Dan Higgins
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danehiggins.bsky.social
Dan Higgins
@danehiggins.bsky.social
170 followers 250 following 340 posts
Father, husband, nature lover, hiker, stroke survivor, meditator.
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danehiggins.bsky.social
Broke the drill going authentic for #Halloween.

Glowsticks, because I dare not impose the smell of warm turnip on the trick and/or treaters.

Today I will think of those who are gone, in the hopes they will speak to me. Or not, whichever.

#Samhain
The carved pumpkin with a face is known as a jack-o'-lantern. The tradition of carving them is most famously associated with the Halloween holiday.
November 1, 2025 at 11:58 AM
danehiggins.bsky.social
A world in a footprint.

#Mushrooms #Nature #photography #EastCoastKin
The mushrooms in the image are likely a species of honey fungus, which belongs to the genus Armillaria. Honey fungus is a parasitic fungus that can attack and kill the roots of many woody plants. The mushrooms, or fruiting bodies, of honey fungus often grow in dense clusters at the base of trees or on stumps. The appearance of the mushrooms can vary, but they are typically honey-colored and may have small scales on their caps. While some species of honey fungus are considered edible when thoroughly cooked, others can cause stomach upset, so it is recommended to not forage for them.
October 19, 2025 at 10:12 AM
danehiggins.bsky.social
Listened to Robbie Williams' "Come Undone" while doing this. Started going to an art club in ABII & have found it a useful way to put my feelings on paper for my kids.

I'll send it to the next sponsor on my fundraising page. 10k steps a day 👉 events.irishheart.ie/fundraiser/D...
This appears to be an original drawing created with pencils and colored pencils. The artwork depicts a figure in profile with the text "I come undone" written on its head. The background features a rainbow-like burst of color.
September 27, 2025 at 7:30 PM
danehiggins.bsky.social
There's beauty in the rain.

#plants #water #nature #Ireland #photography
The plant in the image is Sun Spurge (Euphorbia helioscopia). The leaves are green, and there are water drops on the leaves.
September 14, 2025 at 8:43 AM
danehiggins.bsky.social
Had a friend in the polytunnel today. If you don't like spiders...too late. Spiders are great little hunters, mostly hunting the things that like to feast on me!

#Spiders #Insects #Ireland #Gardening
The image shows a Garden Spider, also known as the European Garden Spider, Cross Spider, or Cross Orbweaver (Araneus diadematus).
September 3, 2025 at 6:30 PM
danehiggins.bsky.social
I stayed here watching the fish dance with the current of the river. Lovely sight to start the day.

#Nature #Ireland #River #EastCoastKin
The image shows a natural setting with lush greenery and a body of water, likely a stream or small river, partially covered with green growth. The perspective is from above, looking down into the water, surrounded by various plants and foliage.
September 1, 2025 at 9:34 AM
danehiggins.bsky.social
Took these pictures while out with Acquired Brain Injury Ireland with my #Canon #DSLR. I really like the way you have to really look to see everything. Delighted to get out with my camera more.

#Photography #CityScapes #DublinCity #statue #EastCoastKin
The image shows a mute swan, likely preening or resting in the water. The images is in black and white. The bronze statue depicted in the image is "The Linesman". Explanation: Location: This sculpture is situated on City Quay, along the banks of the River Liffey in Dublin, Ireland. Artist: "The Linesman" was created by Irish sculptor Dony MacManus. Subject: The statue portrays a dock worker, reflecting the historical maritime activity along the River Liffey. The image displays a cormorant, likely a Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo), a large, dark-colored waterbird commonly found in both coastal and inland areas.
August 24, 2025 at 10:30 AM
danehiggins.bsky.social
The #AvivaStadium as seen from the River Liffey, looking down the River Dodder. Preparations were well underway for the American Football game. I also preferred Lansdowne Road as a stadium, but you can't say the Aviva doesn't look better.

