High & Dry

Let's get last night out of the way first ...

I met a we-go-back-a-long-way pal of mine in town at 9.00 for a chat and a few drinks. We had a grand time and agreed that we must do it again some time soon, and not leave it as long next time. We were in full nostalgic flight when I suddenly realised it was Thursday night and not Friday, which meant I had to dash away and hurry to catch the last bus home. Goddam Dublin Bus! Apparently every route has a schedule which involves the last bus leaving out of town at 11.30 (some service!). I got to the general area where buses that suit me leave from, but managed to miss them all. Goddam Dublin Bus! The one time you'd like the drivers to give a bit of leeway, they don't show any give and take at all. At no other time of the day is the schedule adhered to, but last night I failed to catch a bus because I was just one minute late getting to the stop. One minute!

So I began walking, and walked, and walked. By the time I got to Fairview I decided I'd had enough and flagged down a taxi to take me the rest of the way. Public transport in this city is a joke, that's the lesson I learned. We used have NiteLink buses on week days as well as at weekends, but cutbacks saw the end of that, so the only days there's now a late-night service are Friday and Saturday. No good to me last night.

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So, today ...

No great weather expectations, and no rehab session because it's Good Friday, so I actually got a good night's sleep and had a great lie-on (up earlier for an hour or so, then back to bed, and not finally up and about until 12.30 or so). The weather was mixed to begin with, switching from dry and cloudy to wet and rainy and back to cloudy and more rain and then it gradually brightened up and improved and improved and improved. As the afternoon progressed I felt myself becoming more and more restless, so I took a work break and went for a bit of a drive. I vaguely intended going to Donabate/Portrane but then changed my mind and decided on Skerries instead. Having taken the turn for Skerries I changed my mind again when I spotted a sign for Loughshinny, a spot which my friends Derek and Rita go to quite often but somewhere I've never been - until today, that is.

It's a grand spot, with a nice beach, a fishing harbour, what is probably a pleasant coastal walk, and all in all an air of peace and tranquility which is all very attractive. The tide was well out, it was gloriously bright and sunny, there were just a few clouds in the sky, so it was a perfect opportunity for some happy snapping. I came home with 150 shots in the can, which made choosing one to blip quite difficult. I'm still not sure if I've made the right choice, but here it is anyway.

I've put together a photo gallery containing some of the others. Maybe one of those will end up here instead of this one. We shall see.