Slight Detour

Do scroll along with this beautiful Irish classic: the "Fields of Athenry."

We did not make it to Dingle yesterday but did spend some quality time walking the extensive and beautifully groomed grounds of Muckross House near Killarney Lake where Queen Victoria spent some of her “royal” quality time.

It was a beautiful day after the wild storm on Tuesday. Both of us tended to some errands here in Kenmare. Bill did another wash, so we’re doing great in the “clean clothes” department. There’s a laundromat right next door.

Bill has always been a laundry man, so I’m sure the proximity does his heart good.

We’ll be off to Clifden soon and that means most of the day in the car, but we’ll go through Adair and the outskirts of Galway as well as through “the fields of Athenry.” It’s a pretty trip with lots to see, so we’re looking forward to the drive.

Bill also did some shopping here in Kenmare, as did I. My experience took me to the street market where I met the nicest story teller and pen craftsman named Sean O’Ceannabhain.

He has the website for Killarney Pens.

https://killarneypens.com/

Sean uses ancient Irish woods for crafting his pens. Being married to a forester who always admires beautiful wood, I hit paydirt with Sean.

Bill is very difficult when it comes to the gift department because, after careful selection, he always buys whatever he needs.

So when I found this nice man and his pens at the Kenmare street market, I felt a sense of excitement and relief that, at long last, I had found a gift the Bill would appreciate, especially with the history involved with each species of wood.

I could have visited with Sean all day, and I must say that we hit numerous topics, including his family background with Connemara ponies.

Sean, who also trains Irish Setters, told me that his grandfather once rode a stallion bareback for several miles with seven other stallions tethered behind. Whenever someone wanted to buy a horse on his equine pilgrimage, he sold one of the stallions.

I also learned why yew trees are planted in Irish cemeteries and that in the past most every family in Connemara had a pony, which explains the huge five-day sale Willie, Debbie, Bill and I attended in Clifden last fall.

In my walking around town, I also encountered Clifton who was one of the singers at the Brewhouse the night before. He’s a Kenmare native who now lives in Italy. Clifton told me he was home on a visit.

Speaking of entertainment, Bill and I capped off our last night of live music last evening at the Brew House, listening to multi-talented Danny Sweeney and Tracy O’Grady who is an amazing, award-winning fiddle player.

Tracy remembered me from last year, and Danny knew I liked “Country Roads” from his gig a few nights before.

So, it was truly a grand finale to our four days in Kenmare. We also said good bye to Vince and his buddies at P.F. McCarthys and lamented not having a chance to see Mary. Next time!

So, that’s my story, and I’m sticking to it---a truly wonderful last day in one of our favorite spots in Ireland.

Thank you, Rosemary and Regina, our hosts here at the cottage behind the Purcell Gallery.

Rosemary, a self-taught artist and retired marine biologist, also owns the gallery, while Regina, a trained chef, helps her out.

We love this cottage and feel like we need to make a reservation so we can come back next year. Maybe that will happen.

For now, good bye September and Kenmare; hello to October as we head to the west coast of Ireland and more reconnections with wonderful people and places.

Happy Thursday.

Sean O’Ceannabhain

This man is from France.

He says this is his last week at the street market.

Dan Sweeney has the most flexible voice and a wide array of favorite musical offerings, be they Irish or worldwide.

His partner in last night's gig at Kenmare Brewhouse, Tracy O'Grady, also offers exceptional talent and skill as she plays her fiddle.

Life will surprise you in ways you never expected.

Some days will feel heavy

Others will remind you why you kept going.

Do not stay stuck in what went wrong.

Take the lesson.

Trust your journey.

And keep moving forward.

~~Seen on Twitter aka X~~

Our journey yesterday was wet and windy but not heavy.

We made the most of a rainy day by visiting the Kissane Sheep Ranch on the edge of Killarney National Park.

It was a day for planning exits and finding entrances to dryness.

Raingear was a necessity, although I never donned my rain pants like Bill. Mine are a little large after my colitis weight loss, so I brought them along for the most dire of conditions.

Yesterday was pretty bad at times but not dire for what we were doing outside. We could get inside any time we wished, so our car, gift shops and the Kissane sheep/cat/dog barn provided us escapes from the major rain-wind blasts.

I do remember one moment while walking to the car from the barn when a gust of wind almost picked me up and blew me away.

Now, that would be a sight and certainly worthy of a selfie, but I held my ground.

We went to the historical Kissane Sheep Ranch to watch Border Collies do their work.

Actually, the only real worker of the day was Tapper, trained by our host Evan. In spite of the fierce winds and rain, Tapper did his job, racing down the hillside and putting on an impressive show directing a herd of sheep where they needed to be.

