Set off for Mayo - the foot of Croagh Patrick to be exact, in readiness for the pilgrimage weekend. Left the horses there and went to Oughty, near Killary Harbour to stay with Sophia half way up a mountain. We climbed at nightfall and fell down many ditches and into streams and wondered if we’d bonded sufficiently with the local inhabitants, mainly cows. Had an amazing supper which got even better with a courgette and cumin pancake experiment. We went back to the mountain to try a little collecting the next morning. We got a few pennies towards the cause. Literally a few pennies, most of which I’d put in myself to show people where it could go! It rained solidly and very few people got the hang of it. I think because they were heaven-bound.
Sophia had made a great sign but we thought afterwards this might have been better...
“When you get to the top of the mountain, to those pearly gates, God won’t ask you what you saved. All he’ll want to know is what you gave!!”
Some classic characters there doing a penance in bare feet to the top. We actually heard there was 40 injuries so I probably should have been doing some space clearing instead. I have been more on the case with the Galway Races, hoping to clear any chance of accidents and incidents.
I tried to go for a ride from Croag Patrick stables but hadn’t bargained on Windy's separation anxiety. He whinnied and snorted and stamped his feet the whole way past the pilgrims and I slightly wished I hadn’t got Please Support Animal Welfare written on my back as my trusty steed was so obviously upset and felt it was blatantly my fault! I did make it to the beach eventually but by then I felt ready to go home again. The silver strand I had in mind manifested perfectly into a nice contained sand arena where we did some exemplary maneuvers.
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