The Good Earth

The Neighbours Cat

2010-06-08T20:33:00.010+01:00

Cheeko, the neighbours cat, deciding what to have for dinner, a shubunkin, a red cap oranda, a koi or maybe just a plain goldfish

Got nothing there

A bird might be nicer

No luck

Maybe a bee or a butterfly

A quite snooze might be best.

Who would ever think, the cat, a cherished pet, is supposed to be the second most serious threat to the song bird population around the World.

Peacocks

2010-05-30T18:09:00.016+01:00

These two glamour boys are living in our area for a few years , they are often seen walking the road and visiting gardens, they are regular visitors to my garden, at night they take off and sleep in some high trees in the area.

Last night there was consternation when a neighbour saw four boys bundle one of the peacocks into a car. She had the good sense to take the number and phone the police. All ended well, when after about two hours, the four boys were back with the police, to the relief of the neighbours, the peacock was set free. He looks none the worse for wear except for a few ruffled feathers.

Greylag Geese

2010-05-24T22:30:00.010+01:00

Greylag Geese enjoying a family outing, swimming, relaxing, survaying the scene, vocalising with each other and having the time of their lives meandering around the waters edge.

Angling Cot Boat

2010-05-11T21:25:00.025+01:00

Miniature models of an Angling Cot (Brocaun)

The brocaun was the traditional fishing boat of the Abbey Fishermen, a group of snap net fishermen who made their living by fishing a particular section of water on the Shannon river. The boat was a flat bottom boat, measuring twenty four feet wide and two and a half feet wide, ideal for poling over rapids and shallows. With the installation of the Hydro Electric Scheme in the late 1920's the fishermen were deprived of their livelihood.

The Duck Family

2010-05-05T09:40:00.015+01:00

After a long day swimming, ducking and diving and mucking about on the river, Deirdre and Diarmuid Duck spent a romantic evening standing on the river wall admiring the view

watching the sun go down and quacking about building a nest

When the nest was built, Deirdre laid 10 eggs, and after 28 days, Siobhán, Sinéad, Órflaith, Eóin and Dónal Duck arrived, and little Buí, the odd one out. All are doing very well and living happily on the river Shannon.

Mute Swan

2010-04-27T15:02:00.005+01:00

A mute swan calmly gliding through the dark water of the Mill Stream

Frogspawn and Tadpoles

2010-04-20T19:19:00.026+01:00

Frogspawn

Tadpoles

Back in March when I first spotted the Heron eating frogs, I discovered the pond was oozing with frogspawn. A month later the pond was absolutely alive with tadpoles and still is, I can't help wondering what the garden is going to be like when they turn into frogs. I presume there will be an awful lot of hopping going on.

Adare Manor

2010-04-07T20:47:00.003+01:00

Had a very pleasant time to-day with my friends Audrey and Rita. We treated ourselves to Afternoon Tea at Adare Manor.

Later, we took a walk in the beautiful grounds of the Manor.

Yes, Snow Again

2010-03-30T15:13:00.003+01:00

Took this photo of the big freeze, a few weeks ago.

Enjoyed lovely Spring weather since.

Woke up this morning, to see snow again.

Grey Heron Visit

2010-03-21T18:57:00.027Z

I was surprised this morning when I looked out my window to see a Heron in the garden. I went for my camera straight away and quickly took this photograph through the window. At first I though the Heron might be fooled by the ornamental lopsided heron near the pond and I thought he might be thinking of starting up a romance, but no, he had another interest in mind, it was food. I discovered there were lots of frogs in the pond.

I decided to sneak out to try and get a closeup photo, but as I anticipated, he took to his heels and flew off over the wall.

No doubt, he was enjoying his frog meal as he was back again in no time, so I managed to get a better photo of him on the ivy clad wall.

Happy St. Patrick's Day - 17th March 2010

2010-03-17T20:53:00.011Z

The Dear Little Shamrock

By Andrew Cherry

There's a dear little plant that grows in our Isle,

'Twas saint Patrick himself sure that set it;

And the sun on his labour with pleasure did smile,

And with dew from his eye often wet it.

