THE BIG SEVEN FIVE

Tuesday May 31.  The Day Before.

 A murder of crows wake me up at 5 AM squawking loudly right outside my window.  At least 10 min.  Must have been politics.

Nina and Gian Piero are coming on a ferry from Doolin some time today but neither Maria nor I know when.   About noon or so Maria will take me to a place where there are still-blooming gentians.  They are hard to find and have about bloomed out but she and Enda found some that are still blooming.  It will be a birthday present for me.

Maria was told yesterday about a bee orchid blooming on the side of the road.  Last night she and Enda took the car, looking out both windows, trying to find it.  Reconnaissance mission.  But maybe because the sun was low (about 10 pm), or maybe their friend was wrong it was not to be seen.  But then again, it is always difficult to spot.  I am touched by their efforts.

While I am waiting for Maria and Enda to come for me, I take photos of teeny flowers with my close-up lens.  I am in place for quite a few minutes trying to get them in focus.  While I kneel there, one of the beautiful blue, fast-flying butterflies comes by and sits five inches away.  My first pre-birthday present of the day.

Then Nina and Gian Piero arrive.  Really big birthday present!  Plus they are willing to pretty much drop everything and go to find the gentians.  They are in a hidden mini-meadow along with many other beautiful flowers. 

Maria walking toward the right meadow.

Pussy Toes!!!  Wonder what they are called in Irish.

A beautiful orchid

Lichen design

Gentian! 

Nina and Gian Piero flew from Germany to Kerry and then rented a car for a hair-rising ride to Doolin on the “wrong” side of the road.  I tell them my story when I was the driver in 2012.  Lots of laughs now, but it was scary at the time. 

We walk along the ocean to town and then further, toward the cemetery.  While they eat lunch, I have a luscious Bailey’s cheese cake.

WEDNESDAY JUNE 1

At breakfast Nina pulls out the biggest birthday candle I have ever seen.  At the Inisheer shop, they had no birthday candles, only “church” candles.   I am serenaded with Happy Birthday in English and Italian. 

After one of Enda’s delicious breakfasts, we head off for a trail I had not yet explored.  We walk through town toward the airstrip, waving goodbye as Enda flies to Galway.  His phone won’t work so the nine minute flight to Galway will get him to a phone store.  The ferry trip is 90 minutes so it’s a real time-saver.

A leak in the underground pipes delivering water has meant workers are digging holes here and there.  They finally get them all, which is a great relief to businesses and homes because water has to be delivered to the island at a huge daily cost.

 We find a glorious isolated beach with a great many tide pools.  It is warm and sunny with a slight breeze.  There is that subtle down-by-the-seashore smell we all like.  Aside from the sound of the waves, we enjoy the quiet for almost an hour before anyone appears to add a some people sounds. 

Now this is the place where I am supposed to sit on a rock and think deep thoughts. 

Here I am on my 75th birthday having no deep thoughts!  Just the usual thoughts of gratitude (for dear friends, beautiful visions of nature that my eyes can enjoy, the sound of the ocean which my ears can still attend to, and feeling loving hugs.  Nothing new. 

Later, I make a 4 minute quickie movie on the Inisheer tidal pools:    https://youtu.be/LrDPnUVcYSoInisheer Tital Pools

While I am enjoying this glorious day in exotic Inisheer, Toni is back in Bishop painting the back ramp.  Another birthday present!

The huge rusted old ship called the Plassey was washed up in a big storm after it was sunk off shore.  It is in the opening shots of a Brit comedy called Father Ted.  Perhaps that is why so many are admiring it.  In this sheep photo, I can see the Plassey still ahead of us.

This rock is too big to sit on.

After lots more walking we head for a late lunch.  Because I am still immature I have two desserts:  a poppy seed cake followed by Irish mint chip ice cream.

By dinner, still kind of full, I have two appetizers instead of a real dinner.  Maria says she got very good directions for where the bee orchid is supposed to be and checked it out this afternoon.  Her friend made a mistake; it is not a bee orchid.  Maria is not surprised because they normally bloom in mid-June.  So I take a photo of the picture she has on the restaurant wall.

At 10 PM a beautiful sunset says goodbye to my birthday.  Now I am on my way to becoming 76 years old.  (I have to figure out how to change the top of this blog.)

Thank you so much to those who write me back.  Especially, when I am traveling, it feels heart-warming to be connected.