New year, new start

2014 has commenced with a whimper here at Cragro Towers. HHHCB is still grooming irritating me and herself by over-grooming some 'bits' making them sore. Visitors have gone home and the fire is smoking for some reason, nicely kippering everything in the room.

We are imminently likely to informed of the return of the Toots to these shores. That's nice. The weather is just right to greet them too - wind and rain. No, I can correct that, just rain and a breeze. For a change. And everything. I do hope Mr Toots has done his snaps in sunny Spain like he said he would. Might be trouble if they are not done I can tell you. Managed to cajole him into sneaking an Isolette into his hand-baggage with some HP5 to keep his Paco-Rabid company - other drinks are available.

Of course we are missing The Coelynes. Anyone would eh? And yes [if you have clicked that last link] I have nearly got round to finishing the first bit on the stairs since you ask. I might have to do it again now as it's nearly worn out already. I blame it on HHHCB up and down the stairs all night.

And no I have not developed those snaps you saw me taking today. Give me a chance. I have only been home a little while and I need to recover from seeing William and Alec. Don't I? Eh?

Be warned, I might twiddle someting on here and it all could change colour. Just for the coming year. And everything.

My New Years resolution. Proof read posts [it won't last]

I'm just loving this snap.

The Kiev60 got out for an airing today. The model is tremendous as she sat chatting to Eve in the cafe.

I must have made a mistake - got 'it' right and everything

Gone Home

So a lovely week with Victor and Gwyneth here came to an end with V&G taking the early ferry across the now thankfully less rough Minch. They'll be home by 5pm apparently.

Take care you two.

Sheepscat

I didn't realise that our dear HHHCB is a sheeps-cat. We were down with the curling tongs on The Crofter's sheeps when HHHCB came trotting down the croft  and the sheeps, bell tinkling as she came. Looking really confident and purposeful. Then all of a sudden she smelled something was amiss and shot back again.

Oh well, she will take time to acclimatise.

Here we are. Stuff.

The sort of stuff that is around here. Lying around waiting to be photographed up.  That's what it's there for. I can't imagine any other reason.

It is, I am reliably informed, a charabanc. A horseless one anyway.

Have a wonderful 2014 won't you. Please.

Yes, well. You may have asked for it now.

Portrait of Traigh Mhor. The end bit anyway.

I start as I don't mean to go on. Although it was yesterday at the time so maybe I'll finish as I don't mean to go on!

It wasn't quite 2014 at the time. There were a few hours to go. My bot was not what it could be, I was tired but the village shoppe needed visiting. I took the Hassie with me and then went down to a local beach just to shoot some Rollei RPX25. Why not, it was dull, cold and damp. Seemed the perfect opportunity. Only I think it's over-exposed and developed. Serves me right for doing a portrait of the sand.

Visitors

We don't get many visitors. Maybe it's because we have a very small house. Or there's too many snaps hanging around the place or something. But when visitors do turn up it is rather lovely.

We had a visitation from Villager of the the year 2013 - or it might have been Villager of the week, Anyway, Mrs Up Yours called in for a chin wag which was grand. Dot came and met GZ and Vic who are up from Ayrshire for  a week or so. How's that then ? Eh?

No, this is not GZ and Victor rather it's Gemma, William and Ben who also came on a very welcome visitation to the gaff the other day - all the way from Cromor. I notice here that Ben seems more than a little concerned about Gemma's marine-broomstick. Well, it worked!

See, we were down here towards the beach. Sand down there, a fantastic landscape that never ceases to amaze me up here!

Then we met the nice Mr Four Tractors just checking we are not pinching the village's beach or, flying round on a broomstick. Gemma wasn't, it was a marine broomstick after all.

Thanks everso for looking here in 2014. I shall be back in 2014 with some more masterpieces and lots of snaps. Plus some accompanying drivel.

I wish you all the very best for the year ahead.

Does my bottom look big like this?

A quick pre-visualisation of The Print as I would like to see it. Eh?

Please tell me this has all the looks of a masterpiece - just need a while in the darkroom to make it so.

I don't really care if I'm honest. I love this image. At least I do at the moment - hot out of the developing tank having taken it this morning. At least I did have this camera out this morning and snapped a few up but of course this might have been one of  the ones I took the other day. Which is a pity because I thought it was the low air-pressure we have that helped the image making today.

