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 There seems to be a pattern running throughout the blogs today that "corner shops" are a thing of yesteryear, to be replaced by one stops shops or supermarkets. Even this island has few old fashioned corner shops now. I do however shop at this tiny mall for that most British of things, my "daily newspaper." Everything else I buy online, the supermarket, or go to the biggest town on the island Douglas to purchase goods. I admire the sentiments behind todays theme, but the sad reality is corner shops are fast becoming a thing of the past. Maybe this kind of day can help stop the march of time and make those of us who still have the local corner shop appreciate it more. Click here to view thumbnails for all participantsCheck out my post yesterday if you are motorbike enthusiast, or know what the TT is.
      Here they are then the TT tourists! These images portray a tiny fraction of the thousands of people that are setting foot on the island as I type. It's been building slowly, but this first friday always see the great swelling of numbers. The images are in no particular order, just a mix to give you a flavour of my town around 6pm friday evening. I took them from 3 different sides of the crossroads at Parliament Square. You can see glimpses of the Swan and Central pubs, the Town Hall and Library and Ray Motors Garage. Compact is a word that comes to mind. For UK readers if I said Ramsey reminds me of Trumpton, they would understand the sentiment. Trumpton was a 70's kids tv show, a tiny town which had all facilities more or less within inches of each other. Not aware of it having Pubs though! That's why I draw the comparision between the two. This post is a bit of a hit and run. Didn't get to the laptop 'til late so a quick upload, grab a few, quick crop, desaturate and post. They're just to give you an idea what happens to a kind of "Smallsville" town during the biggest even of the year. So did you spot the two bikers (yes two, if you enlarge) waving at me and the Japanese tourist resetting his camera missing all the action. I hope it's gets the setting right before the races or he won't stand a chance. Collecting the T.Shirt and will be wearing later today. I'll give you all a wave on the T.V if they fim my way
  This image looks a little wierd to me. My minds eye keeps telling me this image should be a in portrait mode rather than landscape. It's the tree! Those side branches look like the apex of the tree, not twigs branching out from the trunk. It is the right way up though as you can see by the blackbird perched on one of those branches. Still got the rolling clouds looming over the island, but with optomistic patches of blue sky waiting to burst through. Always the same before the tourists arrive. The Manx Fairies save the best weather for them. Today the town was inudated with those tourists, here for the Isle of Man TT Motorbike Road Races. You couldn't move down Parliament Street, the main High Street, for Motorbikes and leatherclad bikers with mainly German and Italian accents. Ramsey goes cosmopolitan! I've giving them a chance to settle in before I start waving my camera at them and snapping away for the blog. By the way, I have ordered a custom made T. Shirt to wear during the TT. One of my bike pics on the front and "Ramsey Daily Photo" on the back panel. If this doesn't explain to the locals what I'm doing snapping around Ramsey, then I don't know what will! If you want to particpate in skywatch see Tom at WIGGERS WORLD.Only genuine skywatchers need apply. None of your advertising for sales sites please. This is for enthusiasts only and hosted by Tom of the fabulous WIGGERS WORLD
 I often write about Ramsey and the Isle of Man in general being a different way of life, a step back in time. I've looked for images that are universal, that reflect this nostalgic image without being overtly sentimental. This is the kind of scene I wanted to depict. Behind the harbour docks are a series of alleys with rows of terraced houses. No cars or bikes cluttering the roads, nothing to indicate anyone lives along them. Not usually anyway, but this week I was fortunate to spot signs of life. It may not have any locals, but it's definitely their washing hanging out to dry. You may need to enlarge the image to see it properly, but just behind the plant pot is washing hanging out to dry. I would say it's hanging on something called, from my part of the world, a "clothes horse." It's also refered to as a "maiden " in certain parts of the UK. What would you call it in your part of the world? To me it's something I have never witnessed in my lifetime until I moved to the island, but recall from old '60's British black and white films, which I love. Washing hanging out to dry, in a public area that wil not be stolen. Now how much of a step back in time is that? Do you ever come across washing left to dry in a public area, a back alley say? Do you do this yourself? Is this image a sign of past times? Like to hear your thoughts again on this one.
