Thursday 9 April 2009

Clothes poles and crosses






I took these a couple of years ago from the back garden of my old flat in Arbroath. I liked that flat, and I'm sorry I left it in many ways. At the bottom of the garden was a wall and on the other side, the Brothock Burn ran down to the sea. I used to love looking over the wall on summer evenings watching the ducks, geese, gulls, dippers and occasionally kingfishers swooping down the burn. The kingfishers were amazing and a sure sign of the increase in quality of the burn. It was the first and only time I've seen them in Scotland. It was a real haven in the middle of town. The irony is that I now work right across the road from where my old flat was. It would have taken roughly 20 seconds to get to work in the morning had I stayed there....... oh well!
The top pic I think has a particular relevance for Easter...... or is it just me?



Kingfisher

That kingfisher jewelling upstream
seems to leave a streak of itself
in the bright air. The trees
are all the better for its passing.

It's not a mineral eater, though it looks it.
It doesn't nip nicks out of the edges
of rainbows. - It dives
into the burly water, then, perched
on a Japanese bough, gulps
into its own incandescence
a wisp of minnow, a warrior stickleback.
- Or it vanishes into its burrow, resplendent
Samurai, returning home
to his stinking slum.

Norman MacCaig 1910-1996



For more Skywatch Friday posts click here



16 comments:

  1. Well, quite dramatic pictures!
    It's not so easy to anticipate how things work out...
    Have a blessed Easter time!

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  2. Stunning and dramatic colors and they make for a stunning and dramatic photos. Takes the breath away! Thanks for sharing!

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  3. yes that first photo is very appropriate for this time of year........great colours in the photos.

    Gill in Canada

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  4. your trio of photos are each and every one beautiful captures...colors rich and vibrant. the first indeed is appropos for easter and the second with the framing quite interesting and the last is awesome as well. i liked your kingfisher poem as well.
    have a wonderful weekend.

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  5. And you talk about MY English! I had to look up 'burn' :-D I had not come across that one before.

    I have only ever seen a kingfisher twice (both while I was in England) and the first two lines of that poem describe it perfectly (for me).

    That last photo is amazing; I could stare at that all night.

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  6. Love the skies and the first one is indeed a good choice for this week.

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  7. the first thing I noticed was the cross, very dynamic photos...perfect for good friday

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  8. I was also struck by the symbolism of the first piccie, all lovely. BTW you made me LOL at the full monty comment!

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  9. I like very much the third shot in which the sky seems to be on fire! Very impressive!

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  10. Neil your comment on my blog has inspired me to start writing again

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  11. Dramatic indeed and beautiful :)
    Happy Easter!

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  12. Intense photo..really beautiful. Too bad about the move..I can sympathize. I like the poem-

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  13. Thank you all for your kind comments. I really do appreciate them all.

    Michael - I'm so glad you're starting to write again, you have a gift for a story.

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  14. Stunning. I'm so happy to have found a great scottish blog. Used to live in Edinburgh for years but am now back in Sweden. Will definately visit you again! :)

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  15. Love the third shot with the darl lightning bolt in the sky.

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