Look at the movement, the love and the , the something else that I cannot put my finger on yet. I think it might also be because I was interested to read about the Unitarian Universalist Group on the pooter which seems to have a great deal going for it. Interesting. Not that I'm going to join. I don't join groups of that type - whoever they are although I am very happy they are there.

The Birds

Yes, yes, it's a big flappy bird thing lurking about the harbour in the town. It lives here apparently. Why it doesn't work I have no idea but that's life I suppose. 

The only camera I had with me was the P&S Pentax Espio 170sl. Sounds impressive but I acquired it for a song - a short one. And possibly an out of tune one, and only the first verse as I can never remember beyond that. Not even the most well-known song. For example when we, Eve & I that is, appeared on the The Guinea Pigs' kitchen song vid, I chose the song. But I still couldn't sing - or howl to be exact, without the wordage on a page with the proper marks all over it to look at. [hidden behind a copy of Mr Hutchinson's fine book, The Hour - in which yours truly appears not too darkly written].

For another example, I love the song "Babes in the wood", you may know the one, a version by Tim van Eyken perhaps. Nice innit? Eh? I must have listen to that song a hundred times but can I get through the whole lyric without a prompt? Er, no.

Anyway, I have this little camera, some film and some flappy things around the pllace. The former snaps up the latter. Then I go home and, finding the film had not rewound itself as it's supposed to do, exposed the film to some light when I had a look. I mean, I didn't do it on purpose, it just happened that way. As it does. Thinking that the film would probs be ruined and everything I decided to do a guesstimate development in print developer - because I have lots of that and it's quick and will put me out of my misery soonish. Only the snaps were ok!

Ish.

See some more here

STEP AWAY FROM THOSE CHOCS !!! It's too early in the day.

Adults Eh?

Doesn't matter what day it is to you, it's still too early.

And the mince pies! Wait!!!!! Eh? Have you taken a photo yet?

No? Well, go and get you camera and take one. Then reward yourself by making early morning tea for everyone.

Relax; be nice to others. Shopping is all over for a day or two.

Have a grand day you.


Oh, and while I think of it, thanks everso for all the comments you post over the year. Just as I'm never sure what I'm writing about - even when I've written it, I'm not always aware what the comments mean either - but I do love reading them!

Camera 1. Voigtlander Perkeo

You may have noticed that I have been using the Voigtlander Perkeo for a lot of snaps recently. I like it. That's why I use it. What did you expect? A review?

This particular item came into my hands from a very kind gentleman in the USA who thought I needed a better camera than I was using - a few years back now. He knows who he is but prefers me not to tell. But thanks everso Sir, it is a lovely thing that is lovely to use.

Piss-poor snap taken with the Perkeo some years back.

These slim little cameras come with a variety of lens, mine is nice - glass and everything. You screw it in and out to get focus which, should you wish it to be and I don't usually at the mo, can be tack sharp. Only I'm having fun with de-focused shots. And longer exposures and all that. As I said before, I like it that way. You can see a selection of my Perkeo shots here should you have nothing to do and have a free hand to dip into the choci box while you are looking here. Dark choci box that is. We have chocs from the Choc Tasting Club - that's mainly for snobby people so won't bother you I should imagine :-).

You can change the speeds of the shutter too - from fastish to hold-it-down-as-long-as-you-like as long as it doesn't make the film go completely black after development - which has been known. To obviate this potential problem I use a thing known as a light-meter. That's how up-market I am. You won't catch me using an automatic camera. Oh no, I like to have full if un-knowledgeable control over things.  My lightmeter has got a button or two on it to change the numbers it shows. Don't ask me why they change, something to do with the little knobs on the camera I should imagine, but I look very professional using it even if the film still goes black. Come to think of it I must read a book about that sort of thing one day.

I also have another twiddly thing on the top of the camera - that falls off from time to time. When I can find it, it's meant to aid finding the focal distance. That's a technical term which needn't bother you. it doesn't me anyway. Looks fab on the top of the camera though. I can't see through the thing very well - unless I put it in a warm pocket for a while and then, no doubt, the moment has gone. Trust me, Guess. It works for me - see here anyway. A masterpiece now reprinted half a dozen times and toned variously in ghastly chemicals and, what for it - coffee.

