Tag Archives: Lens artist

Altacooney River, Co Mayo

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The Altacooney River winds it way through bog and conifer plantations. A perfect place for a peaceful walk.

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day

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The 17th March is Saint Patrick’s Day in Ireland. Usually we would be celebrating our day with Saint Patrick’s day parades – instead everything has been cancelled in the chaos that is Corvid-19. It feels very surreal but all too real. Schools are closed and all activities and events are off. Like many families we are in self-imposed isolation, only going out to stock up on food.

Still it is Saint Patrick’s day and I feel the need to celebrate Ireland. So I have chosen the chaos of our Atlantic coast to share with you. Stay safe and well everyone.

My first few choices is the very appropriate Down Patrick Head, on the north west coast of Ireland. A wild and beautiful place.

  • Down Patrick Head
  • Down Patrick Head
  • Down Patrick Head
  • Down Patrick Head
  • West Coast of Mayo

And to end a sunshine one. Stay positive and hopeful, the sun will shine again.

  • Achill Island

West of Ireland Roads

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County Mayo, in the west of Ireland, is criss-crossed with numerous roads. It is estimated that the county council are responsible for over 6,200 km of roads — 136 km of national primary roads, 271 km  of national secondary roads, 590 km of regional roads and 5,275 km of local roads. Many of these local roads are single track, narrow roads as in the photographs below.

West Mayo
Clare island
Clare island
East Mayo
Inishbiggle
North Mayo

Inspired by Lens artist weekly challenge – narrow

Future

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We cannot tell what lies ahead of us, we cannot predict our future and maybe it is just as well. What we do know is the world is changing, as it has always done, but now it is in a way that frightens me. I fear for my children’s future in a world where climate change will dominate everything. I fear for my children’s future in a world where political leaders still fail to heed the urgency of the crisis.

So let us do something positive for our future, for the future of our children, let us try as suggested by Ann-Christine (Leya) to – do something today that your future self will thank you for.

  1. Plant a tree. While they are growing trees will store carbon, and provide habitats for insects, birds and other wildlife.

Oak tree

Oak tree

2. Grow some of your own vegetables. Cut down on those food miles and enjoy so really fresh food.

Broccoli

Broccoli

3. Don’t buy compost containing peat. Peatlands are being destroyed throughout Europe to provide compost for gardens, parks and the horticultural industry. Yet peatlands store about half a trillion tonnes of carbon, twice as much as is estimated to be stored by the world’s forests (from The Garden Jungle – Dave Goulson). I am guilty of buying peat compost too (peat-free is hard to source here), but I am determined after reading this statistic not to buy any more.

Peatland - Ballycroy National Park

Peatland – Ballycroy National Park

4. Have a compost heap – no room – then start a wormery. Picture below is of my newish hot composter, but we also have wooden pallet compost heaps (of which I cannot find any photos!) in the garden.

Hot composter

Hot composter

5. Plant some flowers for pollinators. Pollinators are so important for pollinating so many of our food crops. But flowers also provide food for other insects too.

bumblebee

bumblebee

6. Leave an area of your garden to grow just a little bit wild, and be chemical free!

Grass and wildflowers

Grass and wildflowers

Also joining in this week’s The Propagators Six on Saturday – slight variation on the theme this week, as Storm Ciara prevented any photos being taken today:)