All pollacked out

We went out for a sail and a fish but ended up throwing them all back as they were pollack and we had our fill of them on Friday. It wont be long until the mackerel shoals are in right enough.

Dogs got a swim at the ramp we launch the boat at near the marina so were happy enough staying at home after their swim.

 

The Aran Ferry full of tourists away across to watch the cliff diving comp this weekend. 

 Inish mor cliff diving

 

The couple of donkeys down the road from us had a foal recently.

Even some weeds are photogenic

Well I know the majority of the photos below are not of weeds but there are a couple in there that grow like weeds here so I have classed them as such.

Amazing weather we have been having but no doubt that will change when my visitors arrive, ohh well cant be helped if it was dry all the time they wouldn't call it Ireland it would be called the Sudan. Having to water the weeds twice a day here at the moment.

Great couple of days away

Had a good trip away on the boat, the wind wasn't in my favour until this afternoon when it sprung up and had me scooting along at 5 knots. Yesterday I had to motor into head winds for a fair while and it was flat calm when I left this morning and didnt kick in until 2 hours of my 6 hour passage. Anyway while I was becalmed off Golam head I got into two big pollack and more than a dozen mackerel, we are having fish for dinner.

 Golam tower on a very calm day, this point is open to the Atlantic and usually there is a swell crashing into the rocks there, this is where I caught the two big pollack today.

 It was cloudy both days but did not rain and was warm.

 Roundstone Bay

 The houses in this island (Inishlacken) were badly damaged by the storms that knocked down my trees this last winter, the swells were covering the island and on the mainland the roads were washed away and one of the beaches at Dogs bay was completely changed when the sand shifted.

I moored up alongside two fishing boats at the pier last night and there was no ladder on the wharf just two tires tied below each other so I waited till about half tide before going ashore, I was just going to have one beer but ended up in a hen night craic which saw me get back to the boat about 0200 thankfully the tide was ok for clambering back aboard, my head wasn't the best this morning. The navigation software on my phone was brilliant and I had a waterproof folder with chartlets I printed out which was great in the cockpit, nothing worse than a full size chart blowing around getting wet and creased. The boats bottom could do with a clean only got 14 knots out of her under power with the ballast out when it was flat calm this morning, gave me a shock how fast it went through petrol too and its just as well the breeze kicked in or I would be out there yet as I wouldn't have had enough petrol to steam the whole way. Was really nice to have had a leisurely sail back although I was touching 5 knots at one point, listened to tunes on the ipad all the way home and had the sails set properly so I could just leave her on a course and go below to make coffee etc and she wouldn't stray off course.

More garden pics

June is not as colourful as May but there are some nice flowers out at the moment.

Roses at the front door

Mophead just about to bloom should have a nice show of flowers by the time my Mom visits

Hedge along the driveway is covered in yellow flowers

Plant I was gifted by a customer is flowering

Fuchsia is like a weed in this garden
 

The pond is lowest I have seen it due to no rain this last few weeks and it is covered in lilypads this year

Carving a crocodile head but it is too heavy to move very easily so I haven't been working on it recently as that area of the garden is sheltered and has lots of midgies.