12 years and 4 months and still as fit as a fiddle. Dogs whose masters regularly drink whisky have been known to live thirty years and more, with a smile on their snouts.
I know Benone and that part of the world very well. Beautiful, beautiful place.... If you look across Lough Foyle you'll see the wild county Donegal. I was there today playing golf on Cruit Island. A very beautiful place too. Padraig, there is a place up that way called Kerrytown; where our lady appeared. The locals still preserve it as a shrine - and I think you'd very much enjoy the pilgrimage up there. Its probably only about 2 and a half hours on from Benone.... https://www.discoveringireland.com/kerrytown-rock-and-st-james-well/
You could camp up there overnight, no bother. And there is also Doon well, Doon rock and the wonderful Ards Monastery up that way too. https://ardsfriary.ie/ http://www.megalithicireland.com/Doon.html
I did visit Kerry town years ago. There seems to have been miraculous appearances of Mary all over Ireland down the centuries. The same with places like Italy, Spain and France. Also of course many Irish saints living in our of the way places few have even heard of. The wells to Our Lady that we find everywhere are a sign of this. I might get the ferry across from Magilligan if they take contactless.
Heavy rain and winds this morning, but I think the weather is to pick up in the next few days. I had to work hard yesterday evening in the rain to take three awning down and move things for the winds today. The poor farmers are suffering a lot from the weather. I can't help thinking that the strange weather is part of the Signs of the time. Similar stories from other places. Spain for instance has a huge, terrible drought which will ruin their harvests, heavy flooding in Russia and a truly terrible winter in Mongolia. The media of course blame everything on Global warming. Sigh. Great graces from Lent and Easter flood in. A source of huge joy. This surprises me because my Lent was a terrible failure, but I suppose at least I tried and God has given me the benefit of the doubt. After Mass yesterday, Sunday several of the locals nodded and smiled at me on the way out. The priest had asked prayers for visitors and I suppose they had heard my city accent singing.
It's wonderful saying the rosary in these wild, beautiful, lonely places, as soon as I start to pray where ever I am I feel at home with the warm hands of heaven wrapped around me. Incredible to know that when we saw the rosary the mother of God is right there with us. What a comfort!!
It is always a blessing to be welcomed at a church. We were on a road trip this winter, and we went to Mass at a small chapel in the middle of nowhere in South Carolina. The parishioners and pastor were so kind, and went out of their way to welcome us into to little church. We were pleasantly surprised with their greeting because up North we have the tendency to be too reserved.
This reminds me of the Scripture that when we meet a stranger we should always be aware that we might be meeting an angel unawares . I met a woman the other day deep in the woods when I was lost to ask directions. I was saddened to see how nervous, even afraid of me she was. But then only the goodness knows what has happened to her in the past.
