The Return, Thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving in the US and we make a dash for the home country. I have to say I was amazed that people asked if we celebrate that in the UK and also that they looked sorry when I said no...but the thing is....I was kinda grateful AND thankful and it happened on the last Thursday in November and I was with family on Damian's side....oh I think we did do it then, we actually had Thanksgiving on the Isle of Man...

We arrive to a very cold Isle of Man and Isaac attempts to wheel three cases at once

He actually managed it too!

View from the apartment in the south of the Island where we stayed. I grew up in this part of the Island and this small town, so there are mixed feelings. But I'm loving that blue sky.

Occupied fully reading a Beano! (comic in UK from a byegone age..basically toilet humor 1970's)

Artsy fartsy shot at the Studio! Caroline has a studio next to this tumbled down barn and it was just too alluring to ignore

Said studio and we are waiting for the door to open.....we know she's in there, as I spot a heat haze from the chimney

This was at the studio too and I couldn't believe how lovely and summery it looked....it was, did I mention, freezing!!!!

This area is by the studio door and I thought that this was rather a calm shot

We spent many many hours driving back and forth from Ramsey and this is an evening shot of the sky line on the mountain road.

This is a tribute to Paris and the recent attacks....Ramsey Swing Bridge in the Red White and Blue

So the weather changed then...

At our apartment there was a balcony and for several days we pondered on where this door went

That's where!!!! We did laugh at that one....

So this is what is trendy for Christmas on Man!

I just don't think that the Ironic Christmas sweater will make it in the states....people would just think you were being very festive and leave it at that!

Moody shot of Louie ....sort of 1920...gangster

This is Ramsey again and those scurrying clouds...now the question is, is there enough blue sky to make a pair of sailors trousers?

I'm guessing not

Headland in Ramsey by the old Pier

Isaac and the sea....

Us driving back from over the mountain and it was mist all the way!

Out to dinner with Paul and Caroline

Lots of shenanigans....

THE FIELD TRIP...SCARLETT

I decided that after all the intensity of the arrival and dealing with family things on the Island, that the boys needed to do something fun, well my idea of fun! So we went on a geology field trip. Just me and the boys....this is drawing on knowledge from when I was Isaac's age!!!

These are the kilns that they used for the lime at Scarlett

This is the limestone quarry and that is a very slight syncline

Castletown which is slightly along the coast from Scarlett

This is part of the limestone pavement, the geological feature that brought us to this spot

That divide is where there is a basalt dyke in the limestone

And here is part of the view that we can see from the coastal point as we look down the south east corner of the Island to Port St Mary

This is looking back inland to Colby

Just more of the limestone pavement

You can from this picture also taken at the coast, looking back to the Island, see that the mist is not far away

This really shows the line of the rocks and how they were laid down...

This this is a volcanic outcropping and also the piece in the sea....this is right next to the limestone

Then the weather started to change and it was was brilliant sunshine...it felt quite magic

This jagged landscape next to the smooth flat limestone pavement such a contrast

This is a little beach between the two

And just for some scale the boys...on volcanic tuff...I think, again reaching into the recess of memory

Louie wanted a arty shot of the small rock pool

It was windy and a bit cold but we had fun

Louie always up for the challenge!

That coast looks so beautiful in the sunshine

Seagulls even wheeling on que!

Just breath taking

An Isaac curl a bit of limestone and the volcanic outcrop in the sea! perfect

Look at the color of the water!!!

Just amazing that this is the same day!

We walked back to Castletown, this is a familiar path to me having gone to secondry school near here. This would be the cross country course

The gnarly trees show that this is a rough environment for trees

Blazing sunshine over the lime kilns

The house out there always reminds me of Jane Austin

A hug and a smile

I mean what a picture! It was a great outing and the boys learned a lot from this old mum!

Later that night this was the moon outside Nana's house...

This was the eveing sky...

This morning looked like there was a temporal shift and rift opening in the sky! It really did look like that

Once the sun was up, this was the day we had. This a picture of the town we stayed in and as you can see it is by the sea....sort of grey....and lumpy kind of a day

A lovely sky line for me. This is the Howe in Port Erin and I went to a chapel on the hill and so spent many Sundays being driven back and forth. 

I went on the bus one morning and visited my friend Marisa in the Cafe where she works and this is the place

The builders were laying paving slabs outside and had just stopped for sausage baps....lucky!!! break working outside a cafe!!!

This was the floor in the cafe...love those tiles

Me looking from the inside out....of the cafe

A view of the promenade at Happy Valley in Port St Mary...and believe you me the surf was bashing away out of shot. A lovely line of Victorian..originally boarding houses..

another drive to Ramsey to see Mum and over the mountain we go....it isn't out of focus...that's mist and rain

That apparition is a massive wooden loaghtan sheep they have built on the mountain, at the foot of Snaefell....I tell you in the mist it was a bit eerie.

That would be low visibility on the mountain road

This is Gansey on the Island and the sea is angry this day

Yes very angry but really rather splendid and not at all scary..

Yum that would be breakfast Manx Style...made by Damian for me. Now that's love, that is

They have a display at the Airport on the Island...and this fabulous Reindeer I thought was the best

Night time Manchester UK and our view from the hotel we stayed the night in, we arrive to spend the night before departing to US

Honest mum I'm not tired

Oh that's a good one, maybe I'll use it for my linked in profile.....he said

I'm staying in the room

Reading before bed

This is the BEST invention ever. I have never seen this before so bear with me. This is our hotel bathroom mirror and after my shower I noticed that OMG the mirror had a special "non fogged" patch!! That is BRILLIANT.....made my trip that did, hence photo

Ah Manchester Airport

Yup time for the flight to US and home.....