Tiny petunias

Mike and I returned from our two week holiday in Ireland with over 6000 photos. I know that sounds excessive, but we like to walk around taking pictures. Fortunately for us, its what we both want to do. I could post a daily picture from there for several years and still have images to spare.

So then I wonder, what makes me chose one image over another to post?

Take this simple image, a flower box of small, late-season, stringy petunias. Why among thousands was this my choice? Much like choosing an image to paint, this one caused a response. This one spoke to me.

The longer I look at it, the more I like it.

I like the fact that the trim is painted in two shades of red. The bright shiny wood slats of the window itself and the neutralized red, almost dirty red, of the sill. Notice how there are flowers in those exact shades growing. There are even soft yellow ones to match the color of the building. The lankiness of the stems create movement that dance my eye throughout the image. Though tiny and almost struggling to hang on, they remain bright and cheerful. Aren't window boxes up-lifting? I've always loved them.

As I observe closer, the reflection becomes impossible to miss. The window sits in shadow, but the reflection is all sunlit.

There in the distance are houses, a canal, small boats and two figures walking engaged in conversation. The easiness of their stride is captured in the reflection, even through the folds of the curtain. This relaxed easiness can be found throughout Ireland. No wonder we returned so relaxed...

I also like the curtain. Though its white, it appears to be a soft blue. If you look at the top image and squint, it pretends to be the sky...

This entire little image is poetry. It has a whole story to tell.

This captivating little window belongs to Monks. Monks is a pub in Ballyvaughan, Co. Clare. Like all the Irish pubs, they had great fish! The Guinness wasn't bad either. (I never knew beer went with fish...)

I think this is why Mike and I like to walk and take photos. Sometimes the neatest ones can only be found when walking slow. Taking time to look at the details is where the real beauty lies.

Kind of reminds me of people...

Cliffs of Moher

Welcome to the Cliffs of Moher. They're a popular tourist attraction in County Clare, Ireland. Mike and I chose to visit from the water as opposed to the typical visitor's center, which sits atop the cliffs. It was a good choice. From Doolin, a boat took us close to the rocks and as you can imagine our cameras never stopped clicking! Its hard to imagine the grandeur of these Atlantic facing cliffs, but from its feet one feels very small.

The short sail in was exciting.

Closer and closer we came.

Larger and larger they seemed.

O'Brien's Tower sits high on the cliff. It can be seen from a great distance. It was built in 1835 for the purpose of tourism. Can you imagine? Way back then, such a tower raised not for the sake of protection, but to bring foreigners to the region to benefit the economy. I'm not sure the tower is why they came, but the cliffs themselves certainly pull a great deal of tourists to this place.

While looking through my many photos of these cliffs,

I noticed this interesting one...

A figure is walking in.

As I zoomed in for a closer look, I realized it was only an opening and not a free standing rock like some of the others around the cliffs. Its an optical illusion for me. At times I can see it as a three-dimensional stone figure walking into the alcove. It reminded me of Luka Bloom's song, Fertile Rock. In it he speaks of footsteps. Footsteps of an ancient race. Footsteps of those who passed here before us. Or possibly the figure of Mary... kneeling before Ireland (in prayer?) as if to protect it?

Its an interesting angle of an opening in the rocks. One second earlier or later from a moving boat and the image would be gone...

As we were leaving, the sky opened up.

You almost remain speechless in the midst of such beauty. With the wonderful shapes and colors our world holds for us, its no wonder artists are everywhere, inspired to capture the amazement before them.