As perfectly beautiful as a day gets. Everything blue and green and bright. I decide to spend some time soaking it in. I walk, wander, come across a large group doing a hawk walk. Pause and watch awhile. Seeing those hawks swoop through the air, arm to branch, branch to arm, is just breathtaking. I continue on, choose a direction. Not wearing my boots so I’m not taking a trail into the woods, but there are so many others.

There’s a sign: Tree Felling. And I can see where they’ve taken down or are thinning out trees. We had to do that at home last fall.

Wander on. Tree-lined, lovely, quiet. Wildflowers popping up everywhere you look.

I turn again. I sort of, kind of remember this way from previous visits with wide fields on either side, hills rising to mountains, And yes, there’s a really lovely private home with a truly wonderful garden. After an internal debate, I resist taking photos. I wouldn’t like it if some stranger took pictures of my home without asking.

Make another turn, another choice and end up where I don’t remember walking in the past. The fields are behind a line of thick trees—so many personalities in the shape of the branches, the lean of the trunks. Some look like they’ve self-felled and add to the wild look of it all.

Green shadows in a green tunnel, and it’s quiet as a church. And this is my kind of church. Little spots of color reaching up through the shade to catch some light. I see a horse grazing in a field on the other side of the trees. I can’t get a good picture since he’s shifting around a bit, but I try.

When a car comes down the road, it’s a shock. They shouldn’t have been invented yet!

Wander on, and in a clearing, the view opens to cropping sheep, sky and hills.

I realize I’ve walked a fair distance and don’t actually know where this road leads. Time to double back, and at the pretty house, take another direction.

There’s some of the castle’s kitchen garden, and a couple of guys constructing an enormous greenhouse. A fine day for outdoor work. Go this way awhile, then decide that path through the woods doesn’t look too muddy. Even if it were, it’s worth it to be surrounded by trees and tiny wildflowers.

I think I’ve come out in back of the falconry school as I can hear the call of some of those birds of prey. Come out onto the wide gravel path that leads back to the castle, but detour into the walled garden—so lovely there—then beyond it and around again when I realize I’ve walked nearly two hours and it’s nearly time to meet up for our painting class.

Griffin, Colt and Jason are staying back, but the rest of us are going for it. Catherine’s arranged a shuttle to take us the short drive to our artist’s absolutely charming home. And her gardens! Stunning, expansive and just full of color and shape. I could’ve wandered through them another hour.

She’s set us up with easels on her patio, and has a still life on a table. A vase of hydrangeas, a bowl of lemons and limes, a book. A little scary! This is structure, and I tend to slap, dash, dab.

She has the cutest little dog. Remy is a Griffon and so friendly, wagging all over to greet the visitors. He’s delighted with rubs and pets and sweet talking.

But it’s time to get to work. Tess explains we’re not to worry about details yet, just general shapes, broad brush and strokes to get those shapes on canvas. Thankfully, she demonstrates on Kayla’s. Kat and Savanna, both art students, don’t really need this basic tutorial. But the rest of us do!

She gives me a hand with mine, then time to go for it. Mix colors, use those shapes to fill in.

I glance over, and Kat’s added Remy to her still life. It’s already pretty fabulous, and Savannah’s shapes are taking on dimension.

Mine looks like blobs at this point, but I push ahead.

It’s challenging, fascinating and we’re all in the sunshine. Catherine comes with a delivery of cold drinks, finger sandwiches and snacks. So we break. Everyone’s canvas is at different stages, and showing different styles (and skill levels when we add Kat and Savanna). Time to start working the details.

What have I done to my lemons? Why don’t they look, like Kat’s on my left, like lemons? Details, details, pile on more paint. It seems Logan’s having some trouble, and Tess works with him, helps him clean up lines, mix colors.

On my right, Kayla’s is bright and cheery. On my left, Kat’s is amazing with that sweet-faced, breaded Remy looking out beside colorful flowers and fruit. Savanna’s is so pretty, her flowers look like flowers. JR’s is bold and sort of abstract. Logan’s is just great—and we don’t let him forget he had help!

Time to sign our work, give it a chance to dry a bit. What a fun memory to take home! I have to admire the breath and scope of the gardens again before we get in the shuttle with our masterpieces.

Time for a drink in the bar, some unwinding before we clean up for dinner.

It’s into Cong tonight. Jason, Colt, JR and I walk it. I’ve always liked this walk down the quiet road, the trees and fields before you turn and come to a stone church, then around to the ruins of Cong Abbey before the bustle of Cong.

They’ve pushed together tables for our group of nine. Order drinks. Griffin draws one of his impossible mazes, and a rocket ship. Maybe he should paint with us next time. It’s a damn good rocket ship.

Orders up, food and conversation. Then Griffin hands his mother one of his baby teeth. It’s been loose for months, and tonight he simply and calmly pulled it out.

Much excitement from everyone else. Tooth Fairy time. Not just Tooth Fairy. The Irish Tooth Fairy! After dinner he and I play the Making Faces game. God, that tiny gap in his teeth just kills me.

Those who walked down walk back.  Good night hugs, and I see I’ve logged in over 23,000 steps. That’s a solid walking day.

Today looks bright again, and I’m hoping it holds. Most of us have the hawk walk this afternoon. And Laura’s driving down from visiting her cousins so we’ll be a group of ten for the remainder.

Time to work out and get this day started.

Nora

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