NOTES FROM A SMALL ISLAND

Actually, that should be "Notes from small island that think it's big." Small island syndrome. Akin to a Napoleon little man complex, but applied to countries. Do you want further proof that my comparisons are correct. Cats. Remember those powerful little men who invade countries, Napoleon, Hitler and Tom Cruise. Ok, not Tom Cruise he has cuban heels. If only the other two had discovered cuban heels, but I digress cats wasn't it?

Well you know the old chestnut about little men dictactors having the cat phobia, well I think the island does too. Take the Manx cat. It's a tailess cat. I mean only the island that has a three legged flag could produce a tailess cat, and yes some islanders are wary of them. So you see, little dictators persuing world domination, but fear the kitty cat and little island persuing financial industry world domination, but fear of the kitty cat. I rest my case.

It's been a busy old time lately. I took my eye off the ball for a wee while and the wallaby left the island, and the cones moved in closer. I now have the photographic evidence of the cone infestation. Quick, call in Mulder and Scully, it's an x file.

One more thing. This blog isn't supposed to make sense, it's light hearted, tongue in cheek, ranting and raving of my far too clever for her own good alter ego. So please newbies, don't be snippy. You have to admit the Tom Cruise gag was good. Just click and your'e away from the nasty blog.


WALLABY WATCH!
Kidnapped by aliens, rumour has it. Remember folks The truth is out there!

I WANDERED LONELY AS A CLOUD AMONGST 10,OOO ....CONES!

They are back! Just when I thought it was safe to venture further afield than Ramsey. You know what I'm refering to don't you? Those damned cones! Yes ladies, gentleman and wallabies, the killer cones of the Isle of Man are back, and this time it's war.

It's not just Laxey now. There seems to be an infestation(not sure what the collective noun should be) of cones running the length of the coastal road from the Hairpin(part of the TT course) to Laxey. It doesn't end there is either. Leaving Laxey onto Onchan and into Douglas... Cones.

A new terror is upon us now, the "Town Cones." These are the specialist group. Highly adept at disguising themselves as harmless objects guarding manhole covers. Oh no, beware this particular cone. Today I saw one lurking in an empty shop window. Empty apart from this lone cone. How did a cone get into an empty locked shop, and why? So be on your guard against the evil that is as pointy as a witches hat, as orange as the sunniest sun and as plastic as well, a cone.

Today I have a T.T. photo. It's 2006, Sidecar race. I cropped it a little differently to how I normally would so you can see some elusive locals. Guess where they are watching the action from, the pub called the Swan, the one where I was a member of the Quiz team.

WALLABY WATCH!
Rounding up those cones before the tourists get here.

TRAINS, BLAMES AND SORT OF APPEALS.

I'm on the bus, minding my own business, got the ipod on, staring into a faceless void of coastal sea when it happens. Do my eyes deceive me or is that the Ramsey to Douglas tram train I see along side of us. I do believe it is. Oh Happy Day!Joy To The World! Hallelujah, Praise the .... Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat! it's stopping at Laxey.

So, almost, not quite a monumental day, the Boo a happy bunny. I could have shown you pictures of it in Ramsey, with Mrs H. Brew and the grandkids. I could have have taken photographs from the train, as it cuts through the mountains. As it takes in those little one horse towns, fights it's way through the hammer horror rolling mist, passing the escaped wallaby(you never know), I could have been a contender..... Oh that's going off at a decidedly different tangent.

Manx Electric Railway, bunch of numpties.Are you trying to kill the town off altogether.We have tourist too. We still have the odd larger sized business.The excuse that this particular stretch of the track, (conveniently) is suddenly a sad state of affairs, and needs urgent repairs, year long repairs is just bull. It's not the Forth Bridge, it's a Thomas The Tank Engine, baby sized railtrack.It's a month tops, now sort it.

Rant done. The pic was last april, and the lovely pink buliding is the Police Station. It's a drab cream now. I do miss the baby pink toytown station, such a calming effect on criminals.

