Running on Air

I went to Achill Island today meet a couple about the photographs for their wedding in the summer. I had left Kiltimagh with enough time to get there on time -just ! The fuel warning light was on in the car and I made a mental note to stop for diesel, forgot to do it in Kiltimagh but a few miles out the road I came upon a roadblock. Customs and excise were doing a spot check for illegal diesel. Now if you don't live in Ireland, let me explain, Tax on fuel in this country is VERY high. But farmers get a concession on their diesel so agricultural diesel as it is called is marked with a green dye. While this is good for farmers it also creates opportunities for smugglers to buy cheap agricultural diesel and remove the dye selling it at huge profits because the tax has not been paid, and some individuals might also be tempted to put the agricultural diesel into their cars and also avoid the tax. As so Customs conduct spot checks and syphon fuel out of your car or truck to test. Now remember I am running on empty, and now running late. I join a queue of cars waiting to be tested. I phone ahead explaining I may be late and wait. Its not long before the customs man gets to me, I open the tank and say jokingly " now don't take too much its running on air already" Thankfully he took this in good spirits and proceeded to to put the hose into the fuel tank, nothing came out, so he tried again and again. At this stage I'm thinking this could take a while, when he tried one last time, not a drop of fuel appeared. " It really is running on air " he declared. Thankfully they don't tax air yet!!

On my home from Achill , i stopped and photographed the bridge in Newport, I seem to be doing lots of photography after dark these days