Skywatch # 91 The Isle of Man

No photo was hurt in the upload process

I would be lying if I said every day we have a sky so gloriously, spectacular and has the wow factor as this. When we do however, it is straight out with Nikonbaby and snap away until the last faltering light fades. No volcanic ash, no HDR, no "let's boost the colours up all the way to 11" in photoshop. It is what it is, a natural through the lens sky. Why would I want to spoil what nature intended into a fake? We don't always have lush sunsets, we get hundreds of grey rainy ones, I'll show you those too, but today a archive of the day we had one of best natural sunsets ever.

Other island views can be see here

For an array of skies worldwide see here

Ellan Vanin is the E

Another river walk

As usual I try and educate you in a little Manx, the once fluently spoken language of the island I live on, the Isle of Man. Don't study the image to hard to focus on the river or the foliage for the E. It is the big picture you should concentrate on, as a whole. In fact I could have chosen any unused island photo for this one. E's are good, a great letter to use, as there are so many Manx words beginning with E. I digress. Ellan Vannin is in fact the Manx name of the Isle of Man. Tune in next week for more crazy Manx words.


Other abc's can be found by clicking here

Eye see you

Hello Misty!

Returning to blogging a lot has changed, what with all these new share buttons, Facebook, Twitter, Google + etc it is going to be a while to get my head round this new virtual world. Pleased to see some things have not changed, like Saturday is still the day to see animals of all shapes and sizes around the world at the click of a mouse. Obviously not a real mouse, life hasn't changed that much or advancements in technology taken us to another level completely. So for now, I give you virtual world, a close up, natural, shot of a Donkey's eye, keeping an on those blog stats and audience and as Facebook says "viral reach." Normally, I would opt for black and white for a close up like this, but I went with the colour just for the touch of reflected blue in the eye, which was my T. shirt. Obviously if this was Facebook, I'd now be tagging it and telling you to inbox me.

For more of my photography, see my Facebook page here

For other critters around the virtual world see here

Skywatch # 90 When Saturday Comes....

.....you will still find me here

Saturdays from late Autumn, through Winter to early Spring, everyone knows I will be here. Why? Rugby! Everything stops, no shopping, no cooking, the other half has to fend for himself(I do leave directions to the kitchen), while I toddle up Mooragh Park to photograph the action. I have been known to have a JD or several in the clubhouse too, as rumour has it.

After the game, fading light, forgetting to change the camera settings, one night I captured this pastel sunset, just hinting at the snow capped mountain. After a drink or several, the walk home through the park (but of course) and capturing even more unused photos. When Saturdays comes....you know the rest.

See here for my Facebook photography page.

For other skies around the world see here

Things you find washed up on a beach

Anyone missing a bicycle wheel?

Long time followers know I have a thing about people dumping their rubbish in public places. I have photographed everything from supermarket trolleys, to sofas dumped in the woods. Not good people, hire a skip, give to a charity shop, recycle in the community, ebay it whatever, but do not dump it! Lecture over. On the other hand the beach is different, it tends to get washed up there. Really odd stuff too.


I have an entire collection of "washed up from the UK" photos. Not pretty, stunning, drop dead gorgeous sunsets or to die for landscapes. No, natural one shot, images of the rubbish that finds its way from the UK. Today I show you a bicycle wheel. What happened to the rest of bike who knows, washed up in Douglas or Laxey possibly. Anyway, I like to keep it real on this blog, the good, the bad and the ugly. Who knows what else I will find on the beach next, but I'll be sure to show you, like it or not, life isn't all photoshopped sunsets!

D is for drunk and disorderly

                                         Fancy a pint?

As everyone knows who follows this blog, I like a drink or several. The words Jack Daniels have been posted here a lot. However, I don't like others drinking habits recently. Happy drunk, is I, but others turn into the devil! Suddenly that really nice friend, neighbour, colleague, folks you vaguely know but always say hi too, and folks who are strangers to you, go a little crazy. Or is their true personality popping out to say hello? We even have a day on this island (Black Eye Friday) when the whole town have a brawl. What is it about drink that people suddenly can't or pretend they can't recall what they did or didn't say the night before, or worse do the night before. Drink is not an excuse to grope a girl, or worse. Ok, the upside of drink is people can be funny drunks, uninhibited and life and soul of the party. Had lots of fantastic nights with those kind of friends and strangers. The big singalongs, all good. But why the hell would you continue drinking lads if you scare, your lass friends, by hitting on the lasses in a full on way. Quite nasty. I love Jack Daniels, but I can handle a drink or several. Pity a few idiots I know can't. Detox folks, stay in and leave the alcohol to us grown ups, and by that I don't say the young folk, I say a fair few fully grown adult guys, who really behave badly to their lass friends. Now where did I put the JD.

For others abc posts see here

Ed Force One at The Northern

                                  Run to the Hills!

Ed Force One, a local Iron Maiden Tribute Band. As someone who was with me said "they are very good, and very loud"" Well you can't really have a quiet Iron Maiden Tribute Band now can you! Got to be loud, got to be heavy and they packed the venue out. The venue being The Northern, or should I say the bar that everyone still calls Bar Logo, one of its former names. The Northern is fast becoming a great weekend venue for local bands.....not everyone wants to karaoke, some of us want to be entertained by musicians on a night out. Excellent set, got a great set of photos, and they serve Jack Daniels. Result!


Ed Force one can be found at http://www.myspace.com/edforce1
 

And the rest of my photos can be found on Facebook when I get round to uploading them.


Ramsey, Toytown Island.

The wallabies escaped, but we have meerkats!

You looking at me?

Just outside Ramsey is Curraghs Wildlife Park. Now, I have told you before of the escaped wallabies roaming the hillsides but not of the gorgeous baby meerkats. Yes, they are even cuter in the flesh and very entertaining. So far, no baby meerkats have escaped to go on a pub crawl in Ramsey, but I will keep a look out and produce photographic evidence if they do. On this island anything could happen, and usually does.



Island residents or the curious can check out the link below for info all about the Curraghs. http://www.gov.im/wildlife/news.xml

Just remember you can't take a baby animal home, as I keep being told!You can't stop a wallaby from following you though.........

Angel's tears, evening dew

Things you find on a river walk

Going through photos to find ones for the blog I found this unused curious image. I confess it is a Summer capture, not a recent Winter one. A friend reminded me of river walks with a dog along the river and in the Poyll Dooey, or as we he likes to call it affectionately the "Pollydollies" which always makes me laugh. On one of those summertime river walks I went armed with the camera. While the doggie was splish splashing around in the water to cool down, after playing the favourite dog game of "human throw stick, dog chase stick, dog not return stick back to human, so human throws another stick" I began to photograph the scene of the dog splish splashing to espy this evening dew. An Italian friend calls the evening dew above "angel's tears" which is so poetic a way to describe the photo, I just had to use those words. Simonetta thank you.

To all those who have left these shores and miss the island, and the PollyDollies and walk with dogs. One fine day, we do it all again.

Thank you all for the big welcome back.

Skywatch # 89 Blue sky sinking!

Touch of the blues

I'll keep it short and sweet. If you look closely, you can see a touch of lush, blue sky captured reflecting the light beautifully in a arty farty way. Definitely not one of the glorious sunsets, or sunrises I've posted, but a blurry swirly, upside down world of sky, caught in a puddle of dirty water. Anything can be a thing of beauty photographed a certain way. Or an arty farty blur. It was this or rugby again. Haha.

Good to be back.

See here for others around the world.