Cool Captures of 2012: THE BEST 2012 PHOTOS

One of my photos (taken in Ireland in October and blogged about on 10/22) was chosen as one of the favorite Instagram photos tagged with the #CoolCapture hashtag. There was a year-end round-up and I was pleasantly surprised to see my photo included . It's a huge honor considering there were thousands of photos submitted to the CoolCapture community in 2012. 

Read more...

Cool Capture: Mother Nature

While thumbing through GeekSuper one night when I couldn't sleep last week, I saw another feature from the Cool Capture group. This one is from a walk I took about a week and a half ago on the grounds of Coopershill House. I love the lighting, the mood and Alice the dog who took me for a walk!

Read more...

Day 7. Aughris Head

Okay. Today really did turn out to be more relaxing than any other day I've had on vacation. I was only in the car for three hours. Score!

I, sadly, left Carrick-on-Shannon and headed via Sligo to stay at the Beach Bar. Steve and I actually stopped by this place during our honeymoon in 2006 for a drink. So when I was planning out this trip, I thought it'd be a nice play to stay since it's right on the ocean and I'd be sandwiched in between two famous surf spots in Ireland: Easky & Strandhill.

I drove right from Carrick-on-Shannon to Sligo and got out, walked around, purchased a proper winter coat since I'm still f'n sick and then got back in the car to head out to Aughris Head where the B&B was.

I took some photos along the way

And then got settled into the B&B upon arrival. This is the view which greeted me at the Beach Bar.

I had another lunchtime Guinness and then went back up to my room to relax. I left only one other time to grab some dinner where I was told "At half nine we'll be starting our Friday night poker game. You should play, it's good craic. We'll probably go until 3am."

I laughed, paid my bill, went back to my room and got into bed.

I've had so much on my mind that sleeping hasn't come easily to me on this vacation. Which is a huge bummer because the antibiotics, cough medicine with codeine, two different kinds of inhalers and the flu shot I was given the day before I left didn't work the magic I needed it to. And the sleep thing isn't helping any.

Tomorrow I meet up with one of my dearest friends- and the only person I keep in touch with from when we lived in Connecticut- and we head off to Derry for two nights where we'll do some exploring of Northern Ireland.

Read more...