#AmericanFootball #AerLingus
The image shows the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland, in a black and white photograph, taken on the River Liffey.
August 22, 2025 at 6:44 PM
danehiggins.bsky.social
A beautiful moth caterpillar and a butterfly.

Stop and look around, it's later than you think.

#Insects #butterflies #moths #Ireland #nature #EastCoastKin
The image shows a Saltmarsh Caterpillar, also known as a Woolly Bear. This is the larval stage of the Saltmarsh Moth (scientific name: Phragmatobia fuliginosa). A brown furry exterior with an orange stripe down the middle on grey stones. The image shows a Small Tortoiseshell butterfly (Aglais urticae). The plant in the image is Silver Ragwort, scientifically known as Jacobaea maritima, and formerly Senecio cineraria. A black, orange, and yellow butterfly on a silver and yellow plant.
August 18, 2025 at 10:15 PM
danehiggins.bsky.social
Using @developers.google.com for Alt information. My wife got the drone fly, I patiently manually focused on the orb weaver spider.

#Photography #nature #Ireland #EastCoastKin #insect
Drone fly on a pink thistle. Drone Fly (Eristalis species): These hoverflies mimic honeybees, particularly drone honeybees, which helps protect them from predators. They are common pollinators and their larvae, known as rat-tailed maggots, are aquatic and breathe through a long, snorkel-like appendage. Thistle Flower: Thistles are known for their spiky, often purple or pink, flower heads and are a good source of nectar for various insects, including hoverflies and bees. A spider on its web. Lunch is there too. The image displays a European garden spider, also known as a cross orb-weaver spider or Araneus diadematus.
August 16, 2025 at 2:41 PM
danehiggins.bsky.social
Once again, for those in the back, our native pollinators love dandelions and thistles. There was an abundance of these butterflies out today.

#LifeHack get rid of your weeds by calling them flowers. 👍

#butterflies #pollinators #nature #insects #Ireland
A small tortoiseshell butterfly on a purple thistle. Grey gravel and green grass in the background.
August 15, 2025 at 8:42 PM
danehiggins.bsky.social
Here's a secret that "big tidy garden" doesn't want you to know...birds and bees love thistles and dandelions.

#Nature #Bee #thistle #flower #photography
A bee, black and yellow, on a purple thistle flower.
July 26, 2025 at 12:00 AM
danehiggins.bsky.social
Decided to force myself out for a walk this morning. Delighted to walk one of my favourite routes I haven't seen in months and see it hasn't been touched. Pollinators and wild flowers everywhere. Pollinators, like bees and birds, are the best gardeners.

#Nature #Ireland #Bee
A bee and a capsid sharing a thistle. The picture is a pink flower pollinating on top of a green thistle with grass in the background. The bee is black and yellow, the capsid is green.
July 18, 2025 at 11:14 AM
danehiggins.bsky.social
Birthday pints are different. Enjoying a Birra Moretti while the kids howl "it's too hot!" at home. Little do they know, even though it's my birthday, I can't in fact change the temperature.

#BirraMoretti #Pints
A pint of Birra Moretti. Gold pint, white head, multicolour background.
July 11, 2025 at 2:39 PM
danehiggins.bsky.social
Forced myself out of my newly created comfort zone yesterday and met friends for pints and cinema. I was becoming more and more like a turtle, retreating into myself, my wife all but demanded I go out. Laughing is good for the soul.

#StrokeRehab #Beer #Cinema
A pint of Birra Moretti. Golden beer, white head, on a brown table. The logo and a man drinking the beer on the front.
July 4, 2025 at 3:40 PM
danehiggins.bsky.social
I have a very useful #gardening #lifehack. If you want to get rid of nuisance weeds and nettles in your garden, just start calling them flowers. Nettles, when given the chance, grow a beautiful flower that pollinators love. Dandelions grow into a bush like growth that birds love. #nature
A solitary bee on a flowering nettle. The flower is a vibrant purple on a green background.
June 28, 2025 at 8:31 AM
danehiggins.bsky.social
Take a minute. Dogs are the most mindful creatures. I wish more people were like dogs.

