Remembering That Summer of 2013

The long warm carefree days of summer are fading into memory, into folk memory, as this will be remembered in Ireland as 'The Summer of 2013', the summer  of the first heatwave of the 21st century.

And, before I pull out the hats and scarves, woolen jumpers and warm boots, and embrace autumn, I want to share some memories of summer in these parts.

It was a fantastic summer for the outdoors. For once, anyone planning an event, from a family barbecue to a community festival, could do so safe in the knowledge that the weather would be good and it wouldn't rain.

Louth County Agricultural Show had a new venue  in the beautiful setting of Bellurgan Park. It was very well attended with lots to see,  including brass bands, cattle, sheep, alpacas, horses, dogs, ducks, hens and even a pet sheep on a lead.

There were lots of other festivals as the summer progressed, although the weather was so good that I missed some as I preferred to stay at home in our newly restored garden (and that's a story for another post)

The great Celtic legend of An Tain Bo Chuilgne or the Cattle Raid of Cooley was enacted in a colourful pageant at Dundalk's Market Square as part of the Tain Walk which  traced the march of Queen Meabh's Army.

Earlier This Summer ....

A very belated post about our holiday earlier this summer, just before the heatwave,  in north Antrim.
It was the first time in several years that we didn't go abroad and also the first time that Fudge, our three  year old Labrador, went on holidays with us.

Do you have a favourite place to go? A place which never disappoints?  A place which takes your breath away and leaves you feeling refreshed? That place for us is Ballycastle, a small seaside village with a beautiful beach and stunning views to Rathlin Island and the Scottish coast.

It's a place rich in history and legend, one of which, The Children of Lir, is recalled in this
elegant piece of public art. I love how the swans, Fionnuala and her brothers, appear to fly over Fair Head.

I love walking along the strand, catching glimpses of Rathlin Island or looking back at the stunning Antrim coast.

Away from the seafront, the village is quite charming and manages to cater for tourists without losing its character.

We travelled over the Rathlin Island for the first time this year - and thanks to Fudge we got talking to lots of other passengers on the ferry. Aren't dogs just the best conversation openers?

The only inhabited island off the coast of Northern Ireland, Rathlin has a small community of around 100 people which increases during the summer season.

The island has three lighthouses. It was near to this one, the East Lighthouse, that Marconi sent his first telegraph messages.

The dramatic coastline is home to thousands of seabirds, including puffins, and a colony of seals.
We had lunch at McCuaig's Bar, the island's only pub, and I had the tastiest panini outside of Italy!
We then walked around the bay to see the seals.

The old Manor House is now run by the National Trust and serves as accommodation for visitors. While we didn't stay overnight on the island, we enjoyed a cup of tea on the lawn outside the house.

Although the north Antrim coast is most famous for the Giant's Causeway, we've seen it so many times that we decided to give it a miss. Instead we visited the ruins of Dunluce Castle, where, according to legend, the kitchen, cooks, pots and pans, went crashing into the sea during a terrible storm.

We stopped off and enjoyed the tranquility of the tiny Ballintoy Harbour.

We walked along the magnificent White Park Bay, marvelling at the crashing waves, so big compared to  the ones that lap our secluded coast.

We drove down the coast to the pretty village of Cushendun and clamoured down to its 'Pudding Stone' caves.

Gaelic culture is alive and well in Cushendall in the heart of The Glens with its old watch tower.

The sun reappeared by the time we got to Carnlough with its quaint harbor

At the end of each day's exploring, we were glad to go back to the delightful cottage we had rented and Fudge made himself at home in front of the fire.

Loving the Good Life

No one has loved the recent heatwave as much as the pets.  Toffee, who up to now had been mostly an indoor cat, demanded full equality with Fudge, our Labrador, and insisted on going out in the garden (under strict supervision).

He enjoyed the warmth of the sun,  chasing butterflies, listening to birds, and getting a new perspective on the world.

There was so much to see and experience, that he made a bolt for freedom at every opportunity.

And when it got too hot or he suspected we wanted him to go back inside, he took refuge under the wheel barrow.

Fudge, true to Labrador form, just wanted to play ball.

And sometimes he wanted to play with Toffee who found a new escape route from unwanted attention!

Summer Time and the Living is Easy

It's  summer, a  real summer, a summer of long hot days and warm breathless nights, not the disappointing, cool, damp Irish summers that we have grown accustomed to.  It's the summer of childhood memories, with the air  filled with the scent of honeysuckle and freshly mown hay.  Our usual Irish palette of lush greens has given way to Mediterranean ochres and reds.

It takes time to adjust to this new way of living. Summer dresses are pulled from suitcases, salad and barbecue recipes are perfected, windows thrown open and curtains pulled to keep out the heat of the mid-day sun.
It's time to adopt a continental way of living, to slow down, adjust our time table, take a siesta, sip cold drinks, and save the evenings for energetic chores.

I am reluctant to spent more time indoors than I have to.  Household chores are abandoned for time in the garden.  Blogging and other social networking is on hold.

And if I find myself wilting and beginning to mutter 'it's too  hot', I remember all the wet summers, when we looked out at the rain and wished for sunshine

Living Life's Golden Moments.

It's summer and I'm living life in the real world. Blog posts have consequently fallen behind as I continue to question how much time I spend in the virtual world, neglecting the things I like doing in the real world.
I've been busy enjoying some golden evenings, celebrating our son finishing school and supporting him through the exams, rejoicing that he knows what he wants to do with his life,  taking lots of photos at some wonderful community events, and, best of all, going on a family holiday which included our dog.
So, I've got lots of catching up to do but first let me share some golden moments found close to home.