This is our second summer in Northern Ireland – mild days, lots of rain, green everywhere. Everything growing at a rate of knots! So different to our dry, brown, summer months in Australia. Most of our time at Mourne Park – our regular local house sit – has been spent battling nature – trying to keep things under control. Mowers, strimmers, chainsaws all going flat out. I’ve been back into baking and jam making – my usual job – BUT have also been allowed on the ride-on mower! Doesn’t happen very often but these are desperate times! Chris has also been proudly showing us his new tools – the collection continues to grow. I usually give a shrug of the shoulders and a sigh!! His rampant “tool addiction” does come in handy at times – he whipped some cream the other night using a fork connected to one of his power drills! A bit different but worked well!
I had a great walk recently with Jennifer, Pepper and Theo. We headed off to our beautiful Mourne Park river – tucked away in a nearby valley. Gorgeous stillwater ponds; rushing rapids over large rocks and boulders. Lots and lots of beautiful green trees. A lovely place for a walk. Pepper can be a bit boisterous and strong willed – quite of a handful for Jennifer. She feels safer having someone around when she takes him out for a ride so I was “forced” to tag along. Never mind! Theo just loves the water so spend most of his time in the river having a swim. We looped back along the Mourne Park Equestrian Trail before rejoining the river and making our way home. Quite a long walk – made me realize how unfit I was – again!
Theo stayed with us last weekend while Jennifer went away on a “mini break”. He is such a gentle dog. Frodo tends to run rings around him – he is much cheekier – but they generally get on well. Theo spent lots of time “helping me” with the mowing – often running alongside me with a large stick in his mouth. Not sure why but whatever his reasoning he seemed especially happy about it. He and Frodo just love being at Mourne Park – investigating nooks and crannies, sniffing around under bushes, burying special treasures, chasing birds. Mourne Park is definitely “5 star Doggie Heaven”. Pepper and Maurey also seem very content – especially when we visit with a pocketful of carrots – their favourites! They’re still in the fields near our cottage but it won’t be long till they move down near the lake. It’s not far away but we’ll miss them.
We burnt off some old bushes the other day – they’d been pushed up into heaps with the JCB – backhoe tractor thingy. It was a bit of fun. Lovely to watch the flames. We had a fire of a different sort on Saturday night – a BBQ at Marion and Alan’s house. Lots of locals present. Also met some family members including Alan’s sister Lorna who’s now a qualified Aussie. She’s been back here visiting. Marion and Alan’s property is called Packolet; an old rambling farmhouse sitting in some very impressive gardens. Great views to Cranfield Bay, Carlingford Lough, and over to Ireland. We had a lovely evening – great food and some very yummy wine. We are house sitting Packolet for the next couple of weeks – Marion, Alan and family are heading off to the USA for a holiday. We also have some visitors coming to stay – but will tell you more next time.
Bye again and much love
Di and Reg
This entry was posted in House Sits, Mourne Park (3), Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
That’s a lot of lawn!! Nice job Di xxxx
Many thanks!!! Still more to go – the never ending story xxxx