The Seagulls of Dunmore East
Before the storms, there was Dunmore East . . . This is what I shall tell myself when my country cottage is under siege from swirling gusts and whipping rain. Yes, I’ve read the weather forecast for the coming week and it doesn’t look good. So today, I’ll be reflecting on a fresh, but sunny…
First Draft Complete
I’m quietly celebrating completing the first draft of my novel. I say ‘quietly’ because I know there’s no point in getting too excited. There is still a huge amount of work to be done. My aim with this draft was just to get the bare story down. Therefore, many layers will have to be added…
The Lost Animals of Summer
Whenever my husband and I return home from an evening out, we catch sight of a lost looking animal at the side of the road. A couple of days ago we saw a fox cub; his ruddy fur, fanned out from his face like a mane. Seconds later, he fled into the bushes, the tip…
Flash Fiction: The Birds Tick Time
The birds tick time outside my door. I count the seconds, the colours. Such small lives. The bluetits and coaltits are the everyday ordinaries. If they were human they would wear a suit and tie, hold on to their jobs for dear life.
Summer Micropoetry
July can be a heady month; pollen still strong, the sun burgeoning. So far, this July has been a little damp and cooler than expected, but as a hay fever sufferer, I’m not complaining at all! I’ve been busy observing nature and scribbling fragments of summer micropoetry.
When Swallow Chicks Fledge
Our swallow chicks have fledged already! It seems they were an early brood. One minute, Hubs and I were gazing up, trying to count the number of feathery faces; the next, we were looking at an empty nest.
Unlit Sticks: Flash Fiction
The tractor scores bright lines in the field. Four bales of silage already loom, great barrel-shadows with a sheen of their own.
Summer of the Rabbit
Well, I think we can safely say the summer is here. Never mind the rain, like last year, we have swallow chicks and baby bunnies residing in our garden. It was Hubs who spotted the first rabbit, darting under our shed.
Walking by the River
I love walking by the river in Carrick-on-Suir. The water always looks so fresh and cool. Sometimes it’s possible to distinguish black flickers of fish in the depths. Swans parade like floating snowdrops and on a sunny day the sky presses, only offering a bare trace of breeze.