Zoë Bowyer

I am only slightly recovered following my fun and games of the past week. Normally I live a quiet life but this week has been full of many deviations from the routine. Firstly there was the weekend in the Mournes. Then Valentine’s night we went out for a meal. The evening following that I had to work at a hideous function. Boo hiss!

The Mournes were lovely. Most of the time we were there the peaks were clouded over, but this did not keep us, and many others, from enjoying a pleasant days walking.

Our cottage in Hanna’s Close was lovely. It was wonderful being able to step out in the morning and in a minute we could be on a short river walk. The dogs were in heaven. Not everything about the cottage was perfect though; the shower could have been 500 times better than it was.

For food we ate from an Indian Takeaway on our first evening which I would describe as ‘edible’ and D would describe as ‘good’. We took packed lunches and soup on our walks. We went to the Kilbroney Inn in Rostrevor as it was recommended in a guidebook, but they must have been having a very bad night. Our ‘warm’ puddings of chocolate fudge brownie and banana and toffee crumble arrived cold and the rest was tasty but they just kept getting things wrong and told too many fibs on their menu.

Yes, I am fussy. In contrast, a few nights later we were eating in the Blackstone in Ballymena and the food was delicious, well cooked and exactly as described on the menu. And it was all cheaper than the Kilbroney.

Gracie coped very well on our walks; only once did she have to be lifted and carried ‘cause she was too tired to walk. Her mother Macy could have gone on and on and on and on walking. I read in a puppy handbook that at four months it is recommended to start taking your puppy on short walks. At four months our puppy was going on very long walks and at nearly five months she scaled her first peak.

I came up with a money-making scheme this week. I thought I could hand knit all the local Councillors hats and scarves in the Council colours (or, if they wished, in colours of their chosing). This thought had me in stitches of laughter and proved that I have been living in Ballymena too long. Besides I don’t think I’d have many takers so it isn’t really a great money-making scheme.