Home again....

Yesterday was travel day, a very long one for us all.  Friday evening we had a little reception to look at our art together and celebrate another wonderful painting adventure.  We thanked Chris O'Neill for planning our days for painting and experiencing Ireland.  She did a great job of getting bus transportation in the local school vans (seats were small though), picking beautiful places for us to paint and selecting restaurants for us to dine on local specialties.  The food we ate was really good, not like the guide books led us to expect at all.  Even the pubs had delicious vegetable soup, each a little different, which we enjoyed for a light meal many times.

Those of us who stayed at Carleigh House B & B enjoyed the hospitality of Dermott Dooly and his wonderful scones.  He let us host a happy hour in his parlor and treated us like special guests.

We had only one day of rain, at Bunratty Castle, and were thankful for that.  I can't imagine painting in that all day...or even photos, but we would have done it.

The group all got along very well and were astounded at Gretchen's ability to keep up with us all.  We celebrated her 88th birthday with a cake and a crown for her on Friday and raised a toast that we all may be traveling and painting at her age.  Toting our equipment and climbing rocks and hills isn't the easiest thing to do but well worth the effort.  Many beautiful paintings will be displayed in our show next fall.

Of course our conversation ran to the "next" painting adventure ...Sedonna next spring, Limoux in August and then what???.   Perhaps Nova Socia, perhaps Spain....who knows...whatever it is we are ready and willing!!!

And thank you again to our spouses and family members who made this trip possible with their support and tolerance of this adventurous artist.