July 13

It’s like the Waltons in the kitchen. Everyone is wearing smiles. No one seems to be in a hurry. Tonight is “Show and Tell” — anyone interested in sharing their work will have an opportunity to present to the group. And — its a summer day, finally. I spend some time in my studio cleaning up for the studio visit. Out my window, I watched the Director leisurely move through her Saturday morning—taking out the trash, pruning roses.

On my morning walk, I came upon a father and son are preparing a field for the arrival of three donkeys. We had a delightful chat – my ears new to the County Monaghan accent but I able to catch that green grass will make the donkeys sick - they need to eat rough grass. I sketched their tractor while they discussed how best to cover a ditch on the site.

On my afternoon walk, I returned to find the donkeys looking rather perplexed in their new surroundings.

And tonight’s “Show and Tell” was magical. We started at 6PM with a dance, visited visual artists’s studios and after dinner, all retired to the drawing room for poetry, book and screen-play readings and music. The sun went down as the room filled with light.