ABOUT ME

I live in a camper van with a West Highland Terrier for company.
My passion is creating images but it is a work in progress.
I am always willing to share what knowledge I have and can be contacted through the comments on this post or e-mail ADRIAN
ALL IMAGES WILL ENLARGE WITH A LEFT CLICK

Monday 24 March 2014

SUNDAY AND MONDAY. (24/03/14)

It has been a superb couple of days, sunny, little wind, I can see the Cuillins of Skye and all is well with the world. Yesterday lunch time an old chap and his wife pulled up with a caravan. They couldn’t get the hitch to release. I’d got Bertha set up for some semi-serious birding but spent a couple of hours dismantling his tow hitch and reassembling it with dry lubricant. Then his jockey wheel fell off. Nowt to do with me. I went to the croft and fortunately they had a trolley jack so that was sorted in minutes. His van is about forty years old and has had a modernish hitch fitted. Daft old beggar had been greasing it and anything fitted with plastic bearings should not be greased. They expand and jam the job solid.

I looked up the cost of a new hitch and told him I’d order him one. He couldn’t understand how I knew how much they cost and when it would be delivered so he came and squinted at my laptop, twisting his head this way and that then went and fetched Moira his wife. She was on the ball and had all her marbles. She says it’s easy you gives him £300.78p and he tells the man behind the screen to send it here. Then the man here fits it for us. It’s arriving early afternoon tomorrow, I’m £300.00p down and still have to fit a tow hitch. I went to bed wondering who between us was the daftest.

_V0G8386  The sum total of my birding. A Herring Gull or a gull.

_V0G8381 The dogs helping to bird……”What are we looking out for?”

_MG_3231_2_3_tonemapped

_MG_3238 Sunset on Sunday over the Small Isles. They were both shot minutes apart. The first is HDR Tone mapped from three images the second is A two stop under exposure for all but the sky and then the foreground was pushed two stops with the selection brush. I much prefer the latter but there is little to choose.

_V0G8356 Dawn on Monday. I silhouetted the foreground as it shows lots of rather seedy timber frame houses and static caravans. They are a feature of the Scottish Highlands. Today I’m reflecting the positive side of life.

_V0G8354The Cuillins of Skye and a Gull.

We came back and I fed the dogs, I had my breakfast early. Then I thought it’s a grand day we will walk into Arisaig. It’s only a couple of miles by road and I fancied a Telegraph and needed fresh milk. I wish I hadn’t bothered with the Telegraph. Sam Cam the spouse of Dithery Dave was out for a wee jog. It was something to do with Sports Relief. She would be better employed running in her red layette for Comic relief. Dithery would have trouble penetrating that socialist red outfit. I would but would request she removed it or pour me another drink. Perhaps she has a sense of humour. Dithery and his mates have but theirs is crueller than mine. I help the rare number of people that I find who are less competent than I. Dithery and his mates think it is acceptable to just help themselves.

_MG_3241       This is a war memorial. I find it fitting. I’m ducking the job. I don’t understand it. It does point east. Towards mainland Europe. It was erected in 2009 to commemorate all the Czech SOE folk that died fighting Nazi Germany.

(What is it about Germans? Why did I qualify the noun Germany with the noun Nazi? I met several climbing and they were fine, there is something amiss because they don’t play rugby. They do sail boats but only in the Baltic and not singlehanded across oceans. After years of trying to forgive them I have come to the conclusion that they are just a pain in the ass that should have been defeated and not re-united. They are dangerous en mass. Merkel thinks she can rule the world thinking like a Saxon. A charming fool she is.)

They were trained here but looking at the number of names of the dead on the side panel they were trained in a hurry. I have never experienced proper war but I used to play rugby and squash and ski hard and training time was limited for my hobbies. I like this as an edifice but dislike Czech and Scottish politicians sticking their names on it. Self aggrandisement is what it is. Matters nothing to those that died but it detracts from a thank you stone.  

