Some more Shan snaps from our August holiday to Mallorca. I know, I know -- they seem never-ending, don't they?!? But hey, as autumn settles in around me, I'm enjoying looking back on our trip to the sun, so I'm going to string these out as long as I can. Well, until next Sunday, anyway, when I'll be presenting the final batch, then turning away from the sunshine and into the lengthening autumnal shade...

...although, to be fair, as the first photo proves, I was pretty quick to seek the shade while on holiday too! We Irish are known for our fair skin, and I toast very easily (which inspired me to write my Darren Dash horror novel for adults, about a guy who gets very badly sunburnt while on holiday, called, in probably my least imaginative but most apt titling moment ever... Sunburn!). So, on Day One, while Dante was romping rampantly in the swimming pool, I was hiding in the shade of a water slide!

A couple of sweet family photos follow, then one of Gaia relaxing by the pool. Someone noted a while back that Gaia always looks very serious in photos, and I've realised then how true that is. The funny thing is, she's an incredibly smiley baby -- almost everyone who meets her comments on how quick she is to smile warmly at them -- but she seems to turn them off as soon as a camera is aimed at her. A strop-throwing Diva in the making, methinks!!! :-)