Our Sunday morinig walk

We went for a continuation of our Walk around the island today. We were walking just south of Millisle, that's on the West Coast of NI. It was low tide so the beaches were 150m wider than at high tide. It was a lovely sunny day too, so we really enjoyed ourselves. While we were walking we noticed a bank of mist out to sea, neither Pete nor I had ever seen anything like that before. It moved from the horizon to the shore in about 15 min. so it seemed very fast, it felt like the next time we looked up to see how it was progressing we were inside it. A lovely experience. I took some pictures of it out to sea and inside the mist, but I think the photo of the bank on the horizon doesn't do it justice.

A different setting

Did you know that modern day cameras have a setting to take pics of flowers. Well I didn't realize until the other day when I was looking at the tulips in our garden and wished that I could take some really close up pics of them. So I took the camera out and switched it on and looked at the dial on the side and low and behold, there was a tiny picture of a flower. How exciting, now I can take some real close ups. There are loads of other features too, like a portrait one, and even a setting to use on very pale people! Okay so we all have our moments don't we....? Don't we...?, I'm not the only person am I?

The Formal vs the Casual

At Christmas time when all of the Bowens were here we took some formal family pictures. I have finally scanned them in, however the large family one seems to not have scanned so clearly. But you get the idea. They were taken in the hall of our chapel.

Then there is the one of us all out for a walk in the Mourne mountains. I must say my favourite one is the casual one.

SEILF EMIT

This is the latest addittion to my clock collection (okay maybe this is getting a bit ridiculous now!) Buy hey you only live once, better make it fun. What time is it by the way? Can you tell?

My clock fettish

I love clocks and making different faces for them. I once had a backwards clock, but sadly had to leave it behind in SA. Our house was full of different clocks, big, small, and different coloured. Well I seem to have started up again. Look at my collection so far:


The middle one is glass and the next one is suede, and it is dark purple. (the picture doesn't show it too well) I made this one today, and I made up the rhyme too. Hope we can all live by this. It says: This clock will tick whether you frown or smile, so be happy and make each moment worthwhile.

Four different colours

While we were watching conference at home on Sunday, I looked to my left and noticed this lovely hair comparison!

We are here to stay!!

We just found out the other day that our visa was extended another four years! So by the time that expires we will have been here for 5 1/2 years. And by then we should have indefinite leave to remain. Happy Days.

At least there is no more uncertainty about weather we can stay or not, now just to find another house to rent before the Summer is over. One day at a time as they say.

This is Pete and Zeek out kayaking on a gorgeous Spring day.

Rathlin Island holiday

First of all we needed to get all 6 bikes onto the car. This was achieved with a three bike carrier on the back and three separate ones on the roof. We then set off on our exciting adventure. We drove through some beautiful places and I drove over my very first viaduct! Then through these little tunnels in the road and all the way up the coast until we got to Ballycastle where we boarded the ferry.
We had a great ferry ride (well should I say those who don't get sea sick) It was relatively rough and it was like a fun fare ride, four of us had a great time! (Pete and Cheryn were thinking that they still had to get back.) Then when we got there the lady from the hostel fetched our bags and we rode our bikes up to our little home for three days. What an exciting feeling to know you are riding a bike on an island. After we had eaten and chosen our rooms we went for a ride out to the Rue light house.

All of this ancient history, relatively untouched for hundreds of years. We slept well that night I can tell you, we were so exhausted. This is the view from our room at sun set.

The next two days were spent on the white pebble beach watching the fat seals, cycling to the East and West Light houses and lying on the wind swept grass. And lots of other things too including Cheryn vomiting. Zeek and I went to the little one room shop to see if we could get her something sweet in order to get some sugar into her system. Being a sleepy island, it was closed, so I said to Zeek: "Let's go to the bar (Being an Irish island it was open) and get her a fizzy drink" Zeek looked rather worried and said: "You mean we are going into a place where men smash bottles over each others heads all the time?"

Let me explain; the only bars Zeek or any of our kids have ever seen have been on Laurel and Hardy or Pirates of the Caribbean. And as you know there is a lot of bottle smashing that goes on there. It was so cute to see the innocence.

A great time was had by all.