Skywatch # 88

Rugby, of course

Yes, yes, I know I've been away again in the real world and let the blog lapse. What the hell has happened in the meantime! People are Twittering, and posting tweets, when really should that not be twits, and they are.......? Not forgetting Google + with those "hey we are sooooooooo, you know cool" circles to "hang out" in virtual world instead of actually hanging out in the real world. Then of course there is Facebook (ok, guilty as charged on this one) trying desperately to not be outdone by the new kids on the virtual block and turning sane folk into virtual paranoid stalkers. So I return to post a simple post on the usual Blogger format to find everything has changed. Huh? Apart from my attitude and photography skills that is. How to incorporate them into this new virtual blog world?


So, for now, 'til I get my head round this brave new virtual world, I will leave you with a scene known well to the blog followers here. A Saturday rugby game. Silhouetted players against the late afternoon Winter sky. For other Skywatch shots around the world click here

Skywatch # 87

Gothic

Back with a very moody, brooding, Manx Gothic sky. I'm lucky enough to live on a weird little island that weaves a lot of fairy magic to produce these natural, pure colours. So, rather than tell you of the freakiness that happens here on a daily basis like I normally do I'll let the image tell the story. Looks like Mordor to me, but then again, I would think that living here. I know the darkside of this island.....

For more skies around the world click here after around 8.pm GMT.

Skywatch # 86 The Abridged Version

For those keeping count, 25.

So, I said the blog would be back this week. Trouble is we've been having bi polar weather and my camera does not go out in the rain. Far too sensitive. Trawling the archives, what do I find but yet another shot of the most famous bridge in blogland, Ramsey Swing Bridge. So the game is back on to get 100 shots of this bridge at varied angles, blah, blah each one different from the last, and drive me slowly crazy in the process. A lush blue sky as a backdrop unlike today, which has been dull, grey and April showers all the way. Also, the seagull deposited a load just after this serene image was captured, which I woud have taken had I not been trying to dodge the fallout!


For more skywatch images around the planet click here

Black Eye Friday # 54 My World

It all started out so well......

What can I tell you about the curiously named "Black Eye Friday" that you can't actually surmise from the title. Don't let the costumes (though this one inside was an angel) pic fool you. After a beer or several the residents of the town usually end up brawling. So what's it all about then?

Once a year this strange phenomenon happens, the last main pay day for most folks before Christmas a little earlier than usual. Now most of us are used to being relatively civilised and seem capable of going on a Friday night, let your hair down pub crawl, end of the working week type of thing we normally do. Costumes, hats whatever maybe worn week in week out. So no change there. Black Eye Friday though all hell breaks lose, and the younger folks tend not to be the idiots involved. Oh no, it's those middle aged men who go out once a year, can't hold their beer, miffed at their lives who are fully intent on causing a brawl....ending up with mass punch ups, a few smashed windows, pubs barring people and probably more arrests than for the last six months. Also the next day you will pass these shame faced idiots sporting the badge of dubious honour....the black eye.... hence the name "Black Eye Friday." Thankfully this idiotic behaviour occurs once yearly but does make me wonder is this sort or event unique to our island?

For more dips into other peoples lives around the world see here after 8pm.

Skyhill Sunset - # Skywatch 83

Fiery

I'm going to keep this really, really short and sweet and just leave you with the image of a snow capped Skyhill under a fiery sunset. No waffling about life here on Toytown Island, mainly as I'm heading out later to hit the one horse town and actually get on with life so I can blog about it. Sure there is some logic in there, or a valid excuse to go for a drink. Back now after a gap of about a month. Caught the dreaded swine flu, which was rather annoying as I have not drunk with any swine for weeks! Ha Ha! I'm still doing humour though, this is not a travelogue.


For other skies of the world see here after 7.30pm