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Just a few jottings - - Random ramblings, occasional crafty creations & nature notes included. Trying to "Design a life I love" - succeeding I think -----.

Saturday 24 February 2007

Saturday Drive - - again






Oh boy did it rain last night!! Water, water, everywhere all the fields are waterlogged and there are mini streams running at the side of the roads as we don’t really have many gutters around the island particularly on country roads. Weather wise it has been a funny sort of day – it was just a grey day here in PE but as we drove over the Sloc it was clear that Manannan was spreading his cloak over the high ground, we drove in and out of the drifting coils of mist turning the whole landscape into the setting for Conan Doyle’s story Hound of the Baskervilles, indeed the last TV version was filmed here just off the road to the left; and there is no doubt on a day like this that it could so easily be Dartmoor in Victorian England.

Climbing higher up Cronk-ny-Eary-Laa it ceases to be mist and has instead become real fog - headlights loom up out of a grey curtain like primeval monsters before turning into quite ordinary cars. Reaching the round table Glen Rushen plantation looms up out of the mist and the larches are covered in a soft green mist of colour – new shoots! Only a touch of colour on them today but there is no doubt that spring is stretching out her fingers to reclaim her sleeping landscape and fill it with burgeoning life. Here on the west the mist is almost non existent, it just vanishes as if it has never been, whilst passing Niarbyl the sea is vaguely silvered as sun breaks through the drifts of cloud, so as we drop down towards Purt Ny Hinshey (Peel) the skies do seem much lighter and we decide to walk round the castle, along the harbour and to my delight there are two seals in the water. I did manage to get a couple of photos – but they are not brilliant.

On to Rhumsaa(Ramsey) for lunch – and the further we travel the better the weather gets so that suddenly, as we drive through Ballaugh there is blue sky and sunlight in front of us! Sadly it lasts only over lunch, but we can see it through the window of the cafĂ©, and towards Ballaugh the sandy beach is golden in the light. Heading back home the sky darkens again and we encounter the rain as we head back through Laxey and Baldrine. Turning off for Groudle Glen the road follows the electric railway and there are a few ancient monuments tucked away along here, Lonan Old Church with its most amazing Manx Cross(Celtic Carved Cross), King Orry’s Grave(Bronze Age burial) and at the top of Clay Head Road there is a cottage with Ancient standing stones in the front garden!! Finally the road leads us into Onchan (one day I’ll get to stop here and see the Old Village) and into Doolish along the promenade, though we don’t stop but carry on, past the Isle of Man Steam Packet Sea Terminal, along the harbour to the south. Today we stop at B & Q on route home – looking for some more stepping stones for the garden – we found them too!!

2 comments:

Latharia said...

Oh, just pure delight to read your descriptive words and gaze at your photos! Thank you!

Eleni Gratsia said...

Wow, so lovely to read about your area ... and to actually see seals wow ... I've been blessed with seeing a school of dolphins on a trip to Naxos ... Nature is pure magic! Thank you so much for sharing!!