    Well it was no stretch of the imagination to envisage this island dweller would have to show a sunset or a sunrise. One of each then. Wanted something else to go with them, not quite so obvious. That's why the cartoon is posted too. Image one is the sunset shot. It' s taken from the spot that you can see in Tuesday's post, the real working side of Ramsey Harbour. This is the part of the docks where all the ships and boats were built such as the Euterpe, or as it's known to us Ramsey folk "The Star of India." Image two is a caricature entitled "Entente Incredible". The two figures depicted as Laurel and Hardy are (on the right) the UK Prime Minister, Gordon Brown and (on the left) the President of France, Nicolas Sarkozy. That's the odd "S" for today. It's a cartoon by my partner. I dedicate it to Louis, the owner of the best bar in the world, (and the regulars)of the "Up & Down" in Montpellier, France. There is a beer mat behind the bar with a Sarkozy cartoon. My partner drew that too. Image three is the sunrise shot. Taken from the walkway into town ,looking towards the working side of the harbour and through the bridge. I never tire of photographing the bridge as you've probably noticed! Well not long now 'til the TT and to the arrival of a very important visitor to the Island, your ABC host Mrs Nesbitt. That makes you a visiting celebrity by the way, Mrs N. Like to join ABC Wednesday? Please got to this link, MRS NESBITT'S PLACEMrs Nesbitt is the host for ABC Wednesday, where you can find details for joining, her own ABC shot to comment on and a list of fellow bloggers who are playing today, who would also appreciate your comments.
 Radio Caroline was an illegal "Pirate Radio Station" born in the 60's that used to broadcast offshore from several ships and international waters off the UK. When researching Ramsey Harbour I discovered, to my surprise, that one of these broadcast locations was Ramsey Bay, just off the Harbour. Radio Caroline was founded by Irish music industry business man Ronan O'Rahilly in 1964, it 's first broadcast was 28TH march 1964 was from the ship Fredericia. The station( and remaned ship) were named after Caroline Kennedy, J.F.K's daughter after O'Rahilly read an article about the family whilst buying supplies in Dallas. Radio Caroline merged with another Pirate Radio Station, Atlanta in 1968 and The Fredericia moved to Ramsey Bay, broadcasting as Radio Caroline North. A celebration of It's 4oth Radio Broadcast from the island is to be held later in the year in Ramsey. Radio Caroline has had many incarnations and still exists today. With the advent fo BBC Radio One and later Commercial Radio the need for Pirate Radio Stations subsided. Caroline therefore is no longer docked in Ramsey, but for a short time The Isle Of Man, and Ramsey itself played it's part in the formation of the of the current radio structure we have now. Isn't it plesantly surprising what you find out about the place you live in when you undertake the City Daily Photo. What have you discovered about your place I wonder?
   Back to the birds! Same as my first Odd Shots a few weeks back(the chaffinch on my hand) this little siskin flew into the window. I again sat with him for about 2 hours until he started to come round. For some reason they always seem to hop onto my hand. Maybe it's to escape the cats or warmth, but they all seem to do this when injured, but rousing. This time I didn't have the tripod. Instead I tried my new macro, that I've been dying to use. So this is a one handed macro shot. Not the ideal way to get a bird image, but it seem to have worked out ok. I seem to have a charmed life when it comes to photographing birds. Had no idea what odd shot to do this week, when this little fellow appeared last friday. Unlike the locals the birds seem to adore being part of ramsey daily photo. Want to join Odd Shots Monday? Then see KATNEYKatney's Kaboodle is the place to join Odd Shots Monday and see other wierd and wonderful shots from fellow bloggers
 Lots of butterflies around this week that are actually settling long enough to photograph. Think it's the warmer weather. Even the critters want to take time out and rest. Good for the photographer. This is quite a common butterfly, a red admiral. Are you all familiar with this butterfly? I say it's common, but that's in my part of the world. Be interesting to see if he's a widespread as I think. He was so vivid that I chose to desaturate the distracting background emphasing his orange/red bands more. A short text today. A very busy two weeks for me as the tourists for the TT, the motorbike races have hit town and I 'd like to capture a few for the blog as the locals just run away when my camera appears. At least the critters don't as you'll see on "monday's odd shot." They see to flock round me to have there image taken. For more camera critters see MISTY DAWN Camera ctrittrers.
