Prayer of Tree Arms

Prayer of Tree Arms
Arms of the trees reach out towards
  the soft grey of the chancel arch windows
    much as we do in prayer
      when needing our God.
         Let us reach out towards God
            and let the fruits of our prayers
               grow in our lives
                  as the soft green leaves
                     strengthen on the trees.
                        Amen.

*Photograph taken by Catherine Nicolette in mystical Ireland

The Beauty of Tramore

The Beauty of Tramore

*Photograph taken by Catherine Nicolette

Please feel free to use copyright free

for any worthy purpose

Glorious as the robes of Solomon

Even the humble leaves on the wayside

are arrayed as gloriously

as the robes of Solomon.

A poem of greens with

a heart of ruby

near a rushing fall

of Irish water.

*Photograph taken by Catherine Nicolette. Please feel free to use copyright free for any worthy purpose

Colours of Irish Autumn

The Colours of Irish Autumn

a poem of beauty

from the Hands of the Creator

may His Name be praised

*Photograph taken by Catherine Nicolette. Please feel free to use copyright free for any worthy purpose

Follow the Yellow Brick Road

Put on your dancing shoes

Even though it's raining outside!

Have the confidence and uniqueness

to dance your own path through life.

Follow your own Yellow Brick Road

*Photograph taken by Catherine Nicolette

Thanksgiving and potatoes

Working in the kitchen ...

  with thanksgiving in our hearts

for the fruits and vegetables of the fields

for the rice and potatoes

for the nourishment we need.

Let us look around us ...

is there anyone near us

with whom we can share our bounty?

Sometimes we are the one with the bounty,

and sometimes we are the one in need.

Let us all be brothers and sisters to each other

and extend our open hand, and share of our bounty

As God has blessed us

let us share our blessings with others.

*Please see link for the beautiful song, "Because I have been given much"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuyId4VTotA
With thanks to John Canaan and Youtube for this beautiful video

*Photograph taken by Catherine Nicolette in Ireland. Please feel free to use copyright free for any worthy purpose

An afternoon in Ireland

An afternoon in Ireland

*Photograph taken by Catherine Nicolette

Please feel free to use copyright free

for any worthy purpose

Quietly majestic

Quietly majestic in the late afternoon-

gracious spire pointing heavenwards as a gentle reminder

of God; inspiring us to quiet thanksgiving

and prayer

The beauty of Kroonstad

*Photograph taken by Catherine Nicolette

Ship in full sail

The ship at full sail

Rocks on the ocean's deep

Never will it falter

How can it? It sails on God's own course

The ship is a symbol of our life

Sailing on the rocky waters of our daily challenges

Rolling clouds in the sky threatening our path

Yet sturdy and confident

On we sail

Knowing that - at the last -

we will put into port

Safe in the Harbour of the Home of God

To which each of us - regardless of who we are;

or where we are; - are headed...

May the rain of God's blessings

pour from the clouds of our journey

upon each of us as we

make our way to our final home.

*Beautiful artwork detail in a church taken by Catherine Nicolette. With thanks to the artist

Glowing turban

The beauty of Nigeria

shining brightly in Ireland

*Photograph taken with permission by Catherine Nicolette

Glowing jewel of Amaryllis

The Amaryllis glows like a jewel

in the heart of Kroonstad

How beautiful is South Africa...

The softness of Dublin leaves in the Fall

Breathtaking beauty of Dublin leaves in the Fall

*Photograph taken by Catherine Nicolette

Please feel free to use copyright free for

any worthy purpose

Birds flying into the unknown

Birds fly in flocks towards the sun
 Green with patina of weather they confidently fly
   into the unknown.
    Just so do we
     Fly daily into the unknown
      Together with other wings beating at our sides
       Helping us when we need
         Flying towards the sun?

We are the birds
  Reaching towards the light of God...

*Photograph taken by Catherine Nicolette in beautiful Castlebar
with thanks to the sculptor
      

Tree reflections

Tree reflections in water of

River in Castlebar

*Photograph by Catherine Nicolette

River dreams

The river dreams along the softly leafed banks

meandering along at an autumn pace

looking up at the sky and remembering

 peaceful happy days. 

The serenity of autumn.

*Photograph taken by Catherine Nicolette

Prayer-stones silhouetted

Softly dreaming, the blue embroidered Church

spires its thoughts and the prayers of the devoted

up; towards God.

 Prayer-stones silhouetted against the soft smudged pastel of

a Castlebar evening; blues fading into gentle grey

while the leaves of the tree reach branches towards the

holiness of the church; leaves green-gold in

joy at the beauty of the day.

How beautiful is Castlebar.

*Photograph taken by Catherine Nicolette

Golden pool of light

The green lamppost

confidently waits to shed

its golden pool of light

as it waits for night to draw near.

The proud arms of the mossed tree

form an intricate frame to the 

lightly weathered beauty of 

this exquisite lightbearer.

The beauty of Castlebar...

*Photograph taken by Catherine Nicolette

Glorious Castlebar

The soft pastels of

a glorious autumn day

in Castlebar. The leaves

form a carpet of russets and ochre

while the trees softly dream of spring

and the gracious lamppost stands

serene as a sentinel in the

early evening sun.

The beauty of Castlebar.

Why not visit?

*Photograph taken by Catherine Nicolette

Dinner at O'Shea's Hotel

Dinner at O'Shea's Hotel with a glass of gentle wine...

Why not visit O'Shea's? Wonderful location (step right out

the front door almost on to the beach)

Comfort and courtesy - wonderful meals.

And a real family welcome to Tramore!

