The Stradbally Woodland Express

Greetings everybody. We are home safe and sound after our trip half way across the country and back. What a weekend! The party went off brilliantly and the hotel was perfect. Kinnitty Castle was originally built in the year 1209 and thete has been a castle on the site ever since although of course very little remains of the original. The present building was erected in the early 1800's but here and there about the place one sees bits and pieces of the earlier structures and overall the place has a wonderful old world charm to it. I was going to post a photo of it tonight but on the way home we stopped off in the village of Stradbally and took a ride on the Stradbally Woodland Express. In reality it's a bit of a misnomer as the train barely exceeds the speed of a decent bicycle but the enthusiasm of the volunteers who have restored the locomotive and built the line on which to run it has to be seen to be believed. Originally built for hauling peat across the nearby bogs and delivering its cargo to the power station, this old loco was built inKIlmarnock, Scotland in the very year in which I was born, 1949. It now burns coal as every steam loco should do and it's a credit to all involved. Here we see Mrs.Joesblips patiently waiting for me to join her for the short trip while I was being shown around by a very proud engineer.
Finally, I haven't at all forgotten dear Molly. On this day last year she posted her very last blip, a shot of her little dog, before complaining of feeling poorly. Little did any of us realise that we would no longer enjoy her sometimes slightly irreverant banter, but more of that tomorrow with any luck.