 We have a perfectly good swimming baths already, just off St paul's Square where my last two post have been from, so why they are building this one is anyone's guess. We asked for a cinema. Perhaps it was a typo, or the the wording got lost in (the Manx) translation, but instead of the cinema, we don't have and need, we get a new swimming baths, we don't need. Town Planners, who obviously don't reside here, must surely be responsible. The image amused me as to the left you can see a mock up billboard of the shiny new building when finished, basking under a brilliant blue sky and solitary cloud, which I tried to emulate. Enlarge to see. Today I'm going to mention fellow bloggers who for varied reasons known to me deserve a namecheck. It's something I'm going to do more of as I do feel the blogging community has astonished me with your interest in this tiny island. It's a way of saying thanks and perhaps sharing blogs you may not previously have come across. Congratulations must go to a fellow photgrapher 365 BRETT TRAFFORD who has reached the finals of the best of blogs in the hobby section. I'm not at all surprised and thrilled for Brett, who is a superb photographer and writes a very eclectic mix of posts. I've already voted and drumming up support for him. If you can, have a wander round his blog. It's really worth it. For pandering to my whims by starting the blog in the first place BIRMINGHAM UK . It's special to me beacuse it's the place I was born and raised long before I came to the Isle of Man. Engalnd's second city never looked so good, and the text to go with it has been well researched. I have learnt a lot of my old home town from this blog. Well worth spending some time there. Finally today a blog that is very close to my heart BARKER BITES BACK! . I know how much effort this guy puts into his work, often into the early hours, and weekends, working to very stringent deadlines. The work of a cartoonist is far more time consuming and isolating than that of a photographer, especially when his work has to represent such respectable organisations such as the BBC. Really worth popping over to this blog and leaving your thoughts. Why so important to me? He's my partner that's why and he's been so supportive of my decison to quit banking for photography that a public thanks was deserved. The tourists are arriving so I will try and snap some. Determined to get some people in my blog
  Yesterday I posted a photo of the tallest building in Ramsey, the flats overlooking St Paul's Square. Right next door to those flats is St Paul's Church, bathed in a deep blue sky rather than the rolling clouds and grey days we have had recently. St Paul's is the oldest church in Ramsey, although the facade above is quite a modern attachment. One of several churches now in the Parish of Ramsey( Parish rather than town) it's still the most popular which a steady stream of people passing through it's doors daily, not just for wedding, funerals and christenings. The ladies of the church hold regular coffee mornings and charitable events with assistance from St Paul's hall adjacent to the the church. The Church is the focal point for St Paul's Square and shopping precinct. It's also right opposite Ramsey's one and only Nightclub, Nightlife. I'll leave you to draw your own conclusions, but Patrick Swayze has been in both when he was filming "Keeping Mom" here. I think he confined his dirty dancing to Nigthlife though. The ladies of St Paul's Church only like their teas and coffee hot! If you want to particpate in skywatch see Tom at WIGGERS WORLD.Only genuine skywatchers need apply. None of your advertising for sales sites please. This is for enthusiasts only and hosted by Tom of the fabulous WIGGERS WORLD
 Obviously this isn't a skyscraper, but it is Ramsey's tallest building. The low angle lends to the deception of height beyond it's inches. It's tall, but no skycraper. These are private flats situated behind Queens Promenade and overlooking St Paul's Square. This is the modern side of Ramsey, the ugly austere side. They're '60's and '70's concrete "homes in the sky" that look down upon the equally austere St Paul's Shopping Precint. It's not a mall, it's definately what's known as a precint, shops designed in a walkaround rectangle. Not my kind of place at all, but the view from the top looking onto the Promenade is spectacular. Although this tiny part of town is drab and grey, it's still free of graffiti, litter, chewing gum adorned pavements and free from vandalism. You can walk around of an evening down to the beach, the local pubs or the Harbour Lights Bistro ( right next door) and dawdle back in the early hours of the following day in the knowledge that this is still a safe area. The equivalent area in the UK couldn't afford you the same luxury, it would be considered a no go area and best avoided. So, it may not be the prettiest photo of Ramsey I've posted, but if you want a room with a view, a safe haven, close to all your town amenities then it's the ideal spot. Not so bad afterall then. So, question today is, are there no go area in your daily photo place?