For everyone

But especially for anyone on their own at this time of year and would prefer not to be.

This one is especially for YOU. We are with you in spirit.

A special mention to M&M down under too :-) Thank you for your kind comments. I do hope life is treating you well .

Dude Muse

Here he is, my Dude Muse. Toots Wilson to you and now winging his way to warmer climes for a few days with his Mrs. 

I am not in love with him but he does seem to exist filling the right [amount of] space at the right time when I have my camera at the ready. He constantly barks at my "wasting film", but if I didn't, I wouldn't have these snaps to show you now would I?

Maybe he is using up a little bit more of allocated space than he perhaps should - due in part to Tunnocks Dark Choc Tea Cakes - note the horizon of the beach sinking to the left eh? And partly due to the tea cakes I ate too :-( Oh well, it is that time of year isn't it?

They have been digging around the village. I mean, not around it, not creating a moat so that the local councillors can add a duck shed but a whole hole to put new sewerage pipes in. They dug it down there and they dug it up there too but as yet the two parts do not meet. I rather hope that changes soon otherwise it might cause a few issues!

See, those there digger things and an up-market argocat type affair that The Crofter has been lusting over on account of it's ability to move without disappearing up to its oxters in wet ground. Makes hole digging a lot easier. But the weather has been against these fine workers. Not one chance to lean on their shovels and suck through their teeth [as they do in Engerland] without the lashing rain and howling wind freezing them to death.

I knew the ground was very wet after falling face first into a ditch whilst snapping up a flapping polyless tunnel. The ground gave way under my boot and down I went. The muscles and bones are a tad sore now!

Hopefully I shall be back to full steam in the morn so I can wish you all the best for whatever this time of year means to you. Until then, toodle doo.

Flexing a Mamiya

Mr Toots lent me this Mamiya box thing. It's a Mamiyaflex of a certain age - the early 1950s. Knobs and what have you all over the place. More twiddly bits than, than,,, than there should be. I've not got the hang of it. That's the truth if truth ever existed. The roll of film within went through without stopping the first time. I re-rolled the thing then tried again and got a few over-lapping shots. I shall try again soon.

As for the developing,,, lets not go there. It does rather look like the Feng Shui needs to be sorted in the darkroom as there are lines, scratches and blobs all over the neg - and I'm not sure they are meant to be there.

I noticed there seems to be up-coming Festivities around the island. Perhaps it's the same where you are; if so have a lovely time and best wishes to all of you whatever your beliefs, creeds or orientations are. Thank you so much for visiting here. It's been my pleasure.

I make no apology - except for this time. And possibly the next.

Of course it's Toots. He kindly took me back to Tong to get the village shoppe horseless carriage that was having it's wheels re-welted or something like that. It necessitated a lift on the uppy thing anyway [for the van!] so the nice mechanic-fella could fiddle underneath. And no I don't have a snap of it since it was snowing at the time and I forgot! Yes, forgot.

And yes it is another snap of Toots - this tyme looking rather happy. For him. Which isn't surprising since he'd had a fine shopping trippette and is off to warmer climes and his other gaff soon. Taking his Isolette and some film too to complete a short project that may grace this place sometime in the not too distant future.

Meanwhile, we are awaiting another storm. A continuation of the last one almost since it has been a tad draughty for weeks it seems. Even took off part of the village school roof last night and, kept me awake for hours as the house shook to its unsubstantial foundations. HHHCB is rather dis-chuffed about it all I can tell you although she liked the light coating of white stuff on the ground this morning. And no, Nigella had not been round.

Apologies anyway. I dunked some asa 5 film I'd shot at 100asa in MG developer with the resulting clear strip of film. That's why you get this one. Sorry and all that.

The day I went over there and then came back again.

I didn't want to go. But I had to only later to find out there was no point. Oh well, at least I got paid.

Apparently, it's going to rain, and blow and snow.

On the 25th too. 75mph gusts that day! According to the weather tinternet site of choice that is. Yes, here. On the island and everything. The winds's howling as I write, HHHCB is hiding from the noise refusing to go out and the fire is burning brightly as the roof tiles flap about and the walls rattle.
.

See how the wind was earlier today - as it blew me all over the place. Makes the snap look proper nice.

Told you it was Windy.

And don't forget the check out Mr Banting.