I know I am writing about August and we are more than half way through September and that's all very confusing. But I have still quite a few pictures of the Island and they seem too good to languish in the computer. So bear with me.
I have found since we came back that those 6 weeks seem to feel like they never happened. It is a trick we all experience after a holiday, all of a sudden it was like you never went! I have found time weirdness is ever present in the pandemic years that we are now having. But it did happen and this is the second half of the 6 weeks we were away. So much to see
Sunset is a marvelous thing and this is my enduring image of home and where our little house is
I did lots of walking at home and along the way somethings did catch my eye! I read this as the dog needs to shut the gate! Made me chuckle
As I walked down the hill of my long walk one morning, the sun really was glinting on the sea
A bit of an overcast day over Castletown harbour, as I sped along on the bus. But the reflections were awesome
Two boats!
Hopping the rock pools
Here is evidence that limpets move! Wow, I probably did know that they do move, after all they are a living thing but they leave marks on the rock. Now that's amazing
Fabulous colours of seaweed
And the fishing boat chuggs in
That golden colour in the background is a wheat field. Just amazing
Resting sea anemone. They were in all the rock pools
Limestone pavement in the fore ground and lovely layering of green hills, with miniscule dots of sheep
Seeing geology is always great and the limestone is my favorite
and it is covered in fossils
love taking the kids here and talking about the shaping of the island, long before us humans
We were trying to see if there is a face in the hillside and into the view was a wheeling seagull, plus the ferry my Dad used to talk about
Looking grand and dramatic with the super clouds
I can't remember what he's smiling about, but this is a cute picture. Although it always makes me nervous when people walk on rocks with hands in pockets. Me I look like a star! Arms out for balance!!!
Such beautiful colours
On my walk I spotted this house, and it's name
Obviously not that NEW now. Plus it's next door to New House! I'm not kidding. Poor postie having to memorize the house names
Clouds and sea become one over Port St Mary harbour
The field of wheat looks like it is in ribbons. They were getting ready to cut this
Botanical painted building/ I love everything about this picture and the sky is just perfect
Just the most bizarre setting for flamingoes. But this is our wild life park
This tree in St Johns was heavy with berries. It is a Rowan and it was just spectacular
A car picnic to Fort Island
And the views we get to see
The sea was really this colour
And we got to see planes coming into land.
Birds blending with the rocks
and the busy wildlife at ground level
The chapel always fascinates me
and all of it's little windows
Back through Castletown and the harbor is empty but not of boats
Fab door
And the old police station designed by Baillie Scott, fabulous arts and crafts architect
How about these griffins for a door scraper
Thought this was a nice touch
Looks so Moorish, especially with those palms! But no this is the Castle of Castle Rushen built in the Medieval time period (the Manx Museum says it is one of the best preserved examples of this time in the world!)
and the Smelt column in Castletown Square. It was for Cornelius Smelt (first royally appointed Lieutenant Governor). It was a monument for him but built on the ancient site of the market cross...just sayin they burnt people at the market cross for witch craft! But I digress apparently they were going to put something ontop of this but ran out of money! as they took so long to build in the first place and all the arggie bargey of that meant they left it like this. So over budget and over time in completion and left.....Rather a monument to government projects....Manxies will see a parallel with the prom in Douglas!@!!
Rather a splendid staircase! Did this sneaky pic as I walked past the open door.
On the harbor side the buildings are lovely and so old and you can see the cut out on the edge of building for carriages to get past
Winding streets up from the harbour
And just in case you fall into the harbour
Pretty small door to get in
and back to the Mull and the gorse is popping
This caught me off guard. Never seen this before in my life. I am thinking I should do a treasure hunt in the island and have stuff like this gem on it! It is a little weird though
Great bridges for the Electric Tramway in Laxey
This bee and all his friends were a frenzy on this lavender. That said, it was heavenly the scent stopped me in my tracks, he also wouldn't keep still, that's why the picture is blurred
Glorious Peel Castle and we have been warned about rabbit holes and seagulls being aggressive!
So we tentatively walk around. Those wires are holding the walls up
Such a magical ancient place
and the sandstone is so red. Look at those arches
We find lots of butterflies
and things to look at
I rather liked the brick work and the different stone used
makes a great picture frame looking out to sea
The sandstone window frame has stood the test of time
and time to leave....down the stairs and away from the port cullis
This had to be included, this is a homemade Creme Caramel.wow. I understand that this tasted devine. This is definitely the best present ever for Mr D from lovely Pam and Geoff
and some lobster pots. They made an interesting subject
and they are just getting them shell fish in as I walk along
Up this hill we went. As you can see the obvious error, I missed the S but this is South Barrule
And the views were amazing
All the way down to the sea
Patch work quilt
and us looking at the tallest mountain we have, Snaefel in the distance (the one with the mast on)
and down again
Off to Niarbyl which means tail of rock. This little cottage features in all the holiday brochures
But it has a rich deserved place in those brochures, it is lovely
It has this building too. Just lovely
The day was perfect here
and this is the tail in the right of the picture
and again we are looking in rock pools
glistening in the sun
Sea sparkling and hillsides purple with heather
But yikes the beach is covered in jelly fish
Yes these all sting!
Gulp! that's another. They were every where
walking back to the car I saw these dandelion heads, that's a lot of seeds
We attempted to walk a Manx Glen, but they were working on the paths. But this gives a flavor of what it was like. This tree looks like it has a green sock!
They are quiet and dank places. But they do feel magical
Off to the beach of my childhood
It is calm today but many times I stood here and it was stormy. Today the mist is amazing as it rolls down the hillside
Back to Peel and a walk on the most windy day
Not that you can tell, but we nearly got blown off! But there we are looking back at Peel Castle and the heather is so purple!
Bees don't mind the wind it seems
So this is a windy day Island style
Quite the surf
and this is corn field and the sea gulls gather and swirled as the tractor turned the field. I was amazing they didn't get run over!
Another stormy day the sun was out
and we went for a costal walk
These are baby herons, we saw 5 in total
And these red legged friends are Coughs
This was a diving gannet. It seemed to stab the sea at high speed as it was diving for lunch
Here's looking at you. This is the agriculture extravaganza known as the Royal
The sculpture was massive and you could see it all over the show
Here are some people for size comparison and it is a loughton sheep. I thought that it was glorious
Vintage cars were on show
hoards of people by covid standards for us
Baby chicks
goats doing goaty things
Amazing sheep shearing, he is using manual clippers
and this skinny fellow was using a motorised one
talk about strong!
Bet his back hurt after this. He had control of the animal the whole time. Just super strong
This guys now in his 50's and he has been a stunt rider since his teens
he really enjoys it
and again someone super strong
he has a lot of fun with this
and this was the transport back to the car park. All fun and games at the ag show
Boating times and farewell for now
The streets as we fly past on the train in England
and old England scenes
The train is brilliant and we saw lovely country houses on the way
hurtled to London
Pretty fab train station!
and back home
The season is starting to finish
and we can see that autumn is coming
Out on my walks I spotted loan some chairs
and clouds looking like pink smoke
Fairy houses
and activities to do along the way
This is a fairy palace
This house is more ivy than house
and mushroom city
Thanks for coming along for the journey and I'll see what September brings