  R then is for Ramsey Rugby. Well you knew I had to have Ramsey, but thought I'd add the twist and go for the double whammy R with the Rugby. Ramsey are the team pushing forward in the blue shirts. Fortunately I captured them in full flight en route to scoring much needed points. Unfortunately they were yet again the losing team. The camera never lies, so they say. It seems in the world of sport it can create the illusion, albeit for a fleeting moment, of a triumph, rather than disaster. Nevermind lads, always next season. Good news for me, the cable has arrived and my laptop and I can renew our relationship. Wasn't quite the same using other peoples, although I am eternally grateful. If you'd like to join ABC Wednesday please got to this link MRS NESBITT'S PLACEMrs Nesbitt is the host for ABC Wednesday, where you can find details for joining, her own odd shot to comment on and a list of fellow bloggers who are playing today, who you can also comment on.
 I will not have a cable for my laptop until next weekend, so in the meantime all images this week will be from older stock. You may notice my real name appears on them as these are my copyrighted images from my sales site. I will answer emails and comments as and when I can. Basically when I can get access via the and only internet cafe or my partners laptop, when it's free, which isn't that often. Hopefully the laptop situation will soon be sorted in the meantime it's given me the opportunity to peruse my old stock images and here's one I found, long forgotten about that was taken in my own home in Ramsey earlier this ths year. Even I can name the flower here. Obviously it's a tulip, but a tulip with a twist a study in black and white. This is me playing around with composition, textures, light and monochrome using a macro lens. I nickname this my "Ikea" image. It's the kind of image multi chain stores charge a fortune for, even though they are mass produced, therefore paying for the name of the store rather than the photographer or an idividual image. I disagree with this philosophy. I sell this image en mass, therefore the price is reflected as such, and the image is priced as per my other images, a lot cheaper than Ikea and the like. If this photo were for a sole client, a unique piece of artwork, then the price would reflect that and obviously retail at a higher premium. Does anyone else agree with me on this, or am I a lone voice tilting at modern day corporate windmills?
 Odd Shots Monday I will not have a cable for my laptop until next weekend, so in the meantime all images this week will be from older stock. You may notice my real name appears on them as these are my copyrighted images from my sales site. I will answer emails and comments as and when I can. Basically when I can get access via the and only internet cafe or my partners laptop, when it's free, which isn't that often. This shot is odd because it's real, not an optical illusion or superimposed. The minature castle in the sea actually exists. It's in Douglas, Isle of Man, which is south of Ramsey, but shares the same postcode/zip code. A little more info. Sir William Hillary moved to the Isle of Man in 1808 and found out for himself all about the dangerous waters of the Irish Sea which surround Douglas Bay. In 1824 he formulated the idea of a lifeboat service manned by a trained crew, to rescue those that were cast adrift. The idea was new and ambitious, but soon prompted the creation of the R.N.L.I the Royal National Lifeboat Institution we know today. When Sir Hillary took part in a rescue for a Steam Packet vessel and cast overboard he realised the coast was too far to swim to. A place was therefore needed for sailors to wait for rescue. Soon after an idea Sir William Hillary had became a reality. The Tower Of Refuge took shape. Designed by John Welch the Tower was completed in 1832. Situated upon Conister Rock, or it's other name St Mary's Isle in Douglas Bay a haven in the form of a small castle sits. A place for sailors to take refuge. Built at a cost of £254 of which almost half was paid by Hillary himself and the other by subscription. The tower was kept well stocked with fresh water and bread, offering shelter from the weather and sea. It's sill owned by the R.N.L.I and when a freakish low tide occurs you can walk to the refuge from Douglas Promenade. For those though in peril upon the sea, it remains a constant beacon, an oddity for the tourist and an emergency photo for the photographer with laptop woes. A safe haven indeed. Want to join Odd Shots Monday? Then see KATNEYKatney's Kaboodle is the place to join Odd Shots Monday and see other wierd and wonderful shots from fellow bloggers.
