Sights and Sounds One hundered and Three

Day 9 and 10.

On Sunday we spent the morning settling in to our new surroundings. Unfortunately the weather was a little dodgy and we couldn’t get out that much but that was okay since most of us were still recovering from the massive journey to get here. I managed to catch up on the blog a little and spend a few minutes editing some photos. I think this one below maybe one of my faves of the trip so far.


I spent the afternoon just wandering around the area closest to the house. I could spend hours just looking at the view. The  landscape is so cool and seems to change along with the weather. 
The water often has a very tropical blue look which is rally strange but i can assure you that’s the only characteristic that is similar to the tropics here. The people who did live on Ronay for a short time many years ago were really up against it. The conditions here change so quickly. The only good thing is you can see the threatening weather approaching which is good for us in our house but maybe still a little rough for the cave dwellers that once inhabited the island.



The evening meal was prepared by Matthew and was absolutely delicious. I think most of it was spa nosh influenced. Along with some baked chicken we had these potato onion dishes that were amazing. He had spent most of the afternoon cooking and the results were pretty awesome.

With Tor and Manny’s pies yesterday and these meal the bar was getting set pretty high. 

After the meal we sat around the dinning table and played liar dice which is a game based on rolling dice and lying about the outcome to the player to your left. It was quite entertaining and Dusti and i did fairly well but made a few rookie mistakes. I’m sure we will have a chance to redeem ourselves later this week. 
With clouds covering the evening sky there was no chance of a sunset this evening
so we headed off to bed.



Monday morning started out like Sunday evening finished. The winds were whipping up and rain was blowing through  the bay towards the house. The winds was quite loud at times. After breakfast i consulted the weather app on my phone and made the bold prediction it would brighten up (no ones weather predictions seem to be accurate out here). I went so far as to predict the time the with would get better and went up stairs to gather my gear to go on a hike. Dusti actually beat me to it and was out of the door by 9:30 when it was still raining. Her and Mak headed straight out the back and over the mountain not to seen again for several hours. At 10 am i walked out and looked to the South West where to my delight i saw the cloud back ending and blue sky breaching the horizon. Finally a day to get out a bit. I have to admit if it rains all week i still have had the best holiday ever. Spending time with mum and dad then We coming up here has been fabulous and to top it off think i may have taken some of my best photos ever on this trip (all those YouTube and lynda.com tutorials are paying off!).


So i ventured out to the West side of the island on my own. I wanted to try a couple of long exposures. One problem i am having is how windy it is. I brought a tripod but it isn’t sturdy enough for some of these gusts and any vibration will ruin a long exposure.  I managed to find one spot fairly shaded with a view back down to the house which worked okay and i also set up the go pro to shoot a time lapse facing out towards North Uist.

I wandered around by myself taking photos of flowers and old ruins and the sun slowly began to peak from behind the clouds. It actually became quite warm. I looked up to the North and saw the silhouettes of Dusti and Mak at the top of the highest peak on the island. I waved but she never saw me. Looking back towards the house i saw Sarah and her dad along with Kate and Frankie also venturing out.

 I was hoping to see some of the deer that roam the island but i all i saw were the occasional tracks and quite a bit of poop! We were told by the locals that the deer actually swim between islands. Who knew deer could swim?

.....Well later that day Tori and Manny said they saw the deer swimming and we have since read in the guest book other visitors have seen them swim too. I'm really hoping to get some nature pics but nothing yet.

Ronay is much larger than we anticipated. There is no way we will explore it all not even between us all. One of the toughest things is the ground is so soggy. Without waterproof walking boots you wouldn’t be able to get around at all. I’m so relieved Dusti bought me some this last christmas. And even with my recently sprained ankle i have managed to get up and about pretty well.

After about two hour on my own i headed back to the house for lunch. Dusti was still not back but as i sat in the sunshine at the front of the house saw her and Mak again this time at the south of the island on the top of another mountain. She is a true hiker!

