Kerry Sky

The vast skies of the American West are spectacular to see, but for my money, nothing beats the drama of the Dingle Peninsula. The light is constantly changing as the North Atlantic clouds mesh and break on the mountains. Blue skies quickly give way to temperamental storm clouds, and frequently, sunshine and storm coexist in the same patch of sky. I have taken hundreds of photos of the scene above, and no two are alike. The offshore wind sends rain-laden clouds over the Sliabh Mish mountain range, where the granite hills drag the watery bounty onto their steep slopes, filling the myriad mountain streams and lakes in the process. You can sit sunning yourself on the beaches of Brandon Bay while watching the rain falling on the mountains barely a half mile away.

Nectar

I was trawling through my photos when I came across this from a trip to Ireland last year.

Easter Sunday in Kerry 2

This is the same location as yesterday's photograph, taken from the beginning of the hike.

Light String

Shed

Tractor

Dolphin watching

Kite

This is another photo from my trip back to Ireland the week before last. It was primarily a business trip to London, but one of the perks is getting to bookend the week in England with weekends in Ireland. I took a few days off, and made the second weekend a very long one at our usual spot near Castlegregory. It was only perfect, warm September weather, enough tourists to create a buzz, but only in Dingle, (on our side of the Dingle peninsula it was pretty quiet) and everything still in bloom. My college roommate Richie and his wife and two kids spent a day and a night with us. On the afternoon they arrived, we brought all the kids to the local beach, which is only a short walk away. I bought buckets and shovels for sandcastle building, and a kite. They had a ball with the kite; in fact they fought over whose turn it was to fly it.

I love Ireland in September. When American friends ask when is the best time to go, I always advocate for September or May. They seem to have the optimal combination of weather, fun, and lack of crowds. Dingle was still busy, but manageable. We went out to see Fungi the Dolphin, which was much more fun than expected. The boat trip alone was worth the price. Shane, of course loved it, although it’s debatable which he loved more, being on a boat, (his first time), or seeing the dolphin.