Views from Croagh Patrick #1

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A few more...

pictures from Croagh Patrick


The pilgrim's trail





People on the top





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Today's Random Pic...

The view from O'Malley's Castle hideout...







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More from Achill Island...

Our time on Achill island with my parents was great. We had a month's worth of adventure in a single day. It really seemed like every turn of the road brought us a new and beautiful sight, a mountain to be climbed, or some historic sight that we needed to explore.


Here is just one of the little hidden beaches we went to.

















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Today's Random Pic... from the archives

I came across this picture the other day while I was looking in my archives... I don't think that I have ever posted it. I actually took this photo two years ago down in county Kerry... I was actually walking this road around the time the sun was setting on this particular evening. It was magical!

I have to say that this is one of my favorite drives in all of Ireland.







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The Emerald Isle...

I have to confess... no matter how much fun it is to travel... it is always better to come home to Ireland.



Here are a few pics that I took from the airplane window...










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Before (a beach in Ireland)

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Too much to try and catch up on…

We are in Dublin for a few days. We arrived Wed. night during a day-long rain storm. I noticed around nine o’clock that the skies were clearing and that it was going to be a clear and crisp night. I grabbed the camera bag and ran down to the River Liffey. This river that runs through the heart of the city was once sailed by the Vikings when they first settled this area. I stood admiring the city when I noticed a ship off in the distance. I decided to investigate and boy am I glad that I did. This majestic sailing ship is a part of the Mexican navy. Yep…. The Mexicans have a navy! I tried to find out where the ship was going and why it was in Dublin, but the sailors that I was talking to did not speak enough English for me to discover the whole story. The men invited me aboard, and I was able to wander around for a few minutes on this amazing ship!








On a side note… Dee and I went to the Dublin Zoo Thursday morning… so stay tuned for some pictures! Here is one of the most beautiful creatures we saw there.

Today's Random Pic...

Mom's Beach



I am still under the weather. I went to the doc yesterday.... and he gave me some medicine. Hopefully I will be feeling better in the next couple of days. I am really getting tired of being sick!

I'm posting a picture of my mom's favorite beach (in Ireland). It does not look like much... but this quarter mile of rock and sand has (literally) millions of little shells and pieces of coral. We have spent a lot of time here over the past few years... and I always think of my mom when I'm there. The day we were here (see previous post) it was quiet and abandoned. The sand was untouched and the only sounds were of the breaking waves and the wind blowing.






PS - I took this with my new lens. ;)

Sunshine!

I was feeling a lot better today... I'm not sure what I have... just some kind of sinus infection that seems to be sticking around longer than I would like. I am the first to admit that I am not a good sick person. I don't like to take it easy. I don't suffer in silence. I have to complain to someone (sorry Dee). I usually rush the healing process and push myself before I should. Having said all of that... today was a beautiful day. The sun was out, and there was a welcomed spring feel to the day. Dee got me out of the house and office for a while this afternoon, and we went for a drive. I recently got a new lens (thanks mom and dad!), and I have been itching to try it out. Here is a picture that I took from the side of the road this evening.

Relief and Retreat (part 3)...

Another pic from my mountain loch...

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.

Relief and Retreat...

Yesterday was amazing. It was a welcomed day of relief. In the midst of weeks of darkness and storms we had a spring day. This in and of its self would be amazing... but thankfully my schedule cleared itself and I found myself free from any work... classes... or commitments. Needless to say... I pounced! I grabbed a few good books... my journal... two coats... and (most importantly) a couple of cameras... and headed out for a personal retreat. I left the house without a plan. All I knew was that I needed to be outside and that I needed to find a quiet place to think, read, write, and pray. So... I started driving... I drove... and I drove... until I saw mountains... and then I drove some more. My music blared (thanks for the cd's Dena), my windows were down, and the car's heat was on. As I drove I became very aware that I had not eaten breakfast and I that I did not have any food in the car. I found a small petrol station and went in looking for a feast. Unfortunately, this was the petrol station that time (and the delivery man) had forgotten. There was a wall of shelves which contained basic household cleaning items and a wall that contained basic food items. I picked up a loaf of bread but put back the lunch meat when I saw the 'best by' date. I grabbed some Pringles, a Snickers bar, two apples, and a banana. I stood there with my goods and bread wondering if this was a well balanced meal.... the only other choice would have been an assortment of green peas that I would have had to drink from the can... I thought about it for a minute... and then I decided that my selection was balanced enough and left the canned peas for someone else to drink(sorry Josh).

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

This pic was taken at my first stop of the day. I love the horses that live in this area. They live in an area free of walls and fences... and live a mostly free and wild life.

Today's Random Pic...

Back... Today's Random Pic...

Just a quick note to say that we made it back to Ireland. We are both really jet lagged but we made it back without any problems. It is a cool 52 degrees here... and I saw four rainbows on the drive home. It is in honor of those that I give you this random pic (taken while my parents were here).

