VIEW FROM THE OLD PIGEON HOUSE,DUBLIN

SEA STALLION LEAVING DUBLIN

SEA STALLION

On our way today - Sunday - to Sandymount, my husband and I stopped to watch the "Sea Stallion, the viking ship, leave Dublin Port, I had missed her coming into Dublin so really wanted to see her leave. By the time we got to the shoreline near Poolbeg Power Station she was nearly out at sea. There were many boats around her of all descriptions and it really was a lovely sight.

There were lots of people there with cameras like myself but on the small beach below where we were there was one man collecting something along the shoreline, he never looked up even though just above him were lines of people all looking at the spectacle out at sea.

SAILING IN WICKLOW HARBOUR

MOVING MOUNTAINS

How do you move a mountain?

I finished a painting of Wicklow Harbour a few days ago but by the time I had finished it I had a terrible headache. I checked it - ok - husband, please frame it - framed - thank you - brought it into the gallery - propped it up to show it to another member of the gallery (a more experienced artist than myself) for his opinion - then it dawned on me - the mountains were wrong. He was very kind and didn't say anything at first but when I said "the mountains are wrong are they not?" he agreed. Brought picture home - asked husband to take it out of the frame - YOU WHAT! Eventually later that evening he took it out of its frame and I studied it further and realised that I would have to repaint the background mountains - hence "moving mountains"!

I post it above for your consideration!

PECKING ORDER

NOT CRICKET

Went on line last night to check my son Simon's travel blog. He had downloaded some new written entries and some new photographs. He is in Siem Reap, Cambodia at the moment. OK , read the first entry good he is enjoying himself - next entry - he is describing the taste of fried crickets! I have to laugh when I remember how I had to battle to get him, and his brother, to eat anything new when it was put in front of them. One set of photographs just posted show him in Vietnam struggling to go down one of the Cu Chi tunnels that the Vietnamese used during the war with the US. The photos were taken in a series showing him gradually going down with his arms above his head looking very serious, the last photo shows him popping up and smiling, by the look on his face it was a relief when he was able to get back up. I have a daft son!

Havn't heard from my eldest who is in Tunisia at the moment............

GETTING READY TO SAIL

SUMMER IN WICKLOW HARBOUR

WICKLOW HARBOUR

wicklow harbour reflections

summer reflections

On my way home from work last night I drove to the harbour as I always do. The water was like a mill pond with lovely reflections just what I have been looking for to photograph. As I pulled up to park I saw a small dinghy coming into the slipway so jumped out and grabbed my camera before they disappeared. Got some lovely shots and delighted with myself went home. Downloaded photos onto my laptop and sat back to view them. Bummer! lovely photos but I forgot in my haste to get a good shot about the big black cable going across the harbour - lesson learnt - don't do that again!

if you go down to the woods today .......

Asgard 11

asgard 11 in Wicklow

Last night on my way home from work I went around to the harbour as I always do, just to check if there was anything of interest to see in and around the harbour. The Asgard 11 was moored right beside the lighthouse, what a lovely sight. Lots of people on the pier looking at the ship, the old sailing ships are so graceful to see, whenever I can I follow the Tall Ships Race when it comes near to where I live.

The early evening was just right, warm and hazy.