 I will not have a cable for my laptop until next weekend, so in the meantime all images this week will still be of Ramsey but from older stock. You may notice my real name appears on them as these are my copyrighted images from my sales site. I will answer emails and comments as and when I can. Basically when I can get access via the and only internet cafe or my partners laptop, when it's free, which isn't that often. This was an image I took of a mother blackbird and her 2 day old babies. They were nesting in a conifer right under the kitchen window. We kept an eye on them, warding off cats and sparrowhawks as the nest was quite low to the ground, and not that well covered. When the birds were a few days old we had 4 baby blackbirds hoping about the garden. Yes I photographed them, and they even posed showing me their best side. For more camera critters see MISTY DAWN Camera ctrittrers.
I will not have a cable for my laptop until next weekend, so in the meantime all images this week will still be of Ramsey but from older stock. You may notice my real name appears on them as these are my copyrighted images from my sales site. I will answer emails and comments as and when I can. Basically when I can get access via the and only internet cafe or my partners laptop, when it's free, which isn't that often. The island is full of lighthouses, very individual to each part of the area. This one stands on Ramsey Jetty North Jetty. It is distinguishable from the other Jetty Lighthouse in Ramsey by the weather vane that appears atop it. The lighthouse was buit in 1854 and why it has a weather vane atop I do not know, but that's the Isle of Man for you, full of quirky little ideas and structures that set it apart. So, what quirky little items do you have in your area and does anyone else have a lighthouse with a weather vane?
 This is not the image I originally wanted to upload but my poor laptop has a faulty cable and died on me earlier. Unfortunately my new photographs are on there, so I have had to use an older one from a back up disc and borrow my partners laptop to upload and publish the Skywatch post. Had to publish earlier than usual as he needs the laptop back sharpish as he's on a deadline for the BBC to get his cartoon in for friday. Fun and games. So aplogises in advance for not responding to emails and comments as frequently as usual. Hopefully we should be a 2 pc household by next week, and there's always he local library pc's if all else fails. Thanks for the emails re the orchid I couldn't identify. The answer may have been found, as it looks very likely it's a Heath Spotted Orchid. Thanks for the orchid name goes to Dragonstar
who kindly left the information in the comments section yesterday, you're a star.
The image is looking onto the jetty from Queens Promenade, Ramsey not to far from the pier I posted earlier in the week. If you want to particpate in skywatch see Tom at WIGGERS WORLD.Only genuine skywatchers need apply. None of your advertising for sales sites please. This is for enthusiasts only and hosted by Tom of the fabulous WIGGERS WORLD
Moghrey mie. That's good morning in Manx. Ramsey in Bloom, another local event, will be here soon and I thought it was about time I posted more of the flora from the island. After viewing some of the lovely orchids for last weeks ABC (hosted kindly by mrs nesbitt ) on so many bloggers posts, I thought I'd show one too. Orchids though aren't the easiest flowers to find, especially Marsh Orchids. You can hunt for hours for one to no avail and then find one by accident, like this one from the Wildlife Park, Ramsey. Have you noticed you always find the perfect flower to photograph on a windy day? So no tripod, no macro, and a not so gentle a breeze couldn't prevent me from snapping this Marsh Orchid. Actually I'm not so sure what this is? Can anyone identify it correctly. What kind of Marsh Orchid is it? I googled Marsh Orchids and wow, what a variety. So hard to narrow down and pinpoint using pc images, well it is for the enthusiast, but not expert. I'm confident that in the world of blogging more than one of you stoping by today will be able to help the photographer identify what she's capturing. Of course I'll be sure to give you can mention on fridays post for helping me out.
  Queens Pier, Ramsey is a post I've written before, but as it's "Q" I thought I would take the opportunity again to highlight a worthy cause, saving Queens pier. Commissioned by the Isle of Man Harbour Board and constructed by Head Wrightson & Company, this 2241ft (679m) pier opened on 22nd July 1886 by the Lord Bishop of Sodor and Man. Costing £45,000 Ramsey Queens Pier and originally designed as a landing point for steamers plying the Liverpool, Fleetwood, Belfast and River Clyde routes.