Today's Random Pic... Backwards

Pictures...

I wanted to post a few more of my favorite pictures from my parents' visit.

The Parental Units.... Pt 3.....

A few more pics from our time together in Ireland...

The Parental Units... Pt.2...

We are really enjoying having my parents here! We picked them up from the airport early Tuesday morning and headed on a little excursion. We drove down to a beautiful area of Ireland for a few days... we spent those days exploring the coastline, mountains, and (of course) shopping! The last day that we were there Dad and I climbed up a small mountain to see the most beautiful mountain lake. It really was something out of a dream. We stood there on the side of the mountain looking out over the valley at the rugged and barren mountains that made up the area. I was really thankful to experience this with my dad.

The Parental Units...

The little town we were visiting has a dauphin that lives in the harbor!

Looking for shells....

At the Races...

Dee and I had a rather fun outing this weekend. We needed a day away together and decided to do something we have never done before. We dawned our wellies and went to the races. Each year a small set of horse races is held at a beach near where we live. The stretch of sand is only visible during low tide, and the number of races held each year are in direct correlation with the rising and lowering of the water. There were probably a couple of hundred people braving the rain and cold winds to cheer on the young jockeys. The riders ranged in age from 9 to 13, but they all knew exactly what they needed to do in order to win. The bookies all had stands set up along side the hamburger stands and drink vendors, and masses of people made pilgrimages to all three between each race.

I have to admit that at times I was cold and wet, but in the end it was exciting to see the race horses tear by at breakneck speeds all the while kicking up sand and water as they attempted to squeeze out the other riders. I was also amazed at the beauty and strength of each horse. The power and speed that each had was truly awesome.

The races ended as the tides reclaimed the beach. As everyone made for their cars a large group of young guys worked frantically to get their stranded car out of the sand as the waters slowly rose.

Here are a few pictures from the day:

A horse after the race - click to see it larger:

Today's Random Pic....

"A sign from God...?

or clever marketing technique...?"

Another Random Pic... (by Dee)

A girl who takes pictures of cows.... who could ask for anything more!?!

Today's Random Pic... (By Dee)

The Solstice...

Ok.... so, this is the last pic that I'll post from the solstice... But first an explanation:

Growing up in the southern USA I never knew how much the weather really affected people in other parts of the world. Don't get me wrong. We too had weather in the heart of Dixie... it was just hot and hotter. In Ireland the weather changes drastically with every season. Winter is brutal - windy, wet, and dark. The summer, however, is amazing - sunny, dryer, and long. It is easy to stay inside beside the fire on the short winter days and seasonal depression is rampant here. So when summer comes the people celebrate. This ritual of embracing the sun dates back long before recorded history. Ancient Celts worshiped nature and the sun above all else. It isn't hard to see/understand how the longest day of the year would have such importance and be a day of celebration. These celebrations go on today much like they did thousands of years ago. Each solstice is celebrated with a night of bonfires. All over Ireland people gather at huge fires for a night of dancing, singing, drinking, and revelry. I have to wonder how long this tradition has lasted in Ireland... It isn't hard to imagine (and I am certain that)people long before St. Patrick doing the exact same things. To be honest with you the whole thing disturbs me a bit, and it intrigues me a bit.

According to legend:
St. Patrick came back to Ireland in 432. He came to this land full of druids and often confronted the tribal leaders and druids with his Christian teachings. Often these confrontations were dramatic - such as cutting down a sacred tree in order to show that the tree held no power. One such legend tells of a time when Patrick confronted druids worshiping the sun. They had carved a circle to symbolize the sun on a large standing stone. Patrick denounced the worship of the sun and told all there that His God was the creator of the Sun the Earth, and the Heavens, and that they were not to worship the creation, but rather they were to worship the Creator. He then carved a large cross over the symbol of the sun as a reminder the even the sun is subject to Christ. This was the birth of the Celtic cross. A symbol that has endured through the ages.

Given the history, I thought this picture of a twelfth century Celtic cross on the summer solstice was appropriate:

Today's Random Pic...

Another picture from the Summer Solstice:

The Longest Day...

Yesterday was the summer solstice (or the longest day of the year). It was a real overcast cool day here, but the clouds broke in the evening and we were able to see a beautiful sunset that seemed to last for several hours. I took a group of students on a small road trip over to the Cliffs of Moher to watch the yearly sight. Here are a few pictures from our time in this extremely rocky area.

Work...

We have a very welcomed change in work this week. We have a small film crew here making an educational documentary on Ireland - it's culture, language, and how it is changing. We are working as Joel B's personal assistant/guide while filming is going on. To be honest with you, it has been really refreshing because it has made me step back and look at Ireland with new eyes and to re-appreciate the people here. I'll post more as the week goes on...

Today's Random Pic...

Note sure if I have ever posted this one....

The happiest sheep in Ireland:

Springtime in Ireland 4

Springtime in Ireland 3

Springtime in Ireland 2

Springtime in Ireland 1