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Coal, Diesel, Pumpout, Ropes , Fenders, and Other Boating Consumables to Boats & Canalside Business & Properties. E-mail :nbalton102@yahoo.co.uk or Mobile: 07791345004 or 07976811073

Friday, March 09, 2012

Forty Shades of Green

Following my Mum's funeral I've wanted to spend some time with my Dad to help him begin to come to terms with things. So last week we spent 3 days staying with our very good friends Dan & Hilly Fletcher & family. We did a bit of walking & plenty of talking & enjoyed good food & good company.

This week Dad wanted to return to Ireland to spend time with family & friends in familiar surroundings. So on Monday we caught the ferry over to Dublin from Holyhead leaving Ann Marie to do all the hard work of loading Alton & doing lots of road deliveries & other jobs, THANKS AM I owe you!

We stayed with Auntie Patsy in Killevy near Newry at the foot of Slieve Gullion. This is a wonderful part of the world with great memories for our family & we were made very welcome by the McCarthy Clan who really helped lift our Spirits. We had some good chats & some quiet time to reflect. We visited Mums friends & family and we were made so welcome. We also had a day in Belfast visiting the Harland & Woolf Shipyard (they were amazed when I said. I owned a H&W vessel!) and also had a lunch & a pint in the wonderful Crown Bar.

Today I climbed Slieve Gullion 1880ft in the mist with Dermutt & his dog Buddy unfortunately we didn't get to see much of the amazing view of "Forty Shaded of Green" that I remember from my childhood days. After saying our farewells we managed to get a bite of lunch & a pint of porter in Temple Bar before heading to the docks.

We're now on the ferry back home & hopefully Dad will cope over the next few months getting back into some routine.

We're out delivering with Alton this weekend (Ann Marie has everything loaded & ship shape in my absence), so tomorrow were setting off from Oakgrove (Br49 on the Macc) heading north through Macclesfield, Bollington, Poynton & Marple. Then on Sunday onto the Upper Peak Forest Canal (now that the Strines Aqueduct Stoppage is complete) to Bugsworth & Whaley Bridge.