It comprised of a wooden deck over iron piles, and had a small cafe at the far end. A 3ft (900mm) gauge horse-drawn tramway, that was originally used to transport building materials during construction, ran along the centre and was retained for baggage transport. A new wooden landing stage was added in 1899, along with a covered passenger car on the tramway.
The horse-drawn tramway was motorised in 1937 when the locomotive "Planet" was introduced. Modifications were again made to the tramway in 1950 when a "Wickham" rail car was added. Further track alterations in 1956, gave the line an overall length of 2,080ft (631m). 1956 also saw the redevelopment of the pier entrance. In subsequent years the Pier has fallen into a state of decline, no longer used as landing port, closed to visitors and declared unsafe. The future of Ramsey Queens Pier remains uncertain. When I did my previous post about the pier work had just got underway to secure and make it a least safe before it fell itno the sea. The work is still continuing, albeit intermittently. Rumours, suggestions and options are still being considered as to renovate or demolish. As I've said before I do hope it's the former. The approach to Ramsey, from Douglas, just wouldn't be the same without it. If you'd like to join ABC Wednesday please got to this link MRS NESBITT'S PLACEMrs Nesbitt is the host for ABC Wednesday, where you can find details for joining, her own odd shot to comment on and a list of fellow bloggers who are playing today, who you can also comment on.
 The Star of India is the world's oldest seafaring ship. Built in 1863 at Ramsey Shipyard in the Isle of Man, it was an experimental design using iron rather than wood. Originally launched as Euterpe, named after the Greek goddess of music, it was a full-rigged working ship. Her maiden voyage included a collision and mutiny. Her second met with a cyclone in the Bay of Bengal. Subsequently her first captain died on board and was buired at sea. The word jinx comes to mind!
She served as a cargo ship to India, a passenger vessel hauling emigrants to New Zealand and a commercial salmon fishing and packing facility. She also had several owners. In 1906 her name was changed to Star Of India. In 1923, she was towed to the San Diego bay after serving the seas for 60 years. There she sat for a further 50 years, her fate in the balance until a decision was made on her future. She was to be restored.
In 1976, the fully restored Star of India put to sea for the first time in fifty years.The Captain for the newly restored ships voyage was Captain Carl Bowman. A crowd of half a million passengers, crew and onlookers came to wish her good luck on this latest adventure. She has since then set sail on several special occasions.
You can still visit the Star of India as it is still docked in San Diego Maritime Museum as part of the Maritime Tour and view a more comprehensive history.
The plaque commemorates the bond that has been formed with San Diego in restoring and preserving this historic part of Ramsey, and the Isle of Man. It was dedicated to the town by N.A.M.A. The " North American Manx Association " and stands proudly along the quay of Ramsey for all to see.
  I'm thinking of starting a range of humourous critters greetings cards. What do you think? The humans run away when they see me and my camera. Not so the animals and birds. Almost seem to perform when they see me appear on the horizon. Two minutes earlier these ducks were perfectly happy waddling about. Then in unison, it was heads down for the camera lady. Maybe they weren't performing afterall? Perhaps they were hoping I'd pass them by if they weren't displaying their heads and fine beaks. Don't be silly it's Odd shots Monday and hiding ducks will do just fine. More Isle of Man birds immortalized as greetings cards coming soon. Well it will be if they keep behaving like this! Want to join Odd Shots Monday? Then see KATNEYKatney's Kaboodle is the place to join Odd Shots Monday and see other wierd and wonderful shots from fellow bloggers.
 Say hello to George posing nicely here showing his best side. George is a bit of a celebrity as he escapes from the Wildlife Park, here on the Isle of Man, to Ramsey, usually the promenade, (where this pic was taken) on several occasions. Why he only flies to Ramsey is a mystery, must be good fishing for pelicans. He is not the first escapee pelican, that honour goes to Scotty in '98, and I'm sure he won't be the last. Scotty though made it to Scotalnd, so obviously a more adventurous pelican. Actually I think George just wanted to feature in the Ramsey Daily Photo and was a bit miffed I have photographed so many other birds. He's make a great odd shot sometime. Whole new meaning to a Pelican Crossing! For more camera critters see MISTY DAWN Camera ctrittrers.
