Happy Solstice, All..

Well Happy Solstice Everyone. I'm sorry that I haven't managed to capture the beauty of the evening sky. I was over in Galway City this afternoon, with a colleague who was dropping his hire-car back to the Airport. It appeared to be sunset around 2.45, with golden skies setting behind the hills. We got to Galway and returned some hour and half later with the skies getting better and better. The reflections of the sky against the mad sillouettes of the drowned landscape were amazing, so I dashed back to the house to capture this wonder. Unfortunately due to heavy traffic in town I was unable to get back in time to capture the wonderful colours. So here's a picture of the sun setting and another of one of the maddest reflections.



We've just come through a week of heavy fog. I know it's still present in the UK with all Heathrow Flights cancelled for tomorrow. For the previous 3 weeks we've had heavy rain and gales. I'd like to show you a couple of our roads. Both of these roads I use regularly, one which connects the villages of the west side of River Shannon to Athlone, the major town. The other is 5 minutes from my house and is the main route to all of the villages and callows that I have been working with this year, lying between Banagher and Shannon Harbour. I'd like you to bear in mind that under all of this water are fields which are grazed or cut as meadow in the summer. It is the winter flooding of these fields that keeps them special, and the last stronghold of Corncrakes in Mainland Ireland.

Anyway, all the best to you all. Have a great Festive Season, whatever you're doing.