It shines thro' the bog, thro' the brake, thro' the mireland,

And he call'd it the dear little Shamrock of Ireland.

CHORUS:

The dear little Shamrock, the sweet little Shamrock,

The dear little, sweet little Shamrock of Ireland.

That dear little plant still grows in our land,

Fresh and fair as the daughters of Erin,

Whose smiles can bewitch, and whose eyes can command,

In each climate they ever appear in:

For they shine thro' the bog, thro' the brake, and the mireland,

Just like their own dear little Shamrock of Ireland.

That dear little plant that springs from our soil,

When its three little leaves extended,

Denotes from the stalk we together should toil,

And ourselves by ourselves be befriended.

And still thro' the bog, thro' the brake, and the mireland,

From one root should branch, like the Shamrock of Ireland.

Anna Jarvis Founder of Mother's Day

2010-03-13T12:31:00.014Z

Sunday 14th March - Mother's Day, Ireland

Miss Anna Jarvis was the daughter of Anna Reeves and Granville E. Jarvis, born May 1, 1864 in Webster, West Virginia. Miss Jarvis' mother prior to the Civil War, organized what she called, "Mothers Day Work Clubs". These women did charitable work in their communities, including providing medicine for the poor, milk inspections for sanitary instructions to families in which the mothers were tubercular. The ladies provided professional nursing services for sick soldiers, who were mostly suffering from typhoid fever. It was a greatly needed service at that time.

Anna Jarvis' mother was her Sunday School teacher and one day as a memorial for soldiers killed in service, was discussed, Mrs. Jarvis said, "I hope someone, sometime establishes a special day as a memorial to our mothers". Young Anna Jarvis never forgot her mothers wish, and after her mothers death on May 9, 1905 she began to pursue diligently the establishment of a Mothers Day, in memory of her mother's words. She worked unceasingly at this task, holding meeting, talking to every available, influential person, of her mother's idea. she wrote letter by the hundreds and finally the first official Mother's Day service was held in her mothers own church, the Andrew Methodist Episcopal in Grafton, West Virginia. On that special day Miss Jarvis sent 500 white carnations to the church, one to be worn by each person attending the service. Anna Jarvis died in 1948 in a Philadelphia rest home, blind and penniless. Though she was founder of Mother's Day, she herself was never a mother, since she remained a spinster all her life.

Mist, Fog, Frost

2010-03-05T22:40:00.002Z

Mysteriously beautiful, freezing, Mist, Fog, Frost.

Blog Award

2010-03-05T20:39:00.006Z

Thank you Hilde for giving me a Blog Award, back in November 2009. I appreciate it very much, sorry for not posting sooner. Take a look at Hilde's lovely garden blog. http://hagenpagranheim.blogspot.com

I would like to pass the award on to:
A Hazy Moon
Moments of Mine
Artic View
Hagemor
Mike and D's Life in the Hosier State and Beyond
Elcmae's Countdown to 65

Mushrooms

2009-10-13T18:46:00.003+01:00

This is the time of year when lots of different types of wild mushrooms are found popping up in the fields and forests, but overnight, in a shaded area, under a conifer tree, in my garden, this little crop of mushrooms pushed their way through the earth and weeds. I quickly went for my camera, fearing they might be "magic mushrooms" and do a disappearing act. I know that some mushrooms are poisonous and with names like "death cap" and "destroying angels", I decided NOT to make a meal of them.

Early Morning

2009-10-04T20:27:00.007+01:00

A delightful, calm, tranquil, early morning scene on the River Shannon at Corbally.

Sunrish - Sunset

2009-09-21T20:51:00.010+01:00

Sun rising over the Sonoran Desert, Arizone. Sun setting over the river Shannon, Limerick, Ireland.

Water Mirror

2009-09-18T11:50:00.002+01:00

The Mill Stream, mirrors, what is around it.

