Hello there Beastie friends! And welcome to February… Spring is now juuuust around the corner, right? And with days lengthening and daffodils and snowdrops starting to poke their way through the earth, is it possible that the lockdown is thawing out a bit too?
Paddy certainly thinks so.
“Camera, car keys, a box of travel sweeties – I think the humans are going somewhere!”
But Plunkett isn’t so sure. He suggests they check the news before they start making travel plans.
Ah. Oh dear.
“Sorry, Paddy. Lockdown continues… It looks like we’re staying home for the time being.”
But Paddy, as we know, is an optimistic creature. And lockdown or no lockdown, he’s still happy to tuck into the humans’ travel sweets. Except…
“Gaaaah! Plunkett! WHAT ARE THESE? They don’t look like sweeties!”
Isn’t it lucky that tech-savvy Plunkett is on hand?
“It’s a memory stick, Paddy.”
“Huh?”
“Come on, I’ll show you. It’ll help us put in the time until lunch.”
He selects a nice bright green one, to match his lovely mossy complexion, and…
“Pop it in the side of the computer here… We’re on our way! Look at all those photos.”
“So, where would you like to go, Paddy?”
“Oooh… How about those ones there?”
“Carlingford? Good choice!”
He’s right! It looks beautiful there.
Let’s swing in for a closer look.
I don’t know about you, but this is EXACTLY the kind of view I needed to see today! And the boys’ tour isn’t finished yet… Now they’re off to Carlingford town.
“Oh cool, a castle!”
“Yes, Paddy! Carlingford Castle was built by King John of England, and has been here on the shores of the Lough since the 12th century.”
And it’s not the only castle in town, either.
There’s a medieval church too. Plunkett is in raptures over all that lovely stonework.
“I’ll just zoom in here, for a closer look…”
“Do you see any leprechauns, Plunkett?”
“Noooo… Why would I?”
“Carlingford is the leprechaun capital of Ireland, of course!”
It really is, you know. Paddy pulled up this website to prove it! And if you want to capture your very own leprechaun, you can join the annual Leprechaun Hunt. It takes place in the Cooley Mountains, up behind the town.
I can think of worse places to spend a day looking for the “little people”! The Mourne mountains are also nearby.
“And there are some incredible beaches, too.”
“I’d love to go there sometime, Plunkett!”
“Well, with a little technical wizardry…”
“… We can!”
“Cool! Hey, if we travel like this, just imagine the places we could go!”
Good thinking, Paddy. So, is there anywhere you’d like Paddy and Plunkett to virtually visit over the coming months? Be sure to let us know in the comments!
And while some shadowy thickets retained a feeling of chilly mystery when the clouds parted…
… In some places the winter sun broke through the trees and made the empty fields glow.
And there are wonders right at your feet in the undergrowth, too.
These alien-looking marvels are fungi called earthstars. They pop up in the same place every year, so I always make sure to check in on them when I’m in the neighbourhood.
But where was Explorer Beastie while all this was going on? Ummm…
Well, I suppose the holidays are a time to rest up and recharge your batteries.
Paddy was up nice and early, so he spotted it first. And of course, the very next thing he did was…
“What IS it, Paddy?”
“Look at that!”
But just looking at the snow was never going to be enough for Paddy. I think it’s time to head outside and play in it, don’t you?
It looks like he already has a project in mind, too. Look at him go!
“It’s a SnowBeastie, Plunkett! What do you think?”
Much better! It’s almost as cute as you are, boys.
… And get toasty again by the stove!
… While still preserving the useful key features (a Monday-Sunday week and note space at the bottom) that help keep me on track.
… Paddy is, as ever, happy to oblige. Revisit his attempt to obtain gainful seasonal employment from a certain jolly Beastie in a red suit 
… Or overindulge in high-calorie foods.
But you may wish to take your mind off the Beastie-shaped gap in your life by perusing the shelves of our 
… Or enjoy a picnic together.
Yum!
And if that wasn’t enough, we’re also within walking distance of the National Botanic Gardens…
…The city centre parks of St Stephen’s Green and Iveagh Gardens…
… And spooky St Kevin’s Park, as featured in our 
Plus you never know who you might bump into along the way.
Dublin is also packed full of interesting old buildings to admire. The city is especially well-known for its Georgian-era architecture – a style that was popular for just over a century, beginning in the early 1710s.
How about you? Have you been seeing what’s on your doorstep with fresh eyes these past couple of months? Be sure to tell us all about it in the comments!
“Awww, Plunkett!
“Taaa-DAAAAAAH!”
“… And wait for a bit. That’s it, straight ahead.”
… As the leaves had turned vibrant red before he’d even finished climbing up to where Paddy was sitting among the branches!
And with that, Plunkett started to clamber back down to ground level.
And now Paddy can scoop up giant pawfuls of red leaves, and give Autumn Beasties everywhere a run for their money. Nice hat, Paddy!
I still haven’t figured out why Beasties love Autumn leaves so much, but hey, at least they’re happy!
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!”
Pretty rustic, eh? Back then I was using “graduate” sketchbooks – books with a thick paper cover that are stapled together in the middle like a magazine – and sending my customers photos of the pages. That’s why you can see shadows down some of the sides!
That said, I did keep on drawing by hand for a good while afterwards! Here are a couple from back in 2017 – do any of you recognise these Beasties?
Then when I figured out that I could scan in my fabric stash and show people the actual prints I’d be using for their Beastie’s outfits, I couldn’t have been happier!
And although I can now type most of the text, I still like to throw the odd bit of my own hand-drawn lettering into the sketches too.
How about you? Will you be cracking out your pencils this weekend, or creating artwork on your computer? Be sure to tell us all about it in the comments!