Clandeboye Swan

This was taken on the part of the Ulster Way which runs through Clandeboye Estate. A causeway crosses the small lake here. The swan seemed happy enough to let me get close enough to take this photo 

Donaghadee Lighthouse

This was taken from the far pier which is accessible on foot only at low tide. Donaghadee is worth a visit for the fantastic food in the Pier36 restaurant right on the harbour. If you like seafood it is hard to find a better place to eat

Experi Mental

I tried to get some photos of the eclipse this morning but unfortunately from Bangor there was very little to be seen. I got a few photos of the sun but the moon's disc crossing the bottom was so small as to be almost invisible. The QUB pictures weren't that much better IMHO. Instead, as they say on Blue Peter, 'here's one I prepared earlier' (a light trail photo, created using an led torch and a laser pointer)

Light Relief

 

Close your eyes if you don't like spiders

See, I warned you. Here is a photo of a spider close up. I would have preferred to have got a picture of him from above rather than below, however beggars can't be choosers and I had a fence, bushes etc. in my way

One from the archives

Groomsport Sunset

I took this one at the end of last summer in Groomsport, Co. Down. Sunsets are easy because it's not hard to be there at the time, unlike sunrise pictures which take a certain amount of dedication in that you have to motivate yourself to get up at the crack of dawn when you are off work and could be having a lie-in

 

Lazy Sunday

River Quoile, Downpatrick

Today was Mother's Day so Lynn got her breakfast made by me and the boys brought it up to her. She went out with the Mother-in- Law this afternoon to Donaghadee Garden Centre as they have a nice coffee shop. It came on rain (very heavily) just as I was about to leave the house to go out for a walk so instead I just stayed in the house getting things ready for dinner. We had dinner late and Lynn is relaxing with some of her chocolates while I'm just doing my usual computer stuff 

Down in Co. Down

Downpatrick Cathederal


I had to go to Downpatrick early this morning so I grabbed the opportunity for a photo of the cathederal. Later on I had to go to Crumlin and came back over the top of the hill via Nutt's Corner. There were some good views over Belfast but unfortunately it was too hazy to make it worth my while taking a picture. Traffic was heavy and there wasn't really a suitable place to pull in so that photo can wait for another day.

Splash

Today was another one of those grey, wet and windy days. 

Comber Co. Down

This is a view of Comber Co. Down, looking over towards the Mountains of Mourne. The fields you can see in the foreground are where the tastiest spuds in the world are grown. This picture is quite similar to the one I sent in to the BBC when they were running the Digital Picture of Britain series and which was on their website for a while (it might even still be there) 

The Tunnel of Goats

I think it was in the very first episode of Father Ted that the fair came to Craggy Island. The announcer was heard to say over the tannoy 'a small child has been lost in the Tunnel of Goats'. Other attractions at this famous 'world's worst travelling fair' included The Crane of Death, Spider Baby, Freak Pointing and of course, Goading the Fierce Man (I can't remember the other wonderfully ludicrous attractions). Anyway we came across this tunnel while out walking. There was no road, railway or any other purpose that Martyn and I could determine, for it being there, it was just a tunnel, on it's own, for no reason. It made me think of the Tunnel of Goats

Tarzan

It has been years since I climbed a tree so on Sunday when we were out walking I did just that. Martyn decided to have a go too and this is the result - note the look of concentration as he deals with this difficult task. Please be aware that for health and safety reasons climbing trees is not recommended. The owner of this website (me) cannot be held responsible if you climb a tree and fall off. Trees are dangerous and best left to the experts, if you are in any doubt please remain on the ground. 

Going up in the world

I'm usually the one taking the photos, not in them. Martyn took this one of me with a view of Strangford Lough in the background. 

Scrabo Tower

It turned out dry today so Martyn and I headed off to Scrabo for a bit of a walk. The last time we were there, after walking up to the tower we had returned to the car park and taken the path through the woods towards Comber. This time, for a change, we headed down the long path to the old sandstone quarries for a look around. We walked for a good 2hrs after which it was all uphill on the way back (we'll both sleep well tonight, but especially Martyn, who had to start work at 5pm). Fortunately we found a shortcut, a steep and narrow winding path going up the side of the hill which brought us out right at the tower where this picture was taken. The tower was closed today. It is open from Easter through to September and it is worth climbing all the steps to the top for the spectacular views of the surrounding area. On a clear day you can see Belfast, Scotland and the Mourne Mountains without even moving from where you are standing.

Dawn today at Islandmagee

Islandmagee near Larne, the sun had just come up as I was heading to Templepatrick and I stopped to take this. It was taken with the Casio QV-R40 I always carry in the car (I didn't have the Nikon with me)

Gardening World

It will soon be lawnmower time again. I spotted these snowdrops in the corner of my garden and my daffs are coming up too. There used to be crocuses as well but Lynn pulled them up in one of her 'it's green, it must be a weed' blitzes on the garden - I think she missed the bluebells under the living room window though, so they will be out in a week or two. The council delivered us a new green bin to chuck our garden rubbish in. I'm no Alan Titchmarsh or Percy Thrower and it will most likely take me all summer to fill it.

Snowdrops (wonder why they're called that?)

 

I'll Huff and I'll Puff

No blog yesterday as the server was down for maintenance. Anyway today a group of us from work skived off to the Chelsea Wine Bar on Belfast's Lisburn road on an extended lunch break to celebrate my friend Peter's 6oth birthday. We had originally planned to go elswhere but we had a couple of bad reports about the place we had chosen so we decided instead to go for the Chelsea. It proved to be a wise choice as the food and service were first class - we'll definitely be going back again. Now who's birthday is next?

Peter is glad there weren't 60 candles

 

The 39 Steps

Wasn't that a book and/or film?
 

Third time lucky

It all seems to be working OK now. I had written a wonderful paragraph to accompany the photo, which I'm sure you would have found rivetting, but two attempts vanished and frankly I don't want to type it all in again in case it happens a third time.









Bangor Marina on a cold and grey Winter's day 

The vanishing post

Tonight in Internet land a very strange thing happened. My two attempts to post photographs have disappeared , dragged off deep in the wilds of cyberspace by forces unknown. They may appear later, who knows? This afternoon my reply to a poster of a comment went astray and later 4 copies of it appeared as if by magic.

Ghosts in the machine?

Fixed

Oyster Catcher in flight (as promised)