So here’s what I was meant to do yesterday: Wrap up warm, drink lots of tea with Manuka honey, apply lots of Vick’s, wrap presents, and watch The Muppet Christmas Carol, all in an attempt to fight off this chest infection. But here’s what I actually did: Wrapped up warm, saw the gorgeous light outside the window, threw on my wellies, grabbed the camera and headed for a wander around my estate.

Of course, the tea-drinking and present-wrapping did go ahead, just a little bit later than advertised…

(P.S. The baile wrapping paper is from lovely Irish Etsy shop placed, in case any one fancies some.)

The balcony was covered in snow when we got back on New Year’s Eve, so we made a mini snowman! Here he is chilling out in front of Croke park.

I then set my tripod up for this shot. Yes, it was freezing on the balcony and yes, I was wearing my New Year’s Eve finery. But it was so pretty, I couldn’t resist!)

This one was taken the following morning – we woke up to blazing sun and I was sure that it all would have melted, but everything was still wearing its snow blanket.

And our little snowman was still there.