fairytale of Stormoway

 I mean is this not something?

Olympus xa2 and polypan-f. 

driving home from Tescos

When Stormoway is happening you know it's happening.

I came across this happening the other day, and now I know about it.

The last time a happening happened was when fairly Bonnie Prince Charlie caught the bus in from Arnish to have a wee dram at the Criterion bar. So they say.

And I shop at Coop

and coming back

 

that stroll

 

I know you are thinking I am posting dark snaps these days. Well, for the most part that's because it is quite darkish light at this time of year. The sun, when it shows itself, lies low in the sky and the clouds dominate. My head is in a shady place at the moment too sadly.

At least it wasn't raining this day.

And yes, the film I was using was too slow - Foma200.

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.

we have a visitor

 

The visitor is one of those artist types - the sort who arrive with a wonderful pic of theirs to hang on the wall. This above isn't it. It's a mere snap of mine at a fav place on the island nearby where I bought a new sofa bed from the rural sofa shoppe. Yes, really.

I took this snap because I couldn't stop myself even though the light was flat and I only had 33mm camera with me. I still like it.

Frau Artist came with us to play indoor bowls the other day too. Loved it as well she might as the particular venue has such lovely players and half-time biscuits.

**

 

walking in the wilderness

 

That's how we feel. Keith the cat and I. 

The world has gone mad. The UK a mess.

It's raining and Keith loves the rain.

HELP

Yes, I am to blame too

 

The flippin scanner has been playing up somewhat of late and whilst I have struggled on, a trip to Toots' to use his fancy machine made me relent and order a new one. At great expense not only to me in £s but also adding to the over-consumption that is quickly wrecking or has wrecked our liveable place - earth. Many apologies. I don't know what else to say.

Having said that I don't think we, humanity, are doing half enough to help the situation. We still seem to be flying just as much, buying just as much and all consumed with Growth of The Economy rather than any type of sustainability. In fact I would go as far as to say the two are incompatible - and yes, I am party to this end-game as well. I really pity the young people coming after em.

walkies

 

Out and aboot

 

Now, don't go telling me I don't do anything or go anywhere in me old age. Look see here a snap I tooked during an expedition to the wilds of North Lochs [I think] in the not too distant past. Braved wild dogs, staring sheeps and an occasional roaring quad bike.

Maybe  I shouldn't have bothered.

lesson 23

 

Don't take snaps in bright sunshine with a badly focussed camera using a film without an anti-halation layer. 

There were no cars on this island so I can forgive myself for the interesting error.

update

 

Just before you ask I have little idea where I took this marvelous snap either. It was on earth i can tell you that. 

I have been eating dates you know. That's just the sort of person I am. Oh, and listening to this so I don't have to listen to the news.

Bowls again

 

Played big marbles again with the crowd from another island adjacent to this one - somewhat smaller island but really lovely as are the people there. It is I'm informed the thirty fourth largest island in Scotland so not small at all. Has a new bridge to it too as the old one which was the first pre-stressed concrete one in Europe started falling apart - probably on account of all the bowls being carried back and forth across it over the years.

Of course we played indoors on carpets laid out in the community hall in their capital. The hall floor could be used for crazy golf with any additions at all as the 'lines' the bowls took were rather unfathomable. My bowls especially. Having said that, my bowls partner [Irene] and I won our match, drunk the tea and ate the biscuits. The other players had tea and biscuits too - it wasn't all one-sided.

The snap about is not of the bowls. I mean, I took a camera but it didn't get used. The snap is from somewhere and I cannot remember where.

Family outing

 

Lovely family outing down to the machair just doon the road [above the place in the snap below]. Keith enjoyed himself although less keen on the big white wooly things - one who not so long ago chased him down a croft. 

William and Gemma

 

Bill is not so sprightly as he once was but he is still a delight to visit. Here's a snap from our last flying visit. 

Easdale

 

The big Tat shoppe on Seil side has gone. LONG LIVE THE TAT SHOPPE.

Easdale is always interesting though - even when their pub/cafe is shut. The pub on the Seil side is a great alternative.

Ardfern

 

Eve, Ellen and Figgy the dog at Ardfern overlooking the Correyvrekan whirlpool. 

Really lovely area - even if the snap taken with my OM2n and Kentmere 400 [developed in Hydrofen] is less than wonderful. Eve & I stayed with Ellen and Paul at their pad in nearby Craobh Haven - a place I'd not known but hopefully will be returning since it's a mere boat ride and shortish drive from home.

Ok, don't stop me now

 

I am using Serif Affinity to help in the digitisation process of my snapps although I know little how to use it. I must spend some time learning the thing.

Spent a fine weekend doing some cycling [a little but nice], strolling with Keith the cat and suffering another sinus attack. Such is life.

It has been mentioned that I have said very little recently

 

Times are difficult as you all know which has affected my meagre photographic output so much so I have had to resort to a couple of d*g*tal snaps [taken with a little cheap electronic device with a deeply scratched lens]. 

I can't believe what's happening in this world what with wars, stupid self-indulgent politicians and a lack of interest in what is the most important thing - climate change. As such I have been self-absorbed, keeping myself well and little else of late.

I shall try to do better soon.

Pixelled

 

there again

 

tickled pooter

 

I'm back. The pooter needed a bit of tlc but i'm back now.

been out snapping