Fifty Shades of Green

Caoga Dathanna de Glas

(Fifty Shades of Green)

The Emerald Isle. Fifty shades might be a conservative number. From the Ring of Kerry to Kilkenny, Ireland looks like the fanciest, best-manicured country club that you could imagine. Miles and miles of velvety green pastures crisscrossed by rock walls and bramble hedges. The green is relieved only by the white dots of sheep (although most sheep here have brightly colored  rumps in shades of blue, red, turquoise and orange.) In fact, there is very little here that's *not* green...shop fronts and doors and the many Guinness advertisements.

Ireland's rural roads are incredibly narrow at times and given they are usually lined with tall green briar hedges and overshadowed with tree branches, a drive can often seem like a Twin Peaks experience. The only thing missing is the hoot of an owl. Note for Midsomer Murder fans: We don't drive these roads at night, and we avoid forest walks and run at the first notes of music outdoors.

One exception to this has been a mountaintop view with strains of a bagpipe playing "Scotland the Brave" drifting up faintly from a hut far below. Wait a minute..."Scotland the Brave" in Ireland? What was that guy thinking? Maybe he was hopin' for something other than a Guinness? Mayb a wee dram of Old Kilt Lifter?

At the Cliffs of Moher we had another unusual musical experience. As the rain started to splatter down the and velocity of the wind increased we heard some strange sounds. As we walked by a metal gate we realized the sound was coming from it. The rails of the gate had become an Aeolian harp with the wind blowing across small holes in the metal. We tried to record the music but the wind drowned it out. The eerie sounds added to the incredible scenery surrounding us.