A couple of hours later she and Mak returned and Dusti described her trek and told us she got lost for a little while after she had run into to Manny and Tor. She managed to managed to make it home and after a shower she joined my at the front of the house to soak up the sun. 

It was at this point Julian headed out with Mak for another trek. This one i wished had gone on as some of the views he got were unreal. I am hoping the weather will pick up so i can do the same trek.

 For dinner Sarah’s parents cooked Chilli and again the food was outrageously  good. The pressure is really building to provide a good meal. We are supposed to be doing shish kabobs on Thursday on the grill (i’ll post a pic of the grill later this week). It going to take a miracle to keep up the standard and if it rains it’s going to be even more challenging.



After dinner i grabbed my gear and headed out again this time with glass of bourbon and coke to keep me company. Make followed along for his fourth or fifth outing of the day. He’s an amazing dog and i think he’s is on his dream holiday. With all this family and a giant island to run around with no leash on what’s not to love if you’re a dog? Or a human for that matter. 

I climbed halfway up the mountain slightly behind the house which would give me a view of the sunset. There was still some clear sky however the forecast was for heavy clouds to move in. I perched my self on a small stone and set up my gear. I had the GoPro on time-lapse and i had my Canon on the tripod. I waited patiently for well over an hour sipping on my cocktail admiring the stunning views.






To my dismay what started out so promising ended up a little disappointing. I did get a couple of sun rays but the clouds moved and the sun disappeared.

I packed dup made my way back down and went to bed!

Sights and Sounds One Hundred and Two

Days 5-8

Finally have some time to type and catch up. The last few days as seen us travel allover the place. I’ll attempt to recap. 

We packed up on Thursday and said farewell to Knaresborough. It’s always fun to visit the town and of course see mum and dad. We drove down the M1 to Barnsley the cut across the Pennines through Glossup to Buxton. The drive took quite a while but the views of the Peak District were pretty cool.

After a brief lunch dad said his farewells and headed home. Julian, Dusti and I took Mak out to The Roaches for an afternoon walk. The Roaches is a rock formation in Staffordshire about 20 minutes from Buxton. The last time we visited it was freezing cold. This time it was glorious sunshine. There were loads of hikers and climber out. The walk up offers some really awesome views. You can see all the way to Wales. Mak got in his exercise (along with the rest of us). The way he freely navigates the rocks and trails was awesome and was a good preparation for what he is experiencing here on Ronay.

In the evening we went for a dinner out at the Buxton Tap House followed by a stop off at Monk (Victoria’s boyfriend’s bar) for a couple of cocktails then it was on to Victoria’s Salsa class. Dusti and Sarah participated and Julian and i watched and cheered them on :)

We go back to the house and slept hard (if only for a short time).

On Friday morning the alarms went off around the house about 5:30 or so. We managed too all be ready and packed by 6:30 to start our mega trip to Scotland. Victoria and Manny drove on their own. Sarah’s Dad and mum took Kate and Frankie and Sarah’s brother Matthew drove his daughter Sofia. We all left at different times and would meet up at different stages and continue on together.

julian had planned out a coupe of stops for us on the way as Mak certainly need to stretch his legs a few times on our lengthy journey. The first stop was Hadrian’s Wall just outside Carlisle. It was build by the Roman Emperor Hadrian to keep out the Scottish clans way back in the day. It stretches across North England and i had visited the Eastern side before as a kid and it was not so impressive in fact in places the wall was only a couple of feet high but this section of the wall was pretty cool. We walked along for about half an hour and ran into a couple of women hikers from the US who were walking the whole wall. Mak chased his frisbee and i think we wore him about just enough for the next leg of the trip.



We continued north in Scotland and around Glasgow. The rain began and didn’t stop for a long time. The ride was very twisty and turn along with  offering some spectacular scenes it also offered some traffic headaches. At one point two truck traveling in opposite directions couldn’t get passed each other. It wasn’t until a guy from one of the cars stuck in the queue helped guide them. We also saw a car overturned from skidding off the road. 

