Sunday, July 5th, we were to meet up in Sligo to go on a boat to the Lake Isle Of Innisfree. Friday afternoon check up of weather forecast showed a map of a horrific weather depression heading our way to land on us Sunday afternoon.
I panicked, let's get Sunday morning, as forecast was great then, but some could not join us. Ok, how about Saturday? About half the people coming along could not change to Saturday afternoon.
One last tree, how about 5pm Sunday after the storm has passed? Well that idea was popular :-) Boatman agreed so it was all sorted.
Through Saturday, the forecast was exactly as forecasted with no change for Sunday afternoon.
until around 10 am, all change, the storm forecasted later, so it's round up the boatman and travelers back to 3 pm.
We arrived 3 pm prompt. Sile arrived at the same time, texting Jane here to make sure she is on the way to Killerry Jetty. The three girls travelling together, Jan, Bridget and Donijka are already aboard. Eddie the boatman skipper making sure everything is ship-shape.
Gary arrived with friend Tatjana who showed him how to get here.
So why am I waving my hand from the boat?
Because I had exchanged online comments with Tatjana in various places and seen pics, but never met her yet.
Bards In The Woods 16th August, another boat ride.
You can see Beezie's cottage remains in this pic.
And now the silhouette of Lake Isle Of Innisfree is in our sights.
There it is, and we just have to turn into the moorings.
More unloading, including a load of wet weather gear, in case we needed it.
The island is very different to what we imagined. Claire and I have landed on lough islands to be greeted by lots of brambles that need chopping and any trees are small secondary trees like hawthorn, hazel, birch and maybe rowan. Here some major trees grow, as you will see.
This lovely pic of the 'Sleeping Giant' in the landscape taken by Bee.
The white strip is his belt. It is Leitrim to the right of his belt and Sligo to the left.
Tony is eager to get to the sunny end of the island to recite some Yeats poetry.
And this is where Tony recited The Lake Isle Of Innisfree by W.B. Yeats while May flies and dragonflies buzzed around and the water waves lapped against the shore.
Innisfree means Inis Fraoigh, the Island Of Heather. We saw this heather flowering about a month early.
This also reminded me that there is a myth legend of this island that speaks of a woman called Srí-an which roughly translates as 'creation without restraint', a land formed out of 'sacred waters'.
Among the mature trees is this fir, I think a Douglas Fir?
Then is started to rain hard, very hard for about 20 minutes, so Gary and I sheltered under this mature and very useful Yew tree.
Than trying to get to Lake Isle Innisfree?
But here in the west, nothing's simple or plain.
Our departure affected by promise of rain!
Chopping and changing like waves on the sea!
Like a poetry army awaiting the call.
To go 'over the top' before rain or nightfall.
That we're here on the island hunting 9 rows of bean!
Sure there's none so determined as Bards in the Woods.
As we feed ourselves and ourselves feed the bugs!
For some reason we wandered away to do something else?
and 'She Moves Through The Fair'.
Then Claire and I performed 'Coll The Hazel' together.
and I take a pic of the 'Sleeping Giant' but he is not as sharp looking as when Bee too a pic earlier.
So it is now truly farewell to Innisfree, in the silhouette, as skipper Eddie prepares to return to the island to collect the other passengers and take them to Sligo.
And final farewells and hugs with each other to complete this very dreamy transforming afternoon.
John, I just looked at your blog and the videos. What happy memories. There is nothing like our time together on Innisfree. Thank you for your leadership.