Today's Random Pic...

We spotted the first of this year's lambs this weekend!







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A Follow Up Pic

Here is a picture of my amazing wife...








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The Hermit's Hut

Soon after I moved to Ireland a read a beautiful poem written by a tenth century Irish Saint. The words of the poem have stuck with me and often ring in my ears when I see an old ruined stone cottage. I often stop and reflect and dream of what it must have looked like years ago when it was full of life, peaceful, and was beautiful...

I wanted to share with you a bit of the poem...

The Hermit's Hut ...

"I have a hut in the wood, none knows it by my Lord; an ash tree this side, a hazel on the other, a great tree on a mound encloses it.

Two heathery door-posts for support, and a lintel of honey-sickle; around its close the wood sheds its nuts upon fat swine.

The size of my hut, small yet not small, a place of familiar paths; the she-bird in its dress of blackbird colour sings a melodious strain from its gable.
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A little hidden lowly hut, which owns the path-filled forest; will you go with me to see it?
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a tree of apples of great bounty,..., huge; a seemly crop from small-nutted branching green hazels, in cluster like a fist.

Excellent fresh springs - a cup of water, splendid to drink- they gush forth abundantly; yet berries, bird-cherries...

Tame swine lie down around it, goats, young pigs, wild swine, tall deer, does, a badger's brood.

Peaceful, in crowds, a grave host of the countryside, an assembly at my house; foxes come to the wood before it - it is delightful..."
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Without an hour of quarrel, without the noise of strife which disturbs you, grateful to the Prince who gives every good to my in my hut...









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Today's Random Pic...

A follow-up pic from the last one. This is another shot of the clouds on the mountain... Those little white dots are sheep grazing...







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Watching Clouds...

One of my first memories of moving to Ireland is sitting in our little green car watching the clouds (with their dark shadows and falling rain) move slowly over the mountains. That cold bright day came to my mind today as I stopped the car and watched the clouds for a few moments... Almost seven years later, and I still often sit in amazement at the skies here...








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Today's Random Pic...

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Monday Nights...

I am stuck at home tonight.... my annual sinus infection has decided to come early this spring... maybe that means that we will have an early return to warm weather!?! I usually spend my Monday nights down in a local pottery studio. For the last 6ish years I have been making a mess and occasionally some pots. I love my two hours down there every week. I feel that it is just therapeutic to get messy... listen to fun music... and simply create. No agenda... no clue... just chating with friends and being surprised by what turns out (and by what does not turn out). I never take my camera... the clay would just love to get into my lenses... but I did think to take a photo of some of my latest work with my phone...







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Wallace has a light bulb moment...

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Epiphany: the sudden realization or comprehension of the essence or meaning of something.



As I was preparing to go to bed on Friday night I had a realization. It happened as I emptied my pockets (trousers and a hoodie). Here is what I was carrying:


- 4 pens all of different sizes (2 I don't remember picking up)
- 23.72EURO in change
- my phone
- my keys (which is made up of about a dozen rings that I don't need but that once served a purpose)
- 7 post-it notes (2 were written upon)
- a bottle of 'Sudafed' nasal spay
- my wallet - which is overflowing with receipts and no money
- a pocket screwdriver
- 3 screws
- a remote control
- a rock

As I stood there looking at my treasures, I had a realization....

I am my father's son... and I am just like him!

and I wouldn't want it any other way... I love you - dad!




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1,000th Post

I happen to notice as I prepared to update the website that this is our 1,000th post! wow! I never would have guessed that I would have SO much to say! ha!

Over the last few months Dee has been slowing reading over all our past posts. I too have been looking back at all that we have posted (well... I've been glancing over it). I have to say that my favorite posts came in March 2008.
Here is a link to the archive:
http://www.heyitsourwebsite.com/2008_04_01_heyitsourwebsite_archive.html

Thanks for stopping by and checking up on us!




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Today's Random Pic...

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Early

I crawled out of bed extra early this morning... my need for exercise and my ever growing waist line beckoned me to the gym. Once upon a time, I was a morning person... but not any more. The house seemed unusually cold this morning, and the freezing white tiles in our bathroom felt like broken glass on my feet... I was surprised to find a frosty white coat weighing down everything outside. Temperatures had dipped below freezing last night, and as I sat shivering in my car waiting for the windows to defrost - I couldn't help but think to myself "isn't this supposed to be Spring?".

I was a good boy at the gym and had a good work out. So.... I rewarded myself with a quick swim and a long soak in the 'Canadian hot tub'. This large barrel of steaming hot water sits on a hill outside of the gym and has spectacular views. So.... stripped down to my swimming suit - I made the mad dash out of the building... across the rocky pavement... up the frosty metal steps... and into the scalding water. It was awesome to sit there in the steam and sun... watching the begining of the day with a time of reflection and awe.








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On a quiet morning....

It is a quiet and dark morning here. I'm sitting in the office watching the wind blow our overgrown grass... (a constant reminder that it needs to be cut)... I have my hot cup of tea... (which is a poor substitute for a dark mocha at my local coffee shop)... and Lynard Skynard's 'Sweet Home Alabama' is blasting out of my computer (a poor attempt to get me awake)... Today is the day that our kitchen is getting repainted, and I have been up and waiting for the painters for a while now.... The drama that was our bust pipe in the kitchen seems to never end, but hopefully today we will be able to move back into the kitchen........

I have been sitting here looking through all the photos that I have taken this winter. To be honest, I'm shocked that there are SO many that I have never posted. On average - if I go out for a drive - I'll come home with 30ish unique photos (if I'm lucky) that I'm really am happy with. It would seem that I only usually post three or four of these... So... I have a lot of photos that never make it to the internet. So.... I've decided to go through and post a few of these from this winter....



Both of these photos were taken early one winter's morning, and they both have elements that I really like. Let me know what you think!













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Today's Random Pic...

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Turning a Corner...

We have turned a major corner here in Ireland... to some people it may not mean a thing... but to me it is a major marker of every year. The first day of Spring. February first is the first day of spring in Ireland. Believe me when I say that you instantly notice the change. The weather is a bit better (although today is kinda gray and cold), animals are giving birth, and most importantly - the days are getting longer faster! Now... to all of you back in the states that are saying "how is that possible?"... It is because the Irish calendar centers the seasons around the solstices and equinoxes (so that, for instance, midsummer falls on the summer solstice), beginning the seasons at roughly the halfway points between solstice and equinox. This is a continuation of the Celtic and Gaelic system, which is pagan in origin, but feels a bit more accurate (in my opinion).


Dee and I celebrated the day in our own way...... we went for a drive. Thankfully the weather was spectacular!



I couldn't decide between these two photos... they both had elements that I liked... which one do you prefer? Leave me a comment and let me know!












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Today's Random Pic...

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Behind the camera...

As you know... a photo is worth 1,000 words.... unfortunately, it rarely tells the whole story. From time to time I like pull the veil back and reveal what is really going on around me while I take a photo...



What you see: lobster pots and brightly colored buildings through the fog....






What you don't see: The ruckus of feeding seagulls and swans as they fly around me!







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