Even in winter, the nature reserve “Limerick Forest” delighted our eyes with endless vistas of tall and tumbled trees along a leaf-strewn path. Incidental sheets of thin ice crackled under-foot, some just deep enough to wet the toes of our shoes, but easily avoided. My niece and great-nieces brought me to this still woodland for exercise and fresh air. Slightly frozen puddles drew their two dogs, Quiche and Newt, into the ecstasy of wet skin, further scrubbed by vigorous rolling in patches of thin snow. The animals’ unbridled joy burst into super-sonic races amongst the trees, terminating in playful, noisy tussles. Daunted only by being placed on leashes when their barking became hysterical, they forgave and forgot the moment freedom was restored. View the video. A boardwalk carried us over the delicate ma
... read more
