Purple Passion, Nature’s Way

Jacaranda trees in full bloom

I have just come back to autumn in Ireland, after spending a month in the sunshine of Southern Africa.   It’s  coming into summer there, and I miss the warmth of the sun and the beautiful flowering trees, especially the lilac jacarandas which are in full flower right now and looking amazing.   Even when the blossoms start to fall and the new leaves start, the pavements under the flowers are covered in purple and lilac petals, and it is like walking on purple snow!     What a beautiful sight these trees are in the sunshine.

Color Your World : Chestnut

The lizard is slowly making his way home, up the chestnut pathway to the safety of the leafy branches.  This guy was spotted in a garden centre, and it seems he hangs out in this tree most of the time, probably because there are plenty bugs and insects in the knobbly bark.

Linked to Jennifer’s Color Your World

Photo 101 : Day 8 – The Natural World

Following on from yesterday’s photos of the Drake Sail, this is a shot taken further down the river, at Drake’s Pool, where many boats are moored and sheltered by the natural harbour and the bend in the river,  keeping the worst of the winds from the sea away.

Drake’s Pool in the sunshine

Then again, nature is not always kind and serene, and during a very severe storm in Ireland earlier this year, many large old trees like this one were destroyed by the force of nature.

Strong winds

Cee’s Black and White Challenge : 50 Years or Older

The result of the storm

It’s another one of those stormy days in Cork, and on my way to the shops today I came across these two magnificent trees that were uprooted in the gales a few days ago.   These trees have been there for ever, and it only took one very bad storm to knock them over – luckily the farmhouse is set well back from the road, otherwise there could have been a lot of damage done.

I think this fits very well with Cee’s Challenge – 50 years or older.   Check out more posts here