These days, I'm finding it much easier to take a few pictures and wang them straight up on Facebook, with a word or two of explanation, rather than write a full blog, so I only discovered the other day that I hadn't actually completed writing this one which is not far shy of two months old!
Six weeks ago, we had a visit from our daughter and son-in-law along with the 18 month old child, Jack.
As many of our Facebook followers would have seen, this gave us the opportunity to play holidaymakers for a few days and for us to experience the visitor stay. Although I still had to cover a few breakfasts, it was very enjoyable and on our first morning, I cycled to Port Erin to join the rest of the family who'd taken the train. Incidentally, it costs just £3 to put you bicycle in the Guard's carriage should you not have the energy to retrace your tyre tracks.
On our second morning the Douglas weather was atrocious, so we were a little slow off the mark (nothing to do with the previous evening's beverage consumption. Honest!) What holidaymakers often fail to appreciate is that especially due to Snaefell Mountain (other slieaus ((Manx for mountain or fell)) can also be apportioned blame,) there can be different weather systems operating at the same time over such a small area. One of the most extreme examples of this was the huge snowstorm of March 2013 which devastated the West of the Island, leading to the loss of some 15,000 livestock despite the endeavours of the farmers and volunteers but hardly affected the East coast at all.
The forecast for that particular day was for sun in the North. Though I've encountered this phenomenon many times in the past, as the bus began the descent into Ramsey, though I had boldly informed everyone of impending blue skies, even I once again began to doubt the wisdom of my old chum Adrian Cowin, the Chief Meteorological Officer and his team at Ronaldsway!
And then! And then, although even most of Maughold was grey, we rounded the bend to see wonderful brightness over the Northern plains and up to the Point of Ayre.
After a lovely afternoon, mainly with Jack, nearly daring to splash around in the children's water feature in Mooragh Park, we took the Manx Electric Railway tram back to the gloom at Laxey before finishing the journey back to Douglas.
Another train trip, another cracking day at Ballasalla and Silverdale on the Sunday.
Our luck didn't quite run out with the weather but somehow, we had managed to mix up the date that the family was returning home, so on Tuesday, we had a spare day to ourselves. Time to re-introduce ourselves to the kayaks! It was the first time we'd been out from Peel on our own and we arrived at Fenella Beach looking forward to perhaps seeing some sharks and seals. The wind was blowing a little but it wasn't too choppy and nothing that we hadn't experienced before. I was quite annoyed at myself as I'd forgotten my spare spectacles but I like to be able to see what's going on, so I just thought I'd keep my vari-focals.
Unfortunately, we didn't see any of the cetaceous marine life or seals but there were guillemots, black backed gulls, cormorants or shags (I always forget which is which) and quite a few birds we couldn't identify.
Although we had to go through the waves and into the wind, it was quite good fun, though we didn't go quite so far as we'd intended and didn't find a beach to eat our packed lunch on. Typically as we turned back, the breeze seemed to ease off a little and we didn't quite have the push we had had been expecting.
I had my camera, which whilst it wasn't waterproof, I was pretty confident I wouldn't let it drop in the sea. Irene spotted a couple of puffins but frustratingly, every time I seemed to get in position, the boat would be pushed round and I wouldn't have quite the shot I was looking for. Although it wasn't as rough as when we paddled out, it wasn't pan flat and I just couldn't manoeuvre and hold the camera to find the picture I wanted. Therefore, I twisted right round in the kayak. Obviously, my shift in weight, combined with a bit of a wave hitting from behind meant that my balance wasn't quite what it should have been and the next thing I knew, I was upside down in the Irish Sea.
Needless to say, it was a bit of a shock, I was very wet, the first pair of expensive glasses I'd ever owned had floated off to the bottom of the briny and my non-watertight photographic apparatus was as soggy as me!
And then there was re-mounting the kayak!
I've done this many times on sit-on versions and even managed many times on the one occasion I was taken paddling on a surf-ski, so assumed this would be very easy.
After about twenty minutes trying, I discovered that I was wrong to assume this would be very easy and my arms were starting to tire somewhat from dragging myself up, only for the the thing to roll over at the last moment.
Admittedly, I was beginning to fear that I'd have to be rescued but instead opted to swim for a reasonably flat rock.
Once again, I became a little worried that I'd taken the wrong option as a few waves slammed the boat into be and the barnacles were cutting my legs but eventually, I succeeded in jumping in and sliding off my slab, though the water still in the kayak made the return journey to Fenella Beach a little wobbly to say the least!
We've since discovered how to re-enter a kayak, bought a bilge pump and soon will be booking a safety course but it is a cautionary tale and I'd certainly urge any other would be paddlers to respect the ocean a little more than I did.
Putting the boats back on the car roof was certainly tough with arms like jelly but we headed off to the Peveril for a much needed beer with only minor grazes, bruises and the pride a little dented, though still in tact.
However, life obviously had other ideas and felt my inflated ego still needed further pricking because a Dutch couple had been watching us from the Raad-ny-Foillan on the cliffs above and approached us to check that we were okay as they had been on the verge of ringing the emergency services.
You understand what I mean? The first thing you do when you fall over in the street is to look around and check if anyone has seen you and if the coast is clear, it doesn't seem to hurt half as much.
AND the picture of the puffin didn't even turn out after all that!
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