River Walk

2009-08-29T13:33:00.035+01:00

Took a stroll down to the Green to-day, passed the Nursing Home on the way

To take a look over the river wall and admire the view and all the wonderful wildlife.

The river was alive with swans, geese, ducks and seagulls and who knows what else.

After leaving the Green I headed for the river bank, now disused and overgrown. I paused at
this little footbridge to take in the stillness, silence and beauty of the place.

Through the overgrowth I could see the place was purple with masses of Himalayan Balsam and Purple Loosetrife

I hadn't gone very far when I was surprised to meet my sister Maura walking her dog "Judd", possibly she was more surprised to meet me. My intended walk ended here. We went back

to Maura's place.

Sat out, had tea, watched the tide come in and the sun go down. Now, it was indeed time to head home.

Roadworks Ahead

2009-08-20T10:53:00.006+01:00

Careful fish, there's roadworks ahead, this guy is trying to shovel me out of the way.

When the Red, Red Robin...

2009-08-12T16:05:00.009+01:00

This is Rory, our resident robin. After a short courtship, he set up home with his wife Rose. The site they choose was a flower pot in the shed, there, they built a very cosy home, made of dead leaves and moss, lined with hair and feathers, it appeared Rose did most of the work. She laid 5 eggs and they hatched out on March 17th.

After the chicks were born, Rory came into his own, he proved to be a great little provider for Rose and their young family. He foraged under shrubs, leaves, rocks, just everywhere, for worms and insects, he had no problem at all taking food from my hand. After going on to have two more broods and working tirelessly through the summer, they have now become rather scarce, probably moulting and not wanting to show themselves.

I now look forward to seeing them emerge with new plumage and in good singing voice for the coming months.

Swat That Fly

2009-08-11T19:09:00.007+01:00

I have yet to come across anyone who would say, I love flies as they would dogs, cats, birds etc. I was reading a small article on why the fly is important for the preservation of the environment. Apparently the fly is an expert on recycling and is indispensable to the economy of nature. They lay their eggs on decaying plant or animal remains, this serves as food for the developing larvae and returned to the soil in the form of droppings, thus providing a food supply for plants and bacteria and so the cycle is complete.

I think we know too they can be dangerous as they act as vectors for innumerable diseases, conveying germs from one host to another. I looked around for a fly to photograph, and you know, I couldn't find one, so, I'm happy about that. I had to borrow this one, Here is another appropriate poem by Paddy Lysaght from his collection "A Torrent of Versatile Verses".

A FLY IN THE OINTMENT

"Swat that fly", my hubby said,

"I cannot stand his buzz".

"For goodness sake, relax" I said,

"What is he doing to us?"

He threw a might swear at me,

He fixed me with his eyes.

"I'll kill the hoor myself", he said,

"I hate those bloody flies".

He swore once more. I answered back -

There's more to it, of course -

But that dust-up about the fly

Ended with our divorce.

Fuchsia Inside and Out

2009-08-06T16:07:00.000+01:00

This lovely Fuchsia is peering over the wall from my neighbours garden. The variety is F. Magellanica "Riccartonii, the most popular and hardiest of the fuchsias. It looks so elegant right now with its colourful bell-shaped flowers hanging from the branches. I went inside to see my own Fuchsia, unfortunately it is only on a lamp shade, the good thing is, it is handpainted and I like that.

Swallows

2009-08-04T11:51:00.000+01:00

While working in the garden I could hear a lot of twittering going on, it was 5 baby Swallows being fed by their parents, that was back in June. It was rather difficult to get good photo's as they were so high up. I am including a nice poem about the Swallow by Paddy Lysaght from his collection of "A Torrent of Versatile Verses".

Swallows
Glad to see the Swallow back again
Perched on the high wires. Soon their song
Will cheer us all this summer long.
And on the rafter by the stable door,
Their mud made nest will shortly be
Relined for this year's progeny.

