It happened several weeks ago…

I have downloaded my pictures a thousand times… but this time I lost around 600 photos. Yep… 600… Please don’t ask me what happened. I don’t know. I was downloading them just like I always do when suddenly the camera battery died. I changed batteries, but the photos were gone. They are not on my camera or the computer. Ouch! 600 photos… To be honest I don’t even know what all I lost. I know that I lost a ton of pictures of a dauphin playing just off shore… losing those makes me sad… I also know that I lost a lot of macro (extreme close-up) photos that I had taken in my garden. Several weeks have passed, but I am still a bit mad about it! Thankfully, I didn’t lose anything sentimental or irreplaceable!

So… in honor of my lost pictures I am going to post a couple of macro shots that I took in the front garden. Hopefully, I won’t lose any more anytime soon!















.

Irish Rain

The weather here is (at best) unpredictable. The weather forecasters try (bless their hearts)... but the forecast rarely seems to be right. Don't get me wrong... they can usually see what is coming a day in advance, but rarely can they say for certainty what is coming the rest of the week. No matter the forecast, you still have to look on the horizon to see what is headed your way and plan for all seasons in one day. Take this weeks (for example).... the forecast has been for rain all week and no chance of sunshine. Yesterday, however, turned out to be a beautiful afternoon and evening. Today also has been a beautiful and sunny day. Who knows if it will last.... but we have learned to get out and enjoy the day whenever we can....


I took these pictures the other day right after a rainstorm...

















.

Today's Random Pic...

.

Today's Random Pic...

Allergy season in Ireland...






.

A study in flowers

Here are just a few quick pics that I took yesterday of my neighbor's tulips. I took them over a 30min period whenever it stopped raining long enough for me to go out and snap a few pics. Thankfully the sun came out during the non-rainy times and gave me some good light to shoot these.





















.

A Study in Flowers (pt. 2)

.

a study in flowers (pt 1)

Last evening was such an amazing time. I had tons of work that needed to be done around the house, but I ended up spending most of the evening in the front garden. I really don't think that there is anything better than a beautiful summer's evening spent enjoying the front garden. The sun seems to hang in the sky in a prolonged hour-long sunset... the wind is fresh and cool... there is already the smell of peat fires on the breeze... the only sounds are of birds, children playing, and church bells in the distance... neighbors stop by for a chat... and the soil begs to be worked and cultivated. After I did some yard work I took a little time to document the flowers growing in the front garden. It is early in the season, but the lighting was perfect and I could not resist taking a few pics for my mom.

Here is the first... more are to come over the next couple of days...







.

From my sickbed...

I have been sick all week! I'm feeling much better now (I hope)... but I have spent most of the week in the house... I did, however, have a few bursts of energy. During one of these moments of clarity I experimented with some macro photography. Here is a picture I took of a little guy in our windowsill.










.

Going to...

We are on the road again.... guess where we are tonight?









.

Today's Random Pic... A Self Portrait

.
.



.