The lingering scent of wildflowers; that is all I can smell and I wish I could bottle the scent and take it home with me when we leave. It was one of the first things I noticed when we arrived and have not stopped commenting on it since. I do not know much about flowers other than I think they are pretty and smell nice, so I cannot say what any of them are called but they are everywhere. Beautiful, full, colorful blooms line the streets, surround the cottages, climb up the beautiful stone walls that seem to be around every corner, and permeate the air where ever you may ramble. It is endless springtime and I am so here for it.

Some might say we did not do much yesterday, but for me, it was the perfect day full of sunshine and wonder. After my writing session and much needed cup of tea, we made new friends with the most interesting neighbors outside our kitchen window; the cow herd from the neighboring field. We spent close to an hour, talking to the largest cows I have ever seen. Cows, in general, are not a new novelty for us but having them a couple feet from the open kitchen window, so close you could reach out and touch them, was. It was a delight watching their antics and the scuffles that ensued as they pushed and shoved each other to get a prime position to view us as we chatted with them. I had read that cows enjoyed music; however, they did not seem to enjoy Kevin or my singing voices and they lost interest in us, resuming their grazing soon after our serenade. We debated waking the girls up to hang out with them but let them sleep, as they were exhausted.

We let them sleep till noon as we wanted happy moods all around and woke them at noon. We stayed close to home and after a quick and very late breakfast of fresh farm eggs, headed down to Ferrypoint to see the low tide and beach hunt for treasures. It is about a 10 minute walk from the cottage taking you from the Blackwater river around to the point into Youghal Bay as it continues out into the Atlantic. The tide was low and the beach was covered with unique shells and stones. Much to my delight, I discovered that it’s not just the land here that is so green, but even the rocks come in a plethora of green shades. I could have sat there for hours but soon the girls and I had our pockets filled with treasure finds and we headed back home for a snack and relaxing time. We are here for a few weeks and plan to take our first few days on the slower side to adjust to the time change.

We headed into Youghal for dinner and to walk the town which is full of unique shops, offices, and beautiful architecture. I fell in love with a bright blue building and stood in awe in front of the Youghal Clock Gate Tower, which I hope to take a tour of soon. By the time we made it into town, most of the shops and stores were closed but we plan to to head there again soon to do some fun shopping. We chose to eat at the Roma Grill where fresh cod seemed to be the choice for most locals. I’ve decided that cod doesn’t quite speak to me but I’m glad I tried it. We ended the evening with a drive down to Ferrypoint to see the water when the tide was higher and an impromptu drive around the Irish countryside, mainly because we took a wrong turn. Lesson for the day; there are no wrong turns in Ireland. With the endless views of greens, rock walls, wildlife, cows and horses, you cannot go wrong.

Audra has begun a love affair with the wildflowers and takes pictures of every new type she sees. For some reason, she can’t seem to get the camera to focus on the flowers very well, but she is having fun trying to figure it out. Ellery is still enamored with the cows and hopes she gets to chat with them from our kitchen window soon. Kevin’s fascination thus far lies with the changing tides and I must admit, it is a fascinating sight when the tide shifts and water is heading out and coming in at the same time. Today, we have another chilly morning full of sunshine promising adventures aplenty for the day and we will get to it soon but only after I finish my cup of tea.