May 30, 2012

Day 10: Cape Clear, Co. Cork, Ireland

This morning, we got up, had a spot of breakfast and went right to milking the goats! I have never milked a goat before, but I’ve milked cows, so I thought it couldn’t be much different! After a bit of practice, I got the hang of it and went to town! The group of us milked as many goats as would cooperate, and then called Ed to come in and do the rest! They much prefer him J

He is the cutest when he’s with the goats- singing to them, sweet talking them, and milking them with absolutely no problems whatsoever.

The milking parlor!

Onis :) Love her!

Sandy milking

The man of the hour- Ed! Singing as he milks Mint and bonding with Lavender!

Zoe recording Ed singing to the goats

Feeding Vivienne in the milking parlor

After they were milked, we fed the milk back to them since we didn’t need to keep any more buckets for ice cream or cheese making at the time. I thought it was a bit strange at first, but they were raised on it and they love it!

I also spent some quality time with them after the milking J

Baby! (That's actually her name)

2 of da babiessss

2 of the teenagers reaping the benefits of leftover grain. It almost looks like their tales are making a heart!

Cupcake :)

Some of the goats just lounging around!

For lunch I had some leftover soup and a tuna sandwich. The can of tuna was the coolest thing- it’s canned with the mayo already in it and also with sweet corn! It was absolutely delicious- I wish we had it at home! After some tea to finish up, we started our trek around the island. We were to be flyering on Ed’s behalf for citizens to vote ‘No’ on the upcoming referendum. I’m not entirely sure what the whole story is, but essentially, the referendum, if passed, will put the Irish government in line with a whole slurry of rules and regulations about the taxing system and internal regulations. From what Ed says (granted, it’s a biased, strong opinion), Ireland would not be in control of its own country anymore and would be a pawn of the EU. It felt a bit strange to be flyering to citizens about their own government, but mostly, we just encouraged them to get out and vote! Civic duty in another country, look at me!

Anyway, on our way around the island we saw a lot of great sights and ran into some really great people too! We were over at the bird observatory and met a couple from abroad that was visiting the island doing some bird watching. They mentioned that they’d be meeting the warden of the observatory shortly to do some bird ringing and that we should join them, so Sandy and I went right along!

Bird ringing, contrary to my first impression, is not the ‘wringing’ with the w (thankfully), but is when you catch wild birds and put the small rings around their legs. Each ring is emblazoned with a specific code that can be traced back to the Cape conservatory, so that if the birds migrate and are caught again, their migration patterns/size/weight can be tracked in the system. It’s quite an interesting process, actually! There were very fine nets that were set up in the trees, about 30 feet long, stretched between 2 bamboo poles. The nets were layered and quite loose, so the birds would fly into the net and fall into a pocket of netting, where the warden would then delicately lift them out. They’re engineered in a way that the birds won’t get hurt; it actually takes a 5 year training course to get a license to even set up the nets. Anywhere, while we were watching, we caught 3 birds, one that we ringed and 2 that already had been ringed! An interesting surprise, for sure!

Steve, the warden of the bird observatory

The first bird that was being ringed- a chiffchaff!

Here he is again

The Grey Tit (teehee)

Here are some sights from around the island too (props to Zoe and Sandy for taking these!)

Ruins on the island

Close up of the Foxglove

Cowssss

More ruins

Gayelan and the landscape

Zoe on the harbor

Lawn decor along the lake on the island

Beautiful walk :)

Another scenic viewpoint

On the way back, Sandy and I ran into a guy that she had met previously at the shop down the road, Finbar (LOVE the name) and his dog- also named Sandy, who entertained us for a while we waited for a ride from Ed’s son back up the steep hill to the house. We also bought some nice snacks for the gang at the shop J Typical Irish things- Jaffa Cakes, Cheese and Onion Taytos, a Galaxy bar and a lemon for dinner!

Sandy (the dog) and Finbarr! 

Yummm

For dinner, the four WWOOFers made seasoned chicken, garlic mashed potatoes and lemon & garlic spinach! It was fun to takeover the kitchen for a bit, and the result was delicious!

Aftewards, we made some bread and butter pudding (a twist on regular bread pudding, with goats milk) that had apples and grapes in it. While that was cooking, we just chatted with Ed for a bit and had some tea at the table. After we had the pudding when it was done, it was time for bed! Early morning again tomorrow!

Favorite part of the day: I think today I really bonded with the goats, as silly as it may sound. They have a special way about them and they’re just absolutely adorable and so affectionate. My favorite, by far, is Lavender. Like I mentioned previously, she’s older and probably at the bottom of the herd, but she’s special and so kind.

World, meet my friend- Lavender.