Some of the mountains were awesome it really was a shame it was such poor weather. Our next Stop was Fort William to get a bite to eat. We chose what looked like the best option which was like a welcome center (tourist trap). Once inside we found out they weren’t serving hot food anymore and only offered cold sandwiches and drinks. We each had a cup of hot chocolate and a biscuit and got back on the road. It seemed for the next hour or so all we kept seeing was places to eat that served “hot food all day” and it became a bit of a joke. We eventually made a last turn on to the road which would send us to our accommodations for the night in the village of Glenelg. The rain  stopped as we drove up a mountain side and Julian pulled over at “viewing area” and we saw the spectacular Scottish landscape.


After a few pictures and we were ready to eat get to the cottage. Once there Matthew and Sofia showed up about 10 minutes later. It was a cool little house that was stuck in 1950. It reminded of my grandmothers house with peculiar ornaments and old fashioned furniture. It served it’s purpose though and we had a huge field behind us where Mak could run around. In fact he made friends with a couple of other local border collies pretty quickly.

After we were settled in we headed out to dinner. Luckily Sarah was able to book us a table at the Glenelg Inn. It was a short 5 minute drive from our location. We arrived at 8pm and as we walked in we were greeted by a roaring fire and the sounds of gaelic music. It was like walking in to a scene of a movie. All the tables were filed with people eating and drinking the local varieties and ales and food. It was really cool. We all ordered drinks then decided to order several plates of food which we passed around so everyone got a taste. Included in our meal was traditional fish and chip, local scallops, venison stew and venison steaks and langoustines (which a like huge crawfish). Followed by a dessert  of Sticky Toffee Puddings which we didn’t share! Afterwards we headed back for a good nights sleep.



Saturday morning we got up and prepared for the last day of travel which would have us end up on the Island of Ronay. This proved to be quite an adventurous day. The rain started as we pulled out of the drive. Our first stop was only 10 minutes away as we were to take a small ferry to the Isle of Skye. The Kylerhea Ferry was small little boat that could only hold about four cars. The center of the boat had a circular ramp that rotated over the dock so the cars could drive on to it. We stayed in the cars as turntable rotated back into place and the boats engines cranked up. I have to admit it was a bit nervous sat in the car as we cruised over. Thankfully it was a pretty smooth crossing.



 The rain was pouring down as we drove off the ferry and headed up the mountain on the Skye side. The scenery was unreal. It looked so prehistoric and there were hundred of waterfalls cascading down the mountain side. No video or picture can recreate the grandeur of the sights we were seeing. The rain was lashing horizontally in the style of a South Carolina storm but the temperature was a little different! We followed Matthew in his Mini weaving around the side of the mountain on the tiniest road i’ve ever seen. Fortunately we only saw one car coming in the opposite direction and we timed it well as we met at a small passing shoulder where we could let them by.

We drove onto the major road that runs through Skye and headed towards Portree which the capital. The clouds were not giving up and the rain was intense. We stopped in Portree for our food supplies for Ronay and then it was on to Uig to catch the big ferry to the Outer Hebrides.
We did have chance for a photo pop on the drive when the skies suddenly opened and the sun shone on one of Skye’s famous scenes. It was fantastic.



In Uig we met up with Sarah’s parents Tony and Celia and also with Kate and her boyfriend Frankie. We had to wait about an hour before we could drive on to the ferry so we wandered around the harbour to take a few photos. Once the traffic started moving we found ourselves quickly parked in the bottom of the Ferry. Kate and Frankie were registered as walkers so they could take Mak with them otherwise he would have to stay in the car which would not have been fun for him. Once on the boat we gathered on deck as we left the port. The sun was out and the view was very cool. Despite being extremely windy it was really good crossing. Dusti struggled  with a little bit of see sickness but managed. 




