Showing posts with label Lough Graney walk.. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lough Graney walk.. Show all posts

Monday, October 18, 2010

Walk through Dillons' Wood to Lough Graney, County Clare


Jim's photo of Autumn leaves.

Hi everyone. Jim and I were at a loss what to do yesterday as it rained and we were hoping to finish the poly tunnel we are making. I did some crafting and Jim did bits and bobs. The rain cleared for a while so we decided to risk it and go for a walk. Can't do with being inside all day.

Buster had gone off with his friend Max - so it was just us! The cats were happy in my office:


BlackJack sitting in some of my wool.

Sandy had to take the chair!

Oh look - you can see Hannah on my desk.

Along the lane the lake is on our right:


It looked fine enough. We reached the wood and enjoyed seeing some fungi and lots of lush green moss, plus an abundance of lichen. The wood had a real 'carpet of leaves' on the ground.


Jim in Dillons' wood.

It was about here that we felt the odd spot of rain - well, heard it really. Ah well, 'we're not made of paper' we quipped.

We passed several animal 'holes', one of which I'm sure was a badger's home. This I haven't seen before though. A slug nest?


If you enlarge it you can see a slug crawling about.


We disturbed the ducks by the lake. There was much quacking and flapping! Look how misty is was - the photo is almost in black and white.


I spotted this white feather in the shallows. It looked so pretty with the mist settled on it.

Flagmount was disappearing under the rain cloud which was heading our way!


Luckily we had hats and coats so wrapped up well. Gosh, it did rain!

Jim took some photos of some fishermen in the lake! Rather them than me:


He found a feather and put it in his hat! You can just see it.

Flagmount half gone:



It was very slippery round by the rocks. The grasses looked lovely as ever.

Luckily, the rain soon passed over us. What a difference:



Some pretty lichen, moss and fallen oak leaves.

We walked up to the road and back through the wood - the road cuts right through it.


On the path up to the road there are 2 of these amazing oak trees. They have massive leaves and as you can see, their colour is stunningly vibrant.


Here is one of the fallen leaves, glistening from the rain.

We passed some really weird fungi too. I've never seen any like it before:



From above, it looks like something from Doctor Who!

Mr Anonymous (aka Jim) has just sent me this:

I found the fungus. It's Helvella crispa, also known as the white saddle, elfin saddle or common helvel. It lives in damp woodland especially alongside beech and by footpaths - which is pretty well where we saw it to a T. As to edibility the books say it was considered edible but is now regarded with suspicion. I think that means you didn't ought to eat it. JimX

The sun was shining on Lough Graney again:


I laughed at these cows waiting to be milked. 'Beware of the bull'!!


But a bit further along, there he was:


I wouldn't want to argue with him!

Back home and it was a complete change of clothes for me. The bottoms of my trousers were soaked and I'd also got very hot inside my coat and hat. We were both glad we'd made the effort though.

Here's a little bit of silly video that Jim took of me!



I had not idea that Jim was videoing me! I thought he was just taking a photo. Not very flattering but mildly amusing!

Monday, June 1, 2009

Too Hot to Garden - in Ireland?? Lake Trip 1.6.09

It was 27degrees in our front garden today and not a breath of wind. Phew. I decided it was far too hot to garden. The good thing about our cottage, the old part, is that it's lovely and cool, so I came inside, washed the kitchen/diner floor and made some ATCs..would you like to see them? Ok:







Funky Fish, 1 of 5

Going to Stampmaiden















Funky Fish 2 of 5

Going to soulbrush















Funky Fish 3 of 5















Funky Fish 4 of 5


















Don't lose Your head

Going to soulbrush






















Labels - Going to Stampmaiden


















New Shoes? - Going to Stampmaiden

























The Cutest Cat and she still needs a home!!







If you would like to swap for any of these, do let me know in the comments.

I'm working on some others and of course I'm trying to get ahead with the ABC - ATCs Around the World. We are on week 3 and the letter 'C'.

The following link shows a slide show of the ATCs completed so far by this little group of ten:

http://abcatcs-aroundtheworld.blogspot.com/2009/05/stands-for.html?showComment=1243306676634#c3522933697439926319

Poor Buster has hardly left the garden all day. He's been flopped out, panting and trying to keep cool. Therefore, no exercise either! I suggested we went for a walk to the lake as it had cooled by the evening. So off we went. Now I haven't posted any lake pictures for ages and just as I wrenched my camera from Jim's hands, the battery ran out! AAAH! I was just about to do a panorama too. Ah well, most of these were taken by Jim and he went a bit 'arty'. I hope you enjoy them:



Some views of Flagmount through the trees in Dillon's Wood by Lough Graney


























The lake looked like the sea with these gentle waves










Buster had a marvellous time and drank a reasonable quantity of the lake











It was dark in the wood as you can see (or not)!! Buster and me.











Just the wood. The autumn leaves are still on the ground here. What a beautiful selection of greens.










This is the view to 'our' end of the lake. We're situated on the right, off the picture












My very favourite group of bull rushes. No 'bulls' yet though. The seed bits! I love them.










This red boat (red on the outside) was whole and under the water when we first came here. Now it's gradually breaking up into little bits










A super silhouette of Buster out in the water with Flagmount behind in the sunshine. (I took this one).










This was the first photo of my panorama, then the battery ran out! Another day perhaps. It was probably a bit dark anyway.







We enjoyed our walk through the wood and up the path to the car. Buster had a whale of a time and it obviously cooled him down. He went off to visit Millie down the road shortly after our return home!

My friend Nikki contacted me on msn this evening. She pointed out that the butterfly I had put on my blog from 2 posts ago was not a tortoiseshell but a Painted Lady. Of course it is. Silly me. Apparently there is a surfeit of them from Morocco. We did seem to have a lot, I must say.





A Painted Lady Butterfly on an ornamental thistle











Nikki and I 'chatted' away for ages about the old times in the bank where we worked in Bakewell and what fun we had. Nikki told me that my blog is her bedtime reading, so I thought I'd better end our conversation or she'd have nothing to read tonight! You could at least leave me a comment Nikki!

I must say I enjoyed having a day off from the garden today. I gather this hot weather isn't going to last much longer so it may be better for working outside tomorrow. Only 3 more sleeps until I see Kitty for the first time. And the lovely Jack of course.

Until next time..