The past year has turned all our lives upside down as we have struggled to adapt and adjust to the ‘new normal’, a result of the devastating impact of the global pandemic. Undoubtedly one of the most challenging aspects of this new order is not being able to physically be with family and friends. New IT skills have been hastily acquired to take advantage of the fantastic communication technologies such as Facetime and Zoom. Our daughter and son live and work far from Norther

An invigoratingly fresh, early spring day here at BallyCairn on the beautiful Causeway Coastal Route. Walking around the garden earlier Dee and I were thrilled to see the spring blubs popping up all around the 'Elf Hame'. Every time we walk past this quirky little residence the words of the charming Allingham poem which we learned as children, come to mind. As one ambles through these gardens and beyond to the hills behind, it is easy to conjure the images from the poem. We t