Over the pond and back in one piece

Lots of catch up.... I left Maine after a horendous storm that blew a hole in my roof. Lucky for me my neighbor was not only home but had time to patch the roof and alow me to leave in an ok place that the house would be here when I got back. Power had been turned on and was staying on so off I went to Logan to fly to Shannon, Ireland. An overnight flight went smoothly and I was met by M and her dog at 6:30 am. We got the rental car and were off to Connemara. The landscape was different than I had remembered from the time before when I was in the Beara Penninsula. I remembered, then it was all that lush green for miles. We drove through brown and just a hint of the green to come. Un known to me Ireland had just gone through and actaully was not quite done with the worst winter in 40 years. I was soon to find out.

We stopped to purchase a few things, go into an authentic butcher shop where the butcher cut the lamb chops from the hanging meat. The smell of blood flooded my nostrils in a fierce way bringing me up close to the food I was going to eat that night. Then we had soup at the pub. From Letterfrack we headed to Moyard and the stone cottage named Garryowen. Situated on the ocean at the end of a green garden gate facing Tully Mountain. This grew on me to become a favorite motif to paint.

    The Stone Cottage

Heated by one wood stove  in the kitchen area and an open fireplace in my bedroom it was a challege to keep warm in the below average temperatures and wild winds off the water. The garden was still sleeping but the moss and ivy covered alders were old and knarly and looked prehistoric in the evening light.

Ivy covered trees

and

Moss covered alder

Tully Mountain over the Green garden gate

And a dinner of lamb chops and mash I had a brief introduction to turf and the firestarters, filled my 2 hot water bottles, put on pj's, sweater, heavy socks and a borrowed bathrobe, turned on the matress warmer and tried to get warm as the wind howled down the chimney. Thus passed my first evening in the wilds of Connemara.

The fire

To be continued tomorrow