The Diary

14 January 2010

The "bad" weather is fading. An attempt at a storm yesterday but today is calm. All the snow and ice are gone - but compared to the rest of Ireland we got no real snow or ice up here. This small North West tip of Ireland has escaped the worst of the weather. People think living here must be tough weather but in actual fact we escape the worst of the weather. Call it a "micro climate" because that is what we get here in summer and in winter. We get good weather compared to the rest of Ireland.

The bad weather fronts seem to politely clip clear of this North West tip of Ireland. We escape the worst of the weather. My friend Jill who lives in Kerry has been snowed in since before Christmas - not so here.

Sure it is cold but we don't have snow or icy roads - not like Dublin or Kerry or Cork or the Midlands - where it is mayhem.

I am feeding the Big Lads extra cereal and hay as it is cold and they need extra nutrition in the cold. My dogs are in by the fire most of the time. Using lots of coal but we need to keep warm and cosy.

I bought special birdfeed to keep the birds fed as they are hungry in this weather. The robins and wagtails come out when I am feeding the Big Lads so I leave a pile of food for them to help them survive this cold spell.

So despite what you might think this area has not been hit with heavy snow or ice.

I can get out to buy food for all my animals and that is all I go out for.

We got it easy up here on the NW tip of Ireland compared to the rest of Ireland, England and Scotland.

For the rest of you - take care on the ice and in the snow and mind the floods that are forecast....

Living on the NW tip of Ireland up a mountain does have it's good points!

Annette