Eventually, after a quick jaunt up the Royal Canal, I ended up in the Phoenix Park. Once there, I thought I’d have a look at Farmleigh House and see what all the fuss was about. However, on the approach road to Farmleigh, the heavens opened and it started to really rain. I took shelter in the trees at the back of the OSI. The ’shower’ lasted a bit longer than five minutes and I started to worry that I’d be stranded for the evening!

In the end though, it all worked out. The rain started to penetrate the tree cover and drop on a little ‘meadow’ of nettles that were growing under the trees. It was like watching a silent dance. To my bored mind, it was quite rhythmic as individual raindrops dropped on different nettles seemingly every second. I couldn’t see the raindrops as they descended but, second by second, I’d see a different nettle shiver and shake as the raindrop energised it. It was captivating.

Sadly, due to bad light and the absence of a tripod, I couldn’t capture any decent images but I eventually got this photograph of a thornbush that was growing through the nettles.

You must know how I’m going to finish this post?

Every (rain) cloud has a silver lining! (although I didn’t get to see Farmleigh)

I’m going here tomorrow…

Artist Kate Byrne will conduct an overview of contemporary photography. This lecture will explore the idea of empty interiors and social spaces that capture the ‘psychology of architecture’.

And, yes, the photo below is probably inappropriate but, hey, that’s why I’m going to the lecture!

I think the buds are from a gorse bush but I can’t be sure…

Or maybe he’s just doing Pilates?

I took this photo this afternoon in St Ann’s Park on Dublin’s Northside. The photo has been heavily cropped but the flower still looks nice. Hopefully spring is here to stay, although the weather forecast is for severe frost tonight.

There were some early mornings:

There were some birds:

But also some dogs:

Some harsh words were spoken:

But I didn’t lose any sleep over it:

You see, not everything in life is black and white:

Sometimes, it’s a case of ‘hair’ today and gone tomorrow:

But hope springs eternal:

Because, while some people think their glass is half-empty:

The trick is finding the star of the show:

P.S. I know it makes a mess of my template but I don’t know, and don’t care, how to fix it.