Zoë Bowyer

Last weekend was spent gadding about and walking into things.

On Saturday I went to St George’s Market with my mum and sister. Gracie went to Cully and spent the day being chased around Pearlie’s mobile by Bonnie the German Shepherd.

On Sunday we climbed Slieve Donard and were rewarded with a bit of a view, our last attempt had been in very poor visibility. Gracie decided that she has a thing against men carrying walking poles, or who look a bit like Willie Drennan. After climbing the big mountain, we drove home and I made a very tasty roast chicken dinner. I was fit for nothing afterwards and fell asleep at 9.45.

On Monday, still sore from climbing the previous day, we went to Ballycastle where D was going diving from. Things were not going well from the start. The Bank Holiday turned out to be predictably grey and overcast. There were only two other divers along with D, whose diving buddy didn’t show up. Gracie and I were offered a wee sail in the boat. It wasn’t exactly the nicest day for a boat trip but my aching legs told me that it would be much easier than going for a walk. Gracie vibrated most of the time she was in the boat, from fear and cold.

The diving was called to a halt when the other two divers had equipment troubles and came back on board. D spent a little extra time in the water trying to free an anchor and then we headed back to shore. The boat ride was fun.

To make up for Gracie’s terrible morning being vibrodog we took her for a walk along the beach in Ballycastle. Sadly, the walk was not so pleasant for me as D spent most of it laughing at my having walked into a lamppost by the marina. I gave the lamppost quite a thump. It was the classic, stupid, looking the wrong way while moving forward walk into a lamppost. My glasses made a crunch noise and I yelped. Immediately my forehead came out with a large bump and I think I may have given my nose a hairline fracture (it still hurts). So, yes, the walk wasn’t so pleasant. The only thing that made the pain go away was a big feed of scallops and chips from Morton’s.