Super Skies, Poppy Visit, 3th July 2009

Sunrise

As Jim set off for the airport on Tuesday, he took this photo of the dawn over Lough Graney:






It's much better enlarged (click on it) to get the full effect.






Poppy

He managed to see Poppy for a short while on Thursday at Ali and Joes' house. Below is a lovely photo of a flying Poppy:







Grandad throwing Poppy around












Isn't she just adorable? She's getting some pretty blond hair too.

Jim also visited Alexander Palace, affectionately known as Ally Pally! He took this rather good photo of the front with the old BBC mast:








I love all those arches. A friend of Jim's is now in charge here.










He also went on a mission to the National Archive at Kew to try and find out a bit about his Father. No luck on that score, but it's an impressive building:













I bet many people wished they could jump in this as it was sweltering in London.

Today in Ireland
Dark Skies

From a dismal start, the day improved vastly and this afternoon was just lovely. It was sunny most of the time with a light breeze. We did have a bit of a scare when the sky went black and thunder rumbled around the sky:




Dark sky at The Deenery























This was a different bit of darkish sky earlier on. We were lucky both times as it all came to nothing and passed over us. The view above is of our top barn.





Buster wasn't quite sure about the noise of the thunder so he hid under the table, not very successfully.






In the Garden

Jim did some mowing of the allotment area and the Fairy Hill. I tackled the side of our house. There are 3 long steps there and they were all covered in moss and weeds. It's very damp on that side, which is the wall of our bedroom at present, so I cleaned them up so they would dry. There are 3 contorted willow trees there enclosed on 3 sides by a living willow fence. The trees were taking most of the light from the bedroom so we decided to take them down. No sooner said than done, Jim wielded his chain saw and ~zip~ they were gone. I then trimmed down the living willow fence and did some weeding around it. It looks so much better, really light and bright. We have lots of other contorted willow trees and can soon grow more from cuttings. I'll take a photo soon as it was a bit dark by the time I'd finished out there.

I took another 'joiner' photo of the garden while the sky was still a bit threatening:


The building to the left is the cottage this time. Please click on it to enlarge, then you can see the flowers too.

A little butterfly landed near us when we were having a tea break and Jim photographed it.

We later identified it as a 'Ringlet'. How exciting, it's certainly a new one for me. The eyes on the wings are to fool birds so they can't see where the delicate body is. Clever.

Builders

Yesterday, Joe and Martin finished plastering 'my' room and it looks splendid, but it has a loud echo! Today they have been preparing to plaster the sun room and we also have one inside window sill. It looks smashing. They think the rest of the plastering and step making will take about another 2 weeks then it's time for the plumber. It'll be great to have a shower again. In the meantime we have to buy some tiles for the bathroom floor and walls and Jim will lay them, before the plumber comes. We did buy some tiles a while ago for the old bathroom, as we were going to put a shower over the bath (but didn't), they are blue and silver, but Jim thinks we may not have enough to do the new bathroom. In any event, that will be the colour scheme, with a white suite of course. Today I dyed 3 towels a dark blue so that's a start.

Sunset

I was just about to come in and realised the gates were still open. As I closed them, I saw the beautiful sky over the field. I retrieved the camera from inside and Buster came with me - he doesn't like to miss anything. I think he thought, ah, camera, it must be walk time. Hard luck Buster:




He sat waiting patiently while I took photos













The first shot









This was just two photos joined together.

So, from sunrise to sunset. I hope you've enjoyed it. Tomorrow we're off to Galway to a car boot. There aren't many here in Ireland so we thought we'd have a break from the garden and house and have a day out.

Sunrise on a Dewy Morning, 12.10.08

Buster in the long grass of the meadow. He didn't appreciate the cobwebs.










Yesterday was a bad day. I have my ups and downs and take antidepressants daily. This was a down - into the slough of despondency. I went to bed in the afternoon and woke up feeling a bit better and headed off up to the meadow to light a bonfire and burn the brambles accumulated over the past day or so. I was up there until it got dark and managed to burn most of the piles, plus I demolished a few more while I was at it. Gardening usually does it for me.

I couldn't sleep last night and was up early as the sun was just rising. I thought that the fire would probably be still going and was about to walk up the meadow when I realised my camera was a must. The cobwebs were beautiful and as I looked across the meadow they looked like cotton tail grass. I don't think I've ever seen them as clearly. Then, as I reached the 'crossroads' of paths, I saw what looked like snow on the gorse bushes. A sight to behold, they were covered with cobwebs. The sun was now up and shone on the cobwebs making them glisten in the warm light. It was just beautiful.

Buster and the cats accompanied me most of the time and I also took some pleasing photos of them. I almost went and woke Jim up but decided he probably wouldn't be best pleased if I had. A morning to treasure indeed.
This was the first cobweb I saw on a slow growing evergreen. On its other side were lots of rather 'messy' ones.



















They look rather like net curtains in a deserted house


















Still in the front garden, this splendid cobweb decorated the flat headed achillea









The sun shone through the trees on the arboretum.









You can see some cobwebs in the photo on the right of the picture



How pretty the scabeus look in the morning light













Probably my favourite. The long shadows of the morning sun fall across the arboretum










The white fluffy cotton grass, actually it's all cobwebs. Amazing.








A cobweb amongst the 'hard heads'

It really is worth clicking on the photos to see them at their full size











a cobweb amongst the sedge














I thought these looked like washing lines, maybe for my fairies









Just like tiny jewels













I mentioned the gorse. This, to me, is the most stunning of all





















If you have the time, do click on the photos then they really come alive.


These shimmered in the sunlight










Like lights at the seaside down among the sedge and grasses











Who would have thought this little holly bush had so many cobwebs on it?






















While this solitary loose strife stem is in a cocoon












One lone thistle flower, even that is decorated with tiny dewy beads
















I took this view from the meadow 'crossroads' towards Tipperary. What a strange landscape it looked. This was when the clouds had started to gather




A beautiful thrush watched me from the telegraph wire

























Sandy, BlackJack and Buster were playing on the way back to the house. When Buster gets too boisterous, the cats go up.



BlackJack
































Hey, that's not fair. Come Down!!











Sandy














Sandy about to leap from one tree to another. He's much more agile than BlackJack, who was stuck up one of our big trees for 2 days.







Just looking out at the world.






I hope you've enjoyed this morning's photos.

This evening it was 'Strictly Come Dancing', the results show, which Jim and I both enjoy. A lovely dinner of roast bacon, potatoes, broccoli and butter beans followed by fresh picked apples from the orchard, all cut up and ready to eat. Lovely.