Stuff!!

What an amazing day! It must have reached 60 degrees. Since Lucy has moved away, Flan has been a real problem. She's bored, confused and misses her friend. I've had to sit outside with her to make sure she stays in the yard. I've asked to have some sort of fence put up so that she can have a bit of safe freedom. She has already gone down to the road and a worker had to call for me to come get her. I don't want dog pizza in Cootehall so a fence is going to have to be the answer. She can't stay in alllll the time. We both need air.

So today, I decided to keep her distracted with a day of exploring. Books, maps, lunch and we were off. I'd been wanting to find Glencar Waterfall north of Sligo so that was our destination... But you know me, I get side-tracked in an instant. I'd also wanted to see Parkes Castle on Lough Gill so took the turn marked for it. But Ireland is good at giving you initial info, but then leaves you wondering where the next turn is. So, I had to revert to "Betty in the Box"...she seemed to be really lost so I gave up and just went on through Sligo and continued to Yeats country where I new the route to Glencar was marked. It was a beautiful drive on a typical Irish rural road...basically one lane but meant for two. You just don't go to fast and always keep an eye for areas where you MIGHT be able to pull over a hair and let an oncoming car pass. We found the falls, walked up to them, walked along Lough Glencar, visited with some nice folks from Dublin who were up for a holiday and then continued on. I had no idea where I was going but kept following the signs that marked the "de Cuellar, Route" I knew that this was the area the few survivors of Spanish Armada shipwrecks in Donegal had taken to try to get to an area where they could find passage back to Spain.

"The Spanish Armada in Ireland refers to the landfall made upon the coast of Ireland in September 1588 of a large portion of the 130-strong fleet sent by Philip II to invade England.

Following its defeat at the naval battle of Gravelines, the Armada had attempted to return home through the North Atlantic, when it was driven from its course by violent storms and toward the west coast of Ireland. The prospect of a Spanish landing alarmed the Dublin government of Queen Elizabeth I, and harsh measures were prescribed for both the Spanish invaders and any Irish who might assist them.

Up to 24 ships of the Armada were wrecked on a rocky coastline spanning 500 km, from Antrim in the north to Kerry in the south, and the threat to Crown authority was readily defeated. Most of the survivors of the multiple wrecks were put to death, and the remainder fled across the sea to Scotland. It is estimated that 5,000 members of the fleet perished in Ireland." (Wikipedia)

At one point, I wondered if we really were lost but good grief, this isn't that big a place and I can speak the language, so I wasn't too worried. My biggest issue was...oh, so much to see and so little time.... what route should I take, should we stop and walk in those beautiful woods, yikes, there is an amazing stream and I didn't bring my fishing gear, look at that lake, the fish are rising!! So, my thoughts really weren't on the possibility of being lost. I had a full tank and that is all that matters. Flan had food and water, I could live on my fat so we continued on. I stopped and visited with a very old lady decked out in her dirty polar fleece and wellies who was talking to her sheep. She had more of a beard than my sons can grow. But, she was sweet and I enjoyed the visit. I wish I'd asked to take her photo, but she was so strange I was afraid I'd insult her. As I started to pull away, I noticed a very decrepit cottage across the road and yes, the door was open and I'm sure it was her's. It was horrible...dark, dirty, filled with junk...but it was home for someone, I'd imagine the little lady in the colorful polarfleece.

Up over a mountain, and down into a beautiful little valley with the Owenmore River running through it. We stopped to walk in a national forest, along the river for a bit. Then into Manorhamilton and on to Lough Gil. A few wrong turns and I found Parkes Castle. Then it was into Sligo, a stop at Homebase to see what the plant department had (nothing new!!) and back home.

The new neighbors have moved in with TWO black labs....ugh. This is going to really be hard. I can't have Flan running with a pack of big dogs. She will just have to stay with me at ALL times. I finally tied her to the car on a long lead that I use to tie up the pontoon boat. Oh.... I'd love a place without side-by-side neighbors. It's really hard to train a puppy with all these distractions that are so much fun!!!