All Roads are One

As I prepare to leave Annamakherrig, I'll be taking these and many more images with me. My husband and I will be celebrating our 32nd anniversary by traveling around the Emerald Isle--from Dublin to Galway to Sligo to Belfast to Rathfriland then back to Dublin again. We will be able to visit some of our Irish cousins along the way.

Seamus Heaney's volume Station Island refers to the famous site of a pilgrimage from the Middle Ages to the present day at Donegal Island. He ends this volume, with a long poem "Sweeney Redivivus," stimulated by his translation of the medieval Irish poem Buile Shuibhne.

"On the Road" is the last poem concluding this book, stating that "all roads are one." Hence this portion of my journey reaches its conclusion as another journey awaits me.

I will not be blogging quite so often, dear and loyal readers. But look for occasional postings and highlights. Upon my return to the states, I intend to post some of the photos and reflections of this next phase of my journey in order to bring these travels of Rambling Rose to a close. Thanks to all who have been reading, responding, and supporting my efforts--especially those who allowed their pictures to be included in these reflections on my Irish adventures. And a special note of thanks to my colleague from the Emory University Department of Music, composer John Anthony Lennon, who first told me of a place called Annamakherrig.

True Artists

There are many people in this lovely place who excel at the fine arts of administration, cooking, gardening, and the like. Here are just a few pictures of these kindred and caring people who do so much to make life magical and meaningful to all those who come to stay for a time at Annamakherrig.

Wildish Things

Since before my arrival in Ireland, I've been meditating on the concept of "the wild," inspired by reading Robert MacFarlane's new book The Wild Places, where he explores remaining wild parts of Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. In her review of this volume in the NYTBR, Holly Morris (author of Adventure Divas: Searching the Globe for a New Kind of Heroine) describes his work as a "prose map" that seeks "to make some of the remaining wild places of the archipelego visible again. " For Macfarlane, "the natural world swells with meaning." He also describes the "fizz and riot of the natural world.

Once I got to Ireland , I also learned about Wildish Things, a collection of literature by Irish women. It turns out they can be quite wild in all sorts of interesting ways.

There seems to be both an interior and exterior dimension of wildness (also suggested by Call of the Wild, Into the Wild, and Where the Wild Things Are along with many other works of poetry and prose).

One of the delights of a place like Annamakherrig is that respect for wildness and wildish things abounds--whether in the natural world, the inner spirit, or the artistic realm.

Somewhere, Over the Rainbow

If there's a pot of gold to be found at the end of a rainbow . . .

. . . . . then several are waiting to be discovered nearby.

After a long after dinner walk, we found double rainbows with reflections in the lake creating infinite bands of colors, encircling this magical place. The sunset was brilliant, too.

Between Traveler

In Tibetan Buddhism, there is a state of being, between two lives, which is where the Between Traveler dwells.

In just 48 hours I will leave my idyllic abode here at Annamakherrig and travel to the sights and sounds of Dublin. Tonight I am posting a collection of images of friends and fellow travelers, along with their artwork--as I begin to prepare for the next stage of my journey.

This posting includes pictures of Elizabeth Greisman, Dixie Friend Gay, and Antoinette Breen, represting Toronto, Houston, and Laois, Ireland.

Fairy Fort Journey

At a nearby farm there lives a fairy fort: an ancient place associated with sacred rituals of life and death, Celtic legends, and time travel.






My fellow travelers and I, on our after dinner walk, led by Rachel Hegerty our own intrepid fairy poet, discovered something special there.

"Enough Blue to Make a Sailor's Britches"

Gavin Murphy working hard in his studio, having found a bit of blue sky.

The rains came today, here at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre. In between, a bit of sky showed itself. Apparently, according to Gavin, a visual artist from Dublin, watching for the inkling of blue in the sky is a well developed ancient Irish past-time.

When I asked Dinah Molloy, an artistic scientist from Cavan (and elsewhere), about this phenomenon, she referred to the Irish sky as possessing "enough blue to make a sailor's britches." Dinah should know about natural phenomena as she is engaged on a historical study of the climate in the Arctic. In addition to a picture of Dinah, you will also see two pictures of the sky taken today from opposite sides of the same door. If you look closely at one of them, you may also see me in the reflection.

New Annamakherrig Arrivals

Each day brings new artists to our ever-changing community.

Lluis Farre from Barcelona arrived today. He is an artist, writer, and illustrator of children's books. We've already discovered many similarites between Barcelona and Atlanta, as he joined the after dinner walking group this evening. Rachel, a poet from Dublin, informed us that there is a "fairy fort" nearby--and tomorrow evening she'll be taking us on a tour of it. Also, Michael Houlihan, a composer from Dublin, has just joined our merry troupe.

Today, I had some time for writing and reading, as well as enjoying the continuing grand weather. I'm also preparing for my conversation with Seamus Heaney, now scheduled for Saturday morning.

Other new arrivals include the artichokes blossoming in the vegetable garden.

Isaac Magee Haney makes his blog debut!

Back in the states, my sister Lynn and her husband Ervin are visiting Isaac, the youngest member of our clan out in California (along with, of course, his brilliant parents, Amy and Jeff).

Top of the morning to you, Isaac Magee. Ye would like the bonny cows, colts, and sheep all over the countryside!

"Flaithiuilead": the Irish word for generous excessiveness

Just in case you think that it's all work and no play at Annamakherrig, here's some evidence to the contrary. Photos include Therese, Joe, Priscilla, Elizabeth, Barra, and Jean.

Of course, there's also the bust of Tyrone Guthrie himself with me in the mirror. And an excellent shot of Elizabeth with me after our rowing expedition on the lake. Another full day of artistic devotion after a Sunday early dinner of lamb roast, potatoes, snow peas, cauliflower, apple pie with custard, and various other delectable delights.