<3

May 29^th, 2012

Day 9: Cape Clear, Co. Cork, Ireland

Today was our big trip to Cape Clear! We woke up and got started on our ‘chores’ of sorts right away so that we would have time to shower & pack before we all hopped in the car.

After a quick breakfast of toast and fruit, the whole gang piled into the van and started the trip to Baltimore, which is a port on the southern end of County Cork. There was a 2pm ferry that we were to catch to make the 45 minute trek out to Cape Clear. We cut it kind of close, but made the ferry just in time!

After a semi-bumpy 45 minute ride and some beautiful scenery along the way (see below), we finally arrived!

Leaving Baltimore

On the boat!

Upon arrival in the Cape Clear harbor

Our primary motivation for coming to the Cape is to see Ed Harper, a local goat farmer on the island. Zoe is planning to do her senior thesis on animal behavior- in particular the relationships that form between humans and animals and wanted to interview Ed. Ed is a blind goat farmer who has been on the island for years, making goat’s milk products (cheese, ice cream, yogurt) and breeding his goats. He seems to be a really interesting guy, especially due to the reliance on senses other than sight that he needs to employ when working with his animals and processing the products. He lives with his son, Duncan, and constantly has WWOOFers help him out, as well!

Anyway, we got to the island and wandered near the harbor for a bit, and then started the trek up the 45 degree street that would lead us to Ed’s house. We took a few detours along the way into plots of land that had ruins of old houses and sheds as well as breathtaking scenic views.

Some of the natural flora!

A view from the middle of the hill

Some beautiful scenery :)

An old, broken down house along the coast!

Tourist photo!

More views from the crest of the hill

The ruins of the house, from above

Once we got to Ed’s house, we met the man himself, as well as his two WWOOFers, Sandy and Gayelan. Sandy has been here for a few weeks, and Gayelan arrived rather recently. We got started right away helping them both with their primary task at the time- making goats milk ice cream! When we arrived, they had just finished a few batches of rum raisin and were moving onto the next flavor, which was mint. Yum! I’m not really an ice cream fan, but if it’s mint, I want it! We were also joined by another woman by the name of Hanna, from Switzerland, who had arrived with us on the ferry and wanted to meet Ed (she too had wanted to WWOOF with him, but he was booked)!

5 batches and over 100 mini-cups of deliciously rich and creamy ice cream later (and some snacks here and there, of course), we were finished with the ice cream making for they day. Ed had prepared a fresh pot of stew while we were working, and we sat down to a delicious dinner of stew and toast- perfect for an overcast rain shower filled day.

Welcome to Cleire Goats

Ice creammmmm

After dinner, we went to get the goats! They had been grazing in the south pasture for the day and we stood by and watched Sandy, Gayelan and Ed herd the goats out of the pasture and back into their pen in the back of the house. It was awesome to watch ed whistle and speak to the goats, coaxing them out of the pasture and into the street. The followed him and his voice as if they were dogs! It’s also quite a sight to see a herd of goats walking in a straight line down the street!

We spent some time hanging out with the goats down in their pasture, and then wandered in the back area for a bit. The land is in several ‘layers’ of sorts, and Gayelan and I wandered through some of the fields to look at the view.

By this time, the sea mist was covering the land and we couldn’t see extremely far out, but we had a gorgeous view of the cliffs in front of us leading down to the beach, as well as some islands shrouded in mist a little ways off the coast. It was a very serene experience- it literally felt like I was the only person in existence at that point in time. I was looking out over the sea and could see nothing but natural land- absolutely nothing that would suggest there was another human being in the world around me. It felt so peaceful and so incredibly liberating to be so close to nature at that point. I’m really glad that I had that opportunity; living inland doesn’t have the same perks as living on an island, and it’s an experience I will surely not forget.

After spending some quality time outside, we went in for some tea to warm up. Shortly after we went back out when it was dark to put the goats in their pens for the night. That was a project in and of itself, particularly with one of the goats, Lavender. She’s a beautiful 11 (or so) year old goat. She’s missing some hair on her head and back, a condition left behind from some sickness she suffered when she was younger. She’s my favorite, and seems to be the ‘special’ one of the herd. I paid extra attention to her, but also spent some time with Baby (literally, the youngest of the herd), Anton, Teenager, and some others whose names escape me for the moment. Spending time with these animals makes me wish I had more time to WWOOF and go to a farm with livestock!

After we came in for the last time, we again sat down for some tea and snacks. We had some rice cakes, fresh cheddar cheese and honey. Don’t knock it til you try it- it’s actually incredibly delicious! Gayelan and I sat around the table with Ed chatting about all things under the sun- drugs, drug regulations, politics, the referendum vote in Ireland, our generation’s lethargy, etc. He’s a great man to talk to, and I really enjoyed hearing his opinions on a plethora of things. One of my favorite quotes from him tonight has got to be the following, though:

Irishman’s definition of ‘a gay’: a man who prefers his women to his drink.

