Saturday, August 23, 2008

Gunga Din

It rained the whole time in Ireland, but we had fun despite it. We went to the boat my dad keeps with his friend on Lough Derg. We went to Bunratty castle and folk park, we played a D&D game with the kids, and we invented our own board game and played that. I taught Steph to crochet granny squares and we started work on an afghan for dad. Dad read us poems by Robert Service, Rudyard Kipling and Banjo Patterson whilst we crocheted. I practiced a new bluegrass fingerpick I was learning on the guitar until I drove everyone crazy (but they all agreed I had improved by the end of the week).

The kids played in the Irish farmland surrounding dad's house come rain or shine. They shoveled up gravel from a heap and scattered it all across the yard; on the last day Steph and I spent an hour sweeping it back into a heap. The kids furnished a "den" in the hedgerow by the lane and spent a lot of time carrying stuff up there.

We watched a clutch of swallow chicks in dad's barn get bigger and bigger - before long they'll be ready to fly. We identified most of the wild flowers we found on dad's land (ragwort, greater plantain, ribbed plantain, welted thistle, creeping thistle, creeping buttercup, herb robert, yarrow, short-fruited willowherb, selfheal and others) and we identified all the birds (goldfinches, house sparrows, dunnocks, wrens, robins, chaffinches, blue tits, great tits, greenfinches, jackdaws, hooded crows, wagtails, swallows, and others).

Tomorrow we're off on our travels again - to London this time with Ed (he didn't come to Ireland) for our main family holiday of the year. I'll resume normal regular blogging when I return.

29 comments:

Anonymous said...

You have good taste in poetry, and now you know why I have a beard...

And now while round the shearing floor the list'ning shearers gape,
He tells the story o'er and o'er, and brags of his escape.
`Them barber chaps what keeps a tote, By George, I've had enough,
One tried to cut my bloomin' throat, but thank the Lord it's tough.'
And whether he's believed or no, there's one thing to remark,
That flowing beards are all the go way up in Ironbark.

Almost Mrs Average said...

Hi Mel - it's me 21st Century Mummy in disguise LOL. Enjoyed your account of your trip. Have been lurking for a while without commenting, but just wanted to let you know that I've received an award, which I'm now passing to you. Hope you enjoy London ;-D

ourgreatgreenglobe said...

wow!!!! SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT TRIP!!!

João Branco said...

www.blogesporto.blogspot.com

ThreadBeaur said...

Sounds like a wonderful time! It is nice to pass on your crocheting skills to the younger crowd!

Blicky Kitty said...

Oh I love this blog. I realize that it's become my blogosphere touchstone. I'm mining the archives for help with our pathetically blicky garden. :)

Have a wonderful rest of trip!

Stonehead said...

Mel, see if you can get hold of today's Observer magazine. It has a feature on "greenshifters", basically three fairly sensible families of smallholders and one of nutter crofters, ie us! Now you'll know what we really look like.

Saurium said...

Good afternoon! Boa Tarde!

My name is Saurium and i´m a portuguese.

I like this blog.

Congratulations.

www.vila-de-soure.blogspot.com

Stonehead said...

So, what's happened to you? It's been a long time between posts. I hope all is well with you and the family.

just Gai said...

I'm missing your regular blogs and, like Stonehead, I'm hoping that their absence is not due to any untoward circumstances.

Anonymous said...

Hope you are all o.k Mel. Really missing your great blog and hoping you are back soon.

Unknown said...

It's finally stopped raining here! We have Summer in Winter :). Hope all's well with you & yours ~ you're missed

THROBGOBLINS INTERNATIONAL. said...

I hope all's well with you and your family, Mel.

iwishiwas said...

Missing your posts hope all is well come back soon!x

Anonymous said...

Mel, where are you? I really hope that nothing awful is stopping you from your regular blogging. x

Anonymous said...

Yes, I hope you are well.

jane said...

Hi, I have you on my google reader and I've been wondering where you are. I hope everything's ok.

Almost Mrs Average said...

Hi Mel - just wanted to say Hi. Hope you're well. Am missing your posts. x

Lesley said...

Hi Mel
Thought you would have been back by now as surely the kids should be back in school?

Hope all is well with you and looking forward to seeing you back

Carolyn said...

Mel, where on earth are you? I have been clicking onto your blog almost daily, looking for you. I know that you simply wouldn't have given up blogging so I am sure that something must be wrong. Come back soon Mel.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for all your blog posts and thanks for the gap :)

What I have realised is that I have got addicted to reading your posts. They are great and have encouraged me to do so many things that I haven't ever done before. However, maybe I should start thinking independently rather than waiting for someone else to suggest ideas to me!

However, ignore that - I look forward to reading more posts.

Em

ps I have enjoyed your drawings on Chickpea. I could really recognise Lindsey from your sketch of her. Is there no end to your talents?

Anonymous said...

great tip! love this blog!

Blicky Kitty said...

I've been checking back daily too and I always look sadly on my dashboard as I see you haven't been updating. I hope it's just an issue with time, but I'm keeping you in my prayers just in case.

Laurel

Stephanie said...

If anyone reads this and knows where Melanie is, could you post a comment with an update? Some of us are concerned. Thanks!!

Anonymous said...

You have good taste in poetry

Anonymous said...

Enjoyed your account of your trip.

Anonymous said...

SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT TRIP!!!

Anonymous said...

Hope all is well with you

Anonymous said...

love this blog