A Tour With Wriggle

Wriggle is a wonderful hostess.

She had other duties around the house, I'm sure, but she took her responsibility for showing us around very seriously indeed. And she didn't want us to miss a thing.


Sadly, because of time constraints and enough rain to turn the normal trickle into something rather broader, faster and deeper (without wellies), we didn't visit the donkeys. But not because Wriggle didn't try.

She thought we were pretty wimpish not to just plunge in and walk straight across the stream. She did it -- half a dozen times at least. In fact she stood in the middle of it and stared at us with disgust.

But we had to be in Dublin that afternoon to turn in the car, so we decided to save the donkeys for next time.

That way, we promised ourselves, there would be a next time. We certainly hope there will be one.

After all Trish Morey has indicated she'd like to join the Expeditionary Force next time we invade. You're very welcome, Trish! Maybe you can bottle a bit of the rain and take it home with you. They've plenty.

As pictures are worth at least a thousand words apiece (Hmmm. . . I wonder if my editor would let me substitute about 20 or so for the words I haven't written yet?), I'll let