I'm dreaming of the sea now that we are on Day 3 of the lockdown in Ireland due to the Covid-19 virus. We live in the midlands and are only allowed to travel 2 km from our home so the sea is a faraway memory at the moment. I took this photo in Arthurstown, which is a quiet village on the Wexford peninsula. If you look closely, you'll see a tall ship in the distance.
A happy St Patrick’s Day to you all across the world. The Covid-19 pandemic is affecting each and every one of us and I hope that you will stay safe wherever you live.
We are having an unusual St Patrick’s Day celebration here in our little corner of the world where our pubs and restaurants are closed because the Irish Government has advised us to stay at home. We are bracing ourselves for an increase in infection cases over the next couple of weeks that will put enormous strain on our health system but everyone is working hard to save lives.
This is the sort of photo I use to give me ideas. If you were out for a walk and came across this, would you go in?
What would you find in here? A biscuit tin with an old diary inside? Old love letters from people long dead? A sack of stolen trinkets? Or perhaps a pile of bones? I know if this was a scene from a murder mystery on television, some innocent person would be walking a dog; the dog would go into here and a body would be discovered. It’s a classic.
It takes a bit of searching to find colour in my garden this month but I always appreciate it when I do. I had to get up close with the camera to find little yellow crocus among dead leaves, drifts of snowdrops, tiny pink and white flowers of sweet-scented Viburnum 'Fragrans' and spiky leaves of Mahonia japonica with cheerful yellow flowers. And, of course, a friendly robin.
I’m a big fan of the National Library of Ireland photography archives, not only because they give us a true life glimpse behind the curtains of time but also because they help fire up my imagination. So, for a bit of festive fun, I compiled a Top Ten list of the historical images I used on my Instagram profile this year. These are the ones that received the most likes.
I’ve just returned home from a two week break in Ontario, Canada. My husband and I stayed with friends in London (built on the Thames River, of course) and we watched a musical in Stratford, Ontario, built on the Avon River. I can appreciate how nostalgic for home those early settlers in Canada must have been. London in Ontario also has streets named after areas in the British capital such as Kensington and Piccadilly. Back in the 1800’s, when people left home they left for good. This was certainly the case in my home country of Ireland.
As an Amazon Associate suzannewinterly.com earns from qualifying purchases. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com Inc or its affiliates.
© Suzanne Winterly 2025
