TIME ENOUGH TO PROCRASTINATE

There is a lovely, quaint, sweet saying about jobs to be done by the islanders. The saying, and i'm not going to attempt the Manx, is called " time enough." I know, that's it. Not exactly groundbreaking is it? Not the earth shattering verbal gymnastics you have come to expect here (why use one word when you can use 25 say I) is it. I have another saying, well word for it. Not Manx but plain English. Procrastination.

Try getting a little man in to do any household job here. We may, or may not, have a damp problem. We certainly have something very strange under one particular kitchen tile. We need expert advice.Time enough we are told, time enough. We will get round to you. We will give you our opinion/diagnosis soon. Time enough. We will at some point repair/ resurface/ renovate. Time enough.

In the meantime however, I am slowly tearing my hair out at this time enough business. I may, afterall, be cultivating something quite nasty under the kitchen tile. One shudders to think. Time enough, procrastination, or just plain lazy. Subject to interpretation as always, like everything Manx.

I have decided that I do suffer from procrastination to a certain degree. It's called playing on my pc when I should be doing far more important things instead, like my tax return.

The photo. Top of a lighthouse, one at the Point Of Ayre. For my own amusement this photo seemed appropriate. Virginia Wolfe, depression, procrastination, modern day pychosis. Well it makes sense to me.

WALLABY WATCH!
Comtemplating why a wallaby needs watching.

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.

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.

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

ISLE OF MAN HANGOVER

No, the Manx Mafia didn't didn't kidnap me and cut off my pinkies re my Tony Soprano banking in the Isle of Man post, that was not the reason for my absence. No, it was all self inflicted. Fridays are our night out around Ramsey. It all started quite innocently as always with a few drinks in the Swan, but of course it never stays that way. A few became a pub crawl if i remeber or as much as i can recall, taking in the Plough, and Bar Logo, finishing off with the obligatory bad food( by that i mean junk) before falling into a taxi, into the house and straight to bed. Blogging was the last thing i was capable of doing. Suffice to say a relatively good night was had by all and i have the lovely bruise on my knee where i fell off my high heels as a momento.

For anyone coming to the island to visit, looking for an alternative to Douglas can I recommend the Ramsey pub scene. The good thing about Ramsey is all the pubs are very close together, so you can have a pub crawl literally my walking along the high street and harbour. For karaoke try the Stanley. You won't need directions you will hear the songs being murdered long before you see the pub. The other good thing is we have real pubs, not chains or wine bars, which makes for an interesting night for strangers as each pub has a unique atmosphere. Also we have a good age range out, so not just full of kids. Mind you as the Police Staion is a few yards from the main pubs this could be why.

Pic today is Dierdrie the lizard. Ain't she pretty? Ok, pretty perhaps to strong, but she is certainly photographic and posed nicely. Dierdre can be found at the Wildlife Park and is a big hit with kids. In fact this was a pic i took when i accompanied one of the local schools on a outing there as the photographer.

A link for some very odd, fuuny, serious, stange new stories is Somtirtha. Try it it's a good blog i happened upon.

So, is anyone coming here for the TT? If so and you see a little mad woman with a camera, who might use the name Babooshka, looking slightly hungover, clinging a black coffee and securing her spot to take pics er that would be me.

WALLABY WATCH!

Must be hungover!

TONY SOPRANO HAS AN ISLE OF MAN BANK ACCOUNT!

Bet that got your attention didn't it!

Actually, it's true.Ok, not strickly true as he was a fictional character, but you get my drift. The fictional character, Tony Sporano of The Sopranos(doh!) did have money stashed away here in the Isle of Man in a Off Shore bank account, set up by his Russian contacts. Go back and check it out. Mid series i think. Really not my imagination, they name the Isle of Man in two episodes, honest. So refering to yesterday's blog and the 3 legs that appear on both the Isle Of Man and the Sicily flag now you know why. Not quite sure if we have a Manx Mafia but if we have should i be worrying now I have drawn your attention to the flags and dodgy cash connection. If my blog doen't appear tomorrow you will know why. I might be sleeping with the fishes!

The Isle of Man has long since had a reputaion for a place to salt your off shore funny money away, alas not true. Things have tightened up here. So while we do have a low tax treashold, we try not to be financial heaven for erm, funny money attained through, how shall we say not on the level means.

Photo today Marsh Orchid. No mystery with this one, what you see is what you get, although it was tucked away almost out of view amongst the long grass.Try and use a macro lens when you can for close up flower work. Watch out for breeze.A tripod is and remote also useful to cut out movement. Saying that this was a hand held, telescopic, windy day shot.Sometime your natural instincts are best.

For daily pics of Paris, check out new link added "Eric Tenin". Brilliant.

WALLABY WATCH!

Obviously in hiding, not a peep.

PRECIOUS!

Don't know what the Carrion Crow found fascinating with the tissue, but it reminded me of the film character, Gollum from Lord Of The Rings with his "precious." He wouldn't part with it, even for a juicy worm. Anyway, on a photographic note, thought the subject would be enhanced as a straight down the line classic black and white shot, emphasizing the contrasting black of the crow with the stark white of the tissue.

Speaking of Lord Of The Rings,( well i was not you) did you know one of it's stars is an Isle Of Man resident, John Rhys-Davies , or Gimli the dwarf. Wonder if he has ever met any of the Manx Fairy folk? Should you find youself on the island and you drive/walk over the Fairy Bridge, be sure to say hello. It is considered bad luck not too. It's also rude, they can be easily offended you know.

WALLABY WATCH!

No sighting of wallabies, fairy folk or hobbits. Obvioulsy all away on some sort of quest to triumph over evil. Must be across then, the UK.

RAMSEY SUNSET.

"Red Fire Sunset" taken near Ramsey Harbour looking towards Mooragh Park. A chance shot as the light was fading enhanced the red and pink tones against the skyline of darkened scaffolding and buildings along the quay. Earlier the tones had been gold and orange, also photographed.

I find that Ramsey is the best for sunrises and Peel for sunsets but each photographer will tell you somewhere different.

Ramsey is the second largest town on the island and has it's own "National Ramsey Week." From the "Ramsey Rocks" Concerts along the quay to the quizzes and competitions, something for all can be found in Rhumsaa( to give it it's manx name)or Ramsey if you prefer.

Link on the left will provide more informationa a programme of events for National Ramsey Week.

"WALLABY WATCH! "

It appears rumours of the escaped wallaby roaming around the outskirts of Ramsey are not a myth! Spoken now to several people who have witnessed the Wallaby. All claim to be sober at the time.Have you seen how many pubs there are in Ramsey, and just how close together. Think the wallaby may have been accompanied by his friends the pink elephant and flying pig.Will delve deeper into "Wallaby Watch"