No leeks…

…but lots of other Welsh subjects to celebrate St David’s Day today (1 March)

collage for St David's Day

Clockwise from top left: Burry Port lighthouse, Pembroke Castle, Red Kite, Laugharne Castle, Dylan Thomas Writing Shed, Weobley Castle, Harbourmaster Hotel Aberaeron, Dinefwr Castle, Kidwelly Castle, Daffodils, Spring lambs, Rhossili Beach, St Mary the Virgin Rhossili, Dylan Thomas Boathouse, River Aeron, Dryslwyn Castle
Centre: The Black Mountains Range (Brecon Beacons)

Living on the English / Welsh border I have been fortunate to explore the lovely Welsh counties and its many, many castles and beaches and landscapes.

Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus!

Monthly Photo Challenge: Frantic February

Many of my blogging friends already know that I have been hoping to move to the West Country and I am at long last happy to say that it shouldn’t be much longer! So February is filled with de-cluttering, cleaning, packing and LOTS of boxes! Not much time for taking photographs I’m afraid, but I hope you will enjoy my first Cornish sunset with me from my new home.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

And, yes, that is MY corkscrew hazel(?) tree 🙂

The Cardinal is continuing his photo project throughout 2016 – a blogging event, a monthly photo challenge. Read his blog for the new rules this year (he is running two versions) and to view his interpretation and those of other participants.

 

Light… and Dark

Paula’s black and white Sunday this week is all about Light.

silhouette

One of the things I do love about winter is how trees become so beautiful with their bare limbs free of leaves so that the structure shows against the sky. Sometimes, as in this case, the sky behind also has a beauty of its own with interesting cloud formations and shooting into the sun produces a monochromatic image without much post-processing required.

silhouette-1

Please visit Paula to see other blogger’s light filled images.

There is a season – turn, turn, turn

To everything – turn, turn, turn
There is a season – turn, turn, turn
And a time to every purpose under heaven

Lots of ways to interpret this week’s photo challenge, but my immediate thoughts were of the Byrd’s song which was a hit in the 1965. Written by Pete Seeger in the late 1950s the words are taken from the bible (Ecclesiastes). The lines are open to myriad interpretations, but as a song they are commonly performed as a plea for world peace, with an emphasis on the closing line:

“a time for peace, I swear it’s not too late.”

Cascais 2

In view of what is happening in the world today, I thought that this was an appropriate response, though I hasten to add that I am not in any way religious, despite being drawn to religious buildings and ancient churchyards like this pretty little chapel on the outskirts of Cascais, Portugal.

Scrobbesbyrig/Shrewsbury: Town Trail Part 1

Today we are going to follow the blue path around town, starting from the Bear Steps (1) heading to the railway station. (The churches, station and library appear in ‘Looking at stone buildings)

towntrailmap (Trail 1)

The Bear Steps (1) is in the centre of town and named after a pub that was opposite the steps.

This place has a family connection as the OH’s eldest uncle was born in one of the small cottages back in 1913. The Bear Steps hall is one of only a few remaining medieval stone and timber-framed halls that dominated the town’s architecture. It now houses the offices of the Shrewsbury Civic Society (who produce a Shrewsbury Town Trail booklet and from which much of this information has been gathered) an Art Gallery and Coffee Shop. Continue reading Scrobbesbyrig/Shrewsbury: Town Trail Part 1