Reflection

December 30, 2018December 30, 2018George McNeill 6 Comments

I guess it’s that time of the year where some look back over the outgoing year. Plans for the new year, a new you. I hope your dreams and hopes rise in the dawning of the new year.

The photo here was taken on my Scottish coast and highland tour last year. I spotted the sun breaking through to light up the mountain behind me. So using the motorcycle mirror to frame the shot also showing the road I had just came down.

Thank you all that visit and support this blog. Your likes and comments, so all that’s left is to wish you all a Happy new year.

(For Cherie)

For a new beginning.

In the out-of-the-way places of the heart,

Where your thoughts never think to wander,

This beginning has been quietly forming,

waiting until you were ready to emerge.

For a long time it has watched your desire,

Feeling the emptiness growing inside you,

noticing how you willed yourself on,

Still unable to leave what you had outgrown.

It watched you play with the seduction of safety

And the grey promises that sameness whispered,

Heard the waves of turmoil rise and relent,

Wondered would you always live like this.

Then the delight, when your courage kindled,

And out you stepped onto new ground,

Your eyes young again with energy and dream,

A path of plenitude opening before you.

Though your destination is not yet clear

You can trust the promise of this opening;

Unfurl yourself into the grace of beginning

That is at one with your life desires.

Awaken your spirit to adventure;

Hold nothing back, learn to find ease in risk;

soon you will be home in a new rhythm,

For your soul senses the world that awaits you.

John O’Donohue , from the book ‘ To Bless the Space Between Us’.

A book of Blessings.

Black and White Wednesday

December 12, 2018December 12, 2018George McNeill 2 Comments

Today’s image is a 1983 Honda CM 125 Custom. It was restored by my father a couple of years back.

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Thank you for visiting.

George.

A cats adventure.

December 2, 2018George McNeill 3 Comments

Spotted this cat climbing a tree with its eye zoned in on a small bird sitting on the top branch. I went upstairs for the camera, looked out the window and it was at the top. Small birds nearby where flying out of dangers way. The following sequence of photos where taken from this point. I’ll leave the cat to tell the rest…

You’ll not be so lucky the next time.

Op’s where’s the stairs down!

Ok remain calm, you can sort it…

Right let’s see, how the hell did I get up here?

Well here goes, easy does it, sorry for the butt shot.

If I catch you, you’ll not be laughing..

Right let’s try this way.

Nope, got to go down and across.

Shit this is slippy..

another stretch and I’ll be safe. I think..

YES…..

Cross here, easy …

Right you bundle for feathers here I come.

Please be assured that no animals were hurt in this blog post.

Thank you,

George

Black and White Wednesday

November 14, 2018George McNeill 6 Comments

Hello, this week we are off to the Mourne Mountains, well Dundrum bay to photograph the mountains. With the moving cloud cover and the brighter highlights it gives a nice distinction to the landscape.

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Thank you for viewing.

George.

Black and White Wednesday

October 24, 2018George McNeill 6 Comments

We’re off to the roof tops this week. I noticed over the last few weeks a cat walking along the ridge line on the houses behind where I live. I got this shot when the cat decided to sit in the sun. I had only a small window through the trees to capture it. Just after I grab the shot it moved off.

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Thank you for visiting and feedback is always welcome.

George.

On the road again.

April 20, 2018George McNeill 10 Comments

On the road again and another few Irish photo rally photography’s in the bag.

Rally Map link : Irish photo rally map

Set off around 7.30 am on a bright dry but still cool Sunday morning from my home on the NE side of Ireland in County down. My first rally point was in county Longford. My satnav tells me its just under 3 hours away. I head west before turning south through County Cavan and into Co. Longford. Number 7 on the map and its an aqueductjust north of the village of Abbeyshrule.

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On the photo rally site they call this the Whitworth Aqueduct but the sign says..

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Maybe its got two names????

Has happens when doing the rally points the locals stop for a chat, wondering why motorcycles are turning up and photographs taken. most welcome the interest in their home area. Then it was down to the town of Athlone where I was meeting some friends for a coffee and a chat. Been a few months since we got together, a few of us will be going over to Wales in the UK for a few days later in the year. Another post.

The next stop was in the county of Kildare, number 9 on the map. Another canal, this time the Grand canal 3km north from the town of Monasterevin.

