Treasures

Last week Jubal and I took a much waited for sail to the middle of the Aran Islands, Inis Meáin. About twice the size of Peaks Island, our home in Maine, Inis Meáin definitely had a "certain something" that we both fell in love with and felt right at home. 

Can you spot the blurry white thing? That's a jellyfish! We also saw the local friendly people loving dolphin, Dusty. 

We took a taxi up to our B&B. This was the view from our room. 

These flowers were waiting for us upon arrival to the B&B.

I found it curious what was going on with these roof. Actually, the whole house really blends with the landscape but the roof has been missing for how long? And why is there a net on top? Very interesting...

A grave possibly. A site for something. Maybe something like a well. But there was no well.

Ohhh.... Looking at this photo more closely I see there is a checkered pattern on the roof made by the rope. It's all weighted down by the rocks hanging at the edge. Perhaps pervious picture was of the roof after the thatch blew away? Burned? 

The house where John Synge, an Irish playwrite came to stay often during the turn of the 19th century. Again, that checker board pattern made by the rope to hold the thatch down with the hanging rocks...

Dún Chonchúir, an ancient ring fort where 14 tones of stone where needed for the inner wall alone. 

We sat on the top eating bananas after I collected some yellow and orange lichen.

Found a potato garden tucked away In this small field.

These tiny yellow flowers were every where offering a sweet aroma. 

Found this waiting for us on the beach.

On the path to the beach, tiny blue butterflies were every where. Moths perhaps but so sweet.

Really beautiful beach but it was cut a bit too short for the terns were dive bombing us as they let out the most hair curling noise. Something similar happened to me 17 years ago while walking too close to the dunes at Reid State Park. This time I just stayed calm and did not run screaming and flailing my arms like I did when I was 16. 

This is a type of seaweed enjoyed by the locals as a snack. They had it for sale in the shops.

This is a field of wild yellow irises. <3

My favorite.

Fresh flowers for Mary.

I've taken to collecting clothes lines. I really enjoy this. I love the sight of a clothes line and I enjoy so much hanging clothes to dry on the line on a nice day. Some thing my mother did when I was young. I remember her putting my baby sister in the laundry basket to keep an eye on her and then piling the clothes around. 

The house where we hired our bikes. 

As I was walking along the second day on my own, Jubal wanted to see the wind mills and I wanted to walk in between every lane to see what I would find. Her they were, treasures. Now what you don't see or I should say who you don't see is a man in his late 70's eyes like a deer in head lights, decked out in his full tweed suit and cap, sitting in a small chair enjoying the sun. I come along and was so surprised to see him and I just burst out with a big "HELLO!" I think I must have startled him. As much as I really wanted to take his picture, I even more did not want to be a typical tourist and just snap a picture of anything I wanted with out regard for others. Living here as a tourist for the last 9 weeks, I begin to notice certain tourist behavior that is just wrong. Snapping a picture of someone with out asking is just rude. In my opinion. So I asked if I could take a picture of his kitties. He said yes. I love cats. 

This made a me smile and feel glad that there are people out there that try and do a good thing. A wee thing lost their sock. Someone found it and put it here on the fence. Maybe it will be found? Who knows. 

These two must be among some of the happiest cows. 

Saw this rosary on this wall outside someone's house. Maybe someone dropped it? Maybe the house owner kept it there so they could grab it on their way out? 

Loved these fields of yellow and purple flowers.

Here's Whiper Wendy (I named her that) the cat who once I found her would not leave my side for half an hour. She meowed and meowed at me to keep petting her. She followiped me meowing more. T pet her. By the time I left and said good bye to her for real, I think she understood too because she didn't look back at me like she had been for the 15 minutes of our meeting. It was hard to say goodbye.

I've seen these purple and magenta bog orchids in this shape but I haven't seen one in this color. If it is the same this... Finding these flowers and seeing them pop up in so many areas out where we live is such a treat. 

I was a wonderful walk and exploration of the lanes. Jubal and I met up around noon and checked out the tea shop ran by a Dutch lady named Elizabeth. I walked in and found balls of hand spun yarn on the shelves next to the plates she served her food on. There were felted scarves she had made and she had two spinning wheels in the back near her kitchen. We struck up a conversation and I kind of flung myself into with my excitement that she worked with fiber too. She showed me her ball of yarn she dyed with lichens and I told her about my amonia baths I have soaking of the red lichen. We became good friends:) 

After our nibble of a lunch, Jubal and I headed back down the very long road to catch the 4:15 ferry back to Doolin. It was a wonderful trip.