News from the Island

Olympus E-1, Olympus Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Digital: 1/500s f/3.5 at 54.0mm iso800

I've had a few days to edit a few dozen images, and do more shooting - even some sunrises & sunsets, as I've been getting up at 5am sometimes to turn on the laptop...open i-Tunes for some music (I'm currently listening to jazz hornist Chris Boti's latest CD - easy music in the background while I work in Photoshop)

Very unusual here are 2 deaths on the main paved road in town, in 2 days - one motorcycle crash last night about 100meters from the internet cafe, when a young man obvoiusly speeding from what I've heard, just plowed head-on into a concrete barrier Sunday in front of the basketball court and died instantly.

Late Saturday night/early Sunday morning on the small paved highway going up to Bantayan Town, a man was hit by either a car or truck at a street rave/disco where the kids just spill out onto the roadway, and I was just comming back from bringing a friend home from Bantayan at that exact same time.

I remember I had to slow down on the rodway as I approached the street party, and the kids would clear a lane for me at 3mph as I eased through, and there was even a full moon out that night, and it was a nice pleasant drive home for me.

I was told that within 90 seconds to 3 minutes later after I had passed through the party, the crash occured at that exact same spot, and I was stunned to hear it; both on the trip up to Bantayan & back, I did notice a few cars & some trucks, a few of which were really going fast for that small road, and I remember some of them had their hi-beams on which made it difficult for me to keep my gaze to the right & actually be able to see my roadway - it didn't spook me but I was concerned, and you have to really drive here defensively (even with the minimal Island traffic) even though it's nothing like the nightmare or trying to drive in the main Provinces.

The Typhoon blew through Manila last week & hammered it hard according to SAT TV, but here we just got some big winds & night rains, but within 2 days it had passed, and we're ok here - the beaches are strewn with dried seaweed though & could use a good clean-up.

Please pray for the crash victims & for those Typhoon & landslide victims, especially in Luzon Province.

Good Monday afternoon to you all, and thanks for reading today.

PJAMES
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