Co Tipperary

Irish summer

A newcomer to Ireland arrives on a rainy day. He gets up the next day and it is raining. It also rains the day after that, and the day after that.

He goes out to lunch and sees a young kid and asks out of despair, “Hey kid, does it ever stop raining around here?”

The kid says: How do I know? I’m only six!

This year we have got a proper summer, no jokes! 🙂 County Tipperary has been bathing in sun since June.

It was one of the hottest days when I went to Kilsheelan, and I thought I would walk a little bit by the river. The cows on the opposite bank enjoyed the shade of a giant Oak tree and drank from the river till they were full.

Then they laid down for a nap, black islands in the sea of grass.

What a pleasure to walk along a path lined with lush grasses and delicate wild flowers. My summer favorite is poppy flower.

Another favorite is crop field. I love to take pictures of them in any weather, morning or night, and at any stage of their growth and harvest. What a fascinating sight they make, waving in the wind!

Abundance of sunlight this summer makes the greenery richer and foliage ticker.

Sometimes it is nice to hide from the burning sun in the woods…

…or under the thick canopy of linden trees in the churchyard.

What the summer looks like where you live?

Photography tip of the day: When the sun is high shoot your portraits in the open shade.

Have a great weekend!

Narrow roads and pink mountains

Last week I visited a friend in Burncourt, Co Tipperary. I chose a narrow country road for fun and delightful drive. Didn’t know it would be that narrow… When I startled a pheasant sleeping in the middle of the road and he lazily walked away, I thought I got lost… I didn’t take any pictures, but this one ( shared on Facebook) gives you an idea:)

After the visit I thought I might better go up the mountains on my way home. My initial plan was to stop by the ruins of Shanbally castle barbarically demolished in 1960, but I changed this plan in favor of driving South towards my favorite Old Clonmel-Cork Road.

This area lies in the Galtee-Vee Valley (Golden Vale) with the Galtee Mountains to the north and the Knockmealdown Mountains to the south. I love the rolling hills and open pastures with the breathtaking hilltop views, and I love the gradual transition from the green sunlit Knockmealdowns to the dark and lonesome Comeraghs.

In Clogheen I turned to the Vee.

The Vee Pass in Knockmealdown mountains (refers to the V-shaped turn) is a beautiful place to visit all around the year because of its stunning panoramic views, but in June the wild rhododendrons bloom in the hills, and it is the view you will never forget.

In the picture above you can see the Galtees framing the valley from the North.

The blossoms are of the color of frothy foam on the top of boiling raspberry jam. I imagine a gigantic cauldron in the hills above the Bay Lough, and the jam overflowing the cauldron and making its way down through the woods, dripping from the rocks and making puddles in the hollows. A waterfall of pink. I am overwhelmed by this breathtaking beauty.

The Bay Lough lake.

Biological function of a flower is reproduction. Mother Nature made it beautiful.

On my way down the mountain I took a few shots to make this crooked panorama:). Didn’t bother to set a tripod: I was afraid to shy away that young couple. Love is beautiful!

Photography tip of the day: to make a panorama take as many pictures as you need to have a 40-50% overlap. Use portrait format. And a tripod:)

Have a wonderful weekend!

Way of living

A few days ago I went to the Kilsheelan woods to check out the bluebells. Reckon I have to wait another week or two… Nevertheless, I had a pleasant photo shoot and lots of reflecting that wasn’t too pleasant though.

I took this photograph because the old tree root looks like a threshold: one step over it and you are in the magic world. I was ready for the magic:).

I made a stop to take a picture of the winding road. The air was full of the bird songs and gurgling of a stream below the road – all the sounds of Nature that invite tranquillity and purify the mind. I walked towards the stream and started to set up my tripod. At first I couldn’t believe my eyes and just stood there, staring. Right in the middle of the beautiful stream there was an old sofa rotting away, covered with algae and dirt. I didn’t take a picture of it because the sight of this sofa was too insulting… Why people tend to litter water???

I have met many people who changed their ways of life to become a happier person. People give up smoking and overcome drug and alcohol bondage; they stop eating junk food and pick up a hobby; they go back to education, reconcile with their family and kids, book a skydive, do some voluntary work – everything! But I have never met someone who said : I have littered the Earth, I have dumped my crap in the clear water, I didn’t bother to recycle, I had been a pig, but I want to be a happy man from now, so I will litter no more!

I took another picture of the stream next to the Woods gate. I wonder if people who dumped those tires read the information on the stand before they did it? Just out of curiosity, to educate themselves?