It’s been a while since we heard from the boys, hasn’t it? But don’t worry, they’ve just been getting away from it all (locally) again! Now they’re back and ready to share their latest adventure – in Antrim!
Of course, at first they didn’t know they were going to Antrim. When Beasties travel, the luck of the draw prevails! This is how they planned their trip.
“Look, Plunkett! I think there might be another staycation in the pipeline. Shall we?”
“Hmmm… Maybe. Where are they going, do you think?”
“Does it matter? Come on!”
Ever the opportunist, Paddy knows exactly where the best seats in the house are.
“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!”
However, Plunkett needs a little more convincing.
“Are you sure that’s a good idea, Paddy? That bag says ‘Colditz’ on it. Do you not remember the film we watched last Wednesday?”
“Ahhhh, it’ll be grand. Hop in!”
Well, he makes a compelling argument.
“If we end up in an escape-proof prisoner of war camp, Paddy, I’m holding you responsible!”
It looks like young Paddy might have made the right call, though.
“There! What did I tell you? Floor-to-ceiling windows, soft carpeting under our paws… And the humans will never spot us back here!”
But when the car stops…
“Paddy…”
“… Is this a castle?”
“Errrrrrm…”
Well yes, it is. But fortunately, it’s Antrim Castle – not Colditz.
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!
More from the boys next week. In the meantime, stay safe wherever you are!
PS…
I should probably mention that the lads took this trip before the latest round of coronavirus-inspired restrictions came into effect on both sides of the Irish border! If you find yourself in a similarly Covid-ey place, please let the Beasties do your travelling for you, and enjoy their adventures from the comfort of your own couch 🙂
… You’ll see BEASTIES!
Even as summer here draws to a close, there are plenty of bright blooms to enjoy too. The hydrangeas are very much in flower!
Next, we made our way down to the lily pond.
There are still enough lily pads on the surface that Explorer Beastie figured he could cross to the other side by walking over them, but I encouraged him to use the picturesque bridge instead.
And further on… HERE BE MONSTERS!
I’m not exactly sure what species it is – I couldn’t see a sign or tag near it. Anyone want to help us out here?
I think we’re going to be here a while.
It’s a bit hard to see among all those yellow flowers but…
Yes, it’s a BumbleBeastie!
Then Explorer Beastie found us.
“Hello! Want to join us for lunch?”
We even met some of her six-legged insect counterparts along the way.
We left her tucking into some lamb’s ear – a favourite bee treat!
I wonder who else might be in the Botanic Gardens today? You’ll have to join us next time to find out!
… 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!”
But her fishy tail…
… And aquatic-themed accessories…
… Made me realise that it’s a veeeery long time since I was last at the seaside. So, as well as a timely reminder that Beasties are found under the sea as well as on land, I thought I’d take a trip to the coast through some of my old photos.
And while he was living it up overseas, 
That said, not all of their seaside visits have gone so smoothly. In 
How about you lot? Are any of you still able to get to the beach, or are you longing to feel sand between your toes again? Let us know in the comments!
… Got a Covid-19-era update!
The face mask is made from cotton, pleated and lined with felt for some good woolly air filtration. Then, a pretty ribbon strap with a little elastic helps to hold it in place.
Two needle-felted wool sponge cakes, sandwiched between layers of felt jam and icing? That would put a smile on any Beastie’s face!
She’s also dressed to impress, in a sweet floral print sundress with ribbon ties on the shoulders.
And finally, check out those lustrous alpaca tresses! I really should get the Beasties to share their hairdressing secrets.
Now all we need to figure out is how she’s going to blow out the candle without removing her face mask!
Big thanks to Annemarie for suggesting this fun and timely project! And speaking of fun…
As such, I have been avidly following the daily patrollings of Big Ginger Cat and Little Tortoiseshell Cat, who swing by several times a day to sunbathe, hunt bluebottles and wage war on the magpies in the big tree. It’s nice to see them continuing about their usual business!
The last time I saw that sweet teal-coloured Beastie in the red scarf was at the Christmas on the Square market back at the end of November. He was hoping to find a home to call his own, and he really lucked out! A few weeks later, I received a lovely email from his new family. They told me he was settling in well, and they’d called him Felix because he’d brought them so much happiness. Well, that Beastie has some serious happy-making powers, because hearing that made me smile too!
… Learning to ride a bike (I’m not sure how he’s working the pedals, but that doesn’t lessen the achievement)…
… And taking the family car for a spin.
Let’s hope he’s a better driver than our good friend Paddy!
Well held!
Well, an ice cream would definitely be a good start. Hopefully he’s planning to share all that with someone… It’s nearly as big as he is!
To further his career, he asked me to share this photo of him recreating a classic pic of U2 (image not my own, I should say), taken around 2000 in Dublin’s Grand Canal Dock.
Bake Off Beastie had prepared treats…
Any chance I can use my scissors, lads?
“No, sorry. This is the bar now. Sláinte!”
Turns out my cutting mat makes a pretty nifty dancefloor… And oh great, they’re dancing on the tables now too.
What’s this? MORE BEASTIES?!
Oh, come on! Some of you are aren’t even finished yet! And hey, get down from there!
Uh-oh. This can only go one way.
“Um, we got you a present?”
“Oh yeah! Look at that!”
Then…
Alright, time to get back to the studio! We’re heading to the 
…But there’s still plenty left for curious Beasties to explore! Let’s join them as they’re taking a breather in the peaceful environs of the arboretum. What great, deep conversations are they having on that elegant stone bench, I wonder?
“Reminds me a bit of the scenes on Endor from Return of the Jedi, this place.”
Or how about a round of hide and seek? There must be millions of good hiding places in here!
“Found you, Paddy! Now it’s my turn to hide.”
“…I’ll be able to see everything!”
It originally graced the entrance of Bamberg Cathedral in Germany, and is 240 years old! It also recently had a facelift, and even the attendant eagles on the pillars got a shiny new coat of gold paint.
“Come on, Plunkett! Nearly there!”
“This had better be worth it… Oh, look at those statues!”
“And what’s that up on the hill?”
And, at journey’s end, they find themselves in a very peculiar place.
It’s the old family pet cemetery! Much less scary than the one in the Stephen King story, this one has memorials to faithful hounds and, if you look at the older headstone on the right, less conventional “pets” like cows get a look-in too.