The Low Road?

I must have taken the Low Road to Scotland...through the rain, wind  and cold.  I kept looking for the High Road and the bonnie, bonnie banks of Loch Lomond but I must have gotten lost in the storm.  Actually, we did get a storm with 100mph winds one day.  So these shots don't show a lot of sun and bright contrast but still they present an interesting mood.  Scotland is all about mood.  That is why they invented Scotch.

Now to Scotland

After the week on Sark, we moved to the Kingdom of Fife in eastern Scotland for another 7 days of beautiful land and seascapes.  Though it rained most days, my photography seemed to improve as we travelled through the small towns, ruins, rural fields, and harbors.  Let me know if you see any interest in these shots.

Sark in the Dark

Sark is one of the designated "dark regions" on the planet....an area that does not have light pollution from human lighting at night.  The island does not have cars, street lights, or electric signs that give off light at night.  Electricity is expensive and house lights are kept to a minimum.  Therefore, you can experience the sight of the many millions of stars in the Milky Way on a clear night.  We didn't really see more stars than I can see from many places in SW Virginia as there was a nearly full moon each night.  Interesting that 2/3 of the people on the planet cannot really see the stars at night.

More Sarkness

I have about 20 more shots of Sark that I wish to show on this blog so here is another group......landscapes, seascapes, flowers, birds, people.  The pics are not intended to represent the island, but just to record what I saw "at that moment".  They could just as well have been from Oregon,  the Maritime Provinces, or any number of places that we have visited.  Photographic images are interesting because they capture time, not just place.

The Art of Sark

Sark is a tiny island (3 1/2 by 1 1/2 miles) in the English Channel dominated by rocky cliffs, wild flowers, shore birds, and tractors.  The population of 600 lives a slower paced, farming and fishing life without paved roads or motorized cars.  Transportation is via foot, bicycle, horse, or tractor.  Lourdes and I recently spent a week there with a group of Roanoke artists painting and photographing nature and enjoying the peace.  I will show some of the sites of the island in this and the next blog.  The last shot is the Doctor's tractor/ambulance...the chair in the back is to carry sick or disabled patients to the office.