WALLABY WATCH!
Doing hard labour, back on the chain gang, along the laxey part of the railway.

GHOST IN THE MACHINE

Obviously I speak another language, and it wouldn't happen to be Manx. I was asked today why I upload my photos I should be selling. Now, I have no problems with answering this. However I do take exception to the manner in which the question was asked. It appears I am abnormal because I choose to vent my spleen on the one hand and display a pretty picture with it, especially when I turned my back on the sensible bank in order to become a photographer, you know one of those people that sells what they snap.

So maybe Mrs nosey at shopshite, you have partially answered your own question. I vent my spleen, because of idiots like you, who are bound by the confines of their job, and are afraid to put their head above the parapet and been seen to be themselves. Or perhaps you actually have nothing else to offer the world so you, and many like you, sneer at others who choose to communicate with the world ouside their own sphere.

I offer a daily( 2 ) photo for free, beacuse I can, I want to, I enjoy. They are not exactly my high res, biggies, those are the sales ones, you dummy mrs shopshite. In return, I get to have a rant(therapy) get to see other countries via photos, learn of other cultures via blogging, the wonders of other people's hobbies, to laugh, I could go on So Mrs one dimentional, when you got to bed tonight, what will you have learnt today?

Another sunset, I know, but it's just there on my doorstep, and each night the light is so different. What's a girl to do. I'm altruistic to a point, but a bit like sex, sunsets sell.

WALLABY WATCH!
considering going travelling after seeing everyone else's wonderful countries.

IT'S NOT A CATTLE PROD!

It may aswell be a cattle prod, my camera that is. Following on from "Trust Me I'm A Photographer", it's still happening. Cones hold their ground, defiantly saying shoot me woman, shoot me. People however, even those laid back Manx types are reacting at the sight of a camera as if they have just had the proverbial cattle prod, inserted into the proverbial nether regions.

Surely it will hurt me more than it will hurt them? Just a fraction of their time. Me. Do they realise what I have to scarifice. Space on my card, valuable nano seconds taking it, uploading to my "oh no not more bloody photos" laptop, converting from Raw to Tif/ jpeg, filing in my image library under "supposedly human", Cropping, not cropping, colour, black and white.... Overload, Overload. You see my point though don't you? Who may I ask is gaining from the deal. I can't claim this time back. I just want to show off the good folk of the Isle of Man to the world. I could lie and tell you it's for the newspapers, then you'd be beating a path to my door.

So an old pic from last year today. Just to show we have life here. It's TT practise week, the week before the actual races, and all the bikers you see are tourist bikers, not those taking part. It's also my practise week for speeds and angles. I like this shot because it really sums up the Manx laid back way. That woman was positively dawdling, the lights had long since changed, and she nonchanlanty strolled across, oblivious to the traffic building up behind her.Wonderful.

WALLABY WATCH!
Still waiting for the woman to cross the road.

WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING

Tried to join Sky Watcy Friday Tonight. What a travesty that was. I can't import the widget. Tried every which way round I can, but the bloody thing is having none of it. Signed up to the linky link thing(no it really is called that), did the old copy and paste, chose all the right components etc an no, still won't bloody appear. This is bad omen for tomorrow.

I would be feeling a grumpy bunny about the above but far more important things to concern me. No am feeling all fluffy bunnykins, very excitable as my beloved West Bromwich Albion are off to Wembley tomorrow to play against some crappy team, in the semi final of the F. A Cup.

The Barker has already decided he would rather do the weekend shopping than watch this particular football match with me. He can't stand the shrieking, the flinging myself at the T. V., the constant swearing, the cheering or the tantrums depending on the result. I haven't exactly got what you call poker face. I do go a bit wild, but in my lifetime W.B.A HAVEN'T WON ANYTHING. Now, they had my pocket money for entrance fees when I was younger. I gave up dates, shopping, visits to my nan to support this bloody team. They owe me. Despite my trials and tribulations I am the eternal ( but extremely cynical) optimist so I have a dream, it's coming home and for once we will know what we're doing.

