The Ring of Kerry

My husband, being the engineer that he is, created the Best Possible Strategy ™ for driving the Ring of Kerry. We would start first thing in the morning and drive clockwise, against the flow of the Evil Tour Buses. On Irish roads, you definitely want to be clear of the tour buses, because they believe that the entire road (both lanes) belongs to them.

As luck would have it, it was raining on the day we were supposed to drive the ring. It wasn’t as bad as we thought because it created a mist rising above the green hills and the sparkling water. You almost felt like you were in the middle of an Irish myth. I had to take pictures from the moving car, because my husband was bound and determined not to get caught in traffic, stuck behind a bus.

Even still, isn’t this gorgeous? Here’s a full-sized picture if you want the true effect. Some bravehearted souls actually biked along the road, risking life and limb to get a closer look at the scenery. Usually it takes about 6 hours to drive the entire Ring of Kerry, but our family drove it in 3. And we only met tour buses once, when we stopped to scarf down a meal.

Now, it wouldn’t be Ireland without sheep, would it? Suicidal sheep to be exact. We did encounter our first traffic jam here. Yes, the sheep had their own travel plans. Convoy! But eventually a farmer came along and herded them off the road.

In other news, I’ve begun the Thanksgiving shopping. My husband’s family is coming up to join us, and I hit the ever-questionable issue of how large a turkey to get. 14 pounds is too small. But 23 pounds for 10 people? Seems a bit much. Then again, leftovers are part of the fun of Thanksgiving. I compromised with 17 pounds, and hopefully that will be fine. Have you started your Thanksgiving shopping? Or am I just insane? :loser: