Another Adventure:S/V "MEGERIN"

The BAD news is that time flies. The GOOD news is that YOU are the Pilot.

Ok, that is not me, but I liked how the picture expressed my thoughts - well, everyone’s, really. I always hear “where does the time go” and there is no good answer. And the older you get the faster it seems to fly by! Sometimes I nearly panic because I think I have not “done enough of this or that”, especially when I read about certain people who seem to do it ALL. However, as I write this, I’m already thinking this is also wasting time worrying about wasting time ! Geez.

After our return to Pittsburgh, Sewickley actually, in June, we just concentrated on spending time with family and friends, attending weddings and reunions. We did travel to Ireland for the first time, thanks to Erin and Megan giving us air miles for Ray’s big birthday. We flew to Dublin and then traveled by train, bus, and rental car for 12 days to see so many beautiful sights. Other trips were to Chicago, Chincoteague Island, and of course to my brother Jim’s place on the Chesapeake Bay. Plus, Erin, Megan, and I did a girls trip to Napa Valley for Megan's birthday - so much fun (and wine). We are still living in the apartment so did a little more to make it homey this year - a flat screen TV! We had been watching an old 19 incher for years but a quick trip to Best Buy and $300 remedied that.

So right now we are at the hotel at Nanny Cay Marina until the boat goes in the water tomorrow, hopefully. One of our thru hulls is broken and if we can’t get it fixed may have to delay. Meanwhile, we are enjoying the pool here plus all the chickens and roosters running around the hotel grounds - NOISY! And last night we had a uniquely fun time at Capt. Mulligans ringing in the New Year under starry skies and palm trees - no wonder time flies.

Christmas Eve at the Grand Concourse (sorry for the freaky eyes on some of us).
Front row - Charlotte,16, Gigi,11, Me (age unknown) Middle row-Ray, Megan, Alyza,20, Erin, Jane,14. top - Mac,18, Mark

Horse drawn carriage rides in Sewickley - no snow for the holidays this year

Beautiful Chesapeake sunset at Jim's

Girls trip to Napa for Megan's birthday

View of walkway along the Ohio River in downtown Pittsburgh last Sunday night. The Steelers played the Bengals and we met Erin, Mark, Megan, and Jim at Jerome Bettis's restaurant before they went to the game. We WON.

Cruising buddies Ann and Art traveled from South Carolina to Pgh. for a visit. We also took them to Falling Water, which is always a treat.

Bridge in Dublin (forget the name)

Dublin and Galway were great but our favorite memories are of the countryside and coastline and the sweet little villages we would find as we drove around on the wrong side of the road.

Yes, it's a cemetery but what amazing stories are told about turbulent and sad events in this ancient land.

The placement of these rocks actually means something in Celtic times.

Found these guys while walking down the road - some nice cows behind them.

Ireland's land is so rocky that the people had to remove them by hand before they could plant crops. They had no where to put them so built walls with no mortar between the rocks, which divide all of their fields.

Close up of rock wall. There are thousands of miles of these walls and the beauty of them is surpassed by the fact that they have lasted for many centuries with nothing to hold them together. What an art form - all done by hand one by one. I never thought I would be so interested!

Typical pub - we might have spent a little too much time in them but each one was OLD and interesting. And served Guinness beer. And played great traditional Irish music.

An old stone cross The traditional Celtic cross is designed to combine the sun with the cross, as before they were converted to Christianity the people worshiped the sun.

Castle ruins

Cliffs of Moher - very amazing place. It can be seen in one of the Harry Potter movies. The winds were at least 40 mph the day we were there but luckily no fog