Behind what?
Behind in reading the postings of my fellow bloggers.
As soon as I get near catching up someone posts a new blog.
One day...
Granny made a comment on my Butts and Pieces posting about having given up wood-turning because she could never achieve the standard she set herself. How often do we do that in life? I remember attempting - very briefly - as a child to learn the piano. Because I couldn't instantly play Beethoven's Piano Concerto, I gave up. Later in life I tried again and had I learned my lesson? Of course not. After having mastered the first few bars of Fur Elise I gave up. It required too much effort and, more to the point, I felt I would never be good enough to satisfy myself. The same applies to painting. Every now and then I have a spell of painting and sketching but rarely is the result up to the standard I would like to achieve. But there is one big difference here. I carry on. Just occasionally one is satisfactory and, more to the point, the process of trying is enjoyable. It can be hard to accept that we aren't all brilliant at what we attempt but everything is relative. I expect Michelangelo was rarely satisfied with what he painted but it looks pretty good to me.
Fortunately I am less exacting in my photography. I often photograph things 'just for the record'. So whilst I have lots of better photos of Common Blue butterflies I am just as pleased to have got this one today because it is the first time I have seen one here on the croft. Indeed, so far as I can recall it is only the second Common Blue I have seen on Lewis - the other being at The Bridge to Nowhere.
There were lots of other things on the croft and when I have time they will go in a posting on my Hebridean blog but for the moment here are :-
A pair of mating Green-veined Whites.
A beetle - as yet unidentified. It appears to be a species I haven't photographed before.
A hoverfly - species as yet unidentified. Yes, it's a hoverfly not a bee. One can tell by the veins on the wings. So there is no need to be afraid of this chap, it doesn't sting. It uses its similarity to a bumble bee to deter birds from eating it.
I know not everyone gets as excited as me about insects, so to round the posting off in typical style - with something completely different...
A still life.
May you all have a still life today.
What a perfect posting for me to read :)
ReplyDeleteI absolutely adore that blue butterfly and could be the same...photographing it over and over.
Beautiful photos, particularly the Green veined whites.
ReplyDeleteAll my life I've been universally acclaimed by my peers as excelling in mediocrity. I've turned it into an art form.
ReplyDeleteYour hoverfly and I have much in common----The attention span of a bumble bee----aarh! see what I mean----Hoverfly
Love the blue butterfly - blue is my favorite color in any shade! What a pity that you gave up on piano after Fur Elise. Did your mother "make you" do you lessons?
ReplyDeleteOh, you make me laugh! Beautiful blue butterfly, and the veined butterflies! I've never seen anything like them. The beetle, although it is a very pretty picture, I can't handle the beetle. Gives me the heebie jeebies. Too close to some kind of...dare I say it??? A r o a c h! Ew.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely beautiful and positively artistic.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
:^)
Here's to those who attempt to be creative, whether to their own liking or not. To me, it truly does free the soul.
Sorry to give you the heebie jeebies - definitely a word for my word blog - Shabby Girl.
ReplyDeleteAs for mediocrity Adrian, your Wagtail photo belied that! My brother has always been proud of the fact that he was once called a boring old fart and has endeavoured to live up to it. Like you, he hasn't succeeded either.
Jeannete, my Mum didn't make us do lessons. She was too caring and kind having seen how much a neighbour's son suffered at the keyboard. I bet his mother put him off music for life.
And for the compliments, my thanks.
Thanks, very nice photos, John. I admire your macro work, soemthing I've never tried, but there's always a first time
ReplyDeleteThis post really strikes a chord with me. When I was younger if I couldn't do something perfect the first time I was done. Needless to say I quit a lot of things. ;)
ReplyDeleteI got over it-- obviously.
I too love the blue butterfly.
Well, you did my 'confession' great justice. This is the fun of blogging isn't it, a small remark can jog another's mind and out comes another great post.
ReplyDeleteLove the close shots of the insects, 'macro' is something I have not yet met on my camera... perhaps I should look out the handbook and study it! Another of my failings, reading a subject is never as much fun as just getting on and doing it. I can hear my school teacher now, ranting at me with exasperation!!!
Love Granny
Quite insightful and uplifting!
ReplyDeleteYour "just for the record" photos look indeed "pretty good" to me! I absolutely love that Common Blue butterfly.
Great post - very interesting! been feeling pretty mediocre myself right now!
ReplyDeleteSorry you're not feeling good, CG. Thinking of you...
ReplyDeleteSS