Hope you have a wonderful creative Springtime.

It amazes me still, how a small sentance or comment can be so well received.
Serendipity ?

An email arrived, just before I was due to leave the house, from an artist I had met at the weekend during and after a race she ran, the distance of which (50km) inspires me to what people are capable of. We had been talking and discussing images I had taken.
But at the end of the email, instead of a routine 'cheers' 'bye' 'later' or 'regards' ending to the email, she closed with the sentence;

"Hope you have a wonderful creative Springtime."

What a beautiful way to part. It's different. It stands out. OK, it doesn't rhyme or roll with alliterative prose, neither is it blunt, safe or dismissive.
Oh but it does resonate.
I took that sentence with me, and to the village where I was heading,  all along playing it back. And here is where it took off, the morning sunshine along the Rye river was beautiful, a Thrush hopping about the grass within reach. Birdsong - yes it is that time of year where birds call and fill the air with sound. The river itself, full in both sound and flow, no doubt the trout are feeding well, with the extra rain these days, I'm sure enough nutrients will be introduced into their world. I wonder will the salmon find their way upstream. The river Rye is known as the furthest river upstream of the river Liffey to carry Salmon.
The trees have not yet filled out with leaves, but maybe it's only the awakening of springtime.

As I walked, and closer to the village I got. Sounds changed. The life of commerce, of commuting and peoples lives started to slowly fill the air. But not in a bad way. A slow quiet tempo - distant, removed yet close. Not intrusive, but sharing the audio with nature.

Into the village, and the business I was to visit was closed, today was its day not to wake early. I enjoy that, commerce taking a relaxed healthy approach on one of it's days. I hope some of their staff took the opportunity to walk also !
Though closed, all was not in vain. I, by chance, met another athlete from the weekend. Some fine compliments were exchanged, He admiring the images, I admiring the way he and the other athletes had style during the race. The conversation flowed so well, by the time we parted, the doors were almost opening, I still had time to cross over and look at the river Rye flowing and joining the River Liffey. And think some more on Springtime.

I came back from my morning, buoyed with positive ideas, Business ideas for my images came flowing, inspiration from positive people - and it all started with the ending;

"Hope you have a wonderful creative Springtime."


To visit some of the images from a muddy 50km forest trail race: Donadea 5km Trail Ultra Marathon

Two Kingfishers

The signs of Spring, though technically Summer, are well and truly underway.

For the last weeks, threats and fall of snow and ice have been keeping nature's blossoms at a slow pace, holding the burst of leave and colour.
You could see it as you're walking along if you cared to look. The tiny, tiny buds at the ends of stems and sticks. The great chestnut trees I feel for, their buds are not so small, yet you could see the swelling at the sticky bulb, almost feel the anxiety of the tree - waiting !

The Rye river below the house, swollen most of it's time due to the rain, was lowered and calm. Tadhg and I slowly wandering down for our own little break from the house, OK, my break, his adventure - he is 5yrs old after all. He's all questions and chat, bring him to the bridge, he wants to go to the village. Bring him to the village, it's only a short journey, one of the many great things about living in Leixlip.

Returning, and as we're walking, a flash to my right. Two kingfishers in aerial dual as they sped along the river. The first flash caught my eye, I twisted back to see the pair fly. A reminder of how alike the military jets doing manoeuvres in the Scottish highlands the two birds appear. Flitting left and right, bursts of speed, the dazzle of colour changing as angles of sight and light changes with their rotations and banking.
Incredible patience will be needed to get their image. Every year I promise I'll track them to a perch and photograph them. But then again, if I don't - I'll still have the pleasure of having seen them each year since I moved here. Long may the dream of the photograph or just the sighting keep the summers pleasant.

I wish them well. Not a dogfight in my mind, more an amorous chase - after all - Winter is over !