Thistle Do Nicely!

I apologize but I couldn’t resist. Sometimes the smallest of things can really brighten your day. And sometimes all that takes is paying attention to what’s around you. These beautiful thistles were blooming just off the sidewalk as I was walking from the bus stop in Drogheda to a friend’s house there last week. Pretty easy to miss when you are in a hurry.

But what a beautiful picture it made and check out that Irish Honey Bee. Writing at the Press Office on the NUI Galway campus a few weeks back I read about the plight of the Irish Honey Bee and how they need to be nurtured and protected.

Bee observant! Beauty is all around us.

I noticed they are a bigger breed than I’m used to seeing in my rose garden back home. I can’t swear this is actually one of them but it looked a lot like the ones I saw pictures of. And even if it’s not an official Irish Honey Bee, it was happily buzzing about these thistles. And that caught my attention and brightened my day. I took a few minutes break just to watch.

How did these even grow here?

Sometimes you just have to take the time to take a closer look at what's right in front of you to see something.