So Hard to Do Nothing . . .

First full day in Ireland--March 30, 2011--it was a real struggle this morning to do nothing.  Just sit, and let the mind go into neutral.  Coming down off of too much, too often, is difficult.  That can be a kind of drug that keeps me dulled and almost oblivious to the undercurrents within; it is a real challenge to sit and to be and to stop thinking about what to do next.  It shows the value of taking a breather and stopping to listen more often.

Now for some photos that show that we didn't do nothing for very long:

The view from our lodge, the Lough Inagh Lodge.  Lough Inagh in the foreground, the 12 Pins in the background.

Ireland in the spring is luscious.  The grass is greening up beautifully while the mountains are still covered in brown.  The wind is cold, but intermittent sun helps warm things up.  The best thing is the lambs, strugging on spindly little legs, and then the ones born a little earlier who are beginning to frisk and gambol about.

Twin lambs by mom's side; Atlantic Ocean in the background.  Near Conamara National Park.

  Today we climbed a peak called Diamond Hill in Conamara (Connemara) National Park.  It was a good 4 mile walk including a very steep ascent to the top.  Lovely views.

The view from the walk, down across Letterfrack

On the trail to Diamond Hill, in background

One of the highlights of the day was back in the Lodge--afternoon tea.  Barry shows how it's done: