Taking to the Sea

It's easy to forget how high up Ireland is on the globe.  It's not Alaska, but the sun still doesn't set until 10:30 and it's fully risen when I wake up to serve breakfast.  It's not always master of the sky, though: we've had many gray, windy, wet mornings.  A couple days ago, I awoke to a very promising day; the sun was gleaming off the harbor.  So after a few hours of work, I headed for the water.  I had intended to rent a kayak for a couple of hours one day, but thanks to small town connections, I have a free sea kayak at my disposal,  just two minutes from the house.  I took her out.

I paddled across the bay and along the shore to the tip of a peninsula.  I found a cove and went ashore.  Exploring this jut of land was one of my particular motives in kayaking because I can see the peninsula from the house, but it's not accessible by road.  So I wandered up and around and got a fantastic view of the islands, the sheer coastline, and the Atlantic beyond.

While I was tromping around the cow pastures, the wind had picked up and it took some effort and some getting-wet to launch my kayak against the waves.  Once in the wider water, things were rough.  I was riding up and down on the waves and rain pelted my sunglasses and I had a long paddle against the wind to reach home.  But the taste of salt splashing on my face made me feel like I was really sea kayaking!