Once on the Outer Hebrides we were started our final leg of the journey. A ten mile drive to Ceallan where we would meet our host who would ferry us over to the island. We pulled up at the dock and met the final members our party, Victoria and Manny. A gentleman named David was going to help Neil (the property manager) carry us over to Ronay as he had a larger boat. There was 12 of us and we were toting a weeks worth of food, drink and other supplies. We found out later that David is the owner of the whole of North and South Uist and has OBE and was an Earl! He was really nice guy and you would never have known it. I did get the impression he was posh though whilst chatting with him. 

Each car took turns backing down the boat ramp to unload everything onto the boat. Matthew and Manny rode over with Neil and the rest of us took the Earl’s boat!
It was a short ride of about 10 minutes to get to Ronay. We were told it’s pronounced Rona and on some maps it’s spelled Ronaigh. There is only one house on the island (the one were are staying in) and Sarah had seen an ad for this place in the Sunday Times newspaper and organized the whole trip. The excitement on her face was plain to see as we turned into the bay where the house dock was. We were all very excited it had been a very long trip but judging by the initial sight it was going to be well worth it. 

From the outside the house looked small. I was sitting below a rocky cliff in a pretty dramatic fashion. We unloaded all the supplies and luggage and Sarah gave us orders to our rooms.
I was eager to unpack quickly so i could shoot some photos. The light was awesome. The sun was out and the clouds were dramatic. 

Julian, Dusti, Mak and myself headed out on a pre dinner walk to ease of the island. It was spectacular and to top it off although we were caught in a brief rain shower we were treated to a rainbow or the mountain top towards the sea. The scenery was stunning. It’s going to be a really cool week of photo ops. 

One of the arrangements for this week is that each couple has been designated a night to cook. This first night was Victoria and Manny’s turn. We were treated to two meat pies and a homity pie, boiled potatoes and Kale with some Stilton Cheese and a Ham. It was quite the spread. The meal was delicious.

After dinner i tried to catch the sunset. I went up the closest mountain with Kate, Frankie, Victoria and Manny. Unfortunately, we whereabouts 10 minutes too late. Hopefully we’ll catch one later in the week. 





Sights and Sounds One Hundred One

Day 5. Photo Ops!

The forecast for today was the best so far and i knew getting up early would give me the best chance to shoot some decent pictures of the castle. I decided i would get up early and walk into town by myself. It was a cool morning with an abundance of blue sky and wispy white clouds in the upper atmosphere. My mission for this holiday in a photography perspective is to get at least 5 photographs that i feel really happy with and i felt today i would need to get one of those shots. I walked up the high street and passed all the market vendors setting up for market day. I saw one guy unloading a palette of freshly baked pies, scones and sausage rolls. I walked up to the castle remains and began to think about my desired shot. The clouds weren't really doing what i wanted but i went ahead and set up for a long exposure. I got a couple of different compositions from various angles which i had scoped out the day before with Dusti.

 I also to this one from lower down without the ND filter. The distortion from the wide angle on the lens was pretty horrific but nothing a little Photoshop could straighten out.

I walked down the steps at the back of the castle and headed down to the river again. I know i have photographed this area a thousand times but the light was a little different so i thought i would just check it out. Plus i had my ND filters with me this time. I got this pretty decent shot of the viaduct. 

I also shot the row boats again from another angle. I liked the repeating patterns. After about two hours i decided to walk back to mum and dad's house so we could decide what to do with the day. The original plan was to go to Whitby on the caost which would have been pretty cool but i wasn't sure the about the weather and it's also a decent length drive. Instead we decided to go up in to the Yorkshire Dales and visit The Coldstones Cut. 

There is a really large quarry up near Pateley Bridge which recently had an art installation placed above it. Basically it's a stone viewing platform which lets you look over the Quarry in one direction or over Yorkshire in the other. We drove through the country roads and the sun was shinning and the clouds had great contrast and form. It was going to be good for pics. As we pulled up to park the car however mother nature put the brakes on and the heavens opened. Dust and i sat for about ten minutes before just going for it in the cold hard rain. Dad stayed in the car hoping for it to let up some.

