Manx For The Memories!

So the family and I have been traveling about and "this one time..." we went to Peel and visited the castle. Upon arrival, my boy needed a diaper change and I, of course was volunteered to do the changing. So Ben and I walked all the way across the grounds searching for the Toilet and found that there's no room for changing. At this point he's bursting at the seams and the grassy hill next to the dungeon looks inviting. So here at area #26, Ben received a fresh "Nappy".

Here's Ben fresh and ready for anything! We dodged the swooping gulls and climed the grassy hills, wiped runny noses until we found mummy and sister.

By the way, here's a picture of the view inside the men's restroom. a bit cramped. This was taken with a flash as well.



Here's a view from the wall over looking the see. If you look close enough you can see a sail boat with red sails in the middle of the deep blue water.

"D'ya wanna go outside? I think we should go outside! Have you seen outside? Do you wanna play outside?! You'd like it outside! Why don't you take me outside!?! If you loved me you'd take me outside! You wanna be a good owner? Take me outside to play! I like it outside! I'll pee in the garden and everything!!.....you don't want me to eat the furniture? take me outside!, you'd like it!!!! let's go! you wanna go...?.................."

And so it continues, EVERY TIME I try to leave the house........... with one, doey eyed look.

We've found ourselves yet another temporary new home. Apperativo! A new favorite hang for us and other like-minded-upwardly challenged types. Conveniently situated 1 an1/2 blocks south (i.e. stumbling distance)from our flats. This is not to be confused with the anther psuedo-upper-scale 'place' a couple of doors north. That severely overpriced, under-skilled 'place' is where martinis ride the short bus to school. Anyway our new favorite master bar-tender, Frederica, will fix you up with a martini that would get the nod of approval from any of the "Ratpack" lushes. Good service, good atmoshpere, good crowd, good god - let's toast to our new favorite-temporary-home-away-from-home-away-from-our-homes! Salud!

Cathy and I and The Cruz family spent an afternoon at castle Rushen down in Castletown. Great Castle, lots of History.
Apparently Robert The Bruce stormed this Castle back in the day. More recently it was a prison - lots of quality torture
administered here. I think The castle dates back to the 1200's although it has been built over in places over the years.
It has a real honest to Pete dungeon. Sweet.

A few more signs around the fine island of Mann. I have to say that the last one had me very concerned... why is here here and when the hell did he learn to draw?!

Boy lemme tell ya those lil kitties are cute. Nothing like Kitties, a fifth of scotch and 15 valium to calm the old nerves.
But seriously folks… is there anything that DOESN"T go on here… I mean whoa Betty!


It's TT on the sea!!

The Polish tall ship Dar Merchienzy (there was a letter in the name that I can't locate on my keyboard, sort of a sideways L with a dash through it.) It sounded like 'dharma jersey' to me. Anyway, the ship was parked in the harbor for several days and one day, we'll call it...Thursday, they let passengers on for a tour, a meal and a bit of a sail around the Irish Sea. Fantastic! Michael, Cathy,Dan, Bev and I got on for our 3 hour tour. Dar Merchienzy is a training ship for Polish sailors or expatriated criminals, they sure dressed fancy either way. They went through a series of drills like hoisting the sails, battening the hatches and what have you. One interesting thing was that they do take along guests from various ports around the world as they dock into them. We met a couple of retired cabin mates. One from Germany and one from Conneticut, who have been seasonally adrift on this boat for many, many years, 6 and 14 respectively. The German (what a great character) was on his 6th week aboard, the American, 5 weeks. What a way to sail into those golden years, these boys are no dummies. Sweet. Anyway here is a little collage of images from the boat.

I came home one night last week and almost fell over a cardboard box that had been left in the living room by our friendly postman (typical Laxey living, don’t lock the door and the postal service just walk in and leave whatever they bring……)

I couldn’t think what on earth it could be until I noticed a small sticker on the side of the box -with a picture of a motorbike on it. I presumed it was some kind of motorbike accessory.......then the truth dawned on me………….. it wasn’t a bike part it was an actual bike!!!!!! A little black Mini Moto. An obvious toy for a 44 year old ‘not on the slim side’ man. Sorry dear.

So, just for a change, some of my family had come over from Ireland to visit. As soon as they heard this thing start up they were over in a second, all wanting a go. Not the best idea really, putting an 8 year old on a 2 - wheel / 40 mph speed machine up a gravel hill.

But anything for a laugh............


Take a long, loving look.




This is the last time the bike was to be seen in the same state.









Nothing quite like the site of your nephew hurtling up a hill at speed, swerving, catapulting from the bike, accompanied by the sound of metal scraping along gravel. Quite something.


















But he was FINE!!!! Dented pride more than anything else!!!!! (oh, and a very dented bike!!!!!)

This is a photo of my other nephew Thomas who had a rather more sucessful ride!!

