February 2024, More Walking For Women's Aid.

Hello again my loves, I hope you are all doing well. Here are some more photos from last month, where Inishowen was blessed with some absolutely beautiful weather. It made my walks that much more enjoyable, and I added another 24+ km to my total for my Women's Aid Fundraiser. That meant I had done over half the distance in a third of the month, which I was very pleased with, especially since I spent the first two days of that week laid up with a bad back! Luckily I was much better by the third day and able to get out and about again. The walk along the shore to Carrickabraghy Castle and back was an especially good day, with some stunning views. I was lucky with the timing and the tides and was able to watch the blow hole showing off for a while before I headed back home.
I have probably mentioned this before, but I have a bad memory, so I'll say it again; I have been spoiled by this beach! My family were so lucky to be able to spend every summer here, and it definitely shaped my dream to live here in later life. The long stretch of Pollan Beach used to be a lot sandier back in the day, perfect for little legs to run and explore and build sandcastles and moats. Then there are all the rock pools to fish, paddle, and even swim in, as well as the cliffs to climb and walk over. Having the Castle at the far end of the shore, complete with its own spectacular blow hole was an incredible bonus, and many times we'd walk over to have a picnic there. The family house where we stayed has a stunning view over the Bay towards Malin Head, the northernmost part of Ireland, and I always loved looking at Glashedy island and dreaming of getting over there one day. (Still on my bucket list, by the way!) All in all, I may be biased, but I consider this the best beach in the world, and I am so happy to live where I can see it every day and take a short stroll down as often as I want to. I have traveled quite a bit, and lived in different countries, but no beach I've been to draws me back like this one does.

Rain clouds over Malin Head, view from Pollan Beach.

Ballyliffin Coastal Walk, Pollan Bay.

Incredible colours, Glashedy Island and Pollan Bay.

Calm tide, Pollan Beach.

Chickens at Carrickabraghy Castle.

Carrickabraghy Castle silhouetted against the evening sun.

Blow Hole at Carrickabraghy Castle.

Sunset over Pollan Bay.

Rainbow and clouds over Pollan Bay.

Rain clouds, rainbow, and birds over the Green.

January to February 2024, Walking For Women's Aid.

 Hello my lovelies, I hope you are all doing well?? We're almost at the end of March, and as always, I am behind with everything that I wanted to do, including this Blog. I was struggling with some major depression this week, but I'm trying to be kind to myself. Sometimes the best thing I can do is curl up and read, or create art, and ignore the other demands on my time.
Anyway, here are some photos from the end of January and beginning of February this year. That was the week that I got a new phone as well, so you can expect my photos to be even better from now on. Previously I had an iPhone 8Plus, and I upgraded to an iPhone 13, so it was a big leap up for me, and the camera is so much better. I'm quite excited by the clarity of my new photos, although seeing a close up of my face in high def for the first time in a long time was definitely a shock, haha!
On the Monday, Gareth and I took a drive to Letterkenny, and stopped at the An Grianan hotel for dinner on the way back. I've driven past it many times, but never been in, so it was nice to see what it looks like on the inside. Well worth a visit if you're in the area, and you can find out more HERE. Gareth left on the Tuesday, which is always a sad time, but I knew I'd be seeing him in less than three weeks, so it wasn't as difficult a parting as usual.
On Thursday 1st February, I started a month-long Fundraiser for Women's Aid. The official goal was to walk 80km throughout the whole month, and I wanted to raise €500 or more if possible. 80km might not seem like much to some people, but for someone like me, with multiple autoimmune issues, I knew it would be quite a challenge. I don't have the strength or energy to get out every single day, but I was determined to get out as often as possible, and push myself to go further than I usually do. Of course, it being February in Ireland, I knew the weather would also be a factor, but was hoping it wouldn't be so bad that it stopped me from leaving the house.
That week I walked part way up Binnion, the big hill behind my house, along the shore to the Castle, all around Mullagh and Annagh near me, as well as into the village to treat myself to lunch. I clocked over 23km in the first four days, which felt like a great start!

Guinness 0.0 at the An Grianan Hotel.

Rocking my Women's Aid tee shirt before heading out on my first walk.

Stone walls and sheep, Mullagh.

View of Pollan Bay from Binnion.

Misty day at Pollan Bay, Coastal Walk, Ballyliffin.

View of Crockaughrim from Ardagh.

View of Tullagh from Upper Annagh.

Incredible sunset views from Upper Annagh.

Incredible sunset views from Upper Annagh.

Well deserved pint of Guinness 0.0 at Nancy's Barn.

January 2024, Storms and Guests.

 Hello again my lovelies, here are some more photos from January this year. In my previous post I mentioned Storm Isha, which blew itself out sometime on Monday morning. It had been a very wild night, but I didn't lose power. I did, however, lose my WiFi and cell service. All the towers were down, but I didn't know that at the time, and I had no way of contacting people to let them know I was okay. So, once the storm fully died down, I went for a walk up the hill and into the village in search of reception. The Ballyliffin Lodge Hotel was open, and although they had lost power briefly, they have generators, which is good to know in future emergencies. I had a drink and a meal at the bar, and contacted everyone I needed to. Luckily no-one I know was hurt or suffered any damage.

