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Posts Tagged ‘travel’

tree

Posted in Branches, Inspiration, Nature Notes, On the Road, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on November 8, 2013| 12 Comments »

There are many beautiful trees making up the woodland walks of the University College of Dublin – Belfield Campus.  There are actually 5 walks that were formed through the purchase of old estates with woodland areas dating back to the 1800s, and the subsequent planting of many new trees.  According to the campus website, there are now over 50,000 trees in place representing over 75 species.  More information can be found here.  I am still sorting through pictures from my campus meanderings, but I think this tree is one of my favorites — new growth against an old estate wall, bright leaves and bark on a cloudy afternoon.

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duck

Posted in Inspiration, Nature Notes, On the Road, tagged , , , , , , , , , on November 6, 2013| 3 Comments »

I don’t remember seeing any ducks where I grew up in Virginia so maybe that’s why they caught my attention so much in Boston.  Plus they are one of the few birds that don’t seem to mind me stalking them from shore.  Sometimes they even come right up to me.  Like this little lass on the Liffey River in Dublin.

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a single swan’s feather

Posted in Inspiration, Nature Notes, On the Road, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on November 5, 2013| 4 Comments »

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leaves beneath the surface, in morning sun

Posted in Inspiration, Nature Notes, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on November 5, 2013| 7 Comments »

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walking across sand dunes

Posted in Inspiration, Nature Notes, On the Road, tagged , , , , , , , , , on October 20, 2013| 5 Comments »

After smelling an open jar of wild mint (that’s all it was, I swear) I once had a waking dream of setting up camp in the desert, my feet sinking into the hot sands, the air filled with the sounds of horses snorting and the jingle of their bells. I was perhaps influenced by a conversation with a man from Morocco. Even before that dream I had been planning to visit the Sahara, as well as deserts within the U.S.

Some of my favorite movies have depicted vast dunes of sand in shades of sparkling white to dusky cream and even dark gold. Lawrence of Arabia. The English Patient. Dune. There’s that opening scene in the 1979 movie, The Black Stallion.  And, of course, Star Wars. 😉  I love the depiction of man or beast making their way across the shifting landscape.  I have been lucky to visit many different landscapes and to photograph them.

But no deserts yet.  Not really.  This morning, as I lay in bed, photographing the hills and valleys of the cotton sheets, I wondered anew if I ever will see such sandy sights firsthand.

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Happy Holidays and Safe Travels

Posted in Inspiration, Nature Notes, tagged , , , , , , , , on December 25, 2012| 1 Comment »

Thanks to everyone who has given me feedback on the blog this year.  Each comment has been appreciated.  More to share before year’s end, but until then, happy holidays and safe travels. 😉

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in the words and images of donald langosy

Posted in Inspiration, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on December 12, 2012| 1 Comment »

Are the holidays especially hectic for you too?  If so, I highly recommend you steal away to a quiet corner and read this image essay by poet and artist Donald Langosy.  A treat for the eyes and soul, I’d say. 😉  http://talkingwriting.com/image-essay-donald-langosy/

"The Metaphysician and Monsignor" © Donald Langosy

“The Metaphysician and Monsignor” © Donald Langosy

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virginia seeds

Posted in Inspiration, On the Road, tagged , , , , , , , , on November 26, 2012| 1 Comment »

Once upon a time, I sat in my father’s arm chair while my parents sat side by side on the neighboring couch.  I’m not sure how this seating arrangement happened.  I do remember that in the big chair I was loudly sharing my knowledge of the world.  With each proclamation my parents just nodded or said, “Mmmhmm.”  So I felt completely affirmed in my beliefs, right? But then at some point in the conversation, they denied my request to do something.  I stood up with all the wrath and righteousness of a fifteen-year old and said, “You can say that now since you think I’m a baby, but when I’m 99-years old …”  My mom interjected, “When you are 99-years old, you will still be our baby.”

That story keeps coming to mind as I show pictures of my brother Keith to friends. They are used to my stories of a little boy who planted a seed in a cup.  Or stories of the little boy I used to send to collect dandelions in our empty Easter baskets.  When they see pictures of the small boy now a man who towers over most people, and of the child now a father, they always exclaim, “I thought you said he was little?”  I just shrug and say, “He is little.  He’ll always be my little brother.”

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bright glass beautiful walls

Posted in Inspiration, On the Road, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on October 23, 2012| 3 Comments »

Well, while in Dublin, I have to admit that I did take pictures of a few other things besides leaves and letterpress.  Even on the rainiest of days, the interiors of the churches were beautiful to view as subdued light shone through stained glass windows and fell upon lovely murals.

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in a literary city like Dublin …

Posted in Inspiration, Nature Notes, tagged , , , , , , , , on October 15, 2012| 3 Comments »

…my traveling companion and I of course had to follow the arrow pointing to the National Print Museum.  I’m not sure if the arrow was meant for people in a car or on foot.  Regardless, for us two pedestrians, the museum took a while to track down.  Many locals did not seem to know its location and warned us that sometimes young people like to twist the signs around to fool tourists.  Well, we eventually determined that the  sign was pointed in the correct direction.  Hopefully, more people will visit this wonderful hidden place.

After seeing the Book of Kells exhibit earlier in the week and being reminded how precious books and the written word have been throughout human history, it seemed apropos to visit a museum focused on the evolution of the printing press.  The main floor of the museum has several operating machines with trays of moveable type in different fonts.

We did not have enough time to gain any hands-on experience with the different machines but the museum does offer workshops and handling sessions.

I also highly recommend visiting the reference library on the 2nd floor containing many books and pamphlets that are likely out of print.  Just the few minutes I had to peer inside a few books planted seeds in my mind for future projects.

Learn more about this fascinating museum via this link.

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