Relief and Retreat (part 2)...

Well supplied with all that I would need for the day I sat in the car trying to figure out where I wanted to go. The decision was not hard. I wanted to go to my favorite spot in all of Ireland... a small loch in the heart of the mountains. It is one of those out of the way places that most tourists never see.... hidden far off the main tour route. Discovering this place has been a bit of a process. We first went up the road a bit last Christmas when R & B came to visit... but we got distracted by sheep dogs working on the mountain side and didn't drive far enough to discover the loch. We drove a bit of the road this summer with Dena & T but stopped short again... Then this summer we went all the way to the loch with my parents. I am so glad that we did. The quiet beach, with its coffee colored sands, sits nestled between mountains in much the same way Loch Ness does in Scotland. That summer's day picnic with my parents is one that I will never forget. A quiet moment in time where we walked the shore... laid in the sun... and laughed... a moment that I will always be able to replay in my mind and heart. The loch and beach were quiet on Monday afternoon. The winter's sun (even at mid-day) was not high enough to peek over the mountains and warm the sands.... there were not any kids playing in the water... no sounds of passing cars.... only the occasional sheep call... and me sitting on the wet grass in my good jeans with my journal and an apple. It was the perfect place to feel completely alone... to be able to sing without anyone hearing... to be able to pray in a way (and place) that the ancient Celtic Christians once did.... to stand in amazement of the creation and the power of the Creator...................................... I don't know how long I stayed there..... but it was refreshing... and humbling........



(Stayed tuned.... for the rest of the story...)




You can see the sun peeking over the mountain in this pic. I took it right at 1pm.