A GOOD DAY'S WORK

Spent today doing what I most enjoy, painting with watercolours.

The painting below reminds me of my childhood on our farm, which I worked on with my Dad as soon as I was able. My Dad was funny, he wouldn't expend too much energy unless he had to! So the man on the horizan sending the dog to check the sheep was typical of how my Dad worked. Sheep are a pain to look after as they have to be checked very often as their feet suffer especially in winter and my Dad trained his sheepdogs to do extraordinary things - one dog was able to go down the laneway, open a bar gate by leaning on the bar/catch and fetching the cows home at milking time all by herself.

CHECKING THE SHEEP

FLYING INTO A STORM

I really thought I had met my maker last Monday flying over to stay with my son in Wales. I was on a flight from Dublin to Cardiff when we hit a storm, I have flown thousands of miles but I have never experienced anything like this and was never so frightened in my life. Twice the plane bounced very hard, it was like hitting a hard surface under the plane, very jarring and then the pilot turned the plane sharply nearly on its side, I really cant say how often this happened and how long it went on for as I was trying to hold it all together and not disgrace myself! I kept leaning against the shoulder of the man next to me just to have human contact (as I was travelling alone) and he kept pulling away! He and everyone else were very frightened but funny enough everyone was very quiet. One poor woman was covered in wine as some bottles fell down from her locker. I have to say the hostesses were great smiling the whole time and going up and down (with great difficulty) reasuring us all. The pilot came on the intercom when we landed apoligising for the "moderate" turbulance and said he hoped it had not put us off flying with the airline again and then laughed! I was the first off the plane and didnt stop shaking for about ten minutes after that!

I AM SO GLAD I AM GOING BACK HOME BY BOAT!