this time of year, the photo-forums start to ask about one's plans for 2013. Look, at Filmwasters they are asking such a thing - and you'll note I have not posted anything [yet - I think. Excuse me while I go to check. I have a cold you know and that doesn't help the thinking bits at all]. It is my fav forum - lovely personages and everything and, they don't talk endlessly about the best lens to photograph a monkey in Burma. Or how many pixels you can get on pinhead sort of thing. But still, there's s till a bit of 2012 to go and I'm going to make the best of that before I start thinking about next year. Why, that's nearly 10 rolls of film away!

The sunrise was a bit special this morning. Wonderful crescent moon lurking over a twinkling star peaking between the wispy clouds that lurked over the Minch and the Mountains thereafter - lit up in silhouette by an orange light. You see, we live in a village on the bit of land near Tolsta Head with views over to the mainland of Scotland. It's here. Nice innit?

I do have plans as it happens. Although I have decided to keep them as a secret from myself so I can delight when I discover what they are.

You only live once, but if you play it right, once is enough

You may not agree with this quote. You may not agree you only live once - or at all for all I know. But I like the quote from Mae West, it sums up how I feel at the moment.

Don't wait for the morrow, that may be too late. These cheerful chappies didn't as they poked a little camera down our village drains to see how much they have collapsed. A lot apparently. Oh dear.

I'm trying to write a letter to an old pal of mine. You know the sort; you love them dearly but only communicate once in a blue moon - if that coincides with a Monday and you have time and patience. And since I'm not so keen [read hate with a vengeance] 'round-robin' letters I'm trying to put me and him into the communication and just a little of others so it's personal like. Only I'm writing about it here so rather ruined that. Luckily my pal isn't a pooter person - which I rather like so I'm off the hook.

Doesn't help writing the thing though. I think I might just have to tidy the darkroom or something.

BTW; I have it on good authority that people read this - at least a couple of people do. Even if they keep themselves to themselves as it were. Welcome, whoever you are.