Now that we're well into autumn, I'm looking back at my store of summer photos with envy. In truth, it wasn't an especially sunny summer in Ireland (is it ever?!?), but looking at these, I can almost fool myself into believing that the sun shone brightly every day for three or four months, with barely a cloud to offer a little shelter. That's how it stands in my memories, anyhow, and memories always tell us the truth, right?!? :-)

These were all taken on the beach at Ballybunion, though not all on the same day. The first features three generations of Shans -- my Dad, me, and my daughter Gaia. (Like my T-shirt?!? I thought it was the perfect thing to wear to the beach!!!)

In the second, Granny Shan cuddles up with her two favourite children in all the world, Gaia and her big brother Dante.

In the third, Bapcia (their maternal granny) buries Dante alive. As you can tell from what she's wearing, she didn't think the weather was quite as warm as the rest of us did!!

Grandad is back in the fourth to swing Gaia through the water of a rock pool, and prove that he's still up to the task of entertaining young 'uns on the beach, even though he's pushing 80, and had to do it all nearly fifty years ago with me and my brother Declan when we were the size of Dante and Gaia now...

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