They flit about the lawn and trees,
Shoot silently in and out the stable door,
They wing-flap and by up-draught soar
Upwards, then down-dive at their ease.
Of beauty and movement the epitome,
They enrapture us as would a symphony.

August Celebration

2009-08-01T13:26:00.001+01:00

What was it this morning that brought so many birds to the nut holders just outside my kitchen window. I could see baby birds, teenage birds, mother and father birds, all squabbling away with each other to get their turn at picking the nuts. I wonder was it because it rained heavily all night and they were wet and hungry, or were they all gathering for an August 1st celebration. I was particularly delighted to see several Green finches and Sparrows. They were once the most common bird in the garden, now I almost get excited if I see one or two. As soon as I went out to take some photo's, there was a vanishing act.

Shannon View

2009-07-30T14:29:00.000+01:00

To-day I took a pleasant stroll down to a little green area, just a stone throw away from my house and to sit on the river wall and take in the view. This poem by Pádraic H. Pearse came to mind.

The Wayfarer

The beauty of the world hath made me sad,

This beauty that will pass;

Sometimes my heart hath shaken with great joy

To see a leaping squirrel in a tree,

Or a red lady-bird upon a stalk,

Lit by a slanting sun,

Or some green hill where shadows drifted by

Some quiet hill where mountainy man hath sown

And soon would reap; near to the gate of Heaven;

Or children with bare feet upon the sands

Of some ebbed sea, or playing on the streets

Of little towns in Connacht,

Things young and happy.

And then my heart hath told me:

These will pass,

Will pass and change, will die and be no more,

Things bright and green, things young and happy;

And I have gone upon my way

Sorrowful.

Update

2009-07-24T15:49:00.002+01:00

My first blog was about the Blue Tits moving into their new home, well, they left and moved on elsewhere. Holly hedgehog has found a new friend, now I can hardly tell them apart. Blackie the dad blackbird is stil very busy, at present he is feeding 3 rather large young blackbirds and is looking the worse for wear. The peacocks are still around and looking rather bare as they have lost their lovely plumes. The kitten has returned after an absence of 8 days and wasn't made at all welcome by Cheko. The bright eyed fox is still visiting at night, with 2 cubs, now there are 3. And the little rescued sygnet lost the battle.

In Full Bloom

2009-07-19T20:17:00.000+01:00

Thought I should show a photo of the Clematis, this one is "Jackmanii Superba" and the Lily is "Apeldoorn", both are looking splendid at the moment.

Rescued

2009-07-17T20:20:00.000+01:00

To-day two baby swans got seperated from their parents, other adult swans attacked them and killed one. After much panic this little fellow was rescued. It is only a few days old, so the problem was, what to feed it. On contacting the Wildlife Service they suggested feeding it with soft cat food as it has plenty of vitamins. Lets hope this little fellow does well.

Stray Kitten

2009-07-17T16:23:00.001+01:00

This little kitten has been coming to the garden for the past 3 weeks. He looks nice enough in the photo but in actual fact he has red patches on his skin and is quite scrawney. He is very afraid of people but has made friends with a labrador, 2 peacocks and Cheko the cat. I gave him plenty of food and milk in the hope of gaining his trust, no such luck. However, I haven't seen him now for 5 full days, can't help wondering what could have happened to him.

Pink Carnations

2009-07-11T12:58:00.000+01:00

Mallard Ducks

2009-07-05T15:56:00.001+01:00

Ducks having a nap, on the road to God knows where

Two Peacocks

2009-07-01T20:25:00.000+01:00

Two heads are better than one, in this case one head is better than two

Water Lilies

2009-06-30T21:10:00.000+01:00

The pond is in full bloom at the moment with "Attraction" a very popular red lily and
"Gladstoniana" a large vigorous grower, with broad petteled white blooms and deep yellow centres and olive green leaves.

Baby Blackbird

2009-06-26T15:16:00.000+01:00

Has anyone seen my Mom?

