We are lying low in our stone house today. (Except for this trip to the local pub to make this post.) The winds have returned to about 35 mph. It is cloudy, but so far no rain. The wind is coming from the south, which has not been the case most of the time we’ve been here. That doesn’t make it warmer. Is the summer sulstice really coming?

It is a hardy people who survive on this island in the north Atlantic. Near our house we can walk to a ring fort from 1000 BC and numerous other ruins indicating human presence since then. (Pictures another time.) Many of these people lived in small stone huts without heat other than an open fire. Even in this summer time when there is light about 18 hours a day it is a wind blown, wet existence, with temps barely reaching 60 F on a warm day. It is difficult to imagine what this country is like in the winter with 18 hours of darkness, stronger winds, and colder temps. One positive feature is that it seldom freezes here in winter.

Once Ireland was 90% covered with forests. Once cut down for human use, these forests failed to regrow. Therefore, the vast open stretches of land allows the wind to sweep through the mountains and across the flat land.

No food at the pub on Tuesdays (not enough business) so this is a brief post without pictures. I need nourishment to engage in such strenuous activity. Well, back home to enjoy the light of day until 11:00 pm.