NOVEMBER 20-23 Touring with Friends

Three friends now back on the Eastern Shore. And friends Meg and Virginia have now settled in. Since I had two great cooks residing, we planned a farewell dinner for Joanna. A trip into Killala, next town over to pick up salmon and other ingredients . Along the way we stopped at St. Mary’s Well and Rosserk Abbey, built by the Joyce family in 1460 for the Friars of the Franciscan Third Order Regular. Both sit on the banks of the Moy River.

Lovely dinner party with all the artists - delicious food and good conversation. It was fun to fix up the cottage with Christmas lights, candles with a glowing turf fire. We even took off the plastic dining table cover and found a beautiful wood table underneath. Bringing the warmth of old and new friends together in my little home was delightful!

Rosserk Abbey

The next day, November 21, we headed out to find those fossils at Easkey Beach. And we did! These are amazing - a few examples for you. My understanding is that these are carboniferous sea-floor fossils on Ice Age landforms. It takes a moment to grasp that you are looking at the remains of sea life dating from 359 to 299 million years ago - during the late Paleozoic Era.

On Thursday -Thanksgiving Day -Virginia and I headed to Ceide Fields. It is the most extensive Neolithic site in Ireland and contains the oldest known field systems in the world - going back to -3500 BC. It is located about 7 kilometers from Ballycastle, where I am staying.

At day’s end we were all invited to Mary’s Cottage to celebrate Pilgrim Day. She invited all of the American artists and a few Irish. A lovely spread of cold salmon, slaw and soda bread-with wine and finished off with Irish coffee!

Up early on Friday to get Virginia to the airport in Shannon and then met Meg in Galway. Stayed at a wonderful BNB - The Hot Spot. Obviously it was owned by artists - every room was visually inviting.