Monday, April 18, 2011

Summer is nearly here



Summer is thankfully slowly creeping in. Sunday was a beautifully sunny day and the cats and I very much made the most of it! I took some photo's and made a couple of small watercolour paintings. I also caught up on a bit of reading and washed and hung out a couple loads of laundry. The cats seemed quite happy to have me joining them outside for the afternoon, wherever I sat they happily followed. I also let the terrapins out for their first  run of the season. (the cats were locked safely away for that) They seemed to have a good time too. If the weather continues to improve I might convert one of these fisher price turtle shape sandboxes into an outdoor pool for them. Something I can leave them in for a few hours on a sunny day. I really just need to figure out a way to cover it. Maybe a thin wire-fence like lid?






I rescued this little guy from the pool of water featured in the previous photo. As you can easily tell I scooped him out with a dis-guarded cigarette box I found under one of the machines, he dried himself off and flew away quite unperturbed by his near death experience...

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Fota Wildlife Park, Cork, Ireland 2011









New Books




Neen and I went into town today and while there dropped into our favorite bookstore Charley Burnes. I picked up three super books, all by talented artists I've mentioned here before. 'Jack Frost' by Kazuno Kohara . 'Blue Chameleon' by Emily Gravett. And 'Earnest - The Moose Who Doesn't Fit' by Catherine Rayner. They are all published by Macmillian UK and are definite must-haves for your family bookshelf!!

Tuna's Confirmation


Tuna's Confirmation took place a week or so ago and here are a few snaps from the big day. Confirmation is a Catholic ritual...a right of passage of sorts in which a child is accepted as an adult member of the Catholic Church. 







It was a really great day...I actually spent a big ol' chunk of it minding all the kids in the family. Most of the party was spent up in the field behind the house playing soccer and gaelic football..boy I slept that night!