Wednesday 2 September 2015

All The Way To County Clare For A Second Hand Wheelbarrow.

"Didn't we have a lovely time the day went to - hmm.. Clare!"

The ancient Chinese invented the wheelbarrow.  I Googled that fact.  So it must be true.   I didn't know we would be coming home with one.  

Monday was a day off from the farm.  So we went over the Cork ("there's whiskey in the jar") and Kerry mountains for some retail therapy in Killarney.  You know normal things like buying kecks (trousers) from Penneys (Matalan), trainers (they call them "runners" here in Ireland) and some hoodies for the two lads.   Which we always disapprove of and say they look like scruffy monks.  

We went in 'Dealz' (Poundland) for Vimto (Northern English cordial), deodorant, crisps, pens for school and wool for new babies.  Anybody want a cardigan knitting?  The wife seems to be making them for everybody in West Cork at the moment (another baby boom?) and the clicking of needles for me to endure whilst watching the television of an evening.  

Then we went to some of the garden centre's looking for me Japanese onions sets.  We were told:

"They will be in another fortnight."  

Back to Kerry in two weeks time, I guess?  So we did journey on to Tarbert and to the Kilmer ferry over the river Shannon.  This cost us 28 Euros return and I had a Mars bar from the tuck shop.  You don't get that on the Queen Mary, do you?  





On reaching land. We drove for a few miles or so and stopped at a second hand dealers who sold me a wheel barrow?  Fifteen Euros an't bad for a new/secondhand wheelbarrow is it?  



Do you remember this song?










12 comments:

  1. Quite a busy day! Oh i haven't had Vimto in years! Must buy some on the next shopping trip :)
    I read a cool article on making your own wheelbarrow

    http://journeytoforever.org/farm_library/device/devicesToC.html

    go to chapter 10
    the whole page is very informative actually, maybe your son would like to have a go at a few :)

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    Replies
    1. Hi Undomesticated Diva. Vimto is one of those things we miss from England. A good meat and potato pie is another. Not forgetting real ales and my allotment. smallholding life can be very isolated and you miss the camaraderie of an allotment. Public transport is another thing we miss and watching a live football match is another... I could go on. Thanks!

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  2. A great retail day, love the wheel barrow must remind hubby we need another wheel barrow :-)

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    Replies
    1. Hi Dawn. Yes it's good to go to a big town for some retail therapy. Especially cheap clothes. I love car boot sales too. Especially when I can find a secondhand wheelbarrow for next to nothing. Thanks!

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  3. So lets see €28 for the ferry fare plus fuel say €10 plus €15 for the barrow so you actually paid €53 for the barrow and you could have gone to Chadwick's in Mallow and bought a new one €40 h'mmm !

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  4. Hi Heron. No we went bought other things too. It was a day off from the smallholding and it did us all good to get away for a few hours. Sometimes I wish we could pick up the farm and move somewhere else. On days like today when the sun is shining and the livestock are content grazing in the fields. It makes me want to stay here. Have you ever been on the ferry Heron?

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    Replies
    1. Yes I have dozens of times Dave, the fare goes up and down according to the season. Best bit about going over is seeing the dolphins at play on the Limerick side. Did you get a glimpse of them at all Dave ?

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    2. No I didn't see them Heron. I saw the signs for dolphin watching.

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  5. Your day sounds lovely!

    I have seen photos of Kerry and Cork .. stunningly beautiful... Some have looked amazingly like the Ozark Mountains where I grew up... I love the folklore of faeries and such there, we have some of that type folklore in the Ozark Mountains where I am from, magical for sure... :O)

    Your wife knits... a true talent for sure. I have tried my hand at that... I do better with needle and thread than I do yarn and knitting needles :O)

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    Replies
    1. It was a very enjoyable day Texan.

      Ireland is incredibly beautiful and there are less than 4 million people.

      I have always liked American and Canadian heavy rock bands. Finally got to see Kansas in Warsaw, Poland last year. I wasn't disappointed. Would love to see the Amish farming and so much of America and Canada.

      Yes the wife's got a lot more patience than me knitting whilst watching television. You have got a lot of talent too with your blinds. Thanks!

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  6. The wheel barrow sounds like a bargain and you had a day out. I think you are bit out over the population of Ireland though Dave, it currently stands at 4.6 m.

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  7. It was a good day out and we got quite a few bargains Anne. I am surprised how much the Irish population has risen. Especially when 400000 people have emigrated since 2007. Rural Ireland is still very sparse and the new numbers must be around the cities.

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