 Laxey Wheel, The Lady Isabella(named after the Lieutenant's Governer's wife ot the time) was designed by John Casement in 1854 and used to pump water away from the mines. It still remains the largest working watermill in the world. Now, it's one of the main tourist attractions on the island. The brave, for a small fee can go to the top and survey the land around. I just chose part of the wheel today because I was more interested in the spokes. It struck me that these would probably not be constructed this way now on the grounds of health and safety. The "Triskelion", the 3 legs of man symbol displayed on the side (not in view but in an earlier post) is the national image of the island and is actually the wrong way round. They forgot to reverse the image when it was transfered and so remains the opposite way round. Incidently you may have seen the 3 legs symbol on another islands flag, that of Sicily. Now you're not so sure if I'm joking when I refer to the "Manx Mafia" Laxey, is from the Norse word Laxa and means "Salmon River." A normally sedate town the quiet is disrupted(in a good way) once a year for the Laxey Blues festival. Virtually the whole town is turned into a mini Glastonbury, without the mud, and good time is had into the early hours by all as seen by earlier posts this week.
 Despite the blue skies we've had here in Ramsey and the Isle of Man in general, I still find myself photographing storm clouds. Image taken outside Shoprite, supermarket. You can imagine the looks I received when I pointed the camera to the heavens and began snapping, especially when framing the image to include the cute lampost no one else is remotely interested in. Since participating in Skywatch I have noticed how the light changes around the world. Here it's definately opaque and dense. Grey, purple hues are the norm. When the sky is blue, it's a rich deep hue. The sunsets vibrant oranges to vivid reds. Whatever the colour, it's always appears treacle like and opaque. Some Skywatchers seem to have a soft clear liquid light, usually pastel pinks and blues in tones, almost fluid such as Louis La Vache's SAN FRANSICO BAYLooking at the big sky for skywatch around the world is certainly never dull. If you want to particpate in skywatch see Tom at WIGGERS WORLD.Only genuine skywatchers need apply. None of your advertising for sales sites please. This is for enthusiasts only and hosted by Tom of the fabulous WIGGERS WORLD
 Another from the Laxey Blues Festival. As you can see the lighting in these venues is always quite poor. The photographer(yes me) is usually a little merry aswell on the local ale by this time, so getting serious with the camera is the furthest notion from my mind. It's a fine line on these type of occasions, especially live music events which I adore, whether to be professional and dispassionate and seek out the ideal images or just kick back and be a fully fledged audience participant. Falling somewhere between the two camps I try and establish a happy medium. Usually though, the fan takes over. Who wouldn't want to enjoy a musical feast such as the Blues festival. The band, as mentioned in a previous post are "Walter Ego." A local band that has many a line up change, but still maintain a quality sound. I frequently mention the TT and have been asked via comments what this is. Basically, as I've said before, it's the oldest motorbike road races in the world. TT stands for "Tourist Trophey" and is not one but a series of week-long races for various class(size) of motorbikes and sidecars. A month to go now before the island is swamped with TT enthusiasts, including Mrs Nesbitt of ABC Wednesday who can be found at MRS NESBITT'S PLACE
 I was going to have a different "P" image, then I spotted the first butterfly of the year, a Painted Lady. Unfortunately I didn't have the macro lens with me, so it was another lie on the ground point and shoot jobs. Now I'm no butterfly expert, so youprhaps you are able to help me out here.? For that reason you won't be getting all the latin names. Take up far too much blog space. I do know the Painted Lady is pretty widespread and found on every continent bar Antartica. I know they vary slightly from continent to continent and there are even sub species. I have read that the American Painted Lady is often refered to as a "Cosmopolitan." Is that true or is it another one of those urban myths that gets lost in translation? Like I said, not an expert in this area, so you tell me on this one. I was also hoping to show you George the pelican that often escapes from the wildlife park and flies here to Ramsey, but he hasn't shown up for a while. If you'd like to join ABC Wednesday please got to this link MRS NESBITT'S PLACEMrs Nesbitt is the host for ABC Wednesday, where you can find details for joining, her own odd shot to comment on and a list of fellow bloggers who are playing today,who you can also comment on. Have fun.
