13-APR-2013
A wise owl on young fingers
You mightn’t always put a wise head on young shoulders
But it’s still possible to put a wise owl on young fingers
Festive lights
Christmas lights seem to be displayed earlier and earlier every year, and this year was no exception. Some people had their houses lit up since the beginning of December, and shops and commercial enterprises got serious about Christmas displays shortly after Halloween. There is no doubt that they brighten up dark midwinter evenings, but after experiencing them for a month or six weeks we become so accustomed to them that we barely notice them. By the beginning of next week they will have disappeared into storerooms and attics for another eleven to twelve months. The month of January can be a lean and dark month in the northern hemisphere as people readjust themselves to entering a new year and to dealing with new challenges. The one thing I’ve noticed as I’ve grown older is that the space between one December and the next seems to have contracted considerably.
30-JUN-2012
Four little ducks went swimming one day…
and might’ve been glad to have found dry ground for a while. This excuse of a summer we’ve had here wouldn’t coax humans to the normal seasonal swim, so we just have to keep ourselves as content as we can in other ways.
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
12-JAN-2012
Taking a sideways tilt at life
Sometimes life can take a sideways tilt.
It may alter the appearance of something,
but it doesn’t change its essence.
When people stop for a rest under the tilted roof
of this pretty blue bower in a garden corner
they pay no attention to the tilting overhead.
and its irregularity amuses those who pass by.
09-JAN-2012
Sunshine on a winter's day
Sunshine on a winter’s day can enhance a dramatic sky,
Bring the glimmer and glisten of precious jewels to pebbles on the beach,
Make the sea appear like molten silver.
An image dedicated to one who loves the sea.
09-JAN-2012
A blue sky, the sea, some sunshine, an empty railroad, and me….
All my life I wanted to stand in the middle of a train track. Too dangerous to do when you live in the city. But this single track railroad does not carry too many trains, and on a recent walk there a friend and I discovered a crossing point where there was visibility for about 5km in either direction.
So I got my wish, didn’t put anyone in danger, and got my photo taken as well!
09-JAN-2012
Reflections behind the reeds
A quick trip down a country laneway today showed these lovely reeds swaying in the wind.
But on the way back a glint of light revealed a pond with reflections hidden behind the reeds.
Sometimes it is worth looking behind and beyond the surface appearances, for more beauty than we expect can be revealed in a way that surprises and delights.
06-JAN-2012
Clinging to a slippery surface
Many cling to slippery surfaces in life.
Some surfaces are more challenging than others.
The training and concentration of these window cleaners
is enough to cause one to pause in the middle of heavy city traffic
and admire their skill, their concentration, their agility, and their
attention to detail while they ensure they also have their safety harnesses in place.
They bring a shine to the surface of this modern building
and they also elevate our eyes and our thoughts above and beyond the regular daily treadmill.
07-JAN-2012
Cradled and cosseted
There are times in a lifetime when there is a need to be cradled;
when the protection of another stronger element can give space for renewal, for better growth.
It is not a need that endures, but it is good to know that such cradling can be offered when required.
05-JAN-2012
Waiting
Large foyers are places where you see people waiting.
Some wait for friends to appear.
Some wait for a taxi.
Some wait for an appointment.
Some look impatient.
Some need to move around and inspect their environment.
Some content themselves with reading a newspaper or a book.
Some need to drink coffee.
But for all those waiting it is a transitional phase between the immediate past and the immediate future. The period of waiting forms a bridge between two phases of time where life circumstances can change.
04-JAN-2012
The pleasures of a post-Christmas gift
So much fuss is made about Christmas presents that sometimes we heave a sigh of relief when the pressure of making or buying and giving is all over. So it is a real pleasure to meet an old friend after Christmas, someone who knows of my weakness for scarves, and get this fine merino and cashmere scarf: a luxury I would probably not have got for myself.
The wool is finely woven, the fabric colouring is delicately achieved, and I can’t wait for an occasion where I will wear it pride.
03-JAN-2012
Cross stitching or crosswords?
In our house we have one who is addicted to crosswords and another who uses the same kind of down time doing cross stitching. The cross stitching one usually comes up with lovely samplers or bookmarks, or in this case a lavender sachet, now filled with lavender dried flower heads. And she gives the camera addict another subject to photograph.
And the crossword addict? Well, the results of her ruminations give her equal satisfaction, help her deal with insomniac bouts, and then end up in the recycle bin.
02-JAN-2012
New Year Resolutions
A lot of people make New Year resolutions at this time of the year.
For some it is a fervent desire to improve an element of their lives.
Making such resolutions works well for certain people, but not for others.
After the food splurges of Christmas, the urge to regain one’s figure and
eschew the temptations of overindulgence in chocolate can be strong.
But I have had this bar of Swiss chocolate in an upstairs cupboard for some time
and am keeping it for when the chocolate urge afflicts someone in the house
as the festive food fare becomes a memory.
As for me, my resolve is to continue to try to take photos with a fairly decent level of accuracy, ones that hint at some small story behind them, and that won’t follow their many memory card companions into the recycle bin.
01-JAN-2012
Respecting beliefs
These nice cosy fleece-lined winter gloves are a gift to myself.
There are those in my life who might normally buy me such a gift,
but some have a superstitious belief about presenting gloves
as a gift. They think it might be like a symbolic handshake suggesting the end of a friendship.
Just like some others won’t make gifts of scissors or knives: they might
symbolise the cutting of friendship ties. So for things like these, I make sure to buy
them for myself.
I don’t really hold with these superstitions, but because I care for the people who hold them
I respect their right to believe in them.
And for the rest of this winter, my hands will be warm