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MacCartney’s Lock and bridge over the Grand Canal in County Kildare. I was here I met a local man, 92 years young. A fresh looking man for his years who spent some time telling me about the lock and the near by mill. A story about a canal barge worker that was killed when a barrel of beer fell while unloading, senting the injured man into the canal where he drowned. I love the people i meet while travelling.

Photo rally 2018-2751.jpg Thatched cottages beside the lock.

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Lock gates holding the water back. For anyone not sure what a lock is, its where the water level differ due to a difference in land levels. There are gates at each end so if a Canal boat was going for the higher level to the lower, the gates at the lower end were closed and the upper slowly open which lets the lock fill up. The canal boat comes into the lock and the upper gates close. then the lower gates open and the water level drops and the canal boat is now at the lower level and sails out of the lock.

Turning north and my next stop was to stop in the town of Edenderry in Co.Offaly. Time to catch up over another coffee with a couple of friends before doing my last photo for the day. It was now raining hard, a wet ride a short distance north to the Hill of Down post office in County Meath.

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The hill of Down post office and shop and pub. Has you can see it’s still raining. I only got one photo here and has I was packing up another bike pulled in. So has I was to discover his name was Terry from the town of Ardee in County Louth. We sat talking bikes, motorcycle racing and traveling and the rain just got heavier. Saying goodbye and around 30 miles later the rain stopped. The next few hours was in dry and a fuel stop and a warm coffee, well it was getting cool and i like coffee. With both fuelled it was a relaxing ride north.

Thank you for visiting.

George.

Irish Photo Rally post no.2

April 10, 2018George McNeill 3 Comments

Another Sunday morning and I’m off for another day on the road. Going to do numbers 4,5,6 and 22 on the rally Map but not in that order. With a bright morning it was of to County Armagh and the Benburb Heritage Centre. Link here Benburb centre.

Not sure if this centre is still open, it was closed the day I was there. Below is a detail built into a wall of some gear wheels at the start of a cycle trail.

Next up was number 6 on the rally map, Coolbuck Church of Ireland in the county “Fermanagh/Tyrone” region. This is the smallest church in Ireland that is still used on a weekly bases.

Across the border (UK/ ROI) to number 5 on the map on the county Cavan border.

It was the old Bawnboy Workhouse, more info here workhouse

Cloud cover was building up and I decided to try of one more before the rain started. So we jump to number 22 on the map. Which saw me heading to county Leitrim and my next rally point Jimmy’s Hall. Has you will see in the photos there is no hall but a monument to the man. His name was James Gralton the only Irish man that was ever deported from his home country. A flim was made about his life and some history can be found here. about the flim James Gralton history

With the weather catching up with me it was time to turn north and the three hour ride home. Got caught in a few rain showers but overall it was a grand day on the road.

Thank you for visiting, take care.

George.

Little Egrets and the Mourne mountains.

November 26, 2017George McNeill 2 Comments

So the first skiff of snow covered the ground when I woke up this morning. Sitting looking out at it with a hot cup of coffee in my hand it was where will I go to today. With the sun breaking through I headed for Dundrum inner bay. A quick look at the tide tables lot me know the tide would be out. With the mud flats clear you never know what will be about. This morning was going to be about landscape shots and some close ups. I love walking the shore and looking for any interesting subjects, the feel of the sea breeze on my face. I reality it was a biting wind that chilled you and the sun that looked great lying low in the sky but gave no warmth.

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Dundrum bay with the Mourne mountains in the background.

The stone embankment on the left is the remains of an old railway line which is now a short walking trail running along the shore of the bay. A place I have walked many times over the years.

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One of the stone and brick bridges that the railway run over.

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Spotted this shell on a rock and loved the contrast in the white against the green on the rock. the shell was about the size of my thumb nail. I shot this with a Sigma 105 mm macro lens.

I sat down on the stone embankment to just watch the bay with the sound of the birds on the flats and a buzzard calling somewhere behind me. I spotted not one but three White Egrets feeding in the river that run across the flats when the tide is out.

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This were still a fair distant away and has I watched one flew off. While looking else where I discovered another one had gone. Scanning the area I soon spotted it, there around 50 feet away feeding. Right in front of me, these birds will usually flee not come closer to humans. So very slowly I put a mono pod on my camera and was rewarded with some of my best Little Egret shots to date.

