He was walking towards me from further on up the hill. We often have conversations about the state of the country, we grumble about the weather or maybe share the latest from the children who live abroad. I usually stop photographing for the duration of the chat and sometimes we walk on a little together. He has never, ever, mentioned the . . .
Out of an Irish mist
The mist has been down for a few days now. It pours in from the sea when summer conditions dis-improve. It gets into your brain, slows down your thinking and creates a cotton wool world . . .
Foxglove time!
Ireland's most spectacular wild flower is blooming prolifically on the lane today. The Foxglove, Digitalis purpurea, An Lus Mór, reaching up to 150 cm high and hosting up to 75 individual flowers on each stem is everywhere. I remember so well as a child putting the little flowers on each finger as faery hats or . . .
Dawn embrace
It's early, 4 am. It's going to be a good day, the darkness is a kind of blue. A spooky mist is rising from the lake. As the sun starts to brighten in the east it gradually takes on a warm tinge. It is very cold but the wafts of mist promise the warmth of summer. The small cauldron of the lake is steaming into life this May morning. Two swans . . .
December dusk from my window
When it is over, I don't want to wonder if I have made of my life something particular, and real. I don't want to find myself sighing and frightened, or full of argument. I don't want to end up simply . . .
Snake-like roots that help keep it dark
"...and the grove of trees growing out over their lake......wind down snake-like roots that reach as far as the water and help keep it dark" Beowolf A deep green rim of algae has appeared at the edge of the lake. On a grey afternoon this created the most enchanting dark mirror for the lakeside trees. Impossible to . . .
Perhaps the truth depends on a walk around a lake
Some mysterious things go on in the world. Many that most of us don't expect, support or buy into. While we all have to mull over and face up to our fair share, it is often hard to find solutions to the myriad of problems that absorb us. Foxglove Lane is an oasis from that place ; no politics, no economics no pessimism, no solutions are . . .
Mushrooms, ecology, death.
Out of the blue last week I got a tweet about a link to "mushroom/eco/death." The whole thing looked so weird that the thought it might be some kind of twitter virus . . .
A happy browse in the courgettes results in eye to eye contact……
Had a look out in the undergrowth after recent stormy and wet weather and was so happy to find a summery pair, and it seemed as if each of them looked me straight in the eye! Were they aware of my presence? I like to think so....... . . .
Wild swimming at Brandon Creek, County Kerry
It is said that Brandon Creek in County Kerry was the point of departure for St. Brendan who set out from here in the 6th century (long before Columbus) and after seven years discovered America. In 1976 Tim Severin again set out from here in a replica boat and the following year landed in . . .
