Last year on International Women's Day, I started my journey on a new venture in storytelling, communicating the aims, activities and achievements of a pan-European ocean science project, driven by a consortium of partners from major research institutes and featuring a tribe of awesome women! I've been deeply inspired by these dedicated women working in... Continue Reading →
A Short Spell with a Pet Peacock
The first time I saw a peacock was when one flew into our pond when I was eight. We thought he was amazing. The ducks were nonplussed. The turtle was nervous. The cat was curious. And the frogs were uncharacteristically silent. My mom rang the zoo to ask what to feed him and was told,... Continue Reading →
Three people, two cats, three countries, dozens of tolls, one ferry: An adventurous life can seem romantic and ideal, but it brings with it a whole new spectrum of challenges and I'd be lying if I said - no tears. While I do get real in this travelogue, it doesn't stray into that colour for... Continue Reading →
Woolly Wonders
I once came across a tree wearing a woolly jumper. It was one of those days when I was feeling stuck in an undesirable, uninspired moment. I put the blame on the weather. It was also stuck—its wind sleeping tightly, its sunshine hiding behind miles of dull grey cloud, its precipitation delivering hours of persistent... Continue Reading →
Trove of Crystals
A surprise a millions of years in the making There are hundreds of tiny inlets along Galway Bay offering sandy spits, grassy slopes, intriguing rock pools, and piles of limestone. One Sunday afternoon, some neighbours suggested we take a different route from our usual loop. It was a magic afternoon with amazing light and the... Continue Reading →
The curious case of the tiny slipper lost at midnight
I opened the backdoor one frosty morning and found this tiny, worn slipper on the middle of the top step. Where it came from, I can only imagine. Perhaps a squirrel left it there, or a bird dropped it from overhead. Probable theories. But probability isn't my typical starting point. A tiny person, a fairy,... Continue Reading →