This then is my 1st official sky watch pic. Not sure about it yet myself, but uploaded it anyway as it's as fresh as a daisy., a newborn babe of a pic called painted sky. Ah.

WALLABY WATCH!

Travelled to a parallel universe, where, I rule, W. B. A have won the cup, widgets work, and Martin Luther King is alive and well and living the dream.

TRUST ME I'M A PHOTOGRAPHER

Ok. Hands up who thought yesterdays post was an April Fool. Only partially. Barker did upload a cartoon of Mugabe, and he did get lots of traffic from government buildings in Zimbabwe. He did get the odd disturbing email, but on the whole we are quite safe. Lets face it Google earth feejit thinks we live in Douglas, Lanarkshire, Scotland, so doubt if Mugabe can find us. Apparently he has a small problem of an election result to consider. Here's hoping it's not in his favour.

So, my other blog, the Ramsey Daily Photo is doing well. That is it's doing well online around the world. What of the island. Well, I'm out and about in Ramsey, trawling the high street for images with the big camera with the big lens, stopping to snap varying pieces that catch my eye. So why is this considered abnormal behaviour. I'm sure the good folk of Ramsey still believe that if I snap them, I may be stealing their soul or something. Good grief people, do you not want to be immortalized on the net for posterity. Something to tell the grandkids, all around the world, that was me when I was younger picking my nose, breaking wind while having a fag outside the pub. That was me letting my dog crap everywhere and not scooping up the poop. That was me falling out the pub and dropping my chips, and shoving the chip paper into the nearest shop letterbox.

So to Ramsey, and be warned tomorrow Douglas. The camera isn't the devils tool and I am not one of his minions. If you can upload your idiotic antics onto You Tube for all the world to see then surely when I'm photographing, that ineresting angle, a humourous, sign or another sunset and you just happen to be wolfing down your ice cream in shot, then in the scheme of all worldy things, it's not so bad is it.

Todays pic is a solitary narcissus. I put a matt black card behind it( no light reflection then) and snapped away. I suppose that would account for why some people consider this photography lark of mine a bit nuts. Well all I'll say is if being able to wander about in the fresh air, with no timetable to adhere to as opposed to being stuck back in a darkened airless vault in the bank, nuts then I am, a fully paid up member of the barmy brigade. Job satisfaction, second to none.

WALLABY WATCH!
He's gone to ground in fear that I might capture his image with that pint in his hand. Wallabies are supposed to be teetotal.

FLY, MY PRETTIES, FLY

Yippe, it's officially British Summer Time. The clocks went forward an hour, which of course I forgot and wondering who had pinched my missing hour this morning. Now not exactly like being jet lagged now is it, but always takes me a day or two to climatise. It was lighter an hour later than usual, which meant the lovely birds who I feed to keep sane, were still around and ravenous.

Now don't get me wrong, I love my little array of feathered friends, the siskins, goldfinches, chaffinchs any so much more. Even though the little buggers, just turn up and sit on the fence outside the kitchen window, staring at me manically until i replenish the feeders and water, I love them all. However they frighten the bloody life out of me and here's why.

When the sun shines( rare but it happens) they fly into the kitchen window, and plop onto the ground. So first sunny day, a mad little male siskin, flew straight into the window. So bird nurse Babooshka of Ramsey, to the rescue. Have to pick the little buggers up as gently as you can, put then up the right way and basically sit with them, fending off sparrowhawks and pussy cats( and tail less manx cats) until some three hours later they fly off. Which he did. Had a chaffinch once that basically refused to fly away. Just hopped on my hand. I spent two hours wandering round the garden, like the bird woman of Alcatraz, talking to this bird and waving my arm around running in spurts to try and coax him to fly away. No idea what the neighbours thought. They think we're bananas anyway. Eventually he flew off without so much as a thank you tweet. Not exactly well mannered our graden birds, very manx.( I couldn't resist that one)

So today pic, is er todays pic of the siskin. What a grumpy little bugger he was too. Well I suppose I would be too if I'd been flinging myself headlong into windows. Again not a thank you tweet.