The trail up was rocky and steep in parts but offered great views. The purple thistles poked their heads up from the pastures in every direction.

Dusti and i actually got to the top really quick and took a quick look and headed back down as the weather the got worse and we were getting soaked but as quickly as the rain came on as we reach near the bottom it stopped and we were greeted by my dad who was heading up. After a brief discussion we decided to go back up (thanks in part to my dad's knowledge of the weather patterns up there as he predicted the sun would be out for a while). I really glad we did as it really turned out pretty spectacular.  Here are a few images from the trail including some pretty cool panoramas (make sure to click on the images to see larger versions).

All in all the little hike was well worth it. Some lovely views of Yorkshire and some pretty trippy weather. We head to back to Buxton tomorrow and begin our Scottish adventure on Friday. So it's farewell to Yorkshire. It's always so nice to visit the place i was born.

Sights and Sounds One Hundred

Day 4. More Rain.
We got up having slept for a good nine hours. I was really hoping for the weather  to be a little brighter but it was pretty miserable. We went to town so Dusti could buy some local Yorkshire wool to do some knitting while on the Scottish Island next week and we also retraced her jog from earlier so she could post some photos. The lady in the wool shop was very kind and Dusti some needles for free since she didn't bring any with her and Dusti bought several skeins of wool of which she is knitting a couple of scarves with (we'll probably need them next week the way this British summer weather is panning out). I didn't take my DSLR with me and low and behold as we were eating lunch the sun poked out from the thick gray blanket in the sky to say hello and i began to wonder if i was going to miss some dramatic skies above the castle. Well we finished lunch and headed back outside and within five minutes it was raining again. We pretty much ruled this day out as far as doing anything too interesting. In the evening we did get a visit from my Auntie Rosemary and Uncle Ian which was fantastic. We had a fish and chip dinner followed by a delicious chocolate cake. After they left i went to bed early with the intentions of getting up at 6AM to photograph the castle. The weatherman were predicting partly cloudy weather especially for the morning so i was eager to take advantage and shoot some long exposures.

Sights and Sounds Ninety-Nine

Day 3. Washed Out.
Northern England in the summer = rain and we are getting first hand experience of that right now. I don't mind so much it being colder and even cloudy as we get plenty of sun in SC but i was really hoping to get out and go to a few places in Yorkshire over the next few days and the weather is not cooperating. The forecast for the next three days really a big downer therefore my photo ops are looking a bit grim. The sky is so flat with no contrast exactly what i was hoping to avoid. I am really hoping Scotland will be a different story. Funnily enough the forecast from Friday through next week in Knaresborough is lovely!

We did pop into Harrogate my birthplace yesterday.  This is where the PBS show Last Tango in Halifax is filmed. It's a pretty nice town a good bit bigger than Knaresborough. My dad dropped us off in the morning before the rain started. We first went to find Dusti and embroidery kit (new hobby) at Dutton's Buttons and then we went for a walk through the Valley Gardens.

Throughout the streets were hanging baskets of flowers and flower beds. I noticed a several signs saying "Harrogate a Town in Bloom" and it really was. I guess they need something to brighten up the summer days!

After a stopping for some lunch we walked around for another 30 minutes or so before the rain started at which point we decided to call it a day. The rest of the day was spent inside looking out the window at the drizzle but at least Dusti got started on her sewing.

Fingers crossed for some improved weather.

Sights and Sounds Ninety-Eight

Day 2. The Witch and Raven.
Today got off to an early start. After a delicious breakfast of eggs and sausage we chilled out and chatted with my parents for most of the morning catching up. It's been over two years since I've been home so it's really nice to be here. Around noon we decided to walk in to town. It was quite bright out but the forecast was for rain around 2pm.

It only takes 10 minutes to walk down to the river. We always wander into town when come but never ceases to amaze me how pretty it is. It's the perfect English town and in the summertime it comes to life even more. We usually visit in the winter and everything looks very different. I took quite a few photos many from similar vantage points over the past trips but i find its quite a good challenge to see if i am improving in my composition and i have a much better quality camera this trip too.

