On the Way to Work

We've been having an unexpected mild spell and even a little sunshine this week. But in spite of the change in the hour, the mornings have still been fairly gloomy and overcast.

Most of the leaves I see floating down the river have been there a while and are flat in the surface of the water, but this one was still dry enough to have kept its curl; however the current was taking it so fast that it was hard to get a decent photo of it.

Lights reflected in the water 

I liked this crow perched on a still-lit spotlight on top of a derelict building. I'd first seen him in front of it, and with the lit lamp it almost looked as if he were looking in a mirror. I still like the way this photo came out, though, even if it didn't capture what I first saw.

Another electricity box cover. Anybody know what the actual correct term for those grey boxes is? I need to check back too to see if I've uploaded the bookshelf one from the end of Capel Street. This one is at Christchurch Cathedral, and it was one of the guys in work who put me onto it, since he has this as his avatar and screensaver at the moment.

Birds

It's harder to take good photos of the birds since we've had to move the feeders - it either has to be through a window or I have to go and stand beside the house. But our current robin is becoming less timid, and a couple of days last week I even heard him singing away and not just making his territorial call.

Walking along the canal one morning last week I was thinking I had seen no wildlife at all, and then I spotted a grey squirrel, and a couple of minutes later, a grey heron.

Not a great photo, but probably the best I've managed yet of a wagtail. It was funny to see three pied wagtails flitting around along the Liffey one morning - usually it's grey wagtails I see there. And another heron, town cousin to the first one!!

Coole - the lake

Some photos of the turlough and lake at Coole.

As far as I can recall there's always been a reasonable amount of water in the actual lake at the end of the property any time we've been there. But the bottom  pictures show the difference between the turlough part now, and in March 2010. It appears that most of my other photos are pre-digital, but I'm glad I found some that weren't. Quite apart from the difference in how green it was, the variation in the water levels is quite something. There's a moss on some rocks that marks the maximum water level.

October 2012

March 2010

March 2010

Coole - the woods

I love Coole Forest Park. I'd thought that maybe we'd visit it on the day we were driving home, but Sunday morning was beautiful and Monday was not, so I'm glad we went for a more leisurely walk on Sunday. I've divided the photos between the woods and the lake - I'll post the woods first. That will give me time to find a couple of older pictures of the turlough area. While Carran turlough this time was very low, the one in Coole was pretty full - I'm not sure I've ever seen it higher except during actual floods.
The woodlands are so lovely - down near the lake where they can get flooded they have almost a primeval look.
We were fascinated by the tree growing over one of the big rock. And the guelder roses were covered in berries and looked just wonderful. While C was off investigating a covered shelter in the woods I found traces of a pine marten - I only wish I'd been able to actually see one!!

North Clare

On Saturday our drive took us through the Burren heartland and up to the north Clare coast. On the way we passed through Carran, where the turlough was very low indeed, just looking like lightly flooded land.

The following two photos were taken from exactly the same spot (within a few metres!) in September 2008, when the turlough was quite full.

We managed to get just about 3/4 lb of sloes, which was not very much at all. But the views from round there are so good that C is always happy to go there anyway - and we do still have some sloe gin left from two years ago when there was a bumper harvest. The blackberries were pretty miserable too - I think it hasn't been a good year in the wild any more than in peoples gardens.

From there we went on our usual drive/walk around the Finvara area. The high point of the whole weekend for C was seeing this sparrowhawk as we drove slowly along the coast road. It stayed there for ages - I was able to get out of the car and get quite close, while C managed to balance the spotting scope on the car window for an even better view.

In the field beside the Martello tower we spotted a late Red Admiral in remarkably good condition for this late in the year. I think I've read that a lot of butterflies have been late this year...

Clare - Dromore

Our first morning in Clare the weather wasn't the best but it wasn't actually raining when we decided to go for a walk mid-morning. It was pouring by the time we reached Dromore woods, but apart from crossing the causeway it was quite sheltered under the trees, and some of the time it dried up altogether.

view from the bridge

lichen opposite the castle

Recipe Time

The temperatures plummeted last night to just above freezing, and a clear sky brought an end to the dismal grey mornings we've been having recently.
So we went for a quick walk in the park. We were no sooner in the gate than we spotted a pair of jays, to C's delight. I've seen them before in Farmleigh, but it's only the second time he's ever seen any. Then his beloved wood duck was back on the lake, and we saw a pair of Little Grebe - a first for him. Plenty of birds in Farmleigh, too, and lots of glorious autumn colour.

 

We came home and I cooked this for our brunch : German Apple Pancake

Pancake:
3 large eggs
1/4 pt milk (5 fluid ounces; this is an imperial pint!)
3 oz white flour - between 1/2 and 3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
3/4oz / 1 1/2 tblsp butter
1 apple thinly sliced (optional)

Filling:
1 lb tart apples thinly sliced - preferably ones which will hold their shape
2 oz / 1/2 stick melted butter
2 oz / 1/4 cup sugar
cinnamon and nutmeg to taste.

Prepare the pancake batter by beating together the eggs, milk flour and salt till smooth. If you wish to add some thinly sliced apples, do so.
Preheat the oven to 220C, 425F.
Heat a 12" heavy skillet, melt the butter in it and once it's sizzling, pour in the batter and put into the oven. Cook for 15 minutes, then lower the heat to 170C, 350F and cook for another 10 minutes; it should be brown and crisp.
Now, here's where I don't know if the issue is that my largest skillet which will fit in the oven is only 11", or if it is meant to rise up the sides of the pan! I've made it twice now (once with, once without the optional apple), and it's been the same both times.  The recipe is from "The Vegetarian Epicure", which was Anna Thomas' first cookery book. All I have for this recipe is a rapidly fading  photocopy on thermal fax paper - a situation soon to be rectified. She says that during the first 10 minutes or so of cooking it may puff up in large bubbles, in which case you should pierce them with a fork. Mine just rises up the sides...but at the end I am able to fold the sides to the centre which works OK.
The filling should only take about ten minutes to prepare; melt the remaining 2 ounces of butter, sauté the apples till just soft, then add the sugar and spices.
Slide the pancake out onto a large plate. Recipe says put the filling over one side and fold the other half over it. My way means I spread the filling over the whole centre and fold my very risen sides in over it.
You can drizzle with more melted butter  (I don't) and sprinkle with sugar..
We can finish this between us for breakfast or brunch, it could probably serve three. As a dessert with cream or icecream it would certainly serve up to 6.