The week passed in a blur with a couple of highlights - Wednesday was the most miserable morning possible to imagine. Gray clouds surrounded us, it still seemed dark at 9 am, there was thick and very determined drizzle. We had the fire lit by 11 am - that's how miseralbe it was. We were settled in for a day of reading, planning and fireside contemplation when I thought to have a look at the weather forecast and bright sunshine was forecast by 2 pm. They were dreaming obviously! But right on schedule at 1.30 pm it started to clear, by 2 pm there wasn't a cloud in the sky and the dogs (and us) were confused to say the least. Dogs in the back, humans in the front and we pointed the car at the beach - Ballyquin Strand (Ardmore) just half an hour away. The beach was packed with people - by local standards - easily 5 humans and as many dogs. Lucky it was mid week. The dogs had a ball and we had a tail-wind-propelled walk for the length of the beach. Which was a grand idea right up until we turns around and walked as though we were standing still into the bracing head wind. Took easily twice as long to get back to the car. Thursday was of course Market Day and we had a great walk about town and a look around the shops before doing a bit of shopping and heading to the fish & chip shop. The third time was the charm and we are now, officially, regulars - had a free serve of mushy peas to prove it. Saturday we took the car for a wash and invested a tiny few more euros in getting the 'bronze valet' - it even had that new car smell for about 10 minutes until we passed through a freshly "countrified" part of the country side... there went that new car smell. Ah well. Sunday - well that's when things got exciting and Hurricane Ophelia showed up on the weather radar barrelling towards Ireland - yikes (or, for those who know me, some very dodgy words to that effect). We just decided against a six month gig in Mexico because of the risk of hurricane season. (Well, that and the risk of kidnap, drug crime, mosquito borne infectious diseases including Zika... but mainly hurricanes). Certainly weren't expecting a Cat 3 in Ireland!!! Like good scouts we prepared to the nth degree and put away all the random bits of loose stuff, outdoor furniture and pot plants to ensure a picnic table didn't get caught by the wind and come flying through the double glazing. Generator checked. Fuel checked. Creek diverted in case of heavy rains. Pizza cooked and on standby. Bring it on Ophelia!!!