After some great chats, I’m headed to bed J I believe milking starts at 10am tomorrow!

Favorite part of the day: Spending some time with the goats :) They're very lovable creatures, each with their own personality, and I can't wait to get to know them by name!

May 28, 2012

Day 8: Ahiohill, Co. Cork, Ireland

Woke up a bit later again this morning. I fully intended on going for a run when I first woke up around 8:30, but then quickly realized I don’t have the slightest idea what a good running path would be. Maybe tomorrow!

After spending a bit more time looking into my plans for post-Ireland, we started on our day’s work! We were to turn the compost, earth up the potatoes, plant some wax beans and do some various watering around the grounds.

Turning the compost was a process. There are a few separate areas that Tina and John have set up around the yard to deal with their compost. There is a large pile along a wall where organic materials from the grounds go (grass clippings, strimming excess, etc), a few wooden bins where the compost is piled, and then a container where food compost from the kitchen is deposited. The first pile of compost is given some time to start breaking down, from where is it moved to the wooden bins when it is ready. The food compost breaks down in the plastic bin and is used directly. So! As mentioned, there are 3 wooden 3-sided bins located in the backyard. This morning, we loosened the compost from the farthest two and consolidated the material into one of the bins. I imagine it’s almost time to move some of the other compost from the pile over to the bins! It was a comical task, as Zoe and I had trouble making the compost form into a solid pile. We ended up using our bodies to create a pseudo-wall to contain the compost as we patted it down to make it fit into the 3-sided bin. That might not have been the best description of the process, but all you need to take away from the story is that it certainly gave us a laugh.

Then, we got to work on the potatoes. Basically, the potato plants need to be continuously buried with just the tops of the plants poking out the pile of dirt. As the plants grow, continuing to bury them means that once the potatoes are starting to form, they will grow from everywhere! You’ll end up with a nice mound of full grown potatoes. It seems like an easy task, but with a large amount of potato plants and excessively rocky soil, it was definitely a work out!

After this was complete, We planted wax beans in small trays so that they could spend some time germinating/sprouting before they’re relocated to a larger plot.

After this, we came inside to grab some lunch. We each made some form of a toasted ham/cheese/tomato sandwich and had a tomato, cheese, and fresh rocket with vinegrette salad. YUM!

Our last task of the day was to gather sticks, yet again, for the various fires. We used a lot this weekend with the bonfire outside, so we had to replenish!

After a fabulous dinner of pasta Bolognese, Tina, John, Rob, Alex and Jules went into Cork tonight for the session and Zoe and I stayed home to get things together for our trip over the next few days which will be to Cape Clear! Cape Clear is a small island off the southern coast of Cork, where there’s an incredible variety of birds, a lot of seals, dolphins and basking sharks! (Definitely just read that offline after a Google search). But in all seriousness, we’re going to stay with Ed Harper, a goat farmer who has a farm there. He actually also hosts WWOOFers (which we’ll be meeting & staying with) as well. Zoe wants to interview him for her senior thesis about animals- Ed is actually blind and runs this gigantic goat farm at the same time!

It’ll be really interesting to hear his story and also learn more about goat farming! His WWOOF profile highlights fresh goat cheese, goat’s milk and goat milk ice cream, which I’m really looking forward to. J More to come when I get back from the Cape and/or while I’m there! We’ll see how internet access goes.

And finally- I just wanted to share my own piece of paradise with all of you. This is the view from the backyard.. at approximately 9:40pm. Still light J

Favorite part of the day: Working outside for most of it. It was very rewarding and I learned a lot!

May 27, 2012

Day 7: Ahiohill, Co. Cork, Ireland

We didn’t really do much today! Since we all went to bed pretty late yesterday, we all slept in. I ended up getting up around 1 or so, and by 2p, Zoe had made everyone American style pancakes! We cracked open the maple syrup that I brought from home and enjoyed breakfast together.

There were a few people who stayed the night who also joined us. The rest of the afternoon was spent lounging, reading, and listening to some music and for me- trying to book trains/hostels for my post-Ireland travels!

For dinner we had a huge assortment of cheeses, bread, spreads and some wine.  I had a chance to Skype my family at home around 10p or so, which was very nice! Minus a few technical troubles…

We listened to Rob and John play some music for a while also, and I hit the hay pretty early at around midnight. Nothing too crazy to report- post party lethargy at its finest J But, its nice to have a relaxing ‘I have absolutely nothing to do’ day every so often!

