Hello there Beastie friends! Erk, not such good news from Dublin this week… As of last night, all of Ireland has moved to the highest level of Covid-19 restrictions to try to get our case numbers back under control. But it’s not all doom and gloom! Autumn (or Fall) is here in all its glory, and October is my very favourite month to get out and enjoy some natural beauty.
And it looks like I’m not alone in this. Look who I bumped into in the park!
You don’t see one of these guys very often – it’s Autumn Beastie! This little monster has been picking out the choicest fallen leaves for… Some ill-defined Beastie purpose. But there’s a great selection in there, and look at those colours!
Lovely!
Then, further along…
… I found a pair of Aran Beasties too! They were happy to pose for a photo.
Cheers lads! This is only a small park though, so it was only a matter of time before their path crossed Autumn Beastie’s. Fortunately, Beasties aren’t having to do social distancing like the rest of us.
That’s two extra pairs of paws to help with the leaf hunt! Good stuff. And it looks like further reinforcements are on the way too.
Hey there Woolly Jumper Beastie… Wow, this is turning into a full Fall Festival out here! And it’s definitely sweater weather today, with so many cosy knits to admire.
Wait, MORE Beasties?!
And more snug knitwear.
Fall Fashion Show!
And just as all the Beasties were preparing to go their separate ways…
… Up pops Hurling Beastie! This little sportsmonster was keen to get a team together for a match, but with one hurl between four Beasties, it sadly wasn’t going to add up. Sorry! Maybe next week, eh?
How about you? Are you enjoying being out and about, kicking through piles of fallen leaves? Or is your Fall experience more of the hot-chocolate-by-a-roaring-fire variety? Be sure to tell us all about it in the comments!
And as usual we’ll be back next week, with more shenanigans from Beastie Towers… See you then!
He’s just spotted it there in the distance… The Giant’s Causeway! Time to rush over for a closer peek.
Normally Paddy is left stony-faced by Plunkett’s enthusiasm for rocks, but even he has to admit that this is pretty cool.
Even more so when he hears about how they got here. Volcanoes are always awesome, even if they happened 60 million years ago! And this is just the beginning.
And yes, you are allowed to walk on the stones! The lads took full advantage of that.
“Aaaaah! It’s actually quite comfortable up here.”
… Before heading off.
“Come on Paddy, we don’t want to miss our train home!”
See you all next time!
Looks good, lads… But check out the size of that portion! Where do they put it all?!
“Oh Plunkett, can we have a go?”
“… It really does!”
But once they’d untangled themselves from these coiled ship’s ropes, Paddy demanded more shoreline sightseeing.
In certain places along the north Antrim coast, the sea has created a number of large rock pools… Perfect for a cooling dip away from the currents and waves. There’s this one, above…
“Who’s Peggy, Plunkett?”
And then, to wrap up today’s coastal sightseeing tour, let’s swing by what might be one of the most beautiful beaches anywhere – Whitepark Bay.
On a bright day, the sands on this beach gleam white in the sunshine. But even when it’s a bit overcast, it’s a lovely spot to stroll and look for fossils. As Plunkett contemplates the wilder side of the beach…
“Look how big this beach is, Plunkett! Those people look Beastie-sized from up here!”
This fearsome-looking beast is the Massereene Wolfhound, and he was a handy pooch to have around back in the days when wolves still roamed free on the island of Ireland. In life, the hound saved Lady Marion Clotworthy when she was cornered by a pack of wolves on the shores of Antrim Bay. And having got a taste for heroics, he subsequently alerted the castle’s residents to an advancing party of human attackers, allowing them to mount defences and save themselves and their home.
“Aaaah, lovely. Welcome to Bushmills, Beastie friends!”
That’d be the River Bush, supposedly one of the best salmon fishing rivers in Ireland.
It’s one of over 80 listed buildings in the town, although I reckon the boys’ interests are more gastronomic than architectural. They tell me it does a very good Sunday carvery lunch, and then there’s that very tempting garden.
The 
Fortunately, they didn’t consume too many free samples, and they were able to round off their day with a nice stroll along Castlerock Beach. Just as well, because this is a big beach! You can’t tell as you approach it over the dunes…
… But it’s really huge!
Antrim’s north coast is famous for its beautiful sandy beaches, and like Downhill Beach…
… Humans can bring their cars right down onto the sand.
