TGI Friday ...

And what a  week it's been. We've had a heatwave in Ireland. In Ireland! A heatwave! Who'd have thought? We showed up and brought the summer weather with us. It was brilliant. We had glorious afternoons of blue skies and sunshine as we walked our dogs. Being further north the days are so much longer at this time of the year, giving us lots of opportunities to enjoy the great out-of-doors into the late evenings.

We picked the sweet wild strawberries that grow in the hedgerows along the little country lanes hereabouts.

We gathered raspberries in the forest to make Wild Raspberry Jam, and reminisced about all the other summer jams that we've enjoyed. There's nothing like a seasonal, once-a-year activity for getting you to think about all the other similar seasons you've savoured in years gone by. It's a fast-cut to nostalgia.

We went on long walks to explore new places that my mum has discovered with her walking club. Isn't it amazing how many wonderful places we all have on our doorsteps, ready to be explored and enjoyed?

We fed the ducks ...

... and peered long and hard into the murky waters of the lake looking for brown trout. They're there, I'm sure they are, but the warm, sunny weather has driven them all into the cool of the lake bottom.

We kicked back and enjoyed all the wonderful colour in my mother's garden. She's a bit of a wizard when it comes to the mixed perennial borders, and her garden is a great, joyous explosion of colour at the moment.

We visited the magical Altadaven Glen where druids once worshipped, and where wild blaeberries grow on the damp of the forest floor.

We explored another castle on the North Wales seaboard, built by Edward I to consolidate his hold over the people of Wales way back in the 13th century.

And finally we bombed down to Devon to relax amidst apple orchards, buzzing bees and contented moo cows. Summer is just a little bit dreamy at the moment ... definitely the very best time of the year.

Wishing you all a summertastic weekend filled with blue skies and sunshine.

All the best for now,

Bonny x