quiet moments in nature
side by side
anchor balls and fishing boats
a glimpse of the west
© Xenia Tran
Wishing you all a wonderful weekend,
with love from Xenia xxx
Photographs by Xenia Tran, edited in lr.
Camera: Canon Powershot SX60 HS, Settings: f/5.6 – 1/1000 s – ISO 160, f/5 – 1/1000 s – ISO 100 and f/5.6 – 1/320 s – ISO 100.
Lens-Artists Weekly Photo Challenge #58: Something Old, New, Borrowed and Blue
Rag Tag Daily Prompt: Intrepid
Word of the Day Challenge: Glimpse
Wishing you all a blessed Sunday,
with love from Xenia xxx
Photographs by Xenia Tran, edited in lr.
Settings: f/4 – 1/1600 s – ISO 160 and f/5.6 – 1/400 s – ISO 100.
Becca’s Sunday Trees
Lens-Artists Weekly Photo Challenge #56: Seascapes and/or Lakeshore
Rag Tag Daily Prompt: Reflection
Knockan Crag Nature Reserve
The Puzzle Wall at Knockan Crag shows traces of tropical marine creatures in the bottom layers below a layer of lime-rich mud. Above rests an even older layer, nearly half a billion years old. Scotland was part of the same continent as North America back then. The closing of a huge ocean led to a collision of two continents and the force of this collision thrust up these older rocks to make them top of the pile. This at least, is the theory. Touching part of the puzzle with my hands brings up a tingling sensation.
layer upon layer
how the earth moves
truth’s her art
© Xenia Tran
The clouds bring light relief from the blazing Summer sun. Along the trail we’re invited to take one hundred million year steps and follow Scotland as it drifts across the planet. Six hundred million years ago, Scotland is near the South Pole. Five hundred million years ago, Scotland is part of North America. Three hundred million years ago, Scotland is near the equator. We’ve seen the evidence of this in the beautiful rocks at Cove Bay, the sandstone reminding us the area was once a hot and arid desert.
rolling ball
a sculpture on the hill
mirrors our world
© Xenia Tran
Moss is growing between the slate on Joe Smith’s beautiful Globe. Ferns and heather release delicate scents in the breeze. The lochs are glittering below when we look back and see how far we’ve already traveled on this journey. Before we leave, my hand hovers above the Pipe Rock in the Puzzle and its gentle pulse. It makes me wonder what landscape we’ve come from, what landscape we’ll return to.
one by one
stags run down the mountain
into cooler seas
© Xenia Tran
You can see more photographs and another haibun from Knockan Crag in Deep Time on our sister blog Whippet Wisdom.
Wishing you all a beautiful Wednesday,
with love from Xenia xxx
Photographs by Xenia Tran, edited in lr.
Dutch Goes the Photo Tuesday Photo Challenge: Sculpture
Twiglet #136: Truth is Art
dVerse Poetics: Movement
Stac Pollaidh
Wishing you all a blessed Sunday from Coigach,
with love from Xenia xxx
Photographs by Xenia Tran, edited in lr.
Camera: Canon Powershot SX60 HS, Settings: f/5.6 – 1/1000 s – ISO 250, f/5.6 – 1/500 s – ISO 100 and f/5 – 1/1000 s – ISO 160.
Dutch Goes the Photo Tuesday Photo Challenge: Hill
Lens-Artists Weekly Photo Challenge #55: Dreamy
We’re taking a short Summer break and wish you all a wonderful week ahead.
You’re welcome to browse our archives while we’re away and we’ll be posting here again on Wednesday 17th July.
Thank you for all your support, it means a lot!
With love from Xenia xxx
Photographs by Xenia Tran, edited in lr.
Camera: Panasonic Lumix FZ200, Settings: f/4 – 1/1250 s – ISO 160, f/4 – 1/800 s – ISO 100 and f/4.5 – 1/1600 s – ISO 100.
Dutch Goes the Photo Tuesday Photo Challenge: Wall
Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: 5+ Items
Little Assynt
With a lot of rain forecast and only a light breeze, we’re braving the elements for a walk along the all-abilities path at Leitir Easaidh. The path is solid and even, free from slippery tree roots and stones that can be treacherous in wet weather.
Several lochans sparkle among the heather and golden flowers of bog asphodel on brighter days. Loch Leitir Easaidh is the first one we come to, with a wooden fishing jetty and an adapted small boat, suitable for people with limited mobility.
On the other side of the jetty is a shelter, built with natural stone and local wood. It has a grass and heather roof and blends in beautifully with the natural environment. We pause here for a mug of tea during a heavy downpour. It’s a comfortable and soothing place to stay for a while. In nature and sheltered by nature.
Beside the jetty and shelter is a small wooden building with a composting toilet. The building is wind- and solar-powered and has a grass roof for insulation. When we reach Loch na h-Innse Fraoich, we find a similar building, shelter, jetty and adapted small boat there for the visitor’s convenience.
The views beyond the gorse-covered hills across the water are obscured by cloud today, making it feel as if we’re walking in a small world of our own. A short, steep path on the left leads directly to a viewpoint. The other path takes you there via a slightly longer, more gentle route.
The peaks and cliffs of Quinag are hidden above the clouds. It’s possible to continue deeper into this estate via a link path, which joins the Loch an t-Sabhail path. If the weather and visibility had improved, we would have been happy to combine these two walks.
Despite the rain and poor visibility we enjoyed our walk here. It was very peaceful and the few walkers we met seemed to think we were on to a good thing too.
The Leitir Eiseadh paths are excellent and suitable for people of all abilities, including wheelchair users.
Wishing you all a happy Monday and a wonderful new week,
with love from Xenia xxx
Photographs by Xenia Tran, edited in lr.
The Little Assynt Estate is owned and managed for the community of Assynt by the Culag Community Woodland Trust.
Jo’s Monday Walk
Rag Tag Daily Prompt: Breeze
Your Daily Word Prompt: Sustain
Dutch Goes the Photo Tuesday Photo Challenge: Trail
Assynt
We’re taking our time travelling the single track with here and there a passing place, used by many as a place to pause. People pause to take a photograph of highland cattle, their long horns glistening in the sun. Or photographs of ewes with lambs in tow, a fresh dot of red paint between their shoulders.
I pause to look at Canisp and Suilven. Towering above the landscape in the way only mountains do, they speak to me in the way only mountains can. In a soft and familiar voice they urge me to stay a little longer.
fragrant breeze
gorse blooms between the rocks
that call us home
© Xenia Tran
With love from Xenia xxx
Photographs by Xenia Tran, edited in lr.
Camera: Panasonic Lumix FZ200, Settings: f/4 – 1/1250 s – ISO 160 and f/8 – 1/640 s – ISO 160.
Lens-Artists Weekly Photo Challenge #49: Favorite Things
Dutch Goes the Photo Tuesday Photo Challenge: Road
Frank J Tassone’s Weekly Haikai Challenge: Fragrant Breeze
dVerse Poets: Open Link Night #246
