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)

Apart from liking my new lenses a lot, I can’t decide what was the other highlight of my day.

I saw a Bentley with a taxi plate (no cheap leatherette for him) and a woman with a Superman/Kryptonite tatoo on her ankle (vaguely sexy).

Now that I think about it, that’s probably how a Sunday should be?

breakingnews reports that Woman dies after camel sits on her

The owner of an exotic animal farm has died after being kicked and then sat on by a 1,800lb camel.

Her husband was reported as saying that “She wouldn’t let an animal suffer.”

The camel was called Polo.

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…