WALLABY WATCH!

Slept in due to the clocks going forward, with a raging hangover.

MY OTHER BLOG IS A PORSCHE

Today I have gone over to the lightside. I have created a sensible, straight down the line, whinge less, irony free zone, "Isle Of Man Daily Photo" blog. It's the blog i originally set out to do, but got sidetracked with venting my spleen on this one. It is even on a humourless, dispassionate white background. It will have trite titles, real photo info, you know the technical stuff, like what ISO was used and shutter speed. All the boring bits i can't be bothered with here.

It also means i can do any old arty farty, social photography( ooh look at the locals aren't they quaint) black and white, just stepped out the house and thought this pile of dog poo looked really interesting in a conceptual art kind of a way photo i like. Hey, so long as it's a daily photo( who i wonder will check the date, will someone be secretly spying on me form the manx mafia) of the little ole town that I live in, then that will suffice. Apparently though i have already broken the the ethos of the daily pic, (fight club, first rule of fight club, there are no rules in fight club) by setting it in the whole island, rather than the town of Ramsey. Not very good with rules.

So the 2 blogs will run simultaneoulsy in a schizoid kind of way. God help the veiwer who strays from the path of the good blog, worthy, pure photo of photos, to the mad, bad and dangerous blog on the darkside of purple haze.

Queens Pier Photo today. It's seen better days neglected, and needs restoring to it's former glory, but of course the money will go elsewhere. Will have to have a rant on this one.

WALLABY WATCH!

Well that's loyalty for you? He has defected to my other blog.

THE LOST WEEKEND

Happy Easter everyone. Have we had lots of chocky eggs? Not much of a chocolate fan myself, i know, a woman who doesn't go ga ga over the sweet stuff, but crisps ooh that's another story. When it comes to pringles I don't understand the word share! I can eat a full pack in one sittiing and then roll around in agony complaining i have bad guts and swear i have no idea why. Back to the chocs, had a baileys easter egg, with minature baileys truffles. Yummy, but not as yummy as a bag of crsips.

Somehow managed to negelct my blog yesterday. Think i may have been kidnapped by aliens (or the manx mafia) and had the memory of the event erased. Time just slipped by in front of the tv and re organising photos. Can't even blame it on alcohol, now that is worrying. So saturday came and went and sunday has visisted and to be honest the photo reorganization has monopolised my time yet again. Fotunately this means i haven't been traumatised, by powercuts, bank false imprisonments, Thomas the Tank Engine(as i now refer to manx railway) being derailed or taxis failing to arrive leaving me stranded with eight bags of shopping in the middle of Ramsey. (see earlier blogs if this has confused you) No, my blood pressure is down, I am at one with The isle of Man, and even a the cormorant posed for a pic. Somewhere in the world, someone has had a shit day on my behalf. Sure the equilibrium will be restored tomorrow and the mad world of Babooska will resume.

Today's pic is entiled "cormorant in flight." Yes it's unimaginately titled what you see is what youb get with this one. I have been chasing this bloody bird, my nemesis for months now, and today, my perfect world day, there he was, and so was I.

WALLABY WATCH!

He too has had a lost weekend in Blackpool

WHEN GOOD FRIDAYS TURN BAD!

It all started so well. Barker and I both off, no photography today, no cartoon for the BBC for Barker to summit this week, so we headed for the pub, The Plough, with the Flying Flynn in toe.
Hundreds of packets of crisps and several lagers( no spirits, having a spirit free day) later I discovered my beloved West Bromwich Albion, a football team I have been following since I was in the womb were playing, and it was on the pub big screen. Then it went downhill.

We drew 1-1. Bugger. Ok not a disaster,but it was a game in hand wasted. As it's Good Friday, a chippy dinner, so Barker can have his fish, and I can escape negotiating the cooker when inebriated. Then it happened. The taxi never turned up. This has happened on several occasions and today i wasn't accepting this without a fight.

