Happy Valentines Day

I awakened to a beautiful morning promising that it would only get better. The weathermen/women here have just as difficult a time as they do in Seattle...cause it was supposed to rain. I decided since no one would be arriving to spend a romantic day with me, I'd just have to take care of myself. I popped Flan into the car and we took off for a new walk that had been featured in the paper...Derrycarne Demsnene. We buzzed through Carrick-on-Shannon (pup now firmly planted on my lap!!...if I get any fatter or she grows much more, there won't be enough room between ME and the steering wheel!), turning off the N4 at Aughamore and proceeding to Derrycarne. (The estate was founded in the mid-17th century by the Nesbitt family.) Only one wrong turn...into someone's lovely home, before finding the parking area for the forest park. It was a great day, beautiful walk through the woods, along Lough Bofin (although I could have sworn the sign said Lough Boderg!!) and back to the car. The thing I love the most here is finding remnants of past lives. We found a set of stone stairs that circled up along a tree, but went nowhere??? We found an old stone jetty out into the lake with a stone bench at the end, stone stairs up from the waterline, old iron tie ups and at one place, an arch in a stone wall that would have allowed a person to bring their boat into shore in a very safe and secluded place. There was an interesting path through mounds that were rocks covered in ivy...what did they lead to in the old days, who built them, ah, so much history.... After exhausting ourselves (a good 3 miles covered over hilly terrain) we hopped in the car and headed to Longford. If I want to do "big" shopping, I can go either to Sligo or Longford. I tend to go to Sligo the most, but decided since I was only about 20 K from Longford town, I'd head there. We stopped in Dromod at the old train station (built in 1897, closed in 1959), visited with the lady who ran the museum in the old train station (kept thinking of Whitefish's train station) then went across to the new station (go figure...) and visited with some folks waiting for the Dublin/Sligo train. Flan was the hit of the show as usual. She just wiggles from head to tail tip when she sees folks. And everyone loves her. When the train came in, we bid our new friends farewell and safe journey to Sligo then headed south some more. Stopped at Homebase to see what spring is offering, then on to Dunnes for some groceries....finally back to the house by 4:30. We'd been gone allllll day. It was a nice way to spend a Valentine's Day... I purchased myself a primrose. I KNOW that spring will be here someday and I can enjoy it outside...for now, it's great on the kitchen table. I should stop complaining...it was actually a beautiful, warm day in the midlands of Ireland!!

Photos: Lough Bofin/Boderg??, train depot at Dromod, chimney pots on the depot, ancient jetty, post box (note the VR, that is for Victoria Rex...when the Irish gained their independence, they kept a few of the boxes but painted them green...had been red prior to that)