#RescueDogs #Dog
Grey and white lurcher cross in long grass getting a treat. Rainbow lead attached to a harness. Her tongue going across her nose. Grey and white lurcher cross in long grass getting a treat. Rainbow lead attached to a harness. Eyes closed, posing. Grey and white lurcher cross in long grass getting a treat. Rainbow lead attached to a harness. Eyes examining another dog walking nearby.
June 18, 2025 at 7:54 PM
danehiggins.bsky.social
With all the crap going on in the world, distract yourself with pictures of my #RescueDogs that I took today.

#Dogs #Springer #Lurcher
Black and white springer cross in long grass with a harness on. Black and white springer cross in long grass with a harness on. Grey and white lurcher cross in long grass getting a treat. Rainbow lead attached to a harness. Grey and white lurcher cross in long grass getting a treat. Rainbow lead attached to a harness.
June 18, 2025 at 7:49 PM
danehiggins.bsky.social
Whilst my wife took the dogs for a walk, I relaxed with @irishrainforest.bsky.social, a Canon, and a coffee. I was patiently waiting for the local birds of prey, who, as my wife told me, seemed to follow her.

#Books #Coffee #Photography #Ireland
A book, a camera, a coffee, a bench, the outdoors. Brown bench, black camera, white coffee cup, the book is called "The magic of an Irish rainforest" by Eoghan Dalton. Green wildflowers in the background with lots of shy butterflies and dragonflies. The path is in Trim.
June 18, 2025 at 2:03 PM
danehiggins.bsky.social
Going to jump on #ThickTrunkTuesday because this oak is too good not to share.

#IrishOak #Ireland #Nature
Trees in a small native Irish forest with purple/blue wildflowers. Moss and leaves cover the ground, while the canopy is the trees meeting to provide cover. What I believe is an oak surrounded by younger, smaller trees. Leaves and moss on the ground with a canopy of leaves above.
June 17, 2025 at 11:32 AM
danehiggins.bsky.social
Never thought I'd miss jogging, but one step at a time, hopefully. Me after a long run in the Phoenix Park many KGs ago.

#Exercise #StrokeRehab #Jogging
A man wearing green shorts, black t-shirt, red runners, jogging down a road in the Phoenix Park.
June 14, 2025 at 11:23 PM
danehiggins.bsky.social
After I attended an IHF social gathering in St Loman's Hospital in Mullingar I had an opportunity for a walk around. 1,300, at least, buried here. There's only about 10 crosses, still visited. Used up to 1971 apparently.

I can only imagine what those poor souls went through. 😞

#History #Ireland
Trees on yellow/green grass with a headstone in the middle. Blue/gray sky. Two worn metal benches at a cross dedicated to the unmarked graves. Yellow/green grass, green trees in the background.
June 8, 2025 at 7:06 PM
danehiggins.bsky.social
Thinking of getting back to cycling after I remembered that time I cycled the Slieve Bloom mountains with skinny tyres on the bike. Lots of slipping and low traction, faster, and far more terrifying, for the descent.

#StrokeRehab #StrokeRecovery #Ireland #cycling
A man wearing a high-viz jacket cycling a blue bike up a mountain trail. Grass verge, gravel track.
May 25, 2025 at 7:43 PM
danehiggins.bsky.social
Love this picture of my daughter using my camera to capture the sunset in Sligo when we were camping. I miss these daddy-daughter trips. 😞

#Sunset #Ireland #Sligo #Camera #Photography
Blonde girl with braids, camera around her neck. Sunset on a calm ocean. A slipway with stones on the end.
May 24, 2025 at 6:29 PM
danehiggins.bsky.social
Took this when walking back to the car. You can pose photos a lot, but sometimes the best ones appear randomly.

#Sunset #Ireland #Graveyard
Sunset against some headstones in Trim County Meath. Dark photo against an orange sky.
May 18, 2025 at 10:07 AM