Another installation of my abstract appreciation for our winged counter-parts. Just keep squawking my friends, you inspire me every morning.

So I have to share this with you all. On Joe's energetic bike ride up to Laxey, I passed him about half way from Douglas (cycling on the wrong side of the road, bless) so I decided to call him to meet up in my home village.

We sat outside the Mine's pub in the sunshine and had a lovely chat about food, beer and cartoons (as usual) and then Joe's tram arrived to cho-cho him back to Douglas.

Picture the scene........ there's Joe, bike safe in the back of the tram........carriage to himself, looking forward to a picturesque and peaceful journey back to the capital.

Then picture '30' 8 year olds complete with Belfast squeals, Scout Camp uniforms and ice-cream piercing Joe's tranquility, trapped in a now cramped hot and noisy tram.

Sunshine on a Sunday afternoon = no charge
Pint of beer = £2.50
Ice-cream = £1.50
Good company = no charge
Crying with laughter at the site of your one friend most likely to choose self extraction of their own teeth rather than spending extended time with small carbon based life forms (children to you and I) = priceless

I wish I'd had my camera. But I didn't so instead here's a picture of a my cat Gizzy impersonating Joe's face.......... REALLY pleased

Specifically, people from 101 Reykjavik, sister neighborhood to Silverlake, LA.

Thanks Bao for not putting a cap in my ass for my mistake (Ice Cube,right?) Coming from Los Angeles I was glad to see the local township giving up props to NWA. It gave me a warm, fuzzy homesick feeling.

Sorry I've no photos of big fancy parties with glamorous stars... although I have seen a sheep here that looked just like Phyllis Diller. Just some shots of the ill-fated Glen Maye expedition, and yes more waterfalls. They are like midges here...everywhere.

Glen Maye is on the west side of the island and @5 miles south of Peel.

A view from the upper bridge looking down at the main pool area.

Some creekside growth.


Down at the creekside bridge...


From under the bridge we look up at the waterfall. Only a few yards away from tragedy.

Ding dang dong, that's something.

Just like Hawaii I've told ya.
Amongst all the glory of nature and goodness of the outdoors, it apparently overwhelmed Michael entirely...

...then SHAZAM...disaster! We're white-knuckle tooling in a Handy Cab straight to Nobles Hospital, at times exceeding speeds of 30mph!

Some tales are better left untold. Suffice it to say... I think Michael is going to make it.
p.s. -sorry folks for askew layout, but this photo posting program sucks.

This from Peel:

A Chicken Coupe.

Yes, my kids love their new living-breathing jungle gym, Uncle Bao! Rebecca loves the swing part while Ben enjoys the other end.

No Baos were injured in the production of this photo- he did work up quite a sweat.

The power of compassion is a mighty force, and it's a good thing. Otherwise I surely would have taken this opportunity to post another installation of my Seagull Apparel. It can wait, there's lot's more to come. Instead I'm posting these photos of the incomparably gorgeous Dhoon Glen. Michael, Cathy and I took the stroll from the bus/train drop-off 1 mile down the Glen trail to where it drops into the ocean. Unlike Patrick Swayze, when I say this place is magical it isn't a well contrived publicity statement, it's a bleedin fact. It looked like a tropical waterfall coursing through the lush jungle of the Io valley in Maui. Great walky alrighty.




my novice camera skills can't do this place justice. I suggest going and experiencing it yourself.


Michael ponders at the poolside... "how could things have gone so terribly wrong at Glen Maye?"


A wee culvert over the creek. A vestige from some sort of mining operation in the area.


Just like Hawaii I tell ya!


Our view as the path led down to the sea. A fine example of crustal upshift on the cliffs, and a view of England's Lake District across the water.


Michael and Cathy, off in the distance, on our way back for pints.

I'm the latest arrival on the Firetrucks crew and I've already met a special friend. As Mike and Chris have pointed out...I have a gull-friend. All of you will be glad to know that my gull-friend and I have progressed in our relationship. We have developed a great trust. I practically have her eating out of my fingers now.

Can you see the love in her eyes? And please don't comment on her weight...she's sensitive.

In keeping with the general attitude, Bao has taken to feeding a particular seagull, the one I made a drawing of a few moths ago. She has some distinguishing marks, but is first distinguished by her relative plumpness. She can tell when Bao is cooking and glares at me impatiently while she waits outside our living room. She very clearly expects to dine with him every meal, and will lean in and blast out apartment with her blaring eruptive cries. To tell you the truth, Bao's gullfriend is kind of a bitch, really.

She was very catious about the Funions he offered her. You can never hope to understand other people's relationships.


She was quite trusting when it came to grapes, though it doesn't look like she trusts much here. She loves the grapes. Jack the Ripper used grapes to dope his victims. His real name might have been William Gull. I trust you see where this is going.

There she is in all her squawkiness. In the background is this brilliant Polish three-master we took a cruise on last night. I hope Joe gets his pictures on here.