 Laxey Blues Festival 2008 is no more! As usual, a good time was had by all into the early hours over the weekend. The festival is the pre curser to the TT. This year, celebrating it's 1oth anniversary, although it's such a national institution visitors could be forgiven for assuming the event is older. Attracting international and local musicians it's a must see event for islanders. Held at various venues throughtout the village of Laxey, with the day events free and evening line up priced accordingly, the music extravaganza therefore includes all budgets and ages. If you like rock, blues, a touch of folk, but definately live music, then this is the event for you. The venues tend to be dark, and can be unforgiving for photographers. I tried a few different shots this year to try and use the darkness, rather than compete with it. Here then is harmonica man from the fabulous "Walter Ego."
  This is why the bird table is going to be replaced with feeding poles! How cheeky can you get? This is not one of my better photos. The colours too bright, the contrast is wrong, the horizontal crooked. I could go on. It's just one of those point and shoot efforts, more for the subject, rather than the composition. It's the first cat I've had on my soon to be dumped bird table, which to me qualifies it to be odd. Any cat owners out there ? Do you own a act born wih no tail or have you heard of such a creature? They are called "Manx" cats and originate from here where I reside, the Isle Of Man. Another odd shot if I spy one, but not on my bird table. Want to join Odd Shots Monday? Then see KATNEYKatney's Kaboodle is the place to join Odd Shots Monday and see other wierd and wonderful shots from fellow bloggers.
 Unlike a lot of my bird photos this is one I haven't had to save, it's just one that was very obliging and posed nicely for me. No he hasn't had a trip to the taxidermist, he really was that still. I was going to just use Robin for the the title, but then I realised a lot of you wouldn't recognize ths bird. Having seen an American Robin on several of your posts, you can see the two birds differ greatly. The British Robin is easily identifiable by the red flash, therefore, not surprisingly they are also alternatively called Robin Redbrest. A common winter garden visitor with a beautiful birdsong, a British Robin. For more camera critters see MISTY DAWN Camera ctrittrers.
 In the 5 years I've lived in Ramsey, this is the first time the bridge has had a new lick of paint. Don't panic Stephen, it's the same rich red and white colour scheme, just a glossy new coat for the old lady. Where then are the painters? The cones have appeared to cordon the rails off to the right, but no men at work to be found. Perhaps they have sloped off to the Laxey Blues Festival that has just got underway or been kidnapped by aliens? Perhaps they just saw the mad woman photographer and took flight. Who knows? One thing I do know though is the cones are on the wrong side! The freshly painted left side should have been cordoned off. Perhaps this was their little joke. Lots of left white gloss painted hands in Ramsey this week. Very manx. As I mentioned above, the Laxey Blues Festival is this weekend. Local and international bands take over the town and simply play music from around noon until the early hours. Me and my camera will be there. I will try an capture an image, but I may just forget and enjoy the music.
  That time of the week again, Skywatch. Yesterday I was out and about snapping the very gloomy sky over Ramsey. This was over the Nature Reserve again, but the other side, looking towards the mountains. Often I say that I get questionable looks snapping images around Ramsey, but not today. A gentleman I met in the park asked if I was a professional. We entered into a converstation about taking sunsets and the awesomes skies for granted and how I would never be short of those to photograph. I explained what Skywatch was, and it's worldwide links. He didn't think this was odd, wierd, or time consuming. On the contrary. He thought it was a marvellous idea and said he would look out for me and tell people, I know that girl, she's a photographer for Ramsey Skywatch. So here it is the one I settled on. If you want to particpate in skywatch see Tom at WIGGERS WORLD.Only genuine skywatchers need apply. None of your advertising for sales sites please. This is for enthusiasts only and hosted by Tom of the fabulous WIGGERS WORLD
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There seems to be a pattern running throughout the blogs today that "corner shops" are a thing of yesteryear, to be replaced by one stops shops or supermarkets. Even this island has few old fashioned corner shops now. I do however shop at this tiny mall for that most British of things, my "daily newspaper." Everything else I buy online, the supermarket, or go to the biggest town on the island Douglas to purchase goods.