And that unusual little building on the headland? That’s Mussenden Temple, a private library built by the 4th Earl of Bristol in memory of his cousin. Am I the only one would would LOVE a private library with a view like this?
Night night, lads!
“Look, Plunkett! I think there might be another staycation in the pipeline. Shall we?”
“If we climb into the knitting bag, we’ll get to travel in the car, not the boot. Then we can look out the window all the way to our destination… Wherever that might be!”
“If we end up in an escape-proof prisoner of war camp, Paddy, I’m holding you responsible!”
“There! What did I tell you? Floor-to-ceiling windows, soft carpeting under our paws… And the humans will never spot us back here!”
“… Is this a castle?”
You wouldn’t mind being locked in here though. Look at these beautiful gardens!
The locals seem friendly too… And it looks like there might be a happy event in the not-too-distant future!
Huh. I always wondered where new scarecrows came from – I guess we know now!
Regular BeastieBlog readers may remember that we bumped into Gardener Beastie at the Botanic Gardens 
Clearly embarrassed by the state of our little patch of urban green space, Explorer Beastie must have made a call… Because yesterday morning, as I sat down at my craft table, I overheard this…
“Wow, there’s a lot to do here, isn’t there?”
“Yes! Here she is now!”
… While Gardener Beastie planned our next move.
As the only one with hands big enough to manage the secateurs, I was on pruning duty.
These chives might even bounce back if we trim away the dead flower heads and repot the rest.
But some things in the balcony garden were very much alive.
And to make sure the wind doesn’t blow the baby plants out of their pots before they have a chance to grow real roots, we put some of the squillions of wire twisty ties that come free with any electronics purchase to use.
“How about pairing up one of the little trees with some cyclamen? Cyclamen loves shade and doesn’t take much from the soil… Should work out nicely!”
“…But the basket might have seen better days.”
“… And into something bigger. You should have a great display to look forward to this spring!”
And now we’re finished!
“Much better. Time for a cup of tea!”
Angel Olsen Beastie was created for Shane, who may be the biggest fan of human singer-songwriter Angel Olsen going. So this Beastification really needed to be a good one! Armed with some carefully-selected reference material (thanks Shane!), I picked out some wardrobe options for Ms Olsen-Beastie.
As you can see, the vintage-style green dress with beehive hairdo won out. And much knitting, stitching and hairstyling later…
… And I Beastified her dress too!
I had a tricky time trying to find an exact match for the green in the photo, but this light olive satin from 
She doesn’t have to play all the time though. The strap unclips at the side so she can put it down at the end of her gigs.
Sorry, no more encores… At least not until next Tuesday! Thank you and goodnight!
… Explorer Beastie strolled off to see if there might be any other Beasties about.
He didn’t have to go far… There’s one!
Hey there, 
Visitors of all sizes.
And just as we were about to leave, Explorer Beastie spotted a familar face. Look who’s hanging out in the hanging baskets!
… This time it’s up to Paddy to choose what they get up to.
… They hop aboard the next departing car and make for the coast.
“Aaaaaah! I can smell the sea air already!”
I think this is exactly what Paddy had in mind! This is Mullaghmore Beach, a crescent of perfect sandy shoreline that stretches for 2 miles along the Sligo coastline. Paddy can’t wait to feel the sand under his paws!
But on the beach… Look out, Paddy! HERE BE MONSTERS!
Eeeek, look at the size of these jellyfish! Paddy doesn’t seem to be afraid of them, but maybe we’ll skip the dip in the Atlantic Ocean for today, and seek further adventures inland.
Better go and have a closer look.
“Whose legs are these, Plunkett?”
That’s more like it!
Then there’s juuuuuust time for a little refreshment before they head for home!
Have you had any adventures on your own doorstep recently? Be sure to tell us all about it in the comments!
“What’s going on here, Paddy?”
“… But hop in here and we’ll soon find out!”
“We’re here! Um, where is here?”
“We’re in the west. Sligo, I think!”
“Aaaaaaah!”
So many waterfalls! You probably won’t be surprised to learn that this town, Ballysadare, takes its name from these beautiful rushing rivers. It’s called “Baile Easa Dara” in Irish, which means “town of the waterfall of the oak”. Clearly Paddy has gone in search of the oak!
And Plunkett LOVES these.
“Fine. But we’re definitely going to the beach tomorrow!”