I have said myself that Glasgow is a mess lately. Redevelopment of Sauchiehall Street and George Square, road works,  diversions, barriers and scaffolding - the Victorian city will always need work doing, but if you look up...

It's still beautiful!

When he knew he was dying Barry said he had read that smell was the last sense to go and we had a conversation about favourite smells.He listed these - frangipani, jasmine (he grew up in Africa) sweet peas, night scented stock and burning motorcycle oil Castrol GTX 2 stroke!  It reminded him of his youth in Africa when,  without any kind of protective gear whatever, he and his friends would ride motorcycles out in the bush.

The beauty of simple things replenlishes my spirit.

..so many artists moved to the south of France. The sunlight, the intense colour, the natural beauty.

Indulge me if I show a few more wedding photos!

My grandson took this beautiful photograph.

My grandaughter's wedding in an olive grove  in the south of France was like being in a Renoir painting!

Or perhaps a  Manet.

And surely Matisse painted these clouds..

There was a touch of Hockney too.

The whole event was like a fairytale -beautiful and wonderfully happy. I am still on cloud nine  :-)

..so I rescued some.

Any day now the council cut down the verges - just as they are at their most beautiful.  Another Ah well moment MaryB.

Between the red gate and the shore the blubells are thick and lovely, though hard to photograph I find.

I have tried different times of day and different light conditions but I can never capture the amazing intensity of their colour. Does anyone have any tips on how to photograph bluebells?

Do you buy yourself flowers?

..on YouTube.

I was supposed to be at the ballet this evening, but I have sciatica! So painful. Noway I could sit in the theatre for a few hours. I gave my ticket to a young student friend who is doing theatre studies so at least that is nice.

Watching it on YouTube to see what I am missing while waiting for painkillers to take effect.

..got a wildlife camera fpr Christmas.  She installed it at 4.45.
 

At 4.53 she got this photo on her phone.

And at 4.55 this one.!

Not my favourite time of year, but today sunshine and blue skies lifted my spirits. How was the weather with you? I know there has been some severe flooding  in parts of Wales.  There is snow on the far hills here - so beautiful.

I think I will make something each month, something that requires a little time and care. Dark long nights and gloomy weather mean more time available for such projects. I am starting with a wreath.

You may rememver I made an autumn wreath from agapanthus seed heads. It has bleached rather nicely which gave me the idea of spraying it white for winter. (Best done in a large box and out of doors).

Not sure whether to uuse it with a large candle as a table centre, or to hang it on the door with lights...

..butterflies!

Sone of you may remember I planned to create a butterfly walk. I have decided instead to make a butterfly patch in pllace of my cutting patch and am filling it with  buddleias, eupatorium, sedums etc. So far, a couple of red admirals and one tortoishell hace found it, though a friend tells me there are lots in a village a few miles away.
However it was a deight to spend aa peaceful half hour following them round the garden trying to get photographs..A simole joy.

I spent the morning worrying about the state of the world, but at noon I got out the card that shows a clock face at 12 o'clock and the words 'Today is just getting started!' and I reset and did some gardening, took some photographs and cooked meatballs and potatoes in a garlic and lemon sauce.  (The world carried on in it's mad way ...)

So beautiful.

 I had actually forgotten that plant was there! It looks amazing with the lime green foliage of geranium Anne Folkard.

As I have often said, beauty sustains me.

..at 4.22am. A cup of tea while watching the dawn.

On my recent trip to the city I visited Kelvingrove Art Gallery, coinciding with an organ recital which soumds amazing in this great space.

But inspired by the book Thunderclap by Laura Cummings I wanted to revisit the good collection of Dutch painitngs in the gallery.  This is one of my favourites. Neither the artist or the sitter is known. It is titled Portrait of a Girl aged 15 and was painted by  a followe of Nicolaes Eliasz in 1633. Such skill!

I always visit her and wonder about her life.

Off for my face to face getogether with my sisters...

Another way I still enjoy my books is to put a 'coffee table' book on this side cupboard  (don't happen to have a coffee table) and turn a page every morning for a week or two. This book has stunningly beautiful photographs of our world.
 
A positive way to start the day.

Most of the books of this type that I have were bought for very little in remainder book shops. Do you have any books that would serve this purpose?

..and all the beauty in our world.

Happy Valentine's Day.

Thank you Mary in Washington DC for this gorgeous photograph!

..led me to The Woodland Florist in the small village of Kirn on the shores- of the Firth of Clyde. What a lovely find!

Exquisite, unusual flowers, delightful cards and small gifts - a little woodland wonderland. It was such a treat and I will definitely be back. I am already planning to buy myself some Valentine flowers there.

Gently beautiful things are hapening all around us. It behoves us to notice.

Green shoots are appearing like magic, six planets are lining up in the sky. Somehwere nearby a baby is taking it's first steps. Don't miss any of it.

My favourite robin photgraphs.  Here and here,

I expect robins are the most photographed birds in the uk.

Please ignore the very strange comments on the first post - the mysteries of the internet are often completely beyond me!!

My friend showed me how to edit a photograph so that the subject looks spotlit. Shining a light on all things good and beautiful..

You in your small corner, and I in mine.

Thenk you Sheena for the exxcellent photgraph of the Ruby-tailed wasp. Given that you werre up a ladder when you you spotted this amazing insect, you did brilliantly to get such a good shot!

Have any of you evver seen one of these?

In all my decades of gardening I have never seen one and was very surprised indeed to read that they are not uncommon in UK. Apart from the ruby tail can you see the irridescence on the head?

Even through the cloud layer the Hunter's Moon was bright enough to send moonbeams all over the garden. From a mere 222,056 miles away!

It was too rainy at moonrise to get the full effect of the supermoon, but I woke at three and contemplated it accompanied by a cup of tea and a slice of cranberry and pumokin seed toast. Funny the things that make one happy.