THE WEEKEND ROUNDUP and WEEKEND REFLECTIONS

Time for The Weekend Roundup and Weekend Reflections and today the letter is v and Vast.  Below I am showing you a V  in the  shape of a hedge. In this formal garden at Birr Castle there were a VAST number of these low grown hedges and following that image are VERY many different VARIETIES of 

 VEGETABLES in the kitchen garden also in the castle grounds.

I VISITED a garden centre recently and spied a VAST array of seed packets and bulbs for planting and finally a VERY beautiful male Eider duck giving me my REFECTION image.  

VERY many thanks for VISITING  and also for leaving any comments.

GOOD FENCES

When visiting London in September, 
this  was one of the many bridges I saw and walked over.

I am linking with GOOD FENCES.

Many thanks for your visit and also your comments.

Fungi at Mount Stewart Gardens

I photographed this Fungi at the National Trust Property of Mount Stewart this October.

Many thanks for visiting and also your comments.

WILD BIRD WEDNESDAY

While out with my bird group in October I photographed these Black Guillemot in winter plumage at Bangor Pier. 

I am linking with WILD BIRD WEDNESDAY.

Many thanks for visiting and also your comments.

THROUGH MY LENS - Flowers at Mount Stewart Gardens (Part 7)

While the staff and volunteers from the National Trust Property of Mount Stewart were on a walk with Neil Portous, our head Gardener, these are some of the  plants I photographed. They are Clianthus puniceus,  Amaranthus caudatus, Water Lily and Crinum x powellii (swamp lily or Cape lily)

I am linking with THROUGH MY LENS.

Many thanks for visiting and also your comments.

SUNDAY THOUGHT

They that go down to the sea in ships, 

that do business in great waters.

Psalm 107 : 23 

Photographed in London

September 2

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The Golden Hind was an English galleon best known for her circumnavigation of the globe between 1577 and 1580, captained by Sir Francis Drake.

Thank you for your visit and comments.

Have a Blessed Sunday

SATURDAY CRITTERS - Dog at Mount Stewart

This shot was taken at the National Trust Property of Mount Stewart.

I am linking to SATURDAY CRITTERS.

Many thanks for your visit and all who leave comments on this post.

THE WEEKEND ROUNDUP and WEEKEND REFLECTIONS

Time for The Weekend Roundup and Weekend Reflections.  This week the letter is U and UP.  Firstly this cow is standing UP and so we have a good view of its UDDER UNDER its belly.  Secondly, is my REFLECTION shot taken on a car with the word UP.

Many thanks for your visit and also your comments.

GOOD FENCES

When visiting London in September I saw the nine decks that were on the HMS Belfast with many fences.  This is the most significant surviving Second World War Royal Navy warship.

I am linking with GOOD FENCES.

Many thanks for your visit and also your comments.

Walk with Neil Porteous at Mount Stewart Gardens (Part 6)

We have reached the Mount Stewart’s family private burial grounds at Tir na nOg on the estate and on Monday.  I showed you photographs from inside the grounds but today we are climbing stone steps into two storied stone gate built in Twelfth Century Romanesque style outside the walls. The wide stone arch houses a double gate made of Oak and the upper chamber has three windows giving a panoramic view of the garden and beyond to Strangford Lough and Slieve Donard.

The centrepiece of the burial ground is fine font on a carved columnar support. Small pools lined in the same blue tesserae as the alcoves surround the font and the arrangement of the paths and paved surfaces resemble that of a Celtic cross. On either side of these pools and arranged radially on either side of the large gate arch, are two finely carved sarcophagi.  These are the work of Morris Harding, who worked with Rosamund Praeger in Holywood in the 1930s. 

Lady Londonderry’s sarcophagus above and Lord Londonderry’s below.

Although you can see the lake from this room, it is a great distance away and we can see the Mute swans with some of their 6 cygnets on it.

This was the penultimate post in this series, the last one  will be published next Monday.

Many thanks for visiting and also for leaving comments.

WILD BIRD WEDNESDAY

This is a male Eider duck.

I am linking with WILD BIRD WEDNESDAY.

Many thanks for your visit and also your comments.

THROUGH MY LENS - Walk with Neil Port at Mount Stewart Gardens (Part 5)

We have reached the Mount Stewart’s family private burial grounds at Tir na nOg on the estate.  This is the final place that Neil Porteous, our Head Gardeners is taking us today.

There are two turreted buildings within the burial ground.The western turret has two of its three windows housing fine wrought iron frames and exquisite stained glass.This cross has only recently been put there and it is the memorial stone of Charles 7th Marquess of Londonderry.

There is a beautiful wooden ceiling and I spied a Wasp’s nest at the base of the roof.

 In the eastern turret at Tir n’an Og is a relief by Margaret Wrightson depicting Ethlinn, the daughter of the king of the Formorians, of the Evil Eye, holding the baby Lugh, the Celtic Sun God. Wrightson’s design is based on a design for a tarot card, first published by Maude Gonne McBride in her book ‘Cow of Plenty’, published in 1910. 

The only difference is Lugh is holding a cross. 

There are very fine reliefs by Morris Harding and the Twelve Apostles are depicted in a higher sequence of reliefs.

If you missed any of the former 4 parts in this series, you can find them on my posts that I published during the last 2 weeks on Monday and Wednesdays.
I am linking with THROUGH MY LENS.

Many thanks for visiting and also your comments.

SUNDAY THOUGHT

He summons heaven and earth as a jury, he’s taking his people to court: “Round up my saints who swore on the Bible their loyalty to me.”

Psalm 50:4-5

Photographed in London

September 2018

Thanks you for your visit and comments.

Have a Blessed Sunday

SATURDAY CRITTERS

These photographs were taken at Castle Espie, near Comber and are of the  Bufflehead, Cinnamon Teal and White-cheeked Pintail ducks.

The last image is all the ducks and geese being fed.

I am linking with SATURDAY CRITTERS.

Many thanks for your visit and also your comments.

THE WEEKEND ROUNDUP and WEEKEND REFLECTIONS

Time for The Weekend Roundup and Weekend Reflections.  This week the letter is T and Tall and here is a box hedge in the shape of a T.  Then there is a TALL building and at the TOP of it are TURRETS.  It is Birr Castle in Ireland.

This is the TALL Sky Garden building above in London where I visited in September this year and finally my REFLECTION image of window cleaners scaling this TALL building also in London,

Many thanks for your visit and also your comments.

GOOD FENCES

Recently when I was leaving the small village of Ballywalter which is along  the County Down coast, I saw this rainbow over the wall and sea.

I am linking with GOOD FENCES.

Many thanks for your visit and also your comments.