11-FEB-2012
Moving slowly but surely
In a world where speed is highly valued (cars, computers, internet access, cameras’ responsitivity to the photographers’ demands,fast food, etc.) it is good to be reminded that sometimes the slow and sure approach can lead to the desired destination also.
28-JAN-2012
Modes of distraction
An invitation to lunch can be a fine distraction from the normal run of everyday routine.
Thoughts of the congenial company and the good food provide fuel for that pleasant distraction.
When that lunch is held in a newly renovated pub that has now become a fish restaurant, there are further distractions ahead. So many interesting and quirky features in this space meant that the time spent waiting for the fresh fish to be cooked was full of interesting distractions.
And once the delicious fish came, there was no need for any further distraction.
27-JAN-2012
A face through a dusty window
There are times when the dusty motes of daily life can impair the bigger picture.
There are times when what one can see on the other side of those dusty motes is more important, and in ignoring them we deprive them of their power to annoy us.
There are times when what’s on the other side of the dusty motes is enough to motivate us to wipe them from our mental consciousness.
There are times when it is more important to seize an impromptu moment, rather than let it descend entirely into oblivion.
25-JAN-2012
Delaying gratification
A bottle of bubbly came into my possession last weekend, and it was a lovely surprise.
Every day since then I said I’d open it and enjoy it, and every day I delayed the gratification.
Then tonight, I gave in; I watched the bubbles fizz and sparkle and rise and fizzle out, and they reminded me of the person who gave them to me, someone who sparkles and surprises, but who doesn’t fizzle out.
And then…
Well then, the bubbles met the fate such bubbles usually meet.
23-JAN-2012
Enjoying the feel of printed pages...
A large project in which I am involved has required a lot of time, hard work and patience to get to this stage of being able to view it in book format.
Taking over four score portraits of Irish language writers from all corners of the country, and indeed from abroad (one lives in Canada, another in Spain, and another currently in Italy) has been an absorbing project. There are many more writers yet to be done, but at this stage I had become impatient and wanted to get some feel of what the portraits might look like in print.
So today, the UPS van arrived with my large package, and finally I have an idea of how the project is shaping up. So far, so good.
22-JAN-2012
The gift of a promise
comes as a surprise;
helps to build dreams for the future;
reinforces the friendly understanding that inspired it;
takes the edge off a difficulty to be overcome;
underlines the fact that anticipation may be as enjoyable as realisation,
and when it comes in the form of a personal voucher it can sit in the top drawer
of the pleasant “to do” list that provides a healthy counterbalance to the dutiful “to do” list that lurks constantly in diaries, in calendars, in notebooks…
Man approaches vanishing point
An unknown man, whom I never saw before, gave me the impetus for this image.
Placing him close to the vanishing point of the picture has made that vanishing point a little more real.
How many events happen to us that we could tip over into a similar vanishing point?
Once gone from our horizon, they might never pierce our consciousness again.
But there are others that leave their mark, and that refuse to merge into the vanishing point.
12-JAN-2012
A wishing well
Well… I’m not sure if it’s really a wishing well, but I like it.
If it were a wishing well I’d have lots of wishes to send down
underneath that bamboo covering,and hope that the covering
would keep them there safely until they stood a chance of being granted.
12-JAN-2012
An urban space is transformed
Into a place of peace and quiet contemplation.
A place that is a joy to visit.
A place that renews the spirit
And energises the body afterwards with healthy food, and well-made coffee
(among other more health-focused beverages!)
12-JAN-2012
Gateway to a secret garden
Secret gardens have given writers lots of imaginative scope.
They are also very beguiling for those of us with cameras.
We long to know what’s on the other side of the gate.
We take pictures of their entrances,
and ponder why the possible delights behind the gate are denied us.
We do the best we can with what we can see, but still we wonder…
12-JAN-2012
In hiding while waiting to heal…
It is natural to crawl into a corner when you are hurt and you give your wounds time to heal.
This lovely old stone sculpture lies damaged, forgotten and neglected in a low-key public garden in the city centre. Given the current state of our economy, healing his wounds will probably not be on top of the priority public spending list.
So I think our wounded hero will have to wait somewhat longer for his healing to happen.
12-JAN-2012
A little woodnymph pipes her lonely tune
Sometimes little woodnymphs need space and solitude
To pipe the tunes that carry their secrets away on the soft breeze