_MG_3244   I had just taken this picture of the boneyard at Arisaig when John and Moira of the knackered caravan drove past, tooted and waved. I thought miserable sods. A Fiat 500 pulled up ten minutes later and a vision of drop dead gorgeous and veritable clouds of curly black hair; asked if I’d like a lift back to the van. I said how do you know I have a van. Suspicious I am. My mum always said don’t take jelly babies from strangers. She said Grandad has asked me to pick you up. I thanked her and said we’re enjoying the walk. I didn't want her thinking I was old. Silly really, just as I know she is young, beautiful and possibly annoying, she can see straight away that I’m old. At least as old as her parents and I bet she found them a trial. Nice to look at though, a fillum star she was and without so much as an eyebrow plucked. Things worked out fine, when we eventually made it up hill and down and got home and before the kettle boiled she was round and gave me £350.00p in cash. She is sending her husband to help me fit the new hitch. I hope he is young and strong and an artisan. I hope he is busy. Dream on, dream on. It is not nice getting old and having to look at nubile ladies. It would be a whole lot worse if there were none to look at.

Have a great week. It’s a long post but it is my diary and not yours. Have fun.

32 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Annie, I would not ask anyone to commit to my view and take on the world. You stick with what you can cope with. The lass who offered me a ride in her car; had a big YES in her back window. A real star.
      I have asked her this afternoon is Alex better than Dithery? She said yes Alex has a sense of fun.

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  2. I love the sea hitting the small inlets, superb. And £350.00, nice woman.

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  3. Yes, entertaining, but you do seem a bit petulant today. Getting the 350 and seeing the nubile lady should have lifted your, er, spirits somewhat.

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    1. Bob, it is a bit niggley but all is well with me. I need a rant against injustices. It is awful that for a few grand you can buy the lease on a croft build pretty much what you like and pay a ground rent of between £10 and a £100 pounds per annum . I am staying in a place that was cleared of it's local inhabitants in 1800. Some hid and came back.

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  4. Not a long post at all Adrian, i enjoyed it no end. It shows your all heart and a bit of a softie with a good eye for the female form. Long may it be so.

    peter

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    1. Peter, the totty is seriously fit and has got organisation down to an art form. Her husband is a sheep farmer and a great bloke but not a mechanic. The new tow hitch arrived an hour ago and is fitted. We are all wrapped up in more skins than an onion it's blowing a gale fit to bust here. Young Moira 'the fit one' is sitting here with her husband and wondering how I dare write such things.
      Told her; it's easy if you believe and are honest. I think she is glad Callum is here.
      I've asked her to feel free to type but she is shy.
      Silly girl. She is not a bit shy when she stops to pick an old man and two dogs up in the middle of nowhere. Silly lass.

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  5. You are indeed in a good mood this morning. Always entertaining. I got a bit lost with who was who ~ but it is not my diary as you say. The war memorial is very modern isn't it? And I agree the second sunset is preferable ~ the white sand in the foreground of the first one is the distraction. The Cullins are looking beautiful. Clear days are a bonus.

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    1. Carol, I just tap away at the keyboard. There are two Moiras. One is a hundred and the other is twenty five. I think I could become a really despicable dirty old man. Speciallyif I gotmthe two muddled up.

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  6. Hm, parts of the post I liked and enjoyed, parts I hated.
    You are a lovely chap, please don’t be a German basher. And Merkel is extremely good for Europe. (If you are anti-Europe, that’s fine with me.)

    Grand pictures, as always. You do choose your moments.
    Being kind to silly old buffers is also admirable, lusting after nubile young woman understandable.

    Thanks for the camera tips, any more where they come from? I’m still struggling. I wish there were paper manuals, although I could print them, I suppose.

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  7. Ursa, I don't like the way things are going in Europe or in Britain. The rulers and financiers have cocked up to an unbelievable extent. Are they to blame? They say not.
    Merkel is not good for Europe. She is a German and out for herself and hers, worse than Dithery Dave. Nowt wrong with that but it is well to be aware of it. I will know who to aim at.
    We are part of Europe but having a German royal family doesn't endear me to them.
    Why don't Germans play rugby?

