Do you like winter time in Ireland? I know it can be a bit damp and cold but it can be lovely to have an excuse to stay indoors in a cosy living room with an open fire or alternatively when it is dry outside, wrap up warm and go for a nice stroll in the countryside... Here are a few photographs of what I am talking about....

 Ready to light the fire and keep cosy in Castle Leslie (Image from Co. Monaghan)

Walk along the by roads and country lanes to see the colourful leaves adorn the place (Image from County Cavan)

Dusk setting in on an evening walk (Image from County Cavan)

Even the cats are keeping warm on the farm 

and ducks are enjoying themselves (Image from County Leitrim)

The start of November tends to be a bit like the calm before the storm in the build up to Christmas. The Christmas adverts are on television now and lots of Christmas stock in the shops. I shouldn't even be mentioning the big "C word" yet as we still have 6 weeks to go.

This weekend we decided to take it easy and relax, apart from some house work.  It is chilly out today and you just want to stay indoors and keep warm at the fire. We have the wood burning stove on and the living room is nice and cosy for the long night ahead. So time for some cooking, reading, blogging and watching TV. In the meantime, I have gathered together the images below for you. I am drawn to them as they all look like warm snug interiors from my travels around the Castles of Ireland.

Hello everyone, have you any nice plans for the weekend? I am busy these days with work and I am also doing a short course too. It takes a while for me to get use to doing 'homework' or 'assignments' when it is years since I was at college. It is important for us all to up skill ourselves though! Here are a few images and items which may be of interest to you this weekend.

1. The Wild Atlantic Way (WAW), If you haven't heard about it yet, you will! And you will have to check it out! It is said to be one of the most exciting touring routes in the world, covering 2,500 km along the west coast of Ireland. It will offer memories of a lifetime. So check it out on Tourism Ireland website for further details. It has not yet been officially launched and as far as I am aware there will be website for it too. You will hear and see lots of things about it where ever you are in the world! 

 {Images: Tourism Ireland and the two bottom corner images are my own}

2. Lambing and Calving Season: again I'm sure you all know that the Farm is brimming with life now with Spring in full swing. I love the wee baby animals and here are a selection of my images of the farm. All the calves are ours and the lambs and pony are our neighbours- I took a few photographs from across the fence. Bet you wish you were a farmer's wife when you look at these images :)

{All images my own}