Category: Nature

Haiku: Sunlight on her Wings

an oystercatcher in flight above the water

filled with love
her lasting footprint
in this world

© Xenia Tran

an oystercatcher rising through the sky next to a rainbow

This post is dedicated to our dear haiku friend Kristjaan from Carpe Diem Haiku Kai who lost his mother to Covid-19.

Our thoughts are with him and his family at this difficult time and with all of you who recently lost a loved one.

Wishing you a peaceful Sunday and a blessed week ahead,

with love from Xenia xxx

Photographs by Xenia Tran, edited in lr.

Camera: Canon Powershot SX60 HS, Settings: f/6.5 – 1/1600 s – ISO 1000, f/5.6 – 1/125 s – ISO 100 and f/5 – 1/800 s – ISO 400.

Carpe Diem Haiku Kai: Memories of a Loved One

Lens-Artists Weekly Photo Challenge #131: Emotions

Wordless Wednesday: A Dash of Dazzle

a goldfinch munching on lavender seed heads in Winter
a goldfinch eating lavender seed heads in Winter

Lavender has a lovely scent and it provides food for bees and other insects from Spring to late Summer. We leave the lavender stems after flowering so that Goldfinches can feed on the seed heads in Winter. It’s a delight to see these lovely birds in the garden at this time of year.

Wishing you all a wonderful Wednesday,

with love from Xenia xxx

Photographs by Xenia Tran, edited in lr.

Camera: Canon Powershot SX60 HS, Settings: f/6.3 – 1/60 s – ISO 800, f/6.5 – 1/80 s – ISO 1000 and f/6.5 – 1/50 s – ISO 800.

Wordless Wednesday

Word of the Day Challenge: Dazzling

Wordless Wednesday: Graceful Geese

Brent Geese

close up of a brent goose between tidal rocks
close up of three brent geese between tidal rocks

You can see more Brent geese arriving on our shores in Sunday’s post A Safe Landing.

Wishing you all a wonderful Wednesday,

with love from Xenia xxx

Photographs by Xenia Tran, edited in lr.

Camera: Canon Powershot SX60 HS, Settings: f/5.6 – 1/160 s – ISO 800 and f/6.5 – 1/160 s – ISO 800.

Wordless Wednesday

Rag Tag Daily Prompt: Lineament

Tanka: New Year’s Day

part of a large driftwood tree on the beach covered in frost

winter moon
her frost flowers
crystallise
ancestral blessings
from this year to the next

© Xenia Tran

close up of part of a large driftwood tree covered in frost

Wishing you all a blessed, happy and healthy New Year!

With love from Xenia xxx

Photographs by Xenia Tran, edited in lr.

Camera: Canon Powershot SX60 HS, Settings: f/5.6 – 1/200 s – ISO 100, f/5.6 – 1/80 s – ISO 160 and f/5.6 – 1/125 s – ISO 320.

Carpe Diem #1842: End of Year

Frank J Tassone’s Weekly Haikai Challenge #171: New Year’s Day

Tanka Thursday: Year

Wordless Wednesday: Celtic Sea

a lensball in the surf, mirroring the sea and sky in reverse
a lensball in the surf, mirroring the sea and sky in reverse

We are taking a short blogging break for the holidays and will be back on Wednesday 30 December.

Wishing you a peaceful week ahead and Happy Holidays to those of you who celebrate,

with love from Xenia xxx

Photographs by Xenia Tran, edited in lr.

Wordless Wednesday

Jez Braithwaite’s Water Water Everywhere #56

Rag Tag Daily Prompt: Glitter

Silent Sunday: Six Months Old

a pen with one of her cygnets and some ducks on the river
a cob followed by two of his cygnets on the river

Wishing you all a blessed Sunday and a peaceful week ahead,

with love from Xenia xxx

Photographs by Xenia Tran, edited in lr.

Camera: Canon Powershot SX60 HS, Settings: f/5.6 – 1/80 s – ISO 100 and f/5 – 1/100 s – ISO 100.

Silent Sunday

Jez Braithwaite’s Water Water Everywhere #55

Bird Weekly: Birds in or near the Water or Snow

Haiku: All Souls’ Night

a snowy winter scene in the Cairngorms

all souls’ night
my great-grandparents
play in the snow

© Xenia Tran

close up of branches and heather covered in heavy snow

These images were taken in November 2017 at the start of a beautiful Winter.

Wishing you all a wonderful Wednesday,

with love from Xenia xxx

Photographs by Xenia Tran, edited in lr.

Camera: Panasonic Lumix FZ200, Settings: f/4 – 1/250 s – ISO 320, f/4 – 1/800 s – ISO 100 and f/4 – 1/320 s – ISO 250.

All Souls’ Night was first published in Autumn Moon Haiku Journal, Volume 4:1, Autumn-Winter 2020-2021. A very big thank you to Bruce Ross for featuring my poem and putting this beautiful edition together.

Sunday Stills: Winter Wonderland

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Leaves and Trees

Your Daily Word Prompt: Optimism

Silent Sunday: Sharing a Moment

two crows on the beach among washed up autumn leaves
close up of two crows on the beach among washed up autumn leaves

Wishing you all a blessed Sunday and a peaceful week ahead,

with love from Xenia xxx

Photographs by Xenia Tran, edited in lr.

Camera: Canon Powershot SX60 HS, Settings: f/5.6 – 1/125 s – ISO 100 and f/6.3 – 1/160 s – ISO 100.

Silent Sunday

Lens-Artists Weekly Photo Challenge #127: Precious Moments

Rag Tag Daily Prompt: Stage

Wordless Wednesday: Feeding from the Surf

seagulls feeding in the surf
seagulls feeding in the surf

Wishing you all a wonderful Wednesday,

with love from Xenia xxx

Photographs by Xenia Tran, edited in lr.

Camera: Panasonic Lumix FZ200, Settings: f/3.5 – 1/1250 s – ISO 100 and f/3.5 – 1/1600 s – ISO 100.

Wordless Wednesday

Jez Braithwaite’s Water Water Everywhere #54

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Water

Silent Sunday: Alba

close up of autumn heather and lichen
view across the glen towards the Cairngorms in autumn

We wish you all a blessed Sunday and a peaceful week ahead,

with love from Xenia xxx

Photographs by Xenia Tran, edited in lr.

Camera: Panasonic Lumix FZ200, Settings: f/4 – 1/200 s – ISO 160 and f/2.8 – 1/160 s – ISO 100.

Silent Sunday

Lens-Artists Weekly Photo Challenge #126: Alphabet Challenge – Letter A

Word of the Day Challenge: Legendary