Ireland Continued

2 April, Monday
I woke up at 7:30am. I came down (the only one up) and was making me a cup of joe, when I looked outside and saw a hare just outside the gate. I was going to get Lydia for a camera, but saw Uncle Bill’s and grabbed it. I was able to get a photo of it before it got away. We stayed on the Island for the day. We had eggs and oatmeal (I soaked overnight) for breakfast. After breakfast we cleaned up and had some good talks about different theological issues, it was good. Uncle Bill went exploring and the rest of us all went over to the red boat to ferry us across. After the girls were across Josiah and I took the boat and got to the same place the girls were walking to, except we got there first. We found out the boat had a missing plug and was leaking water. We went sheep herding and found some sheep to herd. Lynnea caught a little lamb and we were able to pet it. Then we continued to the end of the Island, looked at ruins and explored. I went back with a fence post I had found. Josiah saw me and picked me up in the boat. We took the boat back (with much trouble, so hard to steer it!) and I went in and made myself a cup of tea. I then went back out and saw Lynnea and Londa waiting where earlier in the day we’d ferried them across. I took them both back in the boat, Lydia had met up with Uncle Bill and had gone off exploring. We came back, I made scones for lunch and we ate lunch. Around 2pm Uncle Bill and Lydia came back and they ate lunch. We went out exploring in someones house, it had a really nice yard (albeit it was much over grown) and place, although it looked like at any moment someone might pop out and scare you. As we were coming around the house, Lynnea was in front, Josiah who had not gone with us jumped out and said “booh”! It scared Lynnea and we all laughed. Josiah, Lydia and Uncle Bill were all in on the plan to scare us. After exploring that house we came down to the house a woman had just left from. While exploring I found a cabbage sitting in a thorn bush, I picked it up which led to great argument about whether we should eat it. Finally we went back to tthe site and found an old banna as well and conlcued it was her ‘compost or ‘trash’ pile when she had left. So, with minds at ease we headed back to teh house with a cabbage to add to our meal. We made stew for supper we cut up carrots, potatoes, onions, garlic, and unsmoked bacon shoulder. The stew was quite tasty. To accompnay it I made some muffins. After supper we all took a hike/walk (the same thing around here!) to see the sunset. We found a cliff to sit at and took a great many pictures! Then we went down to the shore where, because it is the coast it is the ocean waves that beat upon it. We found a pipe made from plastic and it was about 18ft long. With it we used it to do the caber toss! It was quite fun, I tried it five times but could never do it. Uncle Bill tried but couldn’t quite do it either. Thenw e walked home. When home we got out some cheese and crackers and watched The Stone of Destiny. It finished and Josiah and I went to bed. Uncle Bill did something else, and the girls watched Bringing Up Baby.
April 3, Tuesday
I woke up at quarter till 6am, went back to sleep and woke up at quarter till 8am. we ate Muesli for breakfast, but didn’t wake the girls up till 10am. They stayed up till 3am. We decided to go to the mainland so we packed up and walked to the dock. The wind was incredibly strong and we had hail and rain showers off and on. We got to the dock and found the boat grounded, so we went off walking for an hour. We came back and the battery was basically dead. So we called Patrick and he very kindly brought a new battery to replace it and we headed to shore. We drove to the supermarket where we got more groceries. Then we went to the hotel to get wi-fi. From there we took a long drive down along the coast. It was a fantastic drive, wonderful scenery. At the end we got out and walked down to the beach, a strip probably a couple thousand feet long. I ran along the beach in the waves (just like in Chariots of Fire!) and then went rock climbing around to another short stretch of beach. I climbed out of it and went around the same path along the rocks again with Uncle Bill. Then we got someone to take a pictures of us, and then we took a picture of them. We drove back to tthe dock, on the way back we stopped first at a shop when I brought a hat, and then next door where we picked up some groceries. Then we stopped by the same supermarket we did this morning to pick up some of the cold items and some wine. We headed back to the dock, unloaded, and waited for Patrick. He arrived and took us back, we dropped him off at his Island, and then we docked in front of the house. Most of us got wet from jumping into the water. For supper we reheated teh stew, it was even better, and we had some bread with some Cabernet Sauvignon. After supper we sat by a nice fire and talked. We headed to bed around 11pm.
