MY WORLD IS A WILD ISLE OF MAN MEADOW

Welcome to the jungle!

Wild isn't it? I mean really wild, overgrown get yourself lost in meadow. Gorgeous isn't it. Not if you have hay fever though I suspect or a phobia to creepy crawlies or bigger things like beetles, spiders, worms and dare I say it RATS. I mean longtails. Superstition shh we can't say the R word, but now and again you can hear one scuttling past. Fortunately(or not you can't actually see them with the wild look above. For those of you who have virtually walked this way before and skywatched you may have guessed this is Nature Reserve, leading towards the River. In the distance is the hint of a Barrule, and the industrial building you can see where the Post Office has it's depot.. What you can't see what I'm talking about, due to the wild, wild, grass. Then I'll just have to show you on a clear day. Click the coloured links below to reveal the hidden wonders.



NB
On A clear Day
BS
Looking at the big sky
"Curioser and Curioser"
Depot
Springing the Blues



So when life gets a little too much, take yourself off to the meadow where you can get lost amongst the mini jungle.

LONGTAILS AND BRIDLE PATHS - MY WORLD

What no longtails?

My World

Following on from yesterday I continue the path past the stumpy tree and find myself on the bridle path leading into town. Until as recently as two weeks ago this path was a sorry sight, submerged in muddy puddles, threadbare grass and desolate. Spring has sprung, the grass is seeding( and as you can see freshly mowed by the council) and the foliage is spouting in the meadow to the left. Even the archway of tree has sprung to life again on the right hand side of the image. Soon there will be birds on berries wild, wild, rabbits frolicking (yes definitely lots of frolicking of rabbits here) and of course longtails scurrying. What you don't know what a longtail is? You may know them as a different name. If I said Pied Piper would you know now? Ah yes you do, but why do we call them Longtails here?


Longtails are better known as Rats. One of the first things you learn when you move here is do not under any circumstances say the word Rat or Rats out loud.


The origins of this barmy superstition date to sea-taboos. Certain words and practices were not allowed to be mentioned aboard ship, for fear of attracting bad luck (or worse, bad weather.)This particular sea-taboo is one amongst many and never used to apply on land. It has become a popular modern myth that the word is somehow "unlucky" and has been adopted by some as a typical Manx weird saying, even though older Manx generations had no qualms in using the word, or its Manx Gaelic version "roddan". In modern times, even non-local and non-superstitious people will refrain from using the "r" word. They take it very seriously here you know. Other alternatives for the superstitious also include joey, ringie, queerfella, iron fella and roddan. Perhaps you know these.


Until I moved to the island I used to say the R. word. Not anymore. I have seen 3 since I moved here( which I have called all Basil of course!) but none when I lived on mainland Great Britain. Newcomers to the island can often be found laughing at the cheeky squirrel they nickname stumpy as they think it's lost it's tail. They are even known to feed them. We have no squirrels on the island, just cheeky longtails that you will sometimes see darting about the bridle path being chased by cat. Yes we can call a cat a cat but a ra.... is a longtail. Don't even get me started on what a longhair is!



Klaus, Imac, Fishing Guy, Ivar, Tom, Louise, Wren, Sandy and others are to thank for the My World neme. Click here for more my world's just for fun again of course.

One more thing before I go.

RATS, RATS, RATS!

No one said I couldn't type it!