Also, I realized I hadn't put up any pictures of the lovely cats I'm living with, so here you are!

Squish

Turloch

Favorite part of the day: Euro-planning! It’s a hassle and a lot of work, but it definitely got me excited for the rest of my journey after I leave the motherland J

May 26, 2012

Day 6: Ahiohill, Co. Cork, Ireland

Today was Rob and Alex’s birthday! We woke up a little after ten and went down for tea and coffee. I gave Rob his birthday presents (flashing blue shutter shades and a neon yellow lei) and we hung around until we made a full Irish breakfast for brunch! Yummm. Clonakilty is famous for it’s black pudding, and even though it’s semi-gross to think about the fact that it’s made with animal blood, it’s absolutely delicious! After brunch we did a bit more cleaning around the house and then everyone went to go take a nap after a long night.

I sat outside for a bit and finished my book in the sunlight, which was amazing. The weather here has been incredible! At around 6 or so we started getting things together for the party, cutting veggies, making dips, putting out crisps and starting to make chicken wings. People started arriving beginning at 7 or so, but Eurovision was on so we were all watching that!

It was the final performance of all of the finalists. After the performances were concluded, each country announced the top 10 countries that their country had voted for. My personal favorites were Cyprus and Greece, but alas, neither of them won. The winner was Sweden, with an amazing performance (both song and dance) and a very clear win over the others. Look up the acts on Youtube- well worth it!

After Eurovision, it was back to the party. I met a lot of really great people and had an awesome night. Towards the end of the night around 3a or so, a bunch of us sat around the fire, told jokes, stories and just hung out. Very relaxing J

I ended up going to sleep around 4:30 or so because I felt a little sick/congested. Overall, a great great night with lots of great food and great people!

Favorite part of the day: The party was great, but if I have to pick one thing- the full Irish breakfast. My favorite favorite meal J

May 25, 2012

Day 5: Clonakilty, Co. Cork, Ireland

This morning, we woke up and decided to make a bit of a bigger breakfast of eggs, bacon and toast. After the morning tasks of the dishes and cleaning the fire, we got ready right away to go into Clonakilty. Tina and John had some errands to run, and also had to go to the airport to pick up her sister  and her sister’s boyfriend later on in the afternoon who flew in from Brussels for a few days!

Zoe and I spent the afternoon wandering the little streets of Clonakilty. First we went to the Friday farmer’s market where we split a crepe that was filled with strawberry jam and lemon. I also picked up a bottle of fresh squeezed orange juice, which was incredibly fresh/delicious! I love farmers markets, all over the world J

We went into a second hand thrift store (higher end, much like a Second Time Around), into a natural foods store, into a party/costume shop, etc. I picked Rob up some blinking shutter shades and a neon yellow lei for his birthday as well!

Some shots from town:

One of the town's main streets

Michael Collins lived here!

After we got a good feel for the town, we started our walk out to the beach. There were signs directing us to the beach from town so we thought it would be a relatively short walk. We thought wrong. About halfway there, we decided to try to hitchhike the rest of the way. That didn’t work out either but we resolved to hitch a ride back instead. We actually took a shortcut (I think) away from the road and waded across some sand dunes that had been cleared with the low tide to get to the beach. When we finally got to the big beach, we went for a very refreshing dip in the water and hung out on the sand for a bit.

A GAA complex on the way to the beach

The empty bay- low tide

Beautiful field along the walk to the beach

More beach shots

Ahhh, gorgeous!

If you know me, you know that I love beach hair, and this was certainly the highlight of the day. After we swam, we went over to the car park area to try to talk to some locals and hitch a ride back; this time, we were successful! After getting back into the town, we went to O’Scanaill’s for a few drinks and to meet Tina and John.

We were there for a bit (had some Bulmers and Beamish!) and then decided we were quite hungry since we didn’t have much of a lunch. We ran down the road to a local take away shop, got some burgers and chips, and went back to the pub, wehre Tina, John, Rob, Alex and Julian had arrived! We stayed there for a bit longer and had a few more beers, and then all piled in the van to go home.

A beautiful sight on a warm day :)

<3

Once home, we sat down to a late dinner of pork chops, leftover lenteja, chips, salad and delicious sauce that Tina made from the pink pepper that her sister Alex brought over for her. Yum!!

We listened to John and Rob play some music for a while (including their favorite song.. big hairy titties. I’m hoping I can catch a video of it to put up here at some point; it’s hysterical), had some Irish coffees and at some delicious brownies that Rob and Zoe made.

Was a great night overall, but the sun really wore me out! Turned in around 2a and fell asleep almost immediately. Big party for Rob tomorrow!

Favorite part of the day: definitely the beach. I love summer… and beach hair J