Category Archives: Photography

Some Orchids

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I’ve managed to get my oldest and tiniest orchid to bloom again this year. It cost me €.50 and came in a nice purple votive candleholder. I figured that even if it died, I’d have a candleholder.

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The blooms are about thumbnail sized! Very damn hard to photograph.

I’ve got two others still in bloom, and more spikes up and coming.

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Looks more yellow when the blooms are fresh. Also dammed hard to photograph.

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Likely my favourite. It’s been around a couple of years but I got it going this year!

Hope you enjoyed and sorry for the lack of detail about them. I’m struggling to do fun things lately!

We Need Some Lumi!

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This writing about what I’ve read is starting to annoy me already, as I will have several books under my belt before I can be arsed to post. I finished another one today…

I need to tell you about Lumi instead!

He is MASSIVE. Not quite 10 months old, he weighs nearly a stone (14lbs to a stone, so over 6 kilos). He won’t be fully grown until he is a year and a half old. Whoa! I seem to have a little white tiger in my house.


Neko and Lumi being buddies in the sunshine this week. Neko still has her St Patrick’s bandanna on – she loves it. Neko is about 36 kilos (just under 80lbs) so it does help to give an idea of Lumi’s size.


Such a long tail, too.


Mid-air action shots! He loves leaping to catch a toy (feathers onna stick are the best). It was sooo hard to get these. The rest of the play session was a white blur. 

A Challenge! What is This v.2

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This picture might help figure it out. I waited until after Monday as some people only read blogs in digest form, once a week. No new takers, so here we go.


Let me know, if you do guess – would you like a digital drawing? 

A Challenge! What is This?

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I took this picture at work Monday.


Can you guess what it is? If no one guesses, I have one more picture with a bit of a hint in it. No hints from me, this post!

I wish I had something to offer as a prize, as I know this is a hard one. Maybe a Brushes drawing of a photo you want rendered into amateur digital art?

More Frosty Fronds

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I am super proud of this picture.


Nothing but frozen fallen leaves on an old garden ornament. But I love it.


A different angle.


Sundial. Clearly not able!


Life – might be uncomfortable but we persevere. 


Berry berry?


Flowers still trying! Dammit, is my finger in the picture top right? Oops.


Frosty ivy. 

In Color. And in Black and White.

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I bet Ark will get the title reference! Wonder if anyone else will? Think 70’s music, for a hint.

Murtagh’s Meadow, a blogger very VERY local to me, has been sharing pictures from the lovely frosty mornings we have had the last week. I’ve been struggling to get out the door on time for work (the car has to be defrosted, then the dog pukes all over the floor and is too much of a princess to clean it up herself like a normal dog would, then the kitten decides to leave a massive stink bomb in the litter box and OMGWTFBBQ it has to be cleaned right then and there or the house will reek of kitten-death-poo) so I’ve been missing all the beauty in my frosted garden.

We took Friday off, our last paid holiday day for both of us left in 2016 (Christmas holidays not included). Mostly just because, partly to prep for our odd version of Irish-American Thanksgiving, which we did Saturday.


Turkey last night, after 4+ hours being smoked on the Weber charcoal grill. Sorry, my vegetarian friends! Obligatory turkey pic, it’s an American thing! I also made cheddar garlic biscuits (scones), and barley stuffing or dressing. He made some mashed potatoes from the goodly (and free) haul I dug out of the garden last month. Since I let our jack-o-lanterns rot in the driveway, I made a sweet potato pie instead of pumpkin. All was lovely, and we can’t wait for leftovers tonight. And, of course, I had pie for breakfast, as you do.

Back to the original subject. I do tend to ramble when in the mood. 

Saturday morning hubby was awfully slow to get out of bed, and as the morning grew late I lost patience. I went upstairs and leapt onto the bed and bounced around like Tigger or the boxer in this year’s John Lewis advert. After he got done giggling at me acting 40 years younger than I really am, I said, “Let’s go take frost photos!” So we loaded up the ‘good cameras’ and headed to his uncle’s garden. 

I have a bunch of pictures, but thought I would start with these from my ‘phone. Same photo – one iPhone, one iPhone using my favourite Hipstamatic setup.


I only took one picture, remember. But the app saves it normal (this one). 


Along with what I saw, and wanted – this, in black & white.

I find it quite odd to see a colour photo when my brain isn’t expecting it at all (Hipstamatic did not previously save a ‘straight’ version). What do you think? Which one do you like better? I will admit I like the black and white version best. 

Election Therapy?

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My stomach is in knots about the election tomorrow. I think a lot of you are feeling the same, no matter where in the world you live.

I did my part and voted – it is all I can do!

But maybe not all. Maybe some adorable Lumi pictures will help take your mind off of the potential political world disaster that will come to a close late Tuesday?


The brothers in Spot’s bed.


The nose!


The sleepy face.


The not-so sleepy face!


Hugs for all. 


More sleepy nose-face.


Very awake! About to start trouble.


Wise kitten says vote! 

Lough Boora Discovery Park, Co Offaly

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The same day we went to Clonmacnoise, we visited Boora Bog and its acres of sculpture parklands. We went to see the art and have a nice long walk on a lovely day – we were successful!

The art installation was begun in 2002, and most works have a theme relating to the Bord na Mona peat-harvesting that was done in the area from the 1950’s-1970’s. Quite a few works reference the wee trains that moved the cut peat out of the bog.



Every work has a sign giving details of the artist and their inspiration and materials used. This one is called ‘Sky Train.’


Looking out from one lonely train engine toward a stand of upside-down bog oak. There is a tiny dolmen in the centre.


The bog-oak henge.


Two views of the same work. So far all pictures have been one by himself and one by me!


Another work. Sorry we didn’t log names.


This one is meant to embody a skipping stone. I saw a canal-monster!

There was so very very much more here. More art, endangered birds, and a Mesolithic site! We spent hours but could have spent a few days. If you go, expect to not want to leave!