Sunshine over Binnion, after Storm Isha.

Rainbow after Storm Isha.

Threatening clouds after Storm Isha.

NA Heinekin at the Ballyliffin Lodge. (They were out of the Guinness Zero!)

The next day, it was Storm Jocelyn's turn, so we had her to contend with almost immediately. Fortunately, she wasn't as severe as Isha, at least, not in my area, though still formidable! Thankfully, all the storms were over and the seas were relatively calm again when Gareth came over on the ferry on Wednesday. As always, it was so good to see him!

Rainbow and mist over Pollan Bay, after Storm Jocelyn.

Evening view from Upper Annagh.

Evening view over Tullagh.

Evening view from Upper Annagh.

We took a few drives while Gareth was here, combining running errands with visiting a couple of pubs and enjoying the scenery. I enjoy his company so much, that even mundane tasks are an adventure, and we are always laughing and happy. This hasn't always been the case in my life, so I don't take it for granted, and of course, we want to make the most of our time together, since we are in a long-distance relationship.

Guinness Zero ON DRAUGHT at the Drift Inn, Buncrana.

Pollan Bay after the Storms.

That weekend I invited one of my cousins and his girlfriend over for dinner. They had lived locally for about the same amount of time as I've lived here, and I finally got around to organising something with them. It was good timing too, as the next week they were moving to their new house in Northern Ireland! We had a lovely evening together, but unfortunately I forgot to take any photos. I am much better at taking pictures of the beautiful landscape around me, but I don't think you mind that, do you?

January 2024, Snow and Storms.

Well hello again my lovelies, I hope you are all well and happy. I have had a busy week working on various projects, but I wanted to get another Blog post done too, so the other things will have to wait for now.
The third week in January was pretty wild and wintry. First there were several days of snow, and then some deep freezes which meant I couldn't go anywhere, well, not without risking a broken hip on the icy hills near where I live! Then on Sunday night Storm Isha came in, which was a very wild one here on the coast. You know me though, and I don't mind the bad weather. I am lucky to have a big, warm house, and if my power and wifi go out, I still have the stove for heat, and plenty of books to keep me company. I got out for some walks when I could, and stocked up on a few things so that if I needed to stay put for a few days, I had plenty of supplies. These are the kind of situations that makes me think about getting a car again, but honestly I can't justify the expense, and I have been managing well without one so far!
I actually really enjoy hunkering down under a pile of blankets, and reading a good book while the weather rages on outside. My house has lots of big windows, so I never feel claustrophobic or closed in, even when I don't get out for a few days. Since I work from home, and have multiple health issues, there are times even during spells of good weather where I don't leave the house for many days at a time. In the past, I would have gotten cabin fever much sooner, but here, with my views of the open sky, the hills and the ocean, I feel so much more free, even from the comfort of the indoors. And now that I've lived in a place with views like these, I know I would never want to live in a big city, or even a small town, ever again!

Binnion with both snow and rainbow.

Snow clouds moving in over Pollan Bay.

Snowy road, Upper Annagh.

Snowy sunset over Tullagh.

Beautiful light, snowy walk, Mullagh.

Crockaughrim in the snow.

Winter walk.

Snowy fields and Pollan Bay.

Threatening clouds, Pollan Bay.

Treating myself to a Guinness 0.0 at the Ballyliffin Hotel before the next storm.

January 2024, Sunset Walk.

 Hello my lovelies, and happy March! I feel like this year is just flying by, but I am enjoying the more Spring-like weather I've been having here.
Here are some photos of a beautiful sunset walk that I took back in January. I didn't get out much that week, so all these photos are from the same evening. They're pretty spectacular though, so they make up for any lack in variety, I think. I walked a different way for a change, and found some absolutely stunning views! I tend to go the same routes quite a lot, because I'm familiar with the terrain and the distance. Due to my health issues, I really do have to pace myself, and it would not be smart to go too far and get stranded because my knees give out, or something similar. Every now and then though, I'll research a new (to me) trail or road and see where it takes me. This road goes through the areas called Annagh and Upper Annagh, and I could hardly believe that I've lived so close and never knew how stunning the views were from there. It's definitely a new favourite walk of mine, especially in the evening when the sun is going down, so you can expect a lot more photos from there soon.

Sunset walk, Mullagh.

Ponies, with Trawbreaga Bay behind.

Sunset Selfie.

Sunset, Annagh.

Sunset, Annagh.

Sunset, Annagh, looking over Tullagh Bay.

Sunset, Annagh.

Sunset, Annagh.

Sunset, Annagh, looking over Tullagh Bay.

Sunset, Annagh.