Tag Archives: islands

Returning – Coastline Bog

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Close up of stampler stapler
08 Oct

It’s good to be back. We’ve had a wonderful holiday in the magnificent city of Paris, a special family treat that we have enjoyed immensely and which was as exciting and fun as we could have imagined, but more about that in my next post..

There’s truth in the adage that travel that makes the return home all the sweeter – the first sight of the Twelve Bens felt like a welcome home party after our long journey, all hazy and blue in the evening sun.

Feeling full of enthusiasm, I got back to work at the week end and went out with my camera to Aughrus Mor, just North of Clifden. It is a flat low lying area of rock and bog that stretches right out to the sea. It’s always windy here and the breeze seemed to accelerate as I moved closer to the water. Although I went out with the intention of taking pictures of the sea and islands off shore, I found myself looking at the ground at my feet – a lovely combination of stone, bog and some wonderful cushiony soft grasses. I love the feel of these spongy plants, a mantle of spongy softness under every step.

 

Photo of Bog

 

 

 

 

The earth was broken by a number of  bog pools, each one a different  combination of curling edges and the stillness of the water contained reflected the colours in the sky.

 

Photo of Bog Pool by Deborah Watkins

 

 

 

 

This small one was eerily hidden and reminded me of the mythical bog holes that people warn you about, the kind through which people are supposed to disappear after dark, never to be seen again ‘beware of the bog holes, you never know how deep they are..’ Is there any truth to this I wonder? I wasn’t about to find out for myself on this occasion..

 

Photo of small hidden bog hole by Deborah Watkins

 

 

 

 

This low lying area was difficult to cross as the ground was so wet but such a rich combination of plants and colours. The vividness of some of the tiny water plants was striking and those russet red ferns seem like the perfect complement to all those greens.

 

Photo of bog and plants by Deborah Watkins

 

 

 

 

I discovered to my dismay that my new boots are not waterproof, should have brought my wellies..

 

Wet boots by Deborah Watkins

 

 

 

 

Nonetheless, I came away feeling satisfied that I have some rich source material for a new batch of bog paintings.

 

Photo of coastline bog by Deborah Watkins

Return to Omey Island

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05 Jul

I returned to Omey Island with G last week when the rare opportunity of an afternoon off without the kids presented itself! It was a glorious sunny day and we decided to walk the perimeter of the Island. The tide was well out when we arrived so we walked across the strand and made a right turn along the grassy edges. We met a small beach which we walked along before we had to climb up a bank to continue. This is the view from there across the sound to Claddaghduff (below).

 

Photograph of Sea and Sound taken from Omey

 

 

 

 

Once we reached the top of the grassy mound, the view opened up to take in the rolling meadows and the sea as it wanders right out to the line of the horizon. I was immediately struck by the fields of flowers, the vividness of these tiny yellow plants ( Bird’s-foot Trefoil? ) and the sweetness of their scent in the breeze. It was a heady Summery rush and I had to suppress the urge go no further and just lie down and soak it all in! This is one of my favourite photographs (below) because it contains these perfect hues of blue, yellow and green which are my lasting memory of this walk.

 

Photograph of Omey Island

 

 

 

 

Here’s the view heading West and looking out towards Cruagh Island and the Atlantic (below).

 

Photograph of Omey Island looking out towards the Atlantic ocean

 

 

 

 

As we moved around the Western side of the Island we came across another beautiful beach (below). Looking back at this photo, it seems almost too perfect to have been real and it felt like that, a kind of earthly garden of Eden.

 

Photograph of beach on Omey Island

 

 

 

 

I took this last photo on the Southern side of the Island. The grassy slopes fall away to this outcrop of flat rock which sinks downwards towards a wide sandy beach (below).

 

Photograph of a beach on Omey Island

 

 

 

 

Photo of beach at Omey Island

 

 

 

 

We quickened our pace after I took this photo as thoughts of the incoming tide took over! In fact we had plenty of time. We resolved to check the times for the tides the next time and return to explore the centre of the Island.