Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #232 – Looking Back

Sofia’s LAPC this week’s is about – Looking Back. I thought I would look back at my first blogs – it is 1070 posts later. First post was on the 13th March 2014, so nearly nine years ago! I remember being nervous posting it. Sadly no one actually liked it and the two ducks which featured in the post are no longer with us either.

As some of my regular followers will know I am quite fond of bees. My first bumblebee post was on the 15th March 2014 and it was on buff-tailed bumblebees. I had all of four likes and comments.

Buff Tailed Bumblebee

It wasn’t so easy to find my first Lens artist post – but I think it was on the theme of “Wonder” (July 2018), and I posted about our trip to Picton Castle in Wales and it’s beautiful garden. A wonderful place to explore.

Many thanks to Sofia for prompting this trip down memory lane.

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #231 – Favourite Images of 2022

John asks us to choose our Favourite Images of 2022. Some I have divided them into a couple of categories. Firstly (and probably not surprisingly) pollinators.

Large carder bee

Tortoiseshell

Early bumblebee

Great yellow bumblebee

And then some wildflowers……………………

Pyramid orchid

Dandelion

Devil’s-bit scabious

Wood sorrel

And finally some places.

Mullet Peninsula

Lough Conn

Many thanks to John for getting us off to a good start for this year’s Lens-Artists Photo Challenge.

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #230 – Last Chance 2022

So it is nearly Christmas and the last chance to show some of our 2022 images in LAPC. There are so many – but I thought I would keep to a wintery theme. I hope my American followers are not getting it too cold just now.

Abstract ice

Ice crystals on grass

Frosted hogweed

Blackbird – keen to hang out close to bird feeder

And finally I would like to wish you all a very Happy and Safe Festive Season. Thank you for continuing to follow. It really is a joy to have you along.

Joy

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #229 – Perfect Patterns

It’s been cold here all week so going with some wintery patterns for this week’s Lens-Artists Photo Challenge.

Frosted leaf

Snowy roof tiles

Fruit cage dusted in snow

Special thanks to Ann-Christine for this week’s LAPC – Perfect Patterns

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #228 – Diagonals

This week, Patti’s challenge asks us to focus on diagonal lines. I have decided to go monochrome.

Barbed wire fence

Castlebar – Turlough Greenway

Derryhick Lough

Foot bridge at Lough Lannagh

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #227 – Home Sweet Home

Too many places to choose from this week as Tina asks us where would we bring a visitor to our country? I have to narrow it down to our County – County Mayo, west of Ireland.

Firstly it would be our wild Atlantic coast. Always amazing no matter what time of year you visit.

Lacken Bay

So many beautiful spots to spend a day exploring.

Doohoma

The Mullet peninsula, where I spent much of this summer working, has lots of beautiful coast, but also stunning flora rich machair grassland, buzzing with insects.

Machair grassland

Go a little bit inland and you can explore lakes and peatlands.

Lakes, peatlands and native woodland

The woods are small, but perfect places for early spring or autumn strolls.

Clydagh Bridge forest

And just one more – the Great Western Greenway, 44 km of old railway track that you can cycle or walk free of traffic. Perfect any time of year.

Greenway

Many thanks to Tina for letting us apprecate a bit of home sweet home.

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #226 – Textures

LAPC guest host this week is Jude at Cornwall in Colours – and she challenges us to find some textures.

last weekend, we enjoyed a lovely walk in the woods. I love all the different tree trunks.

Tree bark

Tree bark 2

Looking up into the canopy, the last few oak leaves clinging on to the moss and lichen covered branches.

Oak trees

And back down to the lake shore, where in the sheltered bay, the water was almost like glass.

Lake

And just for Jude, this was one of the last fuzzy bees I took a photograph of back in late September. Missing them and looking forward to seeing them back in the spring.

Bumblebee

Special thanks to Jude for hosting this week’s challenge.

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #225 – Wildlife Close to Home

Well this challenge is right up my street, many thanks to Anne of Slow Shutter Speed for hosting “Wildlife close to Home” for this week. Those who drop by regularly won’t be surprised by my first image. I just love bumblebees, and it is great to see them enjoying the flowers in the garden.

Buff tailed bumblebee

This summer and autumn we had a lot more shieldbugs in the garden than other years. I think these guys look pretty comical.

Shieldbug

Butterflies bring more colour to the garden.

Tortoiseshell

Green veined white

And finally another favourite – this time a slightly larger animal and a rarer visitor to the garden, but always a joy to see – the Irish hare.

Irish hare

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #224 – Exposure

Internet issues are plaguing us for last two weeks, so just some quickly edited images and a big thank you to Sofia for her great challenge that got me creative this week.

leafy stained glass

Mossy rocks

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #223 – Flights of Fancy

Halloween can send one on all types of flights of fancy. I am not really one for scary things though, like reading horror stories or watching scary films. I like to feel relaxed when I read, not scared. Halloween, with those dark days and the start of November, the darkest of months, everything wet and decaying – and you can understand why the Celts would want to make a festival. Here is the time they believed the netherworld came close to the surface. When the dead could come and visit. I can imagine them telling stories around the camp fire, scaring the “bejasus” (An Irish expression) out of each other.

Pumpkin

Everything is just a little bit scary at this time of year. I will be staying inside, and keeping warm. Happy Halloween!

A