April 4, Wednesday
I woke up around 7am and decided to make muffins for breakfast. Paul had a recipe book so I looked one up. I made Blueberry Coffee Cake muffins and Uncle Bill made an omelot. After breakfast all of us except Londa took a hike up to an Island because of the very low tide. We found a small lamb and met up with Patrick and his son who owns the Issland and the sheep. We talked and they took the lamb back. We went back to the house and got back around 12pm. we ate lunch and then played Last Word. After that I took the kayak out for a bit and the others started Regarding Henry, a DVD. I came back and finished watching it with them. After the film ended I worked on a Blueberry Rhubarb Cobbler for dessert. For supper we had grilled cheese and tomato soup with a Green Ginger wine. It was quite tasty. After supper we headed out to see the sunset. We all ferried across and went up to teh cliffs. We saw the caber pole, though it was about 30ft in and around 6ft deep where it was. We watched the sky and took pictures. We walked back and ate the Blueberry Rhubarb Cobbler. Uncle Bill is trying his hand at roasting peanuts. After the dishes were washed we sat down to an awesome game of Rook. In the middle it unexpectedly turned upside down. Londa came in the 1st, Uncle Bill 2nd, and me third, though there was a difference between Uncle Bill and I of 200 some points! We headed to bed around 11pm. We will be heading to shore, the mainland around 8am. So we’ll be getting up early and leaving here by 7:45am. It should be fun!
April 5, Thursday
I woke up at 6:40 by Uncle Bill. The others were up or got up later, closer to 7:15. For breakfast we had Muesli with yogurt and milk. After breakfast we loaded up and headed to the dock. We got on, picked up Patrick and we were dropped off at the mainland. We went to SuperValu and picked up a few things, coffee, tea, scones and bread. From there we drove North East and stopped by Foxford Woolin Mill. We went on the self guided tour and afterwards we shopped around. Some of the jumpers were on half off so Josiah, Uncle Bill and I got one. Mine was 80 euro, half off of that. It’s the most money I’ve ever spent on any one piece of clothing. I picked up a hat for 22 euro earlier this week as well. So now I have a sweet had and jumper. After that we drove an hour and a half North and took a walk around the highest cliffs in Britain. We couldn’t stay long because we had to be back by 8pm. We stopped by a craft shop and some of us got a few things. We drove back, stopped by SuperValu, ran in, got 2 loaves of bread and 3 salmon. We picked up Salmon. We drove to the dock and had to get out and park somewhere else because some Irish sailors were in the way. We got past, dropped Patrick off and docked. We got home and we mae supper. I made rice pilaf and Uncle Bill did the Salmon. After supper which finished around 9:30pm and cleaned up. Afterwards we watched a film. We went to bed around 12am.
April 6, Friday
I woke up around 8am. For breakfast we had oatmeal (I soaked it overnight) and Muesli. We cleaned up from breakfast and around 9:30am headed to the light house (a good 2 miles). We talked, we walked, picked up stones and shells. It was low tide and the lowest the water ever gets in the lunar tide cycle. The water drops around 4ft and goes back around 400ft. Such a dramatic tide change, it’s insane! We came back for lunch around 1pm. Josiah made pasta and we had spaghetti for lunch. After lunch we just sorta read books until 3pm when we headed for the mainland. We arrived and did some shopping. PIcked up soem bread and cheese. Then we walked down and got some Salmon from one shop and some Hake from another shop. We walked around downtown, got internet and drove around. Lydia sent off here two postcards. Around 6pm almost every shop closes up. Oh, for Good Friday the licensure doesn’t allow the selling of alcohol. So all the pubs were closed and the stores didn’t sell any alcohol. It was strange to see all the pubs closed! I’ve seen almoste as many pubs as I’ve seen B&B’s! Over this whole trip so far I’ve seen probably around 100 pubs! At 7:15pm Patricks’s son picked us up in the boat. We got home and started working on supper. Uncle Bill used the Hake to make a dish with it. Potatoes, onions, tomatoes, and we used the leftover rice. It was good and tasty! We tried the Irish Cream Ale and it was quite good! For supper we had cider. After supper I washed dishes and Lydia rinsed, we talked about how we would set up a kitchen, people who are OCD about things, the best way to clean up the kitchen, etc. Then we all sat down and read for about half an hour. A little before 11pm I went to bed.

English Vintner