EXTREMES. (07/11/14)

I was supposed to be moving on today. A fellow old age traveller asked if I fancied meeting in Kullane. I did but fortunately she decided to come to Moffat so I’ll be here till Monday. It’s just as well as Kullane is not on any maps, Culzean is so I’ll follow her up there next week. It could have been equally confusing if she had picked somewhere else as there are dozens of places in Scotland that are called one thing and written as something completely different. She could have suggested meeting in Hoyck or less likely the posh suburb of Glasgow, Mullguy. These are spelt Hawick and Milngavie. It’s a good job I’m staying where I am. I could have set off for somewhere else and never been sure I’d found it even when I arrived.

Extremely Difficult.

I have been trying to get some sensible shots of St Andrew’s Church. It’s surrounded by trees.   The front or a bit of it.

     Left of front and a bit more. These are HDR and taken with a Canon 24mm tilt/shift lens. It doesn’t work this close in. To be honest this is just a really sharp wide angle lens the tilt bit of it is irrelevant. Corner to corner and front to back it is impossible to fault. I tried it against the Zeiss 28mm and 22mm before I coughed up for it, it is better. It is bloody expensive but I have never regretted paying for it. I just wish Canon had popped manual aperture on it like the old FD series lenses. It is like the MP-E 65mm, it’s manual focus. I am useless at birds and fauna so focus lock is not a problem for me. It’s a good job it’s only a hobby as it’s only earned a third of it’s cost in a year and a bit. Happen it’s me. HDR has now had it’s day. Sony are just spot on with their latest cameras. The sensors are as good as you can get. Unfortunately their lenses are crap.

     It didn’t stop me having another go. Right of front.

      The same view from a single exposure. An extreme view.                It is an impressive building. I suspect video is the solution. I still haven’t managed to get inside. I’ll have a go tomorrow.

Extremely Thin.

          The Star Hotel. The narrowest hotel in the world……maybe.

Extremely Efficacious.

      Scotland's oldest chemists. I would love to take the big glass amphora or whatever it’s called. Just borrow it for an hour or two and take views reflected in it. I don’t think there is much chance. I asked if I could shift the road cone in the first picture for a couple of minutes and they said no, it’s on a wobbly paving stone. I would have thought uneven and rocky slabs would have done wonders for business.

Extremely Shy. 

     Lurking behind the right hand doorpost is a lovely greengroceress. I call in most days as she is chatty, friendly, fit as a butchers dog and I like fresh vegetables. I ask her to pose in front of her wares but she either pulls funny faces or hides. Today I got some sweet corn and some chestnuts. Plus a couple of baking potatoes and a perfect cauliflower. I was knocking the muck of the spuds when she said. Now what are you doing? I said I'm not paying the earth for muck. Great she is; she said stop it and give them here. She gave them a seeing to with a scrubbing brush. I enjoy food shopping in proper shops.

Extremely Anachronistic.

I stopped and checked the little gravestones.

        No Trevor the writing doesn’t go round the corner. On both sides he has carved these art deco thistles. He carved them a couple of hundred years before art deco was recognised. This stone is the gem in Moffat’s crown.

Have a great weekend.