Friday Fences - Still More KY Horse Farms

Early March drive on scenic U.S. 60 between Frankfort and Versailles (the Kentucky one).  I was a back seat passenger and we didn't slow down for photo ops.  Still, good examples of classic fences common on Kentucky's fine thoroughbred horse farms.

Linking to Friday Fences at Life According to Jan and Jer .

Eating Crow - Literally

Lots of crows flocking to the apples, oranges, and bread that I've been throwing out in the front yard this winter.  Try to photograph them through the front window, but they're fast!  Either extremely good eye sight or hearing--not easy to catch them in the act.  I like to hear them up in the trees complaining about the weather. :-)

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday

Barn Charm - Whitewashed

Just one of many great barns spotted on Old Frankfort Pike near Frankfort, Kentucky.  This "whitewash" a change from the traditional Kentucky black barns.

Linking to Barn Charm at Bluff Area Daily .

Irish Fences and Gates

Butter yellow gate connects the "rooms" of the Ballymaloe Cookery School herb gardens in County Cork.

Village fences in County Mayo:

Linking to Friday Fences at Life According to Jan and Jer .

First Spring Sunset

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This chilly sunset for the first day of Spring promises--or threatens, depending on your point of view--more cold snowy weather to come.  Even significant snow by Sunday evening.  Suits me fine, but I know some of you are winter weary.  Hint:  look closely at the last photo and you can plainly see that tree leaves are ready to come out.

Linking to Skywatch Friday.

Duck Diners on Beargrass Creek

Driving along Beargrass Creek in Cherokee and Seneca Parks - just in time to catch a mixed group of ducks having their dinner and a bath:

Including this armada-notice that duck butt at the end:

This one fluffing his feathers:

This one showing off beautiful feather markings:

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday

Irish Garden Week - Lakemount in County Cork

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Irish Garden Week - in celebration of St. Paddy's Day this week, when we all claim to be a bit Irish, thought I would share some photos from a 1998 garden tour of Ireland.  This is Lakemount in County Cork.  Brian Cross (in wellies) is the garden designer/artist, assisted by "Violet".  Highlights:  fantastic mixed shrub borders, clipped beech hedges with a view, simply stunning arrangement of containers and plants, and a green velvet lawn.

Here are a few more closeups of the garden, including the assistant gardener :-) :

Check back in periodically for the rest of the week and I'll share some different gardens, traveling southwest from Dublin.  Slainte!

Waiting for Spring

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Are you looking for signs of spring this weekend?  If so, here's some encouragement.  All these photos were taken in my neighborhood between March 9-22, 2012.  So, while the only thing going on now is the tree canopies are "softening" and crocus and dafs are budding, soon there'll be a repeat of this colorful show.

Meanwhile, here's one way to celebrate sunshine and temps in the mid-60s:

Oh, and not ten minutes ago I heard a lawn mower running.  That's a sign of spring that I could do without!

Mosaic & Macro Monday - Hiking to Norway's Briksdal Glacier

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August 2011 - view of lake and mountains on the Nordfjord from Hotel Alexandra in Loen, Norway.  On the way to the Briksdal Glacier we had fjordland views of Lake Loen (the chalky blue-green color caused by glacial rock runoff into the waters), waterfalls, boulder-strewn streams, and farm communities on the banks of the Nordfjord:

Once we got near the Briksdal Glacier, a cogwheel train took us to a dropoff point and then we hiked the last mile to the foot of the glacier.  This arrangement worked out perfectly because the cool rainy weather made for some great closeup shots of lichen and moss covered rocks, wildflowers, plants and trees:

Linking to: Macro Monday and Mosaic Monday