I don't know what to say

 

It seems the world is hell bent on it's own destruction.

Please stop the idiocy.

In the print room

 

In the print room with Gill @ Harbour print.

Man at work

 

Toots here imaging the tulips

Dull day

 

Strange weather here atm.

Snow one day, hail the next then sunshine then all of them in a day.

Please don't tell Mr Blakemore.

 

But do go and look at Mr Blakemore's wonderful work - now for sale!

Before a storm

 There's a lot of storms come over this way but the big one that hit 

southern UK missed us completely

I was playing. Seeing what the possibilities are.

A bit colourful for me. Too exciting and not enough to get depressed about and as such gives a bad impression of Stormoway :-)
 

Sex, lies and water

 But mostly water.

The usual at this time of year.

The cars will come, trust me

Sadly, this place on what is ostensibly the mainland and only a ferry ride away from here will soon be clogged with cars. Tis lovely when it's quiet.
 

Where's gary?

 

Tweed-ledee and dum.

 Back in the day when things happened.

CHWDP

 

Poland

Bac of beyond

 Okay, that's enough. I might just have to look at some proper snaps now, ones without shaking cameraness. and yes, it's not Bac either :-)

The German artist

 

Had a lovely visitation from the wonderful artist known as Angelica Kroeger the other weekend. How lovely that was - very lovely as it happens. I took the opportunity to 'do' a snap for the archives.

Sketches of Bac

 

The wind blowing, the camera shaking, sheeps in the croft. Gooses on the crofts, the road was still.

Sketches at Bac

 

I have been sketching recently. With a camera - you don't take me for an artist do you? I should have sketched digitally but I just can't bring myself to do that so here is one from the Bronica made in Bac Bird Box. I would tell you what the sketches are for but I have not made up my mind yet. Consider them photographic doodles.

I'm on it!

 

A slightly out of focus snap of sheeps that Eve wandered into. Rather nice even if I do say so myself.

The weather has been bitterly cold so this almost summer clothing sported by Eve hasn't been enough. At least another two layers are required.

Had a lovely visitor for a few days from o'er the water. How nice that was. I took a snap of them too but I have yet to slosh that in developer and the like. When I do, you'll be the last to see it.

Ah Ha

 

Two days in a row! 

I'm back - possibly.

The weather is a bit orf at the mo. Rain wind hail and now snow and everything

where did those four days go?

 

We did take Keith the cat out for a walk. Does that count?

tentative plans

 

And hopefully, life as it is will allow us to visit near here in the not too distant.

We went places once

 

After thankfully surviving a bad storm the other night we emerge to think about the time we went places. Even Durham

Awaiting tlc

 

This way and that

 In the big metropolis that is Stormoway there's this configuration of lines. The path  leads to a small river from a big[gish] road.

Active travel

 

Oooof, Uncle Chris Boardman will be pleased to see there are peeps out on foot and wheels in the far north west. In fact he propbably knows that since he does stay in the Highlands regularly.

An image from the trusty Olympus XA and the PolypanF film i still seem to have a lot of. Developed in PQ and now, printed on Ilford RC at the Toots darkroom while the rain battered down..

Active-less travel

 

I think I know what this is. Whatever I rather like this snap from a little stroll in the metropolis that is Stormoway.

Forgive me for not writing much these days but my mind has turned to mush it seems. At the images are clear though!

Keith the sheeps cat.

 

Keith and I have not ventured down to t'croft much recently. Much to do with the weather as it seems to have rained with brisk cold winds since three years ago. To be perfectly honest, Keith loves the rain. Goes out in wet weather of all sorts them comes in [usually at night when we are in bed] shouting as he drips up the stairs till we awake and towel him off. Then he goes out again. I'm less keen and when the weather is off it's often hard to find activity down there on t'croft - apart from the Croft's "man who does" Colin moving something from here [gestures with hand] to there [points].

Colin is a fine addition to the place and here we see sheepscat Keith checking Colin's methodology with said sheeps while the gooses disappear off somewhere to cause havoc no doubt.

more villagers

 

Village visitors

 

Villagers

 

A few locals shot on a recent stroll in the village. Not sure who they are to be honest.

