Drink to me only with thine eyes … (Ben Jonson)
What was a quick walk at sundown yesterday after a long day at the computer turned into a feast of soothing light out by Carrigavantry Lake, which is just a couple of miles from Tramore.
It brought thoughts of lines from W.B. Yeats’ wonderful Lake Isle of Innisfree:
And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,
Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings;
There midnight’s all a-glimmer, and noon a purple glow,
And evening full of the linnet’s wings.
Carrigavantry is a place that holds all sorts of memories for son, Harry, and me and we often go there when we crave tranquillity. Yesterday, though, was different as it was an ordinary day for both of us ~ that is, if any day can ever be called ‘ordinary.’
We didn’t go there for any emotional reasons or with any inner longings but it was like as if Carrigavantry hadn’t been told that and was determined to envelope us in magical light.

The green of Spring seemed tinged with Autumnal gold as we caught our first view of the nestling blue lake:

The rusty old bath that serves as a water trough fitted in perfectly with the golden hues. There was a softness in the air that made the ordinary exude extraordinariness:

The lake itself was high and the dying sun melted into the trees that frame it:

As we left for home, a well-coated grey horse gazed a pensive farewell:

Beautiful Jean. Thank you for sharing those photos.
Hi Paul, glad you like them.
Hope you have a good day ~ with a bit of intoxication thrown in!
Lovely! One of my Mississippi blogger friends just wrote a story on the Irish immigrants to Mississippi–I thought you might like to check it out. At Hickory Ridge Studio, http://hickoryridgestudio49.blogspot.com/2016/03/an-irish-colony-in-clay-county.html
Oh thanks for the link, Suz. I’ll definitely be over to have a read. Love the name of the blog, for starters!
Welcome. I love the horse photos–of course. Love, Rio
Naturally!
You led me down the “bridal path”..thinking you were blogging about Irish intoxication…and I was pleasantly surprised by the beautiful surroundings and horses. Imagine a horse to welcome and a horse to say good-bye. I drank in the beauty of the surroundings and in my mind toasted a Happy St. Patricks’ day which is about a week away.
Ah, that was the general idea, Joni. There are many forms of Irish intoxication, in spite of the stereotypes, which I abhor.
Glad you drank your fill!
Yes, St.Patrick’s Day is almost upon us. I simply don’t ‘do’gimmicky hats, green beers and lighting buildings up to be green. The green fields do me just fine and shamrock that is growing.
I just have garden flags to commorate the day and I do cook a Corned-beef dinner and make Irish Soda bread. The next town over use to have a parade but the founder passed on and it just got too expensive for the town to continue. Too bad ..it was worth going to…
That’s good to hear about the Irish food, Joni. Pity about your Parade.
I tend to go to our Parade here in Tramore and always make a point of taking in the glory of the Irish countryside on St. Patrick’s Day.
Jean, I have included this post in Interesting Blogs at
http://thatmomentintime-crissouli.blogspot.com/2016/03/friday-fossicking-11th-march-2016.html
Thanks, Chris
Many thanks, Chris. Much appreciated.
“There was a softness in the air that made the ordinary exude extraordinariness.” – a beautiful expression Jean; paradoxical, yet entirely evocative.
Thanks Hariod.
Life is full of paradoxes, don’t you think?
Well, the mind is, but life itself isn’t.
Looks like we could have a lively debate around that topic.
XD
Beautiful photos Love the horse.
Thanks Joseph. It was looking much more beautiful than I could ever capture with a camera.
It is always the way with pictures. The essence is not captured. 🙂
I’m not sure I’d go quite as far as ‘always.’
Other people viewing personal photos doesn’t carry that essence of the person taking the photo even with professional photos it is a hit and miss. Maybe not always but often
Oh certainly very, very often bordering on always!
We will agree to disagree on this one
I think we actually are in agreement about it.
I need to spend more time with poetry.
I hope you get a chance, Elen. It’s so soothing.
With the change in weather everything looks so much prettier and it is indeed intoxicating, as is the hope of Summer and fine weather.
Beautiful post and photos.
Such wonderful soft light – and I love the horse-whiskers
Yeah, the horse whiskers really got me too!