NOT VIRGIN TERRITORY BUT MINE

A river runs through it

Yes cryptic titles and cloak and dagger shenanigans greet you here for this weeks peek at the sky. It's not the Atlantic of course, just the little biddy Sulby river meandering gently. All we be revealed soon, but not just yet. Before I wade in headlong into unknown waters, or shall we say Virgin territory like the uncharted waters and previously not captured angle above. I need to be as clear and calm as this image. You know a bit of(shall we throw in some annoying corporate speak) blue sky thinking, and bottom fishing for those thinking outside the box. Now if we just add water, get our ducks in a row, behind the curve we may be able to float that balloon and land that plane on the right track.


Relax and wander up the little path on the right into the nature reserve or into town. Up to you which way you go. For me the only way is up, up and away in well possibly a beautiful balloon would be nice, but that is maybe verging on the ridiculous along the still waters of the river. No planes, trains and automobiles for me just plain sailing upstream on a sailboat or maybe a yacht would be nice, destination my own private island at the peak of this image. Now that would be real Virgin territory and not at all original, erm unlike this photo shall we say.


For those that know it makes perfect sense and sssssshhhhh! for now. For those that don't just enjoy the peaceful image and others Skywatch images around the world here.

Check out this link here about the blog. It's totally mad and it's not me. Tell you more tomorrow.

Y IS FOR YIARN

Key of the door, 21

What is yiarn?

You are all reading this and thinking I know what this image is and it's not anything at all beginning with a Y aren't you? Certainly not a yiarn. Not that you know yet what that is. Only found out myself yesterday. You think I have lost a letter again don't you? Well it is that certain landmark of the town I reside ( 21 for those who know what that alludes to, nudge nudge wink, wink, say no more, walls have ears) and it is also yiarn. That doesn't stand for what it is, that stands for what it is made from. The material the bridge is made of is iron and the word iron in Manx, the native language is ...... wait of it...... yiarn. Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the water the old RBS jumps out of the screen at you.



If you have uncontrollable urge to dive below 21 then click here to find out what all this numbered images refers too. Ramsey Swing Bridge is an iron bridge then, but not the worlds very first Ironbridge. Coincidentally I used to live near that very first one too. So it begins.

For more Y's of the world of ABC click here

MY WORLD IS OVERGROWN

Name that plant

In case you are wondering were I have been the last few days, then no I haven't been hiding in this wild image above, tempting as that prospect may seem. No. Just time out was needed after no sleep due to the nasty storm we had and the lingering migraine. I have however been wondering round the wilder overgrown parts and greener bits of town and some of the wetter parts as I recovered today. Wetter as in public houses that is or what some of you may refer to as bars or inns. This is obviously a dry part, a lovely overgrown plot of land off the beaten track of the Poyll Dooey. No idea what the various plants and grasses are here ,so feel free to name and shame them for me. I can play safe by saying I see ferns and conifers.I can confidently say I also see dipping into a triangle of light the cloudless sky. I can also tell you that this is actually a usually well beaten down path that is obviously fighting back. Who knows maybe they are Triffids that sprung up after the awful weather. I'll leave you to ponder that one.

Can you name any?

HERE COMES THE RAIN AGAIN

What kind of sky do you see?

Looking on the dark side our sizzling mini heatwave will be over this week. It's been a corker. Who needs a holiday( actually I still want one of those) when you have had the blazing heat at the back end of the month of June. On the other hand... It's going to persist down with the watery stuff tonight, rain that is, bucket loads. Storms are forecast for later so it's get the washing in time, secure the bird feeders and close the windows. You can feel the hot, sticky, humid air hanging heavy. This is a lemonade day. The light in the clouds and the sliver of blue sky hint the sun is out to play, but the silhouette of the trees and the ominous threatening grey clouds creeping in on the left suggest it will be a washout sometime soon...



....The cloud though swung by. Laden but not ready to drop her load over me just yet. That was earlier. I just peeked out the windows. The back patio windows are blazing with bright light. The front windows have a darker cooler tone filtering through. There is a warm slight breeze encircling the house. I can sniff a storm over Snaefell a mile off and this smells like storm spirit. Batten down the hatches but not before I get my camera.



If you click here you can see Snaefell closer and what it is.

For other skywatch global pics just click here

CARRY ON UP THE BACK PASSAGE

Blinded by the light

Shall we have a little alley action? No alley cats hanging around or lowlifes just my camera and I.
This is one of those little slipways we have that links Parliament Street to the harbour side that you can see in colour by clicking a back post here. Whenever I see passageways like this I am prone to let my over active imagination run riot and believe that of course this was a secret runway for the smugglers escaping with their ill gotten gains. I have so many things I could say about bankers and taxes but I'll resist. Back to the back alley.

I took this with something called fill flash. Does what it says. Not that it was necessary just wanted a blinding light. Don't ask. Some crazy idea I had at the time about obscuring the image before I reveal it's secrets to you. Anyway let's carry on up the back passage. Into the bright light you can see over the road to a white van. That is no ordinary van but a Police van. Why? The Police station is just to the right of that van. Makes sense then. Behind that van is a lovely little local shop which I'll show you soon. As you can see the alley has two different types of wall.I have noticed a lot of the back ways have walls of differing styles. Each wall is the side of a local business. We will have to take a look at those sometime soon too. If you peer very closely you can see the Christmas lights strewn across the sky. Yes I did say Christmas lights. They stay up, but stay off until Christmas. A little gritty image today.Realism.

I hope you enjoyed wandering around my back passage virtually, anyway.

XCITING, XTREME DOUBLE X

Would you be the one under the bike?

I was trying to avoid posting yet another motorbike but I couldn't resist this unseen stunt team archive from Ramsey Day 2008 over at Mooragh Park gathering virtual dust. Besides that it has two ready made X's in there "Xciting and Xtreme so I just had to post them.

If you look closely under the motorbike you can see the hint of an arm, a bent elbow poking out. Don't panic, it was just the compere, the host playing to the eager crowd. It wasn't the only cute stunt that involved the compere. From jumping bikes to climbing stairs they entertain the crowd, especially the kids who could watch this all day long. To them the "Xtreme" stunt team are always "Xciting." To see my other magnificent men in their flying machines, I mean motorbikes and jumping joyriders from older posts of Ramsey Day click links below. Never mind when I see a elephant fly, if you are a sky watcher you may see or recall a flying motorbike. Yet to see a flying pig but I'm a (cynical) optimist and always hopeful on a island that believes in fairies, myths and legends that it only a matter of time.


Stairlift
Jump to it
Flying motorbike

FREE AGAIN -

Free to do as I please in Ramsey

My world

"Where is our blogger" refers to the post below. One of our Bloggers stopped blogging. This was of great concern to the community at the CDP. He is the Tehran Daily Blogger, A of Iran. You see why we were concerned. Our worst fears were confirmed, he had been arrested and detained. We hosted a special day called yesterday. Green images and similar text Last night we had the news confirmed A, had been released, he was free again.


I took this image last week on the beach. Mooragh Promenade just behind me. I sat for about an hour, contemplating how much the light and sea looked just like my favourite place the Cote d'Azur and wishing I was there in the South of France. I laughed at the little dog quicker than it's owner, spotting me. I smiled as the mother and excited child found their perfect spot. It was a glorious day and I was free to do as I please. A blogger in Tehran was not so lucky that day. He did not revel in the sunshine, enjoy a peaceful city, he was not free to do as he pleased. Today we are both free, but I will still have a quiet town, a beautiful beach, the sunshine, and freedom. A in Tehran will have a very different world to mine, his fight goes on but at least today he is free.

Thank you for reading this.