It was Mrs Shan's birthday last week (29 years old, of course!!!) and we celebrated with what I think was our first lunch without the kids since well before the first lockdown started. We went to a lovely restaurant in Adare called 1826. You can only eat outdoors at the moment in Ireland, and it was a bit drizzly, but we didn't care!

Mrs Shan celebrated by having a few bellinis, while I opted for a non-alcoholic G&T, which was very tasty and meant I was able to drive us on to the Limerick racecourse where I received my second COVID vaccination -- hurrah!! A busy, enjoyable little day. More lunches, less viruses -- that's my wish for the rest of the year and all the years beyond...

The other three photos capture the green-fingered Shan kids in action in our back yard recently. Mrs Shan has developed a keen interest in gardening over the last few years, and our patio area is now packed with pots growing all kinds of veg. I'll be honest -- I've no interest in that myself, and do very little to help out, but the kids are really into it, so hopefully they'll grow up to be handier in the great outdoors than their rather lazy and useless old man! :-)

NEW BOOK alert!!! Book 4 of my Archibald Lox series goes on sale THIS THURSDAY!!!! Find out more here: https://darrenshan.com/news/shanville-monthly