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novelty
Say hello to Ustulina deusta, a fungus that grows on dead trees in our forests. The quality of the picture isn’t the best (by my standards), but the light and my mobile phone camera didn’t allow for a better shot. I snapped this yesterday, because today there was heavy rain during my walk and photography would have been useless. Instead I pretended to enjoy becoming increasingly wet, and sang a couple of nonsense songs about how much I liked the rain. It was just a trick to keep me in good humour as I find it hard to be glum if I’m singing. Of course, it would be easy for…
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people are amazing
I took the above picture just over a week ago at the banks of the River Corrib, where it overlooks the Salmon Weir. The peacefulness of the scene struck me: the young man taking a break to enjoy the good weather, the view and the antics of the ducks, gulls and swans. This spot is well known to fans of the Galway Film Fleadh as it is right beside the Rowing Club, where many of the receptions during the festival take place. I was in the city attending the demonstration at the Town Hall Theatre for the National Day of Action to support the arts in Ireland. I had taken…
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beautiful fungus
Today I noticed a small track in the woods I’d never seen before. There are a number of old earthen paths criss-crossing the heavily wooded sections which connect to the main trail I tramp along most days. Many of them are little more than a memory of a passageway through the trees, and often fade away or end abruptly. Over the years I’ve explored most of these tracks in an attempt to give my dog – and myself – a bit of novelty. So I was surprised at this revelation because I should have spotted it ages ago. Still, it was fun following it, ducking under branches and weaving between the…
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frog hide
Today, I noticed this chap leaping through the undergrowth in the woods. He was shy, and I was towering above pointing my mobile phone at him, so it’s not a bad snap considering the circumstances, and the greyish light. It’s the equinox today – an unusually late one – and it’s also a full moon. Perhaps the craziness that is supposed to afflict people at this time of the month will be offset by the day being in balance. Or, you know, it might just be another bead on the year’s necklace. It was chilly this morning, a real harbinger of the deepening of autumn. Yesterday evening the daylight departed…
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Autumn
I spotted this fine fellow on my way into the woods to walk my dog this morning. It’s a good example of Coprinus comatus, also known as the shaggy ink cap or the lawyer’s wig, among others. I usually refer to it as the shaggy ink cap (or, as I misspoke this morning upon my return – the shaggy inkwell). This mushroom erupted and flourished in the mere 48 hours since my last visit to this location, or else I was singularly unobservant during my previous trip. Change can occur in a day or two, if you notice. It was the first thing I spotted on this occasion, and I…
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I may explode
I found out, about an hour ago, that I have been awarded a 1st Class Honour in my MA in Screenwriting. I’m past the numbed shock and now I’m speeding into hysterical gibbering excitement. For the Americans out there, this is the highest grade you can obtain in any degree in Ireland. It is also very difficult to obtain (I’m not trying to toot my own horn here, but that’s the reality of the situation for Arts degrees in Irish Universities). The degree was part academic (film theory, history, etc.), and part creative writing, but the completed screenplay was a significant portion of the mark, so as you can imagine…
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I accept
This morning I got a letter offering me a place on the one-year taught Masters of Screenwriting at the Huston School of Film and Digital Media. I’m chuffed, and stunned. I’m pleased that the material I put together for my application was deemed worthy enough for a place on the course. But, I did a MA before, and even though that was a long time ago, I still remember the hard graft. It was a MA by pure research, so I had to motivate myself to do the work and get it completed on time. The last five months were torturous. I’d get up at 7am (Mon-Fri), so I’d be…
