Saturday, March 30, 2013

Easter 2013

We spent the night down in Newcastle with our dear friend Helen, and it was good to get a walk on the beach in the sunshine this morning - a perfect Easter weekend!

Meanwhile, less than 10 miles away there has been disaster this last week: more than a week after the first heavy snows, the farmers are still working to gain access to some of the fields - and to retrieve the poor dead livestock.  

Chinooks were swooping low on Thursday delivering food to the survivors up on Benraw, just above us. Some farmers will see little income this year after the harrowing losses they have incurred.

Up here today the sun is also shining - glorious, and the snow is melting - slowly. It will not go any time soon without some manual assistance, so for the foreseeable future we'll be digging, digging...

We are open all this Easter Holiday weekend - the soup is hot and warming (Golden Vegetable at the moment) the cake is just  out of the oven, and the views are spectacular.

But beware! there is a a lot of snow up here, and roads are still affected, single track at times. Parking on site is also restricted until the navvies pull their finger out - You'll get a great welcome though!




good for the soul!

Newcastle nestled at the foot of snowy Slieve Donard

geese in the waves

sparkly bright

Charlie in his prime!

where the Mountains of Mourne ...
crystal

digging out
two fields away
some snow here
at the end of the day - some progress

restricted access - but clear

you can get to the door at least!