Between the Jigs and the Reels, at last, June Blake’s Garden!

It's three weeks since we visited June Blake's garden (Tinode, Co. Wicklow) and, despite all my best intentions, I never posted about the day and not to do so would be very unfair of me for it was a beautiful day, a day of perfect weather and June's garden was as glorious and fabulous and …

Just While the Kettle is Boiling…

That was what I said as I went out the kitchen door with camera in hand, a late evening quick dash around the garden to see what might be interesting. I hadn't done a lot in the garden today and felt the need to have a look about. There had been an early, for me, …

Reader’s Block

Writers can have it so why can't readers? It happens! I have been in readers' doldrums for the past while, failing to rouse an interest in reading anything - more specifically, books as I continue to enjoy the weekend newspapers but have a small stack of books waiting to be read for some time and …

Twenty Five Point Something

It wasn't quite the heat disaster that was forecast but, nonetheless, it was a very hot day, hot enough to give me a dose of the heebie jeebies. A friend reported 28C in Dun Laoghaire and a record temperature of 33C for the country was recorded in Dublin. It is being reported as an unconfirmed …

Going Completely Over the Top!

Although I am admitting to going completely over the top, I can assure you that I have made a selection of the photographs I took when we visited Rosemary and Pádraig Maye's garden near Slane, Co. Meath, yesterday. It was one of those gardens where one is tempted to click and click away and there …

Beautiful in Lismore!

We had planned to visit Lismore Castle Gardens yesterday, 12th July, but the weather was miserable so it wasn't worth making the journey to spend a damp and overcast time in the garden. Today was far better, a beautifully bright and warm day, not too hot but pleasantly hot and the gardens looked marvellous. They …

The Big News of the Day!

Don't worry! You may now be thinking that you missed an important news announcement on the television today but my big news didn't appear there at all. Obviously, my news didn't register on the grand scale of things in the world today but it was good for me and I'm delighted with it. As you …

Not In My Back Yard, Bees!

Oh, yes, nimbyism is still alive and well here in Waterford and has been put into overdrive in the last two days. Of course, I wish to support the good causes but not quite so close to me. Nimbyism in Ireland is most commonly associated with housing. We all see the good in social housing, …

Not Quite Incomunicado!

This page took four minutes to load - yes, I timed it! The cause of the problems can be blamed mainly on poor internet communication which have been "under repair" for the past four weeks at this stage. Working on an old and not so efficient laptop has added to the difficulty - it took …

Out for Orchids

Our native orchids are among the most beautiful, interesting and appealing of our wildflowers and I have had three very enjoyable outings to see them recently. The Lesser Twayblade had frustrated me for several years. I knew from friends that there was a small population in a remote area in Co. Wicklow – I had …