Original date 5/31/12
Camping
Ah, the great outdoors! Ya gotta love it, especially in Ireland. Now, if you thought hiking over a mountain all alone was dangerous, you obviously have never been camping with me. After finding a magnificent camping spot with an incredible view, I managed to, in just a matter of an hour or so, bash my thumb with a rock (aka hammer), cut myself with my pocket knife, and step barefoot on what amounts to Ireland’s version of a stinging nettle. Geez, where is a nice safe precipice for me to almost fall off when I need one? I will have to say that the view was spectacular at both campsites but for a couple of things. After my accident-filled evening, I snuggled down into my tent with a view, which I had pitched along a sandy cove, and watched the sun fade ever so slowly into the mountains. I awoke the next morning to the wind shaking my tent quite vigorously. When I unzipped the door I immediately got to eat a hardy, yet tasty, sand sandwich. I then proceeded to get a taste of that sandwich for the next hour or so while I packed my things and headed to my next campsite just a few miles down the road. Later that day I was still eating, brushing, picking, and rubbing sand out of every crack and crevasse of myself and my stuff. But, did I tell you about how amazing the views were? I moved my pitch and discovered that the view from my new campsite was even better. A beautiful spot along the open cliffs. Unfortunately, after the sun beat down on me for the entire day and the wind howled through me and my tent incessantly (I actually got a sunburn and/or windburn from those two days) I decided it might be prudent to move my tent to somewhere more, let’s say…sheltered. So I got situated in a nice little cove at the top of the campground with no view mind you, but at least I didn't need to hold on to a tree to stand up and I didn't have to weigh my tent down with boulders to keep it on the side of the cliff. Score one for the Gipper! Again, I climbed in and settled in for a nice, warm evening slumber. at dawn, I awoke to a quiet and still morning. The wind had died completely. I crawled out of my tent to stretch I realized something was amiss. Now, I have been in Ireland for almost ten days, but on that beautiful and
glorious morning, I met my first Midge. Oh, and his 50,000 cousins. If you have never met a midge you really must indulge yourself in their loving and welcoming embrace. Midges my friends are basically flying teeth. Not just any teeth, flying piranha teeth. Not just any flying piranha teeth, but ravenous, flying piranha teeth, and not just…well you get my drift. I have never dropped a tent and packed my stuff so fast in all my life. I limped my sorry self up out of that place, thumb throbbing, hand bleeding, sore feet aching, being followed hungrily by a family of midges and looking as if I hadn't slept in days. I was surprised anyone stopped to give me a lift at all. But did I tell you how spectacular the views were? To be honest, it was one of the best times I have ever had in my life even despite the comedy of errors. Life is like that sometimes; you have to learn to take the good with the bad, And, when things don’t go as planned, just put your head down, smile, laugh it off, and make the best of it. Deep thoughts with Kristine, complete.
Ah, the great outdoors! Ya gotta love it, especially in Ireland. Now, if you thought hiking over a mountain all alone was dangerous, you obviously have never been camping with me. After finding a magnificent camping spot with an incredible view, I managed to, in just a matter of an hour or so, bash my thumb with a rock (aka hammer), cut myself with my pocket knife, and step barefoot on what amounts to Ireland’s version of a stinging nettle. Geez, where is a nice safe precipice for me to almost fall off when I need one? I will have to say that the view was spectacular at both campsites but for a couple of things. After my accident-filled evening, I snuggled down into my tent with a view, which I had pitched along a sandy cove, and watched the sun fade ever so slowly into the mountains. I awoke the next morning to the wind shaking my tent quite vigorously. When I unzipped the door I immediately got to eat a hardy, yet tasty, sand sandwich. I then proceeded to get a taste of that sandwich for the next hour or so while I packed my things and headed to my next campsite just a few miles down the road. Later that day I was still eating, brushing, picking, and rubbing sand out of every crack and crevasse of myself and my stuff. But, did I tell you about how amazing the views were? I moved my pitch and discovered that the view from my new campsite was even better. A beautiful spot along the open cliffs. Unfortunately, after the sun beat down on me for the entire day and the wind howled through me and my tent incessantly (I actually got a sunburn and/or windburn from those two days) I decided it might be prudent to move my tent to somewhere more, let’s say…sheltered. So I got situated in a nice little cove at the top of the campground with no view mind you, but at least I didn't need to hold on to a tree to stand up and I didn't have to weigh my tent down with boulders to keep it on the side of the cliff. Score one for the Gipper! Again, I climbed in and settled in for a nice, warm evening slumber. at dawn, I awoke to a quiet and still morning. The wind had died completely. I crawled out of my tent to stretch I realized something was amiss. Now, I have been in Ireland for almost ten days, but on that beautiful and
glorious morning, I met my first Midge. Oh, and his 50,000 cousins. If you have never met a midge you really must indulge yourself in their loving and welcoming embrace. Midges my friends are basically flying teeth. Not just any teeth, flying piranha teeth. Not just any flying piranha teeth, but ravenous, flying piranha teeth, and not just…well you get my drift. I have never dropped a tent and packed my stuff so fast in all my life. I limped my sorry self up out of that place, thumb throbbing, hand bleeding, sore feet aching, being followed hungrily by a family of midges and looking as if I hadn't slept in days. I was surprised anyone stopped to give me a lift at all. But did I tell you how spectacular the views were? To be honest, it was one of the best times I have ever had in my life even despite the comedy of errors. Life is like that sometimes; you have to learn to take the good with the bad, And, when things don’t go as planned, just put your head down, smile, laugh it off, and make the best of it. Deep thoughts with Kristine, complete.
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