The days are getting longer and just a little warmer. The crocus’s were quick to follow the snowdrops and then the daffodils came in abundance – but in typical West of Ireland style a storm of wind and heavy rain battered the daffodils to the ground – they are finally recovering. We have been very careful staying close to home – a trip to Moycullen was a huge bonus shopping – it allowed the rusty brakes on the car get loosened up a bit. We have no idea when we last bought fuel for the car!

The reference to going bats related to this beautiful long eared bat the second one to die in the garden over the last 30 years. We see them the odd time as we have an abundance of bats here including the Daubenton bats over the river – one of which we had to rescue one morning when we found it rapped in fishing line dangling in the water in the river (It recovered in the hot press and flew away that evening!); – to the colony of 68 Pippistrell’s that used live in the soffit of the house – sadly they deserted us for some other roost. These are such magnificent animals and Oughterard has way more than its fair share of these lovely creatures. The unfortunate Long-eared – bat that perished still have an insect in its mouth – they are weaker flier and with bigger eyes don’t rely on echo location to the same extent and may have collided with the telephone wire as we found him on the tarmac! His foot is amazing with its five hairy toes!

We tried for the past month to at least do a walk to Oughterard pier in the evenings after work. This was hard in the early days when it was nearly dark but got easier as the sunsets were later, but we long to be able to visit Connemara and some of the beautiful mountains just waiting for us!