Fathers day...is that a mouse or a shrew?

Today was a blisteringly sunny Father's Day. This morning Neens mum, dad and sister dropped by for a quick visit and a cup of coffee, Neen gave her father a cool Darth Vader t-shirt that read 'I Am Your Father" which he loved.

We then spent the afternoon at my parents house, and enjoyed dinner outside...I got to wear my 3/4 length combats, flip-flops and sunglasses a rare treat in our all too inclement isle.

My dad is a tricky fellow to buy presents for, his father was also. They don't want much, aren't materialistik in the slightest...have everything they need and can buy for themselves anything they want. As Fathers day loomed I was quite honestly stumped. Upon reflection and after a number of difficult shopping hours in town I eventually decided on a pair of really nice brown swued gloves for the garden. Ones that would last a lifetime. After much searching I also tracked down some of his favorite sweets, Scots Clan (which rather strangely were sold out everywhere) and picked a card. We didn't have any wrapping paper in the house so I instead took a scrap sheet of thin cardboard and drew in pen a leafy pinstriped pattern.

He seemed to really like everything and the gloves...well the gloves "fit like a glove." : ) Dad and I then watched some football and half of a hurling match, while Neen mom and Gen chatted in the kitchen. We would have loved to have watched the Galway v Offaly match but alas it wasn't being broadcast.

At one stage while myself dad, Neen and sister Genevieve were relaxing in the sitting room my mother came in with something furry cupped in the palm her hand. "I saved this little guy from the cat" she proudly beamed! My fathered bellowed in reply..."Elizabeth he'll bite! Put him outside" "No he wont, he's just a shrew, poor little fellow...should I get him some cheese?" "Elizabeth he WILL bite be carefull!" No he won't Thady he seems happy, and shrews are friendly" By this stage I had gotten up from the couch, on closer inspection I was able to confirm it was indeed a mouse, of the field variety...mom gave him some cheese, which he gobbled down with glee and set him free to fight another day.

Speaking of animals our cats are really loving the mini heat wave, Hope loves the sun, but due to her pale complextion if not carefull gets sunburned so we often find her lying with one half of her body in the shade, the other gingerly basked in sun. Sora on the other hand is suffering, Sora is a long-haired tortoishell and still has what seems like her full winter coat. She rarely molts and her coat is so so thick...she too loves basking in the sun but every couple of hours trundles through the window or open front door and just collapses in a sickled-shaped heap on the nearest cold surface, for a much needed cool down.