MIRACLE of miracles, lovely weather this first week of our return from the Canarian sun and the sky-blue days of Seville, Leicestershire, and London.

THE skies over Leicester in England during our stay were as blue as the skies over La Gomera in the Canary Islands which we had just left.

I WAS not surprised to read a genetic study of the present day inhabitants of the Canary Islands, revealed that the natives of La Gomera — our second home for over 30 years — retain more of the aboriginal DNA that the inhabitants of the other islands.

THIS morning, in our village, 3km from the sea, on the terraced slopes of the Valle Gran Rey on the island of La Gomera in the Canary Islands, cocks crowded, blackbirds piped, and the fish van passed up the valley leaving skirls of sentimental Canarian music in its wake.

GREEN Gomera! This small Canary Island that, tragically, had 10% of its land mass and 30% of its World Heritage forests devastated by fires only seven months ago is now greener than Ireland.

MY WIFE and a lifelong school friend, walking along a west Cork road, saw a bird on the road ahead of them and, as a car approached, saw it take off, carrying another bird in its talons.

GRAIGUENAMANAGH TO ST MULLINS WALK

BRIGHT days at last, and celandines, the first of the spring wild flowers, open their golden petals to the sun.

IT’S all happening in the heronry, and birds are already sitting on eggs.

OTTERS are charming creatures in the way in which, all of a sudden, they poke their heads out of the water and, with whiskers dripping silvery water-drops, regard us with a look of intelligent curiosity in their dark brown eyes.