Bright Eyes

2009-06-25T20:48:00.000+01:00

Indeed, one might wonder what kind of a photo is this, a bit blank. I got a bit of a shock a few nights ago so see a fox in the garden and it has been visiting since. Not sure if I should be pleased or nervous about the visits as I don't know very much about Foxes. Anyway thats supposed to be a Fox in the photo.

Swaning Around

2009-06-24T19:12:00.000+01:00

On the river bank near where I live.
Swan sitting on eggs.
Just hatching out.
Mr. & Mrs. Swan swimming around happily with seven little sygnets.

Cheko the Cat

2009-06-21T20:24:00.000+01:00

This is Cheko our neighbours cat, owned by a Spanish girl, who returned to Spain. Cheko is now a resident in our garden, he is such a happy and contented cat and friendly, but as one would expect, not to birds.

Blackbird (Lon-dubh)

2009-06-20T15:42:00.000+01:00

Let me introduce you to our Lon-dubh (Blackbird). He has been with us for two years now, he must be the hardest working Dad Blackbird I have come across. Last year the cat almost got him, he was left with a badly injured leg and no tail, in spite of his injuries he still continued to collect food for his young family. This year he is looking much better but still hops along with a limp, and he is as busy as ever.

Swallow

2009-06-15T14:07:00.000+01:00

Was disappointed this morning to find this lovely Swallow struggling on the ground before eventually dying. What struck me was the most beautiful sheen of dark blue on his upper part, his underside was a creamy white with a black throat and dark red chin and forehead. Only good thing was, if you could call it that, was that I got a close up view for this lovely bird.

Blessing of Lilies

2009-06-13T20:57:00.000+01:00

On the Feast of St. Anthony, June 13th, the ceremony of blessing of the lilies takes place. This custom originated in commemoration of an incident which took place at Marcasso, in Corsica. During one of the revolutions there, the Franciscans were driven into exile, but their chapel remained open and a public procession was made to it each year on the feast of St. Anthony. For this occasion a temporary altar was raised in the centre of the main aisle. Garland of flowers hung above the Saint's head, at his feet were placed roses and other flowers, and lilies of spotless white stood out against a green badckground of laurel and myrtle.

One year, the young man who had been appointed sacristan, neglected to remove the statue of St. Anthony at the conclusion of the feast. After a lapse of several months he went with a few helpers to the deserted chapel to complete his work. To their surprise and joy, they found the lilies fresh and white as on the day they had been place there, while the roses and other floral offering lay withered and dead.

A similar incident is recorded from 1680 in Austria. On the Saint's feast a fresh cut lily had been placed in the hands of his statue. For a whole year the flower remained as fresh and as white as the first day it was put there. The next year the same stem bore two lilies which filled the whole church with their fragrance. Permission to bless lilies in honour of St. Anthony was given by Pope Leo X111. Many miracles of healing have been attributed to St. Anthony's intercession after applying the blessed flower.

Holly Hedgehog

2009-05-31T21:12:00.000+01:00

I was delighted to see on May 9th the return of a little hedgehog I rescued from our pond last year. Had no idea whether it was male or female. We named it Holly, because it sounds well "Holly Hedgehog". Each night as dark fell Holly would come to the back door for a catfood meal, in return our vegetable garden was kept fairly clear of snails. After disappearing for months, it is nice to see Holly back again.

Posing Peacock

2009-04-28T21:49:00.000+01:00

Peacock Video

2009-04-28T20:25:00.000+01:00

Magpies

2009-04-27T21:52:00.000+01:00

Just recently in my garden I saw what looked like a Magpie war, fourteen Magpies in all, creating an awful racket, screeching and giving out to each other. It brought to mind a little rhyme my friends and I used to say whenever we saw a Magpie.

One for sorrow, two for joy, three to get married,
four for a boy, five for silver, six for gold, seven for a secret that nobody knows.

I managed to photography eight of them, the other six were not too far away.

Blue Tits

2009-04-26T20:14:00.000+01:00

There was fierce activity going on outside my front window recently. I was delighted to see in these recessionary times that two little Blue Tits bought this stylish house and have settled in.