Category general interest

Apr 6 2015

First Swallow 2015

I keep a log here each year noting the date I see the first Swallow arriving for the Summer. The last two years have been on the 16th & 17th April, this year we are ahead of schedule with my first sighting today. A glorious Easter Monday with blue skies. A great way to start the day.

Mar 24 2015
Image

Bang Goes the Neighbourhood!!

ScreenHunter_98 Mar. 24 00.01

Mar 17 2015

Happy St Patrick’s Day

To all those with a tint of green in the blood out there in the Bonsai World, Have a great Day 🙂

Dec 24 2014

Happy Christmas

Where did this year go?

I find myself at home today, finished work for a week and tempted to open a bottle of something tasty. Apologies for the lack of posts lately, I had a near fatal experience with ‘Man Flu’ all last week but I’m glad to get it out of the way for Christmas.

Thank you to all those that follow my blog, or even just pop in now and again from a wee look. I appreciate you comments and feedback but most of all, your friendship, even if it’s from a far.

I’ll leave you with this lovely photo of one of Ken To’s sculptures, just click on the image to visit his site.

I hope you all have a great Christmas.

10339955_10152961185387764_6780174216620271842_n

Sep 30 2014

End of an Era…….

… well 4 years at any rate.

As part of the NI Bonsai Society programme for the last four years we have had the pleasure of delivering the ‘Bonsai School’ 3 times a year for the last 4 years. This has been in partnership with Willowbog Bonsai and in particular, Peter Snart.

I’ve known Peter for over 15 years and in that time we have become firm friends. As I host the school sessions at my home, I have had Peter as a house guest 12 times since 2011 and this doesn’t count many other times in previous years. The favour has been returned when I have visited Willowbog Bonsai to attend shows and take part in workshops with people such as Ryan Neil, Peter Warren and Marco Invernizzi.

Peter has now called time on the school in it’s current format, I think mainly due to the fact that he’s fed up packing that bloody van!! 🙂

Bonsai for me is as much about friendship as wee trees and I’m delighted to have both Peter and Jean as friends. The school may be over but the friendship continues. I’m pretty sure he’ll be back at some point and I’m definitely sure I’ll be at Willowbog in the years to come, but in the meantime, thank you Peter.

There, gushing over lol

DSC_0372

Aug 23 2014

Bonsai eejit ALS Ice bucket Challenge

Thank you Peter Warren for nominating me for the ALS Ice bucket challenge. I have made my own donation to the Motor Neurone Disease Association here in the UK. I had no shortage of volunteers to do the icing and it was ICE water!!

Keeping this in the International Bonsai Community I now nominate Valentine Brose in Germany, Owen Reich in USA, and closer to home, Will Baddeley and Tony Tickle. Please donate to MND,  ALS, or another charity close to your heart.

Lets all remember where this Ice Bucket Challenge started, with Pete Frates

Here you go folks enjoy 🙂

Aug 23 2014

Early Autumn

Never seen so many signs of an early Autumn as this year around the garden.

DSC_0368

DSC_0369

DSC_0449

DSC_0450

DSC_0456

DSC_0460

DSC_0462

Aug 4 2014

Miss Me?

Haven’t posted in two days, it’s been a busy weekend for me with family staying and attending the wedding of my Nephew Ryan and his beautiful bride Agata. As a result bonsai has taken a back seat. With all the rain I didn’t even have to water 🙂

DSC_0555

This was as close as I got to any plant material 🙂

DSC_0276

DSC_0327

Me and the family, proud as punch.

DSC_0391

Jul 30 2014

Rose Show Snaps

Some photos taken at Belfast Rose Show this weekend past. This was Friday night when I was there entering a few bonsai into the exhibition. Sun was on the way down which created some interesting light.