Whilst walking down the street towards the river the scent from all the flowers in the gardens threw me back to my childhood. So many aromas. Like i mentioned, visiting in the summer is so different and it's been many years since i have done so. The traffic was very busy and there was quite a lot of people walking down towards the river. We walked past The World's End Pub and turn onto Waterside we left the busy traffic behind us. The trees were all so green and there ere several folks navigating the tranquil waters of the River Nidd on rowing boats.

It was pleasantly mild but cool enough for us to wear a couple of layers. However, most people we saw were in shorts and t-shirts! We wandered down along the river under the viaduct.

There are some really cool houses along the water and the gardens were spectacular. We approached several cafes and more boat rentals. The locals were sitting out eating and drinking.

As the sky began to darken we decided to head up to the castle and head back. We meandered through the Bebra Gardens and back up.

 

We were greeted at the top by this guy.

This is the witch's raven. This things was massive and the picture doesn't do it justice. We are pretty sure it was swearing at us. We asked mum and dad about it and apparently this bird belongs to a strange old lady who often walks around with it perched on her shoulder. We did see her dressed in medieval clothing but just thought she was hired by the castle to entertain the tourists. And apparently she has taught the bird to talk. We walked round the castle grounds and took the obligatory shot down towards the river once again.

I didn't take any photos of the castle yet. I am hoping to go back later in the week when the sky is a little  more dramatic and shoot some long exposures.

Walked briskly back through town and managed to beat rain. We enjoyed a sunday roast dinner of lamb and Yorkshire Puddings.

An early night was in store as the day before was finally catching up. Hopefully we will feel pretty rested tomorrow and start to get out a bit more.

Sights and Sounds Ninety-Seven

Day One. CHS-Buxton-Hebden-Hebdon Bridge-Knaresborough.

It’s 5:45am in Knaresborough. The sun is blasting through the white blinds and i have only had 5 hours of sleep. I actually feel pretty awake considering the monster first day we just had. 

We left Charleston on Friday. The weather was hot but overcast with a good chance of storms but we managed to leave the gate without any delay. The United flight was a little crowded and small so thankfully it only took an hour to get to Dulles (Washington, DC). Having drank three pints of Guinness in the airport (as you do) i was a little concerned that we got held up for 20 minutes on the runway as i felt the urge to go to bathroom creep up on me. The Guinness was going to get it’s revenge. In the spirit of going back to the motherland for the first time in two years i blasted Great Northern’s “Home” through my headphones as we sped down the runway to take my mind off it. I knew i had another 15-20 minutes before i would be allowed to get up and move about the cabin. When chime of the “seat belt no loner required” finally met my ears i bolted in true Johnny Bolt fashion down the back of the little plane only to be met by the meanest United Airlines flight attendant who was walking in my direction. “Sir, go to the exit row” not catching what she said i replied “Sorry?” to which she snarky repeated herself “Sir, go to the exit row”. At this point my bladder was close to springing a leak all over Row 22. I backed up so she could walk by and i smiled and let her by (she did not smile nor did i see her smile once on the flight. Anyways, i finally got to the loo and wow that was a relief in every aspect of the word.



We landed in Washington and had a two hour layover. This is short for us as we usually plan 4 hours or so just in case there are delays so we barely had time to grab some food before we were boarding again. We ate at some restaurant burger joint and talked to some young guy who was coming home after a military tour. He had been to all those countries in the middle east you see on the news. He named off about 8 of them. What was really cool is as he went to pay the waiter told him the lady that was sitting opposite him moments earlier paid for his tab. I thought that was a really cool gesture. 

After devouring a cheeseburger we went to gate to board our flight to Manchester. It was a smaller plane than most that go to Europe only have three seats on each side with one aisle but it was pretty comfy and with the tail winds the caption announced we would be Manchester well before our scheduled arrival time. We didn't check any luggage this trip due mainly to our schedule leaving Scotland in two weeks. So the flight was great pretty smooth and fast. Dusti slept for about four of the 6.5 hours and i got a couple of hours in after a couple of drinks to help me doze off.



