There’s been some pretty chilly weather in Ireland and the UK this past week or so… And much as I love snow, I’m glad we just got a brief flurry here in Dublin last Tuesday, rather than the full-blown blizzard that hit Scotland and the north of England! But the plummeting temperatures reminded Paddy and Plunkett of a frosty walk they took at the very end of last year, and prompted them to send me a few choice happy snappies!
As far as I can tell, they were first lured outside by the idea of being able to skate on the frozen bird bath…
As usual, Paddy was showing off his moves, while Plunkett played it safe at the edge of the rink.
But wait a sec… Is that a rock poking up above the surface of the ice there?
SPLAT!
Apparently so, yes. Yeowch!
“Here, Paddy… I’ll help you u – WOOOOOAAAAAOOOOW!”
Uh-oh. There goes Plunkett as well.
“Maybe that’s enough skating for one day…
…C’mon Plunkett, let’s go for a walk instead.”
I think this is much more Plunkett’s scene, don’t you? And on the way, they found some beautiful frosted leaves…
… And some pebbles that almost looked furry thanks to their icy coating!
Later, Paddy was even able to talk Plunkett into attempting a little climbing.
Mind you, the view from up there made it totally worthwhile!
But even little woolly monsters start feeling the cold in their paws eventually. Time to head back indoors! Although the winter sunlight was playing some strange tricks as they strolled home…
“Check out our shadows, Plunkett! We’re giants!”
“Whatever you say, Paddy…”
Thanks for the photos, lads! Hopefully the days are going to start getting a little warmer again soon… And with that in mind, I thought it was high time February’s calendar page made an appearance!
It’s in the store now, it’s ready to download, and it’s FREEEEEE! Cheers to everybody who welcomed Paddy and Plunkett onto their walls, noticeboards and fridges for January – I loved seeing the pictures some of you posted on your blogs and social media of the calendars in action!
As you can see, Explorer Beastie has stepped up to the plate this month. I chose one of my favourite shots from our trip to Donegal last February, which captures some of the best bits of late winter in Ireland – yes, the weather can be a bit wild, but the gentle light and the fact that there’s still plenty of green about make it a quietly beautiful time of year. I hope you’ll like this one as much as I do!
That’s it for this week, folks – we’ll be back next Tuesday with another new Beastie for you to meet! See you then!
Brrr…I had to fetch a sweater to finish reading this. We’ve had a non-existent winter here in the Pacific Northwest with temps freakishly above normal, so it’s nice to see some frosty photos, especially the furry rocks! Hope P&P enjoyed their brief time as giants!
Yeah, I think once Paddy ditched his plans to join the Irish speed-skating team (hmmm, is there even one?!) the day took a turn for the better. It’s been a bit of a weird one over here too, actually… The whole week running up to Christmas was ridiculously mild, then it’s been blowing hot (ish) and cold ever since! Glad you enjoyed the photos, anyway… Those chilly days are a lot easier to enjoy when the sun is out! Cheers for stopping in, Tammie!
That is what is great around here – when it’s super duper sub-freezing cold, it’s always bright and sunny…which keeps you in a cheery mood as your fingers and toes succumb to frostbite. 😜
Hahaha! 😂😂😂 Sounds like you need to mix it up… Here, I’ll trade you mild, damp days where the sky seems to be hovering 3 feet above the rooftops! 😝
Wow your photos are awesome, I never thought I’d see the day when Beasties ice skated in a bird bath, pebbles wore fur coats and Beasties could transform into giants …. brilliant post x
Awwww, thanks Roma! Paddy’s been waiting for an opportunity to play in that thing (without getting his toes wet) for months! And I’m always amazed at the little details that Beasties see, just by being a little bit closer to the ground than are. Thanks for reading!
I hate snow because it involves way too much effort but I do love a pretty frost.
You know, you might be right there. The only snow we’ve had this year fell as I was trying to walk home carrying a pack of printer paper in a flimsy paper bag, so a picturesque frost would definitely have been preferable that day! Thanks for dropping in, Laura!
Beastie adventures! The frozen bird bath scenes are adorable!
Thanks Tierney! It’s not quite hoar frost, but it was a seriously beautiful day! Paddy’s hoping for some more time on the ice before the winter’s over, too. Cheers for stopping in! 😀
Awwww hi lads, I’ve missed you! I’m totally with Plunkett on the skirting-around-the-edges-of-the-rink technique (with the occasional mad dash to the centre). I also kind of want to eat those fuzzy rocks… is that weird? Do they not resemble a tasty treat? I probably better go get some lunch…
Hooray for a new calendar page! Shirley’s looked so good printed out in colour on her work space. Alas, my EB must be resigned to black and white on the dime of the local authority’s printers. 🙂
Ha! Eating the fuzzy rocks is probably fine as long as you don’t bite into them… If I had mad cooking skillz I would be very tempted to make a chocolate truffle version with vanilla or mint frost though. YUUUUUUM!