When his job was completed, Tapper jumped in a tub of water to cool off---I'd say more by habit than need, cuz he was already pretty watered down from the rain.

Later, Evan directed us to the barn where he talked about sheep and wool and dogs. Soon, we saw that Evan had himself a herd of dogs---seven, to be exact.

They raced about inside the barn. When they weren't eyeing the young sheep in an indoor pen, a black-and-white cat perched on a ledge up above kept some of the dogs transfixed.

The group of visitors launched lots of interesting questions to Evan, who completed his presentation by shearing and spray-painting a young 2026 lamb.

He explained that the lambs, once sheared, would stay indoors for several months for warmth and a chance to grow.

The paint sprayed on the wool will wash off when the wool is prepared for its ultimate goal. Farms use their chosen colors to mark their sheep, and, at times, will add additional colors to signify that the lambs have received specific treatments.

It was sad to learn that both brothers who owned the Kissane farm (in existence since about 1872) have passed on. Their sole heir is 16 and has not had any significant experience with the farm.

It's also sad to learn that wool has run competition with synthetic fibers, so there's really not a lot of money to be made in sheep farming.

We enjoyed a short chat with Evan before his presentation and learned that his girl friend is a basketball coach in Kenmare.

So, it's very likely that our son Willie knows her, having conducted a two-day basketball clinic there last fall.

The small-world stuff is always fun.

Speaking of which: last Wednesday while waiting to board our Aer Lingus flight to Dublin, I sat in a vibrating chair (pay $5 to get it started, which I did not) nor did the ladies sitting in other similar chairs.

We just sat there cuz it was comfortable. I mentioned in an earlier post having a nice conversation with the lady next to me who was a retired audiologist who had taught at Western Washington University in Bellingham.

We had a common interest in Border Collies. I never di get her name but thought she was very nice.

Yesterday in the rain and the wind, those watching the herding exhibition were bundled up in their rain jackets.

We moved around to get pictures of the action, and, at one moment, I turned around to walk to another vantage point. Immediately behind me stood the lady occupying the vibrating chair next to me at Sea-Tac.

She and her friend are on a Rick Steves tour, which I learned yesterday is following the same general pathway we are taking in our travels.

We decided it was important to stage a groupie photo since we had become "new best friends." I even know her name now: Anna.

And, I became better acquainted with her friend Charlotte.

Small world for some Northwest residents on the rainy Irish sheep farm!

And, so we all keep moving forward. In Bill and my case, we took a back road to Kenmare after the sheep exhibition.

The wind and rain continued to intensify, so our "slight detour" meant sitting in the car for about half an hour while a traveler with a chainsaw offered his services to help other remove fallen trees that blocked our route.

It was interesting, once traffic began to move, watching the tour buses squeeze past us on the wet, narrow road.

When we returned to our cottage, we discovered that the electricity had been off all over Kenmare for about three hours.

It eventually came back on. We did some projects and later walked to the Kenmare Brew Pub for dinner and a chance to once again listen to live music.

This time two gentlemen playing guitars (one also had a harmonica) sang some longtime favorites for people of our generation. It was a quieter evening at the brew house, and when we left, only two other couples remained.

Once again, I enjoyed a real meal of chicken, mashed potatoes and veggies while Bill had seafood chowder.

It was a rainy, messy day yesterday, our first on this trip, but we made the most of it.

Today the wind and rain have gone somewhere else, and I can see some blue sky. We'll plan to go to Dingle and then prepare to move on to Clifden tomorrow.

It's a long drive, but we're excited to have Sue from Sharamore House announce that "the kids" have arrived.

When you're our age, such euphemistic characterizations are much appreciated, especially when Sue and her hubby John are younger than we are.

Speaking of age, Bill and I both want to wish our longtime great and treasured friend and perennial cheerleader, Jean "Mow" Tobin, a happy 80th birthday.

We hope she has a celebration worthy of the great lady she is. I've known her since 1965 when we both worked at a Campfire Girls camp on Lake Coeur d'Alene.

She's been a true blue and thoughtful friend whose beloved by all of our family members.

Happy Birthday, Mow, from your Love family.

Hope you have a fabulous day.

Sending you our love and best wishes from Ireland!💚

Also, as I wrap up today's thoughts, here's a heads-up. I have had the leisure of extra time here in Kenmare to organize my blog posts.

Once we're on the road again and with less free time, plan for shorter posts heavier on photos and less muttering.

Hope you've been enjoying the posts, and I'll do my best to represent the rest of our trip the best way possible within a smaller frame of time available at the computer.

It's been fun. Lots more to come.

Happy Wednesday. Enjoy the photos.