So we headed on foot for home, with me on redial to the taxi firm( Island taxis to name and shame) until they answered.20 mins later some smug git answered, and he got it with both, drunken barrels. Don't upset a drunken Babooshka, it is not a pretty site. One humiliated radio controller later and I passed the phone to Barker. Having turned the controller into a gibbering wreck, Barker calmly negotiated our next move, the very next taxi we book will be a free ride. God help him if he fails to turn up, because i will be straight in the office.

Bad customer service is annoying, no service at all is intolerable. Being British. I am supposed to bite my stiff upper lip and grumble, but not complain.Well balls to that. Wake up Isle of Man services, and get with the programme. Even here we have alternatives and message to Island Taxis, I can always use Crennalls.

On a lighter note here's the pic. It's called "Still Blue", taken early evening at Mooragh Park. Photographing over water is always good because the light bounces which intensifies colours, hence the blue hue, so no need for filters. Ooh, real photography advise for a change.

WALLABY WATCH!

He nicked my taxi.

ALMOST FAMOUS

After months of unsucessfully trying to get my foot in the door on the island, it looks like it has finally opened and i have jammed my little high heeled boot in there before they slam it back shut again. Try as they might it's there. I've had a broken toe before, and quite prepared to get another. It's called suffering for your art or some such crap.

A bit like buses, this photography lark, nothing for ages,then they all turn up at once. Finally got a pic in the Isle of Man newspapers, who have also kindly(just in case the manx mafia are here) added my blog link. Yippee. They are also hoping to put together a Isle of Man blog directory, so all you I.O.M BLOGGERS out there contact me and i will pass your links on.

Second bit of good news is blagged my way into putting together a gallery for the BBC I.O.M website page. Putting the stuff together now. Will let you know when it goes live.

Thirdly, Barker accepted as a member of the Sayle art Gallery and we have been invited to an exhibition. So after several wines i will no doubt be be blagging my way to getting Barker artwork on the island. His BBC Barker Gallery is all well and good, but believe me it doesn't pay enough to cover the Jack Daniels Bar bill, and you all know how i love my jack and coke. Even the ice cubes cost a fortune on the island. Check out his blog too, it's under my links, "BARKER BITES BACK."Bloody good it is too!

It's pissing down here. Typical bloody British Bank Holiday weather. Ferries cancelled, no doubt flights will be delayed and the island will be on lockdown. Happy Easter eh! Pass me my easter egg and a bottle of soutern comfort someone.

Todays pic is called "morning glory." Do get some gorgeous colours when the sun is out. Ten mins later the angels are taking a leak over the island.

WALLABY WATCH!
Stranded at ronaldway airport, but hoping to catch the next available flight to just about anywhere that's sunny.

HAS GOOGLE EARTH MOVED FOR YOU?

No, Google Eath hasn't moved for me either? It seems I though have moved for Google Earth. Confused?Not half as much as I was to find out that I now live in Scotland. It will all make sense if you read on. As usual it's one of those you couldn't make it up things. Just happens to be me again it's happened to.

Uploaded one of those clever little maps that flags who's been visiting your blog yesterday. Today I thought i'll have a nosey and that when it happened. It came up with Doulgas. Douglas is the Capital of the Isle of Man, so ok it's not Ramsey, but close. Started to zoom in as you do, and that's when it happened, it zoomed in on Douglas, South Lanarkshire, Scotland. Now after the bank false imprisonment, power cut, and Thomas the Tank Engine running, but only one way, what i needed this week was some stability. Oh know, Google bloody Earth, have moved me(must have been when i slept. damn!) back to the UK mainland. How can it not recognise the Island. How traumatised do you think i am today so far this week, and it's only wednesday!

Obviously Google Earth have had a strongly worded email about this... check it out for yourselves. Hover and zoom in On the Isle of Man, and it's big fat blank nothing. Do you think the Manx Mafia have conspired with Google Earth and the real Photoblogs societies to obliterate me from Blogger land. Perhaps in fact i don't actually exsist and if you are reading this, it is you in fact that are mad. Ponder that.

