Sometimes I get so caught up in trying to photograph the flowers, I forget why flowers exist in the first place. Not for my visual pleasure but to attract pollinators. And they were hard at work in the UC Botantical Garden.
Posts Tagged ‘travel’
pollinators at work
Posted in Inspiration, Nature Notes, On the Road, tagged bees, flowers, insects, Inspiration, nature, Photography, pollination, pollinators, travel on June 10, 2018| 4 Comments »
egret
Posted in Inspiration, Nature Notes, On the Road, tagged beauty, birds, egrets, Inspiration, nature, Photography, San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge, travel, wildlife on June 10, 2018| 4 Comments »
I kept wanting it to take flight, to see its wings fill with light, but it did not want to fly apparently, no matter how many times it lifted its wings. I chanced upon the egret in my usual way, stepping to the edge of a structure and peering over to see what I might see, and there so still in the grass it stood …
… before taking those high-legged steps into the water …
… and then back out again onto land, feathers ruffled but still not taking flight. An impasse. Finally under the heat of the intense noonday sun I moved on suspecting that with my back now turned the egret’s wings spread and silently beat the air as it rose upward and upward, away.
https://www.fws.gov/refuge/san_pablo_bay/
before sunrise
Posted in Inspiration, Nature Notes, On the Road, Uncategorized, tagged design, Inspiration, nature, Photography, spider's web, spiders, travel, Tumwater, urban wildlife, Washington State, webs on November 25, 2017| 1 Comment »
a spider’s web by lamplight
branches
Posted in Branches, Inspiration, Nature Notes, On the Road, tagged beauty, Branches, Inspiration, Photography, travel, trees, Tumwater, Washington State on November 24, 2017| 1 Comment »
trees outside my window in tumwater, washington
With the exception of politics, you really can find beauty anywhere. These are trees outside my hotel room in Tumwater, WA. The morning light was just starting to appear. That light did fade but I expect it will come back again and probably bring with it rain. It is quite an experience to see bright sun and feel rain drops at the same time.
near the last day in dublin
Posted in Inspiration, On the Road, tagged art, beauty, churches, dublin, faith, Inspiration, Photography, St. Teresa, stained glass, stained glass windows, travel on November 13, 2017| 2 Comments »
I stepped into another church again. This one also sat in the middle of Dublin’s city centre, this time on Clarendon Street. The website describes St. Teresa’s as a quiet oasis of prayer and that was certainly true. On the streets, people were rushing about but once inside, there was utter quiet.
People entered and wandered into particular chapels to light candles, pray. Perhaps to simply sit and be.
I wandered …
… just enough to “discover” the stained glass.
I didn’t wander long but I didn’t need to in order to see the beauty of the place.
I could find no literature on the tables about the building’s art and architecture.
An eclectic mix of styles accrued over time as tastes vary.
Whatever one’s desire, for prayer, for quiet, to view beautiful art, it is a lovely place for a respite. More about St. Teresa’s on Clarendon Street, Dublin can be found via this link: http://clarendonstreet.com/
glasnevin cemetery
Posted in Inspiration, On the Road, tagged burial places, cemeteries, dublin, Glasnevin Cemetery, Inspiration, Photography, statuary, travel on November 13, 2017| Leave a Comment »
It was about 3 miles there by foot, and three miles back, and that’s excluding the times I got lost and had to retrace my steps but it was well worth the visit that had been encouraged by my host.
Glasnevin Cemetery is not old by European standards, having first opened in the early 1800s, but it is significant as a burial place for so many people who were key figures in shaping modern Ireland’s history and culture. It remains an active burial place open to people of all and no religions.
It reminded me of Boston’s Forest Hills and Mount Auburn Cemeteries, with their beautiful and poignant statuary, and a similar commitment to provide current generations access to the history and legacies of those buried through lively tours, books and other media.
My time was limited but I was able to shadow a tour long enough to realize that if I am able to return one day I will schedule time to take the formal tour with one of the knowledgeable guides and then visit the neighboring Botanical Gardens.
Though I chose to walk, public transportation is available. You can learn more about the cemetery, its museum, genealogical services and more via this link: https://www.glasnevinmuseum.ie/
there were birds in dublin of course
Posted in Branches, Inspiration, Nature Notes, On the Road, tagged beauty, birds, dublin, Inspiration, nature, Photography, travel, urban landscape, wildlife on November 13, 2017| 1 Comment »
Between the coastal waters, the River Liffey and all the various bodies of water to be found in green places like St. Stephen’s Green, birds are to be found everywhere, and most wonderfully so … though local folks do mention that there may be a problem with seagulls in the city. I recognized a few … the mallards, the herons, the gulls, the swans, and the lovely, loud magpies.
The most surprising capture was walking the trails of the University College Dublin-Belfield campus, getting lost, crossing a bridge, peering through some branches at a stream below and seeing this …
dublin street art
Posted in Inspiration, On the Road, tagged art, creativity, culture, dublin, graffiti, grafitti, imagination, Inspiration, Photography, street art, travel on November 12, 2017| 3 Comments »
You have only to do an online search for “street art” and “dublin” to discover the backstory as well as the ongoing evolution of graffiti arts in Dublin, Ireland. One of my favorite quick reads was this 2014 article: https://untappedcities.com/2014/02/24/the-evolution-of-dublins-street-art-scene/
Even on the cloudiest days, art brightens the city. I expect that one could orchestrate a whole tour of the city focused on street art and the artists who produce the very diverse works. It can be found up high …
and down low …
there’s the fun …
and the poignant.
There appeared to be few limits on presentation given this sculptural figure on a wall.
More so than any other city I’ve been in, Dublin with its art everywhere made me want to put away my phone and to truly look around me. You never knew what you might see.
tree branches in a window
Posted in Branches, Inspiration, Kitchen Inspirations, Nature Notes, On the Road, tagged art, beauty, creativity, decoration, di luca wines & trattoria, drawing, dublin, Inspiration, Photography, restaurants, travel, trees on November 7, 2017| 3 Comments »
It will take awhile for me to download all of the pictures taken during this road trip once more to Dublin, Ireland but one image that I do want to share is of these trees painted on the restaurant window of di luca wines & trattoria. A local artist works with the restaurant to change the window scene. After I am gone the window will become more winter themed though these white trees do remind me of winter. We were lucky enough to get a table at this restaurant. Food was great and the people, both staff and other diners, were wonderful. If you have chance, do visit: https://www.diluca.ie/
harry clarke’s song of the mad prince
Posted in Inspiration, tagged creativity, dublin, Harry Clarke, Inspiration, National Gallery of Ireland, Photography, stained glass, strange beauty, travel, travel photography on November 6, 2017| 3 Comments »
The poem, Song of the Mad Prince, was part of Walter de la Mare’s collection Peacock Pie (1913). Clarke dresses his prince in an Elizabethan style as he stands before his mother and father. A variety of colors and tones are achieved by plating and etching of two planes of glass. It is a small piece actually with a custom case of walnut produced for a friend and patron of Clarke, Thomas Bodkin, who at one point was Director of the National Gallery of Ireland.
Sources and Additional Reading
http://onlinecollection.nationalgallery.ie/objects/2389/the-song-of-the-mad-prince
https://www.poemhunter.com/poem/song-of-the-mad-prince/