And yaaaaay, I’m glad February’s page is getting some love already… Perhaps in March I should make a deliberately black and white page for everybody who’s stuck with a non-colour printer? 🤔 Cheers for stopping in, Weekes!
Mmmmmm add some ‘chocolate soil’ and an elderflower tuile and you’ve got yourself a Masterchef dish! Oooohhh I like the idea of a moody black and white Beastie page…. 🙂
Ooooh yes! Terrifying stressful journey to the top of the restaurant business, here I come! And I’ll see what I can cobble together for March’s page… Black and white might not be very spring-like, but then MARCH isn’t usually very spring-like over here either! 😆
Very beautiful snapshots, Helen. 🙂 Glad to see P & P making the best of the winter. This post makes me want to go skating (but also reminds me that I could quite realistically put an ankle out of commission!). That’s a beautiful bird bath! And I love the frosted greens in the landscape, and that winter light! Does the green stay through the winter? Or does Ireland have the grey muddy winters that we get in N. America? Curious. 🙂 I downloaded February’s page earlier today, and am looking forward to pinning it up. Thank you!
Thanks, Shirley! I test-printed the page before I put it up on the site, and mine is filling up with plans already! As for winter in Ireland, we’re lucky that things do stay pretty green… Although any farm animals who spend the winter outside can find themselves up to their knees in mud because it rains so much! Cheers for stopping in 😀
They are having such fun in the ice and snow there! It’s always a joy to see those two getting up to their usual japes!
You live in a beautiful part of the world! ☺️
Thanks, Simon! And yes, I DO live in a beautiful part of the world… But this is the parental homestead so I was just visiting. I picked a good day for it though, didn’t I? Thanks for dropping in! 😀
I like that ‘the parental homestead’ you make it sound like they have acres.
Always fun to drop in on Beastie Towers 🙂
Thanks, Simon! It’s always nice to see you here 😀 As for the “parental homestead”… Well, there’s no harm in talking it up, is there? It might help if they ever want to sell it 😉
I can see that, do you think there’s any chance of that? 😉
Gosh, I hope not! The garden makes a great photo location!
Do they roll their eyes and are like “She’s going out there with her ‘things’ again?”
No way! They’ve even been known to let Paddy and Plunkett stow away in their own bags when they travel!
Have they? They’re beastie fans then? Are Paddy and Plunkett their favourites?
Yep! Paddy and Plunkett live with them full-time, actually. They’ve really been very supportive of the whole venture!
Oh I see they’re living with the parents. Do they behave?
Plunkett does! As for Paddy… Well, he tries. 😂
I’m sure he does try. How much trouble does he get into?
Ah, the usual Beastie scrapes. Falling off things, accidentally breaking stuff, commandeering vehicles (he loves to drive, but isn’t every good at it), helping himself to human-sized glasses of beer… He also wandered into a nudist sunbathing area once. To be honest, I’m surprised my parents haven’t sent him back! 😂
Oh I see, he’s like they is he? Well it’s the usual beastie japes and I’m sure your parents would never send him back! He’s to cute for that.
Yes indeedy! Even with all the mischief, it’s hard to resist that smile! 😀
It is a cheeky smile isn’t it? That’s what makes him irresistible.
Do they take them out or would they not dare?
Oh, they TOTALLY take them out! My parents have a better social life than I do! 😆 And the Beasties often get to join them…
Isn’t that what being older is about? Having kids kills your social life so you have to make up for lost time! I’m sure the beasties are more than happy to tag along!
They do end up in some interesting places alright! 😁
How interesting are we talking about here? lol
Aaah, all over the place! They’re retired now, so they can up and leave whenever they feel like it. Lucky them, eh? 😀
It is lucky them… I’m not sure what’ll I’ll be able to do on the bit they throw us when / if we get to retire. lol
Ha! You’re right… I suppose the only way to win is to have a job that doesn’t really feel like work, then it’s not so bad when you’re still doing it at 95! 😆
Yeah like maybe making cuddly little beastie monsters? 😜
Hahaha! Great idea… I should TOTALLY do that! 😉
I would if I was you – I think you would be good at it! 😉
😂😂😂
Oh how I love that Paddy was able to talk Plunkett into the chilly walk on the leaves. Such beauty! But please tell them to beware of birdbaths–it’s not just the ice . . . but the birds! Ahhhh what if an owl swooped down??
Yes, Paddy’s good at that sort of thing! And don’t worry, he was being boisterous as usual, so the birds were keeping their distance. Thanks for reading, Melissa! 😀