Beach life

 

Over here

 

Eve and I enjoyed a fine dining experience with our good friends William and Gemma the other day. Over at Balallan Bistro. The Bistro is in an old school - a school that Gemma used to teach in a while or two back. The food was excellent as were the views and the company. 

I shall aim to go again.

Did I tell you?

 

I don't think I have told you. Yet.

I'm playing with a large format camera again. A 5x7 as it happens.. Toots lent me his and I had some fil in the fridge. Took a couple of test shots of dearest Eve then remembered my scanner cannot scan 5x7 negs so you'll have to wait till I have managed to  contact print them.

I the meantime, here a sot from a Voigtlander Perkeo on one of the village's beaches.

Poles apart

 

I refer MiLaud, to my intentions and what actually happened.

I intended to have a post ready for the bloggy thing this morning but life and what have you got in the way.  Instead you have two [see image]. When I mean life I might add I mean my bed was so comfy this morning after almost sleeping a few hours last night, that the thought of breaking that comfyness and upsetting Keith the cat from his slumbers upon me were too much to bear. So I stayed where  I was for a while.

I did move his furriness in the end and after a quick attention to myself Eve and I took off for a long awaiting coffee in the house of Hub in the grand capitol of this small rock. It was here we received a warm welcome from the fine staff and some patrons. Felt a little tear in my eye I did.

Anyway, don't expect a post every day at the moment, I am not entirely motivated yet.

This: charmingly flawed

 

Yes, Yes, I know but I like it. Somewhat.

From a little shoot in Toot's "studio" tother day. The light was fading etc.

yes, that

Apologies for the late posting and everything but I had to pop into the wonderful NHS unexpectedly to check my heart was still working. It is; although not quite, absolutely tickety-boo. Still I am here and ok. Actually, what with the lovely and wonderful NHS staff the day was not as awful as it could have been. Very entertaining and the like. MANY THANKS, you need funding properly. Tax the population more. There I have said it!

Yes, yes, I am perfeckterly fine since you ask!

10th already

 

Already a third of way through the month! How can that be, we have not finished the holiday biscuits yet. Anyway, I started as I mean to go on with a meaningless scan of a badly made neg taken with the old Zorki6. It still works well although less can be said about the film development.

The film had been in the camera for a while and I think it was the last of the Orwo 400 [rated at 800] which it seems does not like Bellini DuoStep as a face wash despite this developer working spiffingly well on other films I use.

The image wasn't up to much either as The Kind Crofter's vehicles - or some of them await further use - or scrapping.

Back in the day etc

 

Yes, I did exhibit this snap - albeit a darker more mysterious print version - and titled it "What ever it is, it's overrated' . 

One of my best titles.

I did also like ' some fish are flatter than others'

White van person

 

Has been feeling like this for a few days as the rain falls and the wind blows. And no, I have not lost it

Awaiting the sea level rise

 

Oot and aboot

 

It was almost bright so I dragged the Toots out of his comfy warm chair, reminded him to pack a camera and we took off for North Lochs. Oh how lovely it was. It usually is actually.

I took this snap and I thinks Toots tooked a snap too.

Island characters

 

Not quite sure when these chaps appeared on a minor route in the Stormoway Castle grounds or who crafted them. I do rather like them.

Currently recovering from being blown into a ditch during a stroll with Eve and Keith the cat in a hailstorm. Summer is coming!

Katowice nightmare

 

TBH< I really liked the place.

Onto 2022

 

Well, the year is going ok so far.........

phew

 

Well that's gone, that rubbish year.

May 2022 be a fantastic year for my reader and all your dreams come true. But not the nightmares, we have had enough of them recently.

Elsewhere

 

Actually it's over yonder hill. Broadbay by Gress and Bac don't you know. I know.

The village - or part of it

 

I mean, I like the view of the village from this angle. It's practically my fav  peat track too. It's the curves and everything.

The village is North Tolsta and you can see where it is here. Nice innit?

And here's a snap of me strolling from a car we used to have into our pal's village housey to take a picture. Years ago.

Boxing day on the beach

 

Eve and Coelyne on Garry beach. Because it's there