Today's anitphotoblog pic is another of Ramsey Rugby. Very touchy feely this one, and they tell me it's a man's game. Getting to grips with thier manhood are they then,no just each others.

WALLABY WATCH!

Google Web and Google Earth have no record of anything called a wallaby. Should they exist they will no doubt be found in Douglas, Scotland.

JUST ANOTHER MANIC MONDAY

Happy St Patrick's Day. That's especially for my friend Micheal, or should i say "Mehall." There are so many Micheal's, that he is Mehall pronouced as if " i was standing in me hall" with a very broad generic "oirish" accent. Message to his mom. He was a very good boy and went to church. Then he was a very bad boy and went to the pub. On the plus side this means he will have to have an extra visit to confess he was at the pub on a monday night. Barker(my other half) and I only accompanied him you understand to be polite. Honest.

Very traumatising eXperience today, I got locked in a bank. No, really. An island power cut which meant lockdown. Now, having left the banking fraternity recentlty on this mad whim of "I'm going be a photographer, so long farewell you boring little jobsworths"the last thing I needed was to be imprisoned in a confined space, with the people i had been satirising on facebook, and my blog, in the very buliding i had been kicking and screaming to get out of for a year. Never keep your bank account at the bank you have just left!

Finally escaped but will now be booking my session with Dr Melfi( I believe she has a vacancy now Tony Soprano no longer requires her services) to analyse my ordeal. No doubt the power cut will all be my mother's fault and i was trying to climb back into the comfort of the womb by getting myself locked in the bank, the safety net of my old sensible job. No it was just bad luck. Or was it? You never know on this island.

Latest news on the Manx Electric Railway Society cancelling the one and only rail link between Ramsey and Laxey that i was banging on about in one of my older posts. My threats to them, well they have relented. That is to say they will be running the service, but one way. Which way i don't know, but perleeease can the see that this is just not bloody practical. Half the battle won, but the war rages on. So then do I.

My anti photoblog pic today is an obliging herring gull who I asked kindly if he would try a landing shot for me. He used his stunt double instead and i gave him a fish head as a reward. I always promised to give him a mention. I don't know, everyone's a bloody wannabe star this days.

WALLABY WATCH!

Unfortunately still locked in the bank. He was able to run fast enough, being a wallaby he just bounced a lot. A rescue plan is underway, if my therapy is sucessful.

SHOOTING FROM THE LIP

Sloshed saturday so old news, sober sunday all the rage. Remebered what i was actually going to blog about yesterday, what is a photoblog? Discuss. Firstly, a big thank you to my friend Joanne who has duly supplied me with the correct name to yesterdays pic i lazily christened "Pink Blush". It is wait for it, a red "Australian Bottle Brush Plant" (latin - callistemon citrinus splendens). Many thanks Joanne, our guest expert today.

A photoblog is defined as a daily photo uploaded to a blog with a blurb or two about the pic. It can be animals, flora, travel, knitting, basically whatever you are into, tips ,camera info etc. What it can't be however is funny, ironic, irreverent, nonsensical. No po faced is the accepted format, wittisims are unacceptable. There's no room for escaped wallabies roaming round the isle of man, which inspired wallaby watch. Only sober sensible photoblogs please apply.

I have been turned down from a photoblogging index on the grounds that, "it is not seriously commited to the ethics of promoting photography." Hello are THEY serious. I couldn't be anymore serious myself. I gave up a good job in the very boring, dullard financial industry to persue photography as a living, which just about sustains me in jack daniels and pringles( ok lying again, it's jack daniels and coke with pringles) in the short term until i am master photographer of the world( well at least the isle of man) with matching income.

So this now is an anti photoblog. It is the antithsis to a phototoblog. It will contain a daily image but will now be devoid of any useful, relevent, technical "here's the science bit info." The image will bear no relation to the post( when does it anyway), in fact i may not even refer to it at all only perhaps in a subversive anarchic way. Who needs to be indexed anyway. I am a free anti photoblog, not a number.

