Look what decided to pop onto our lunch table on Saint Stephens Days (Boxing Day).
Butterfly
Poor thing much have pupated somewhere in the house and the warm temperatures made it emerge too early. We tried to give it some sugar water. It was about till yesterday but haven’t seen it today.
I did have a few Irish window photographs but thought I would just post some of my Welsh windows for this week’s one a week photo challenge –window. Though perhaps some of them are taking the definition of window slightly too far!
I would like to thank nanacathy and wild daffodil for hosting the one-a-week photo challenge this year. It has been fun to contribute when I could.
The poor hens are not quite as comfortable this weather. Don’t get me wrong they have a nice house with straw to shelter in, but outside everything is wet and sodden! Still it doesn’t stop them getting out and about. However, like me, I wonder if they are perhaps dreaming of dozing off comfortably in the summer sun.
Snoozing chicken
See Wild Daffodil and nanacathy for more comfortable photos for this week’s one a week challenge – comfortable.
I really like the way light is filtered through trees. So for this week’s one a week photo challenge a tree and light gallery.
I am a hoarder. I have been since I was a child. But sometimes it does lead to little treasures. Inspired by this week’s one a week photo challenge – “Letter”, I remembered this letter or postcard. My father’s aunt wrote each Christmas and enclosed in her letter, there would be a little card for my sister and I. This is one of the oldest letters I have. There is a date that I have obviously added later. I would have been seven in 1978 (giving away my age!). I know it’s a bit early for Christmas but thought I would share.
As some of you will know one of our favourite family activities is a visit to the beach!
Beltra beach, Westport, Co Mayo
Even at this time of year, a beach walk brings much pleasure. The day was grey and perfectly calm, so the planned kite flying had to be abandoned. Still we enjoyed some beach art, rock jumping, fossil hunting, and I got to play with my camera. We even had a paddle, but it felt VERY cold!
From the shore of Beltra beach, you get to see Ireland’s pilgrim mountain, Croagh Patrick and looking out into Clew Bay you can see the hump-back shape of Clare Island. On the island is a 16th century Tower House or Castle which was one of the homes of the legendary pirate queen Grace O’Malley (in Irish Grainne ni Mhaille  though she was also known as Granuaile). It is a place that is on our list of “places to visit”.
Before heading home we enjoyed our picnic, which included some warming pumpkin soup.
Beltra beach, Westport, Co Mayo
I just liked the layers of paint peeling of an old fishing boat.
A muddle of poppy seed heads
No more than Cathy at Nanacathy I seem to have a bit of a fascination with rusty objects. Wonder what that says about us?
The following gallery is inspired by this week’s one a week challenge – Rust.
Summer flower shadow
The autumn winds and the rain are here, the leaves are coming down fast and furious. We are just left with a few remnant, fading flowers and seed heads, storing the future.
Joining in this week’s one a week challenge – shadow
Murtagh's Meadow 