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Leaving the flats and climbing up onto the trail I got this shot.

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A Trush feeding on the trail which is grass cover most of the way.

From here I drove into the Dromara Hills which lay north of the Mourne mountains. I was hoping to get a few more bird shots but it was not to be. Where it was cold on the shore it was freezing here in the hills. the winds stronger and a storm front making its way in. I took a few images from a view point called the Windy Gap which believe me was living up to its name today. These are all looking into the Mourne mountains. Most taken at 150 mm using the car door has a tripod.

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this last one taken on a 24 mm lens.

So thank you again for joining me here in the north of Ireland. Take care.

George.

Scotland part 6

October 21, 2017October 21, 2017George McNeill 8 Comments

On leaving Ullapool I had to go over to the east side of Scotland to Inverness and I returned back towards Inverness to continue my coastal route down the west coast.

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Following the A832 just south of Braemore around by Gruinard Bay I stayed on the A832 till I got to Kinlochewe where I turned right back towards Shieldaig. ( due to heavy rain on this section I took no photos) .Then onto a single track road around to Applecross.

With the weather showing signs of improvement I enjoyed the views around this run into Applecross. Then cyclist’s started to increase in numbers, there was a Duathlon event taking place. Yes it was finishing in applecross, so I head over the pass of the Cattle ( Bealach-Na-Ba) . This is a must do if you are in the area, another one to mark of the list of must does. Here is a link off a video from another biker doing it from the 0pposite direction. Bealach-na-ba

I had planned to stop for a couple of days in Applecross campsite, but with it being so busy I pushed on the the Isle of Skye. It was well into the evening When i got there. Looking for a wild camping spot I came across a B&B that had a room so Parking the bike it was a hot shower and down to the local hotel for a bite and a jar of beer.

The next day was the first I had woke up to sunshine on this trip, and after Breakfast I set off to explore the Island.

Has you can see from this photograph it was a grand morning to be out on the bike.

I saw this waterfall from the road and made my way across a very muddy track which motorcycle boots were never designed for. After sliding my way back to the road I pointed the bike north to do a loop around the north of Skye.

Again this must be one of the most photographed spots on Skye, I know I will be back to Skye with my walking boots and photography gear minus the motorcycle. Think a photography holiday will be had. Next place I was looking forward to seeing was The Skye Museum of Island life. But When I got there it was closed, they don’t open on a Sunday.

Got these photos from over the fence so another reason to return to Skye. Do you get the feeling I liked Skye….

So on the way back I saw people pulled over and standing looking at something, getting closer I spotted what it was.

Yep Highland cattle. This was another first for me, seeing the real thing. Love their handle bars 🙂 Was going to get the ferry from Skye to Mallaig, but on a information sign I would have to wait nearly two hours. Looking on the Sat-nav it was two hours to Fort William, so off I went. I stopped for fuel and got water and milk knowing I would be wild camping tonight. Around 10 mile from Fort William I pull off the road and down to a loch.

This site under the trees was my bed for the night, below is a evening view from the tent across the loch.

A beautiful still evening to sit and enjoy the peace, until around 60 Brent geese landed. Was nice to see them but what a racket they make. after twenty minutes they took off leaving me to a peaceful nights sleep.

One more post and my trip will be completed, thank you all for visiting.

George

Scotland part 3

September 27, 2017September 27, 2017George McNeill 4 Comments

At this point I’m back home in Ireland, sorry for the delay in posting. There’s no internet connection in the tent. Right lets travel a little more up the east coast of Scotland. This was a long day in the saddle. With shower’s and some bright spells, it was a day for the road. I travelled away from the coast on a route that took me into the highlands moors and mountains. These roads where all single track and covered around 60 mile before I returned to the coast. And turned south for 20 mile to my bed for the night.

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The route in red is the roads covered. I finished the day at a Bed & Breakfast in the town of Dornock. A word about my B & B, Amalfi B&B in Dornoch. The greeting when I arrived was one of the warmest I have ever received. Marelle and Edward helping with my luggage , supplying a metal plate so the motorcycle was supported on the gravel parking area. Great advice on where to eat in the town, beautiful rooms and large en suite meant I was well catered for. If you are ever in this part of Scotland here is the link. Amalfi.

Thank you Marelle and Edward.

I’m going to leave you with a few Photograph’s from this leg of the trim. Thank you for visiting.