We landed in Manchester at 6:15am which for our bodies was 1:15am but we both felt remarkably good. We zipped through Immigration super fast and were out through customs into the arrivals lounge in no time. In fact, we were 10 minutes ahead of my brother since we had arrived ahead of schedule. But sure enough Julian was there and we were in the car on a beautiful sunny day in Manchester heading to Buxton for the day.

 It’s really cool being in England in the Summer. When we walked out of the airport we were met with really refreshing cool air. Such a contrast to the heavy humidity of Charleston. We drove out of Manchester towards Macclesfield and up into the Peak District. It was really beautiful. The sun was low in the sky and the colors were magnificent. Just outside Buxton we saw a policeman flagging us down or i guess just warning us to beware. As we drove around the corner were met by another copper who was “shooing” a cow and calf off the road! They had obviously broken out of their walled field and were going for a stroll down the country road. Without any further delays we arrived at Julian and Sarah’s and had a cup of tea and chilled….well I did anyway. Dusti thought she would feel better if she went off for a jog. The sun was out the temp was pleasant so Dusti and the family border collie Mak hit the streets of Buxton for a 5 mile run!

The rest of the day we chilled and did take afternoon naps to help us be prepared for our evening trip to Hebden Bridge to see Kate and her boyfriend Frankie and ultimately see Julian’s good friend Steve play with his band Klammer opening for the old punk band The Membranes. The drive over took about 1.5 hours. The road system in the UK is so baffling. The sat nav says it’s like miles but the roads are so twisty it takes ages to get anywhere. It was a great drive though with some super cool views. I set up my GoPro on the windshield to shoot a time-lapse of the trip. Check it out below.

This video is about Buxton_hebden


Once in Hebden we got a quick tour of Kate’s flat which was located right on the canal. It was a really cute little town. Dusti really enjoyed looking at all the old buildings and floral decorations that dawned them.

 We met up with Steve outside the club and all walked in together and had a pre-gig pint. The first band started and it was very loud. I would say i felt old but i think since the headliner of the gig was a punk band from the 70’s a majority of the clientele were actually older than me many of which were still trying to grasp on to their punk roots. 

Steve’s band Klammer



were really quite good. I had listened to them on SoundCloud so i was familiar with them some. It was about 9:30 when they finished up their set and we ha arranged to meet Frankie and Kate at another pub for quick pint before heading to Knaresborough. Of course my good brother had a Pepsi whilst Dusti, Sarah and i all drank one more beverage including a Strongbow Berry Cider which was rather tasty but perhaps a little too sweet (me thinks Judi McCabe would have enjoyed this drink). We also got a few packets of crisps (potato chips) including Ox flavor and Strong Cheese and Onion.

We finally headed out about 10:30 but unfortunately the drive to Knaresborough seemed to take quite some time due to a few road works and the complicated directions the sat nav gave us. I swear we drove in circles for about 30 minutes. I kept looking out the window a seeing the moon in one direction then it would be on the other side of the car moments later then back again. It was bizarre. We did finally make it to mum and dads arriving here a 12:05am about 31 hours after leaving our house in Mount Pleasant. 

So we are here and ready for the adventures that await us over the next 15 days. I’ll keep posting on the blog for the trip as much as i can if you wish to follow along with us.
 It’s time for a cup of tea and perhaps some eggs and english sausage!




 



Sights and Sounds Ninety-Six

So we have had a pretty chilled week here in Brevard. We went to Triple Falls yesterday. We have been there before but this time i had a specific photo i wanted to capture. I needed partly cloudy skies with a pretty good upper level wind to make the clouds really move. My goal was to take 1-2 minute high dynamic range images of the falls and then merge those shots with 20-30 second shots where i exposed for the clouds. The motion of the clouds creates a really nice effect.