So to todays pic. I would like to go into intricate details of night shoots, but my anti photoblog ethics will not permit this. What i am at liberty to tell you is that it is today, Ramsey Harbour, evening sunset and tritely titled "Golden Wonder."

WALLABY WATCH!

Has gone over to the darkside and swithced to a serious photoblog. He will be back when he realises he will no longer have his own spot, but be shunted to one side as an extra. Afterall he has a staring role here and i did discover him.

SLOSHED SATURDAY!

Hello,

Today i have been chasing birds. Should i clarify, chasing feathered friends to photograph. As you can see by the pic above not very not very succesfully. The pic is actually quite misleading as for most of the day it was wet, wet, wet, grey, and dull. Took the image above in the one minute of sunshine we had. It's called Pink Blush. Well to be honest, i am clueless as to what the flower is actually named, so have duly entitled it Pink Blush. Quite often you will see my photographs of flora have exotic or imaginative names. Nothing to do with my surreal slant on the world, just that i am ignorant of such things. My friend Joanne the gardener will be tut tutting round about now reading this part of the blog.

I have just been reminded though that i can rattle off a latin plant names at will. This is not a party trick but goes back to our quiz days. The world of Pub Quizzing in the UK is cut throat. Ramsey has it's own quiz league, and we used to play for the Swan. Really it's just a way to fill the pubs/bars on a quiet night especially in winter. I am left with mental scars that run deep of too many nights out arguing with an opposing team who are so analally retentive that they mark you wrong on the account you didn't dot the i's in the right place or used a green pen. Feeding and chasing birds to photograph is relatively sedate, but unlike the pub quiz, it's a safe hobby. Well mostly safe, almost fell into the harbour chasing a cormorant, but apart from that it's danger free.

Well i managed to blag my way through this post after several southern comforts. Unfortunately though, completely forgotten what my original post was due to be about. No doubt i will read tomorrow and wonder why the incoherrent wafflings of quizzes and pub leagues instead of, well whatever it was i should have been posting.

WALLABY WATCH!

Last seen geting his quiz scored verified, afterall he has a pint riding on it.

MANX ELECTRIC RAILWAY SOCIETY, WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?

As you can see from the title of my post today Babooshka( why am I refering to myself in the third person is beyond me) is not a happy bunny. In fact polite blogging society tempers the language i'd like to use. Why so irate? Read on.

Manx Electric Railway, in their wisdom( blatant irony here) have decided not to run the train from Laxey to Ramsey in the summer for the tourists anymore. This effeftively cuts off the north of the island for alternative transport. It is also mindboggling stupid not to run this when the TT is on. Doh! This is how people get to work during those 2 weeks from Ramsey to Douglas. This is also a blow to the shopkeepers of Ramsey who are reliant on a steady stream of tourists to boost summer sales. Arrrrrrrrrrgh!

Us islanders have not been consulted over this decision. Be warned, you tried to close Ramsey's cottage hospital and failed. You are going to have a fight on your hands over this one aswell, and it starts on my blog. Anyone want to join in feel free.

Ooh that was good. Sorry folks had to get that out of my system.

To redress the angry balance my daily photo is of a very placid butterfly. It's a red admiral taken again with the telescopic lens. I like telelscopic lenses, because you can focus on the subject, whislt the background fades and blurs. This then emphasises the chosen subject in the case the butterfly.

WALLABY WATCH!

Wallaby last spotted stranded at Laxey trying to get back to Ramsey, but there are no bloody trains. Have i made my point yet?

BERK IN A MERC

Jeremy Clarkson, you know one of the 3 presenters of the fabulous, best car programme ever, "Top Gear" has done it again. No, not for shooting his mouth off again about what he's like to do to the ramblers on his land, motorbikers, or environmentalists, although it does involve his vocals.

Jeremy was pictured talking on his mobile phone whilst driving his merc at 70 per hour. Now we are not talking hands free,we are talking one hand on the wheel, the other gripping his moblie. No doubt he was looking for ramblers to run over and getting the info as to their whereabouts from the other person at the end of the mobile.