*Photograph taken by Catherine Nicolette

Please click into the following link for more information

http://www.osheas-hotel.com/

Embroidery of flowers

Tramore wayside

An embroidery of flowers

*Photograph taken by Catherine Nicolette

Wildflowers carpeted the wayside

Isn't Tramore exquisite?

The wildflowers carpeted the wayside

Bees were buzzing, covered with golden pollen

butterflies fluttered from flower to flower

the sun shone

the wind gently blew

Why not visit?

*Photograph taken by Catherine Nicolette

The glorious Sea

The glorious Sea

*Photograph taken by Catherine Nicolette

Soft midday scene

*Photograph taken by Catherine Nicolette

Patchwork quilt of colour

A patchwork quilt of colour

*Photograph taken by Catherine Nicolette

Briar Rose

The sheer joy of a 'briar rose'

*Photograph taken by Catherine Nicolette

Soft foliage and quiet lanes

Soft foliage and quiet lanes

*Photograph taken by Catherine Nicolette

Flowers clustered cheerfully around a weathered post

Flowers clustered cheerfully around a weathered post

*Photograph taken by Catherine Nicolette

The beauty of old lettering

The beauty of old lettering

*Photograph taken by Catherine Nicolette

Greeting the morning

Greeting the morning

*Photograph taken by Catherine Nicolette

Early morning beauty

Early morning beauty

*Photograph taken by Catherine Nicolette

Soft houses with Anton Pieck colours

Soft  houses with Anton Pieck colours smile at the morning sun while the

pragmatic bird looks out for breakfast

*Photograph taken by Catherine Nicolette

Luminous grassbanks in Tramore

I watched as the miracle of the sun rising reflected in cool greens and mellow pinks

in the water and on the luminous grassbanks in Tramore.

Gently sleeping houses are softly reflected in the far water.

It was a magic moment, just before the birds awoke and began wheeling

joyously above the water and swooping low for a drink.

Oh, I love Tramore.

*Photograph taken by Catherine Nicolette in Ireland

Glowing horses of the Sun's chariot

The glowing horses of the Sun's chariot begin to sweep into the sky

*Photograph of Tramore sunrise by Catherine Nicolette

The glowing streetlamp and days gone by

The glowing streetlamp evokes memories of lamplighters and days gone by.

I could almost hear the horses hooves striking sparks from the cobblestones

and the murmur of passersby. There is something very evocative in the early

hours of the Tramore morning. 

*Photograph taken by Catherine Nicolette in Ireland

Tramore sunrise

Tramore sunrise

*Photograph taken by Catherine Nicolette in Ireland

Majestic ship near The Creek

Majestic ship near The Creek in Dubai

The amazing lines of this craft show the

power and grace with which the

waters are navigated

The clean brown colour against

the soft eggshell of the sky

glowing against the ochre of the architecture - 

the glowing beauty of Dubai

*Photograph taken by Catherine Nicolette

With thanks to the craft builder

The Ship of the Desert

The Ship of the Desert

kneeling in artistic repose

the sculpted image of a

noble animal well suited for

the long journeys through

the sand

*Photograph taken by Catherine Nicolette 

in beautiful Dubai

With thanks to the Sculptor

Fabulous doorway with spike detail

Fabulous doorway with spike detail in Dubai

*Photograph taken by Catherine Nicolette

Incredible Dubai

Incredible Dubai

*Photograph taken by Catherine Nicolette

Tracery glowing within a dish

Harmony of pastel colours with the lace-like tracery glowing within the dish.

A poem of artistry in Dubai

*Photograph by Catherine Nicolette

Bronzed Patterns in Dubai

Bronzed Patterns in Dubai

*Photograph by Catherine Nicolette

Small craft dreams in the sun

The small craft dreams in the sun before beautiful ochre walls

the beauty that is Dubai with the beautiful waters of The Creek

*Photograph taken by Catherine Nicolette

Standing proud guard

Stately sentinels of Aloe flowers stand proud guard with

flourishing palm trees reaching out to greet 

at Bloubergstrand

*Photograph taken by Catherine Nicolette

Shy pink daisies hold their faces up

Shy pink daisies hold their faces up,

their leaves bedewed with 

drops of soft rain

*Photograph taken by Catherine Nicolette

in Cape Town near Bloubergstrand

Jewelled colours of Capetonian stones

Jewelled colours of Capetonian stones -  stones

glow with gold, indigo, salt and rose

*Photograph taken by Catherine Nicolette

Sand, stiles and white flowers - Table Mountain

The sand, wooden stile posts and sturdy green stems and white flowers

form a still life of tranquillity near the shores of the incomparable

Table Mountain

*Photograph taken by Catherine Nicolette

Salt softly brushes embossing

Soft splash of pink and green colour - salt softly brushes embossing on

these Capetonian bougainvillea, making their softly fading colours a

patchwork of gentle loveliness

*Photograph taken by Catherine Nicolette

Shy leaves splash jewelled colours

Shy leaves splash their jewelled colours under a weathered stile near Table Mountain in 

Cape Town. Even the tiny leaves hidden from view under the patina of the salt touched

wood are radiant with beauty

*Photograph taken by Catherine Nicolette

With thanks to the Creator Who designed these beautiful forms of life

Serene face, paused in thought

A serene face, paused in thought, enhances the doorway

with her beauty and gace

The mellowed stones of the curved doorway

form a fitting background to this poem of carving.

The beauty of Belfast in the quiet late afternoon

*Photograph taken by Catherine Nicolette

With thanks to the sculptor and architect

Drumming of feet across the desert

African art on burnished candles - you can 

almost  hear the drumming of

feet across the desert and the 

jubilation of the dancer

*Photograph taken by Catherine Nicolette

With thanks to the wax artist