    The camera. Ask any time. Tell me what you want to know. You have my e-mail send some pictures and I'll have a look and suggest a different look through the lens. It's all I can do. I am shooting with Canon but have spent hours messing with medium format film.No great results so far but it is expensive fun.
    PS Europe is extremely good for Germany. I'll be an out vote. Too much telling folk and too many people paid to tell them.

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  8. The last picture of the beach is my favorite. I couldn't decide between the two sunsets - I liked the second one better than the first except for the clouds. They seem a bit dark and heavy.

    According to Maughm there is no reward for living a good life. Maybe he only helped undaft people. At any rate you've either been rewarded or it's a wash depending on the hubby, I suppose.

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    1. David, the clouds made the sunset. It was a good day as things turned out.

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  9. The place it's wonderful, I like so much the rocks isle

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    1. Laura, I am happy here. I'm moving a few miles down the road on Saturday.

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  10. Good on you to go above and beyond and help people. I'm sure you were much appreciated.
    I like the nice days you talk about. I haven't heard much of good days. It's like all my snow that's still here.

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    1. Red, I have plenty of time.
      I was envious of your winters but I'm happy spring is slowly arriving here. We haven't really had a winter this year.

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  11. I get the war memorial. It's for the Czech SOE (spies etc) so the top bit is meant to represent them men and women being dropped in by parachute

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    1. Douglas, thank you. I like the memorial but it did have me baffled.

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  12. Assisting Moira and Daft John so very kindly proves that you are part of Dithery Dave's Big Society and if Moira and Daft John nominate you you'll be receiving a "Big Society Gong" from Dithery Dave himself at the next Tory Party Conference. Better get your speech ready. Who knows - you might pull one of those blue rinse Tory ladies (ex nubile).

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    1. YP, no I won't. If Dithery comes anywhere near me I'll award him the old tow hitch. Stuff that up him and it should lessen the amount of rubbish he speaks.

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  13. The 2nd sunset in particular would make a lovely postcard! :)

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    1. Monica, I'll ask my agent to look into it. The light can be wonderful here.

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  14. Those sunsets are magnificent. as usual, your landscapes are excellent.

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    1. Thanks Maria. I had a good day for once.

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  15. Que buena compañía te hacen tus perros:)) Bonitas fotos del mar con la nieve al fondo.
    Un abrazo.

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    Replies
    1. Laura, a mi me gusta tener a los perros Es hermoso aquí.

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  16. Adrian sometimes I think you are hell bent on pissing off everyone regardless. As always your post and comments were overall amusing and erudite and you demonstrated that whilst you might be 50% hot air you well surpass that with your innate kindness (which your fellow bloggers know exists and benefit from constantly). I've spent a great deal of time in Germany and have, on the whole, found Germans kinder than the English. Given different circumstances the English might well have become the Nazis. The Scottish separatist situation has a long way to run and I can foresee potential for a great deal that we will regret. I have spent my life preaching moderation. I will not change.

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  17. Graham, I have had only two negative comments regarding German or the Merkal threat. She is a right real terror. Dithery can't control her but then he would have trouble captaining a netball team....I've done it again....I'm going to get dogs abuse from the female Netballers league. The English were as bad hence the Mosely brown shirts. The Royals running for cover when the shit hit the fan. Churchill was not a paragon of virtue but was just the right man at the right time. He made pacts with the devil to make sure the Germans were told and told properly. They are totally different in attitude to Anglo-Saxons. They expect to work hard for two thirds of a year and to please themselves for a third. What happened, no reparation from Germany but we still had to pay back the Americans for lease lend. The buggers think they won and so do I.

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  18. Marvellous sunsets helped with the clouds. You have given me inspiration on where to go for them when I'm there later in the year.

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    1. Jay, as always Scotland is very weather dependant. Good light rarely lasts very long.

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