Jeremy is another Isle Of Man resident. One of the reasons he loves the place is that it isn't governed entirely by UK rules. An example of this is the speed limit. We don't exactly have one. Well yes we do, say when you are approaching the few towns we have, but basically it's carte blanche. So you can drive like a maniac on the mountain road and believe me drivers do. If you like rollercoasters, take a Isle of Man bus ride. It's cheaper than a rollercoaster ride, lasts longer and is far less predictable. I mean at least on a funfair ride you are strapped in, know the highs and lows and that it will at some point reach it's destination. None of the above can be said of taking the bus. For all those that watch Top Gear, it wouldn't surprise me if The Stig was an Isle of Man bus driver.

Top Gear latest news under links.

Todays pic is " Storm Clouds Of Ramsey." No we didn't have the storm, gales and floods that were predicted last night, so here's one from last summer.Took this one with a wide angled lens and chose black and white to emphasise the contrast of the white clouds and severe greys of the sky. Iso was 4oo. ooh getting technical, will stop it.

WALLABY WATCH!

Wallaby found to be the person Jeremy Clarkson was talking to on the mobile when he was driving. The Wallaby, however, did not commit an illegal act as his set was hands free.

PATRICK SWAYZE

Firstly let me say best wishes to Patrick Swayze and good luck with his latest health battle.

Patrick Swayze is another fim star who graced our shores. He filmed the rom/com "Keeping Mom" on the island not so long ago. Apparently he was quite taken with the island and described the place as and i quote, " a magical place with magical people". Now who am I to disagree with a Hollywood legend. He even managed to get up here as far as Ramsey, in fact he was to be seen doing a spot of the old " dirty dancing" at the legendary Nightspot some of you have mentioned in your comments, Nightlife.

Ok, some of you have given it it's alternative names of er, the very uncomplimentary Fightlife or Shitelife. Nonetheless it remains as Ramsey's premier nightclub. Ok, premier is manipulating the figures somewhat as it's Ramsey's only Nightclub. Really you have to go there iF you are up this way. It's a real throwback to a bygone era. It attracts all comers, whatever age, musical taste, aliens and wallabies. You will find the population of Ramsey who haven't stayed in or still standing after the pubs close(not me remeber i fell off my heels and into a taxi) doing there own version of dirty dancing into the small hours. Be warned no trainers, but otherwise, if you have a pulse and the entrance fee your'e in.

Pic today is a "Moonlit Blackbird."Sure you can work out why that's it's title. Even he could get into Nightlife. Honestly it's non exclusivity is it's er charm.

WALLABY WATCH!

Got turned away from Nightlife for wearing trainers.

JAMES MARTIN WAS HERE

BBC'S Saturday Kitchen chef James Martin went head-to-head with Thomas Miller's very own version of The Stig, the mysterious test driver from Top Gear. Pity it wasn't the Stig though. Would love to take a peek under his helmet.

His Island visit was to help raise funds for "Hospice Isle of Man", which is celebrating its 25th birthday this year.

He put an Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster through its paces on Thursday on a closed section of Marine Drive before giving a cookery masterclass.

Later, he was guest speaker at Thomas Miller's black tie reception and fundraising dinner at the Mount Murray Hotel and Country Club. He also got to dance with a lucky girl who won the chance to do so in a competition.

This though for me was not the most important news of the week. No that honour goes to my beloved WEST BROM. going though to the semi finals of the F. A. Cup. My friend Joanne, the Wolves fan will not be amused. My cover is blown now. No i'm not shock horror from the Isle of Man, but from the The Black Country, many moons ago. I am as they say on the island a "come over."

Pic today is Ramsey Harbour on a crisp clear morning.

Well i'm off to annoy as many Wolves, Villa and Birmingham fans as i know with the good news. Not often us Baggies fans can be this smug. Feel free to join in if you are an Albion fan.

WALLABY WATCH!

No sighting, but vicious rumour started (by me of course) that James Martin cooked it in his masterclass.