The Labraventures of Carbón, Spanish (ex-) foster dog extraordinaire

Emily_Babbelhund

Mama Red HOT Pepper
Another quick no photo update. I'm really starting to feel hamstrung by my decrepit equipment. It's all being stuck together by duct tape at the moment, or at least it feels that way. I did get in early enough to fiddle with it all, but discovered that my father had been trying to catch me since late last week, so we had a nice confab this evening to convince him I'm still alive. I doubt that even after over an hour conversation he has any idea where I am, but that's kind of par for the course. He gave up on things like my precise geographic locations years ago.

Carbon and I finally said goodbye to Rose and Curly today, though we'll probably go back to Kinsale for one more night before we leave Ireland. I'm so grateful to Rose for allowing me to have nearly a week of 'normal life' with wonderful company and conversation not to mention a real feeling of home. I felt guilty for staying so long as I was raised with the 'fish and guests go bad after three days' rule but even there Rose just poo-pooed me with her Australian directness saying, "That's only for people like your mother in law - it's not for friends!" While I think she was just being her exceptionally hospitable self, I still hung around and hung around, just soaking up the good vibes.

And of course we all know how Carbon feels: Sweetbriar House with Rose and Curly is the BEST. The best goodies. the best toys, the best doggie friend and the very best sofa and pillows. Something about that sofa just made Carbon go all floppy and let me cuddle him like a baby on his back with all four legs sticking out this way and that. Our boy has REALLY relaxed since hitting Ireland!

Today we had yet another session at the cafe for Rose's morning coffee and Curly's morning biscuit, followed b a nice long romp on the beach and the old fort. Carbon loved meeting the local dogs and particularly fell in love with a huge black lab mix named Buddy. He rain circles around Buddy and generally acted a nut ball. Though more coordinated than he used to be, his four legs none theless seem to have four different ideas about which direction he's actually running. I don't really know how he manages to go forward instead of just falling over, but somehow he runs pretty darn quickly...if inelegantly.

Around 1:30 we did a final load up and headed off towards Killarney. I took the longer drive that takes you in over the mountains and through Killarney National Park. All my favorite bits were there: stunning views, cheeky sheep and hair-raising turns. I misjudged the timing for sunset and then was led astray by my satnav so the end of the evening did end up with me down a dead end lane with cows, but I eventually found my way to the B and B. Carbon and I have a room that manages to be smaller than the one on the ferry, but it's a nice place.

Yeah,we're both kind of wondering why we left Rose's. ;-)

Tomorrow we'll head back to the park to have a gander at Mucross House in the daytime, I shall buy my traditional winter wooly scarf and hat from Mucross Weavers at the house (I've got about ten by now) and then we'll head to the house on the Ring of Kerry for two nights. I have no agenda except doing my laundry and taking Carbon to my favourite beach in the area. And maximum peat fires in the fireplace. I'm a total sucker for a peat fire. :D
 

Emily_Babbelhund

Mama Red HOT Pepper
Rose sounds like a really good friend, I get the warm fuzzies from your description. You seem to really love Ireland, too. Would you ever consider living there, or is it one of those "lovely to visit but would hate to live there" sort of countries?
Rose is indeed lovely. I actually met her through booking her place a few years ago as she's only a five minute walk from my friend Cian. If anyone is ever in Kinsale, Sweetbriar House is a wonderful place to stay plus you get puppy love from Curly. Can't to wrong!

Ireland used to be on my regular rotation for longer stays of a month or so per year. The problem I had was the weather: as a Californian, I found the constant drizzle really depressing after a while. One August in Galway it didn't get over 13 degrees and rained about half the time and then the final straw was a month in Kenmare where it rained constantly (and I mean CONSTANTLY) for 26.5 days out of the 28 I was there. I had one half day in Kenmare of sunshine and one full day in Dingle of sunshine. That month really got to me. I've since learned that Kenmare has pretty much the worst weather of all of Ireland, so it was a bad pick on my part, but it still motivated me to make sure my regular visits to Ireland became much shorter.

Now my attitude is that if I get ANY sunshine I'm grateful and I don't stay over two weeks or so. That way even if it rains, it doesn't really do my head in and I leave wanting to come back instead of feeling like I've escaped the land of wet.

Because Ireland isn't in the Schengen agreement, at the moment I can neither work here nor even stay here longer than 90 days. With that in mind, it's not someplace I think about staying permanently because I can't. If I get my German citizenship all that changes, so who knows what life will bring years from now? But for now I'm happy to have a visit once or twice a year and soak up all the greenery, wet and sheep! :giggle:
 

Boogie

Moderator
Location
Manchester UK
I live in another land of the wet. It feels like the wettest place in England, but it’s not - it’s the 15th wettest. Last November and December were so bad we decided to have a sunny break this year.

We are off to Majorca tomorrow :dancesheep:

Of course, this week has been cold but sunny (which I like) but never mind - looking forward to some cycling and walking in 19-20 degrees.
 

Emily_Babbelhund

Mama Red HOT Pepper
Hola todos! It is I, your Spanish gentleman dog, Carboncito. Si, si, I know that you know that it is I, but I do like to make a dramatic entrance from time to time, sabes?

I must apologise to everyone that foster lady is soooo very slow with the photos. If I had opposable thumbs - oh, more big words! - I am sure that I could get us caught up to our present adventures. Then again, if dogs had thumbs and credit cards, we'd rule the world, no? And between you and me, it would probably be a pretty nice world to live in. All soft sofas, dinner eight times a day and a lot of lounging in the sunshine. Aye, aye, aye - I am getting off the track. Where was I? Oh si, mis fotos bonitas, my lovely photos. Because of foster lady's slowness, I have to take you back in time again. All the way back to France - dios mio, that was another country! But what can you do? So here we go back in time...

On this day, we drove to a big parking area looking over the sea. It was very rainy, so foster lady and I just sat in the car and took a nap. That worked out very well for us because when we woke up, it was sunny! And guess what - the big parking area was for a park with the very best trail along the sea. There were big rocks and so many good smells!

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Here I am striking an artistic pose. Foster lady says I was "giving lots of Blue Steel" on this day. I don't know what that means, but I am guessing it means that I was very guapo. I am always very guapo, si?

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Some scenery. Que aburrito, how boring...
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Ah si, that is better: here I am on the trail!

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It was a very windy day - can you see my helicopter ears?
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Emily_Babbelhund

Mama Red HOT Pepper
Here I am in black and white looking muy elegante. I really have this modelling job perfected, no?
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More scenery. Sigh. When will she learn that all you want to see is ME?
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My very serious look because I am thinking very deep thoughts...
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Vale, all for now because that's all foster lady had ready for me. Now she says we have to go out and see a big park that I will like very much. And there had better be some food involved, too. I find parks are always better with food. Vale, everything is better with food, no? That's my motto, right after 'wet from below good, wet from above bad. I am a very wise Spanish gentleman!
 

HAH

Moderator
Location
Devon, UK
Oh Signor Carboncito, you are the very model of a guapo Spanish gentleman, vale? And your Blue Steel - mas hermoso, <sigh>
Beautiful photos as ever Emily, those last 2 of Carbón have so much soul! Thank you x
 
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