Of Cabbages and Kings

It's a pleasure to be open and welcome people to the Turnip House


a snapshot of conversation today:

local studies, today

• horse drawn ploughing;
• abandoned lanes;
• cashels and souterrains;
• Pat Kearney's Big Stone;
• lost roads;
• orphanages in the Phillipines;
• townland boundaries;
• greenhouse foundations;
• growing food:
• plant propagation:
• old maps and their treasures;
• red Kites and Plovers:
• Wrens and Robins:
• fostering children;
• family history:
• rivers and townland boundaries;
• the wondrous Mournes:

"This is better than a pipe of weed"

All Genuine.

Thanks to our fabulous visitors today!

If you like what you see - come over,-  you'll be welcome!

Welcome, Spring

After a cold very snowy start to the year, there are hints of a turn in the season - about time seeing as it's nearly May!

We've been out making the most of the good days - as have all the livestock:

working on the vegetable plot

mowed the lawn for the first time this year!

Chickens, and John weeding the new 'Asparagus Bed'

Elaine has been preparing for planting out the legumes started off in the greenhouse

we are very pleased with this!

lovely bulbs given to us by Frances (Charlie looks on!)

finally - our daffodils are out

as is Furby

Charlie joins us for a walk round the garden

catching the evening sun

it's so good to see the lambs - life again!

our small, but perfectly formed cherry in full bloom - it survived the winter,  thank goodness

ready to go!

chickens, sheep and lambs in the sunshine

cherry blossom time

but there is still snow on the Mournes

the currant bushes in front of the gallery are well into leaf

as are the raspberry canes - salvaged from the front garden and a relic of Annie Stevenson's  prowess

two chickens taking the waters

mind you... not sure all that weather has gone away yet!

perfection

Today at the Turnip House

We're open every Saturday and Sunday these days (and during the week, by appointment). 

St. Patrick's weekend was our busiest so far this year, great craic, lots of chat, and a 'full house' at times. It was brilliant.

The next weekend we were snowed in (or out!) and saw nobody. Easter was better, but the weather was still not great, and many  did not venture up to the wintry hills. Don't blame them.

Today was wonderful! lots of visitors from the off, a 'Happy Birthday' song and cake; old friends calling round to the Gallery, some for the first time;  - and a felt workshop with our great pals Caroline, Paul and Georgie.

Busy all day makes us happy bunnies. 

Going for a lie down now. 

But not until you've seen the amazing work created today!

Megaliths by Paul - stunning sky!

'Earthenware' bowl - By Paul

Charlie - and his  his own, unique contribution!

Jewellery pouch and sub-pouches - by Georgie

Abstract with flowers - by Caroline

Abstract with flowers - detail

Earthenware close-up

beautiful jewellery pouch

Dolmen close-up

The Creators. Thanks for a wonderful day!

Music with Rachel Austin

music  to die for!

We're very excited about tomorrow night - our first music night, hosting the great talent that is Rachel Austin:

Rachel Austin stretches the borders of indie folk and grungy jazz, reflecting the influences of both her childhood home in the mountains of Virginia and her current home in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

We've been clearing the car park of snow for the last three days in anticipation!

at last we have space again!

very exciting!

see you there!

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!

Hi Ho!

To work yesterday - Rumours of machinery coming to clear the road prompted us to start making our way out.

For some inexplicable reason on Thursday, in a blizzard, I parked in the usual place,100 feet from the road.

Now we had to dig our way out!

Still, it was worth is as the cavalry arrived by tea time..

the windy gap - snow fills the road

half way to the gate - up to 4ft deep in places!

getting there!

here comes the cavalry!

done!

end of the line, the road stops here for the time being

thaw then freeze - very pretty

some almost 2 feet long

the wind makes them grow at crazy angles

the heavy mob

it takes it though, even this thing did not go up to the Windy Gap