Christmas Day

A Christmas hello from "Red" .

With Phillip absent from the palace, lord Louis thought he'd step in.


The beach at Derrynane.

Lord Brandon's Cottage

We had a lovely drive through Black Valley yesterday. Inspiration for Pete's writing. Don't know who Lord Brandon was but he lived in a spectacular place...... I'm afraid my photos don't do it justice. We've been tipped off that it's an excellent place for Salmon and Trout too. The season starts at the end of January and you don't need a licence to fish for trout at all. The salmon licence will set you back just €50. Don't know how true this is but it seems amazing. It's also a hotspot to see the eagles but we weren't lucky today. There is a cafe open in the summer and they run boat trips across the lake to Killarney......can't wait!

All Ready for Christmas

Louis is totally chuffed with his new, Christmas bow tie. Thanks George and Pauline xx

Killarney National Park

Killarney was looking beautiful yesterday, Louis chased the deer and we chatted to a local cyclist who runs the facebook page "Killarney National Park" if he didn't work for failte Ireland he should!

Kenmare Christmas Fayre

I would have taken my coat off....... but it was freezing!

SOLD SOLD SOLD

Pipe Dreams

Mary is really pleased with her new seat covers but I had to organise putting them on when her husband was out......... lighten up men of the world. My first full on piping and it took me ages, I had to pull an all nighter as I'd promised them by the end of the week. 1am sewing machine a little noisy, bare metal scraping and squeaking. 2am a bit of a re-oil. 3am dismantle sewing machine for thorough re-oilng. 4am reassembly to discover 3 spare screws and a weird washer...... oh dear. 5am..... working again....hurrah spare screws obviously not needed. 10am finish and fit. Beautiful day at Gleesk, sunshine and snow on the mountains.

Gleesk, Parknasilla and a possible Workshop

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Had a lovely hectic visit to Wales but was pleased to be back in Sneem with the boys. It turns out that my case full of bargain fabric was more expensive than the actual flight.... always wondered how budget airlines make a profit.....
We dodged the showers at Gleesk today, a beautiful bit of coastline about 5 miles away from Sneem. There are lots of abandoned properties for sale and last summer a dutch chap I spoke to saw 5 hump-back whales from just this spot. Couldn't resist another visit to Parknasilla, the bench shot looking out towards the bathing hut with the Beara Hills beyond. On our way back we saw two White Tailed Sea Eagles circling.... no pics though as they just looked like dirty smudges.
Also a photo of the turf cabin that will hopefully become my workshop for a short spell, giving Pete some peace to write!

Sneem Walking Club

A Fabulous walk of about 14 miles of the Kerry Way last Sunday, much easier than the killer ridge walk of the week before!. We walked from Waterville to Castle Cove with a short stop at a cave that was lived in by a woman and her 7 children when she was evicted during the famine........imagine that? Great company and we enjoyed a welcoming pint of the brown stuff with sandwiches at the end. Also chuffed to be booked onto a Mountain Skills/Guiding course which starts in Sneem tomorrow and is FREE!! Something I've always wanted to do. Tim and Caroline are putting me into their cottage welcome pack so I'd better get walking all of the Kerry Way in preparation for the Summer season. Hurrah!

Back to Life

Horrid, brown draylon replaced with linen lace and herringbone tweed. Thinking of trying to flog for about £60. Bargain or rip off?

The Most Weird House viewing EVER!

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We meet Jerry, Paddy and Steve on the pier..... three of twelve brothers seling their Granny's farm. In the boat, 3 brothers (one very hung over), Mary (estate agent), Tom - not a talker (I think Mary's father in law on a jolly), Myself and Pete. A bit slippery on the pier..... everyone shouts at poor Tom.... "Careful Tom it's slippy", "sit down Tom", "stop moving Tom"..... Tom is pretty weighty.
Two minutes from the pier, bit wobbly.... engine floods, everyone shouts at Tom. Tom takes lots of photos, 200th pull, engine spluttering again, phew.
Across Oysterbed........ beautiful, through the narrow gully with the land rising steeply to the right. No pier, no jetty, just slippery seaweed and a very nervous estate agent getting off the boat, Tom takes photos, everyone shouts at Tom. The boys leave Me, Jerry, Mary (and her mobile phone) and Pete on the rocks.
A clamber up the rocks to the main farmhouse..... hmm. Estate agent remarks on the solid walls! !!!Jerry points out the boundary, Gran lived here for 11 years on her own, rowed to Parknasilla Hotel three miles away daily for her shift, rowed back in the dark, trekked for 20 mins and slept with the animals in bad weather! Sharon not keen.
Breathtaking views back towards Oysterbed Pier, bog, heather, sea thrift??? Isn't that a spring plant, trek back but no darn boat?

Boat arrives, gets lodged on rocks, Dad told them which gap to go through but that was 20 years ago. Eventually reach jetty, Everyone shouts at Tom, Tom doesn't listen, "it's slippery Tom", Tom falls on his Arse!

Christmas Puddings

Here is the latest creation..... thanks for the hint Claire and Julie.... Christmas puds it is! The red pins are temporary, they will have sparkly red beads and a leather loop for hanging on the tree.

Pete's been busy chopping all of the loose wood in the garden this week. Saving us a fortune and Louis has been helping too. Lou settles in front of the fire afterwards but has taken to finding a new bed in the form of MY GUITAR CASE when it gets a bit hot.

Pound cottage from the road.

A view of the wonderful village of sneem from just outside Pier Cottage... there are holiday makers there at the moment and Louis just doesn't understand why he can't just wander in.

Got my first job in the bag, a member of the am dram group who wants new covers for her sofa cushions and has also roped me in to make-up and costume for their next production in February. It's all go x

Parknasilla Islands Walk

Lou off lead, seals, old people......glorious day. Need I say more?

Pound Cottage

Here is the house in all it's glory. It's a bit messier now though. Tobacco lake is just behind the house, about a five minute walk. An otter hotspot but haven't seen them yet. Me and Lou go on a welly walk each morning. There is a stream in front of the house with a bridge over it and a ford through it. We predict that it will flood in heavy rain.

We're hosting guitar club next Monday which if the last one was anything to go by will be the highlight of our week. Mostly blow ins from all corners of the world kicking back against the traditional diddley dees. I got really brave and sang a song on my own. Well, more stupid than brave really. Unfortunately a local border collie named Terry bit Lou on the nose. His behaviour had better improve by next week.

Plenty of bird life in the garden so I have bought bird food today. Look out for the sewing room window bird blog!

Christmas stuff and nonsense

More creations, have made loads so hope they sell well at the christmas markets. Honest opinions please...... string tooooo shabby chic? They are stuffed with wool and rice so have a nice weight to them and have bits of real silk tie remnants. Same both sides. Also in the pipeline are hot water bottles, draught excluders, door stops and revamped and re-upholstered furniture