Mulling

It's a time of the year for mulling things over.

Today, in a lull, between rain storms, I stand on the shore in Annestown and feel the power of the sea overwhelm the questions I have queuing up from 2015. Like fragments of flotsam and jetsam they end up in flithers on the high tide line.

With New Year resolutions being made all around me, my vague musings on 2016 are blown away on the wind, evaporating into white foamy bubbles.

The cold saltiness is an ice bucket challenge. The eyes are focusing on the horizon, capturing the constant changes; the head full of the roar of waves. Don't stumble, don't drop the camera, don't fall in.

Under her spell, hanging in there, mulling......



Happy New Year and great mulling dear friends!



PS Speaking about the sea, this moving piece by Ruth Fitzmaurice blew me away.....

There's grey and then there's grey......

There's grey and then there's grey in it. 

Thin milky grey that comes down as a low cloud, covering up beauty and bringing the whole country to it's knees for the lack of light. 

The thundering grey of darkening skies and seas. Soaked up by the eye, bringing softness and balm to the soul.

Today I floated in grey as if a slate plain page had accepted my watery ink.






Lots more grey photo images in the gallery here 

The sea will have that effect........

I went down to the shore for the shortest time, the wind blew the cobwebs from my mind and I remembered my purpose. This next year 2013 will be precious the sea said to me. And somewhere in that preciousness is my purpose it seems.

The light circled on her breaking waves, although the sky was overcast and dark. The swelling surf roared and foamy breakers rushed onto the shore. My sister pointed her camera in every direction. Just seeing the sea made us both happy.

I remember every summer rushing with open arms into her embrace. That same vast ocean. Saying, I love you!! I am still here. You are too powerful to try to understand, so is everything. But I don't even care!!!

The sea will have that effect.......

Alone with my thoughts

 

On a small strip of land between the sea and the wall of the house, this beautiful horse has been casually grazing. He is a constant presence and from the house can be seen peeping up over the stone wall, his dappled coat blending in perfectly with the misty landscape.

If ever an animal or a scene was conjured up to convey "a typical Irish landscape" then maybe this is it!

The neighbours feed him vegetables and he shyly takes everything he can get, soon going back to his strong silent pose just over the wall. 

His gaze follows my route back to the house, our bar-b-que, the evening swim, the Weather Forecast on TV. Through it all he is there, still curious, still watching, still negotiating that little strip of land he calls home.

I struggle with his isolation. I think about what he might be missing. But then I remember my own world, often alone with this camera and my thoughts. We look into each other's eyes, a small moment of shared experience.......

You can browse or buy more of my images from Kerry here