Spring mirror

Two months of stormy weather has washed February clean and today is scrubbed and sparkling fresh. The brown-grey puddles are now blue and still, Cerulean Blue, mirroring the bright high-sprung sky. Trees and long grasses, everything absorbing and reflecting the Spring sun. Even the people I meet on my morning walk smiling back to me!

Above: I wonder where this fellow is racing off to.....

The year's at the Spring

The first day of Spring, though nobody has told the weather. Wintry colours and sounds all around. Splashing through puddles of Burnt Umber and Paynes Grey. Wild wind painting crimson and red onto cheeks, each face a different shade. The wind also catching and carrying voices here and there to who knows where. Bell tinkling over coffee shop door. Cup of coffee waiting to warm up cold fingers again while raindrops and wind continue their chorus on the window.

At my desk, different colours to those outdoors, wishes for Spring: pinks, reds, lilacs, and drops of Spring shower blues.

Hints and hopes of Spring, goodbye to January, hello to February :)

Wind blown Christmas wishes

Twinkling lights. firelight, candle light. Even a few floating snowflakes. Christmas is blowing in this year here with great gusts, swirling winds and swaying branches.

Warm, peaceful and merry wishes.

Nollaig Shona. Happy Christmas.

St. Elmo's fire

A weather phenomenon.
A bright blue or violet glow, appearing like fire sometimes, from tall, sharply pointed structures such as masts. Often accompanying the glow is a hissing or buzzing sound.
Some sailors saw the glow as an unlucky sign; it interfered with compass readings because of the electricity in the air. Others took it as a sign of the presence of St. Erasmus's (Elmo's) protection, the patron saint of sailors.

What must it be like to be at sea today? Stormy gale warnings forecast for this weekend.

Look up.

4.40pm. Clean my brushes. Empty the jar of water. Put away the watercolours and wipe the palette clean. For a listening appointment. Two robins and a few blackbirds. According to the clock, the daily appointment is not the same every evening, it depends on the light and when it begins to depart to let the night come early. Every evening it is a treat, to eavesdrop on their bird gossip. And to have it accompanied by a burning sky as it was last week.

Blazing end-of-November dusks. Goodbye to the second last month of the year! December is on the doorstep!

Pools of November light

Chancing upon pools of sunlight reposing among the trees. Fallen leaves painting pools of bright yellow against the brown earth. Pools of orange light peeking out the windows of homes in the darkening early evening. 

Above: Come on in for a little homespun music. Feet soon warm up with tapping toes. Fingers get warm around cups of warm drinks. Ears glow with mandolin and piano tinkles. Anyone can join in!

Little Autumn. Fómhair beag.

Evening mellow light. Scarf needed now for nippy air.

 Underfoot crunchiness as sound accompaniment

 Feathers falling from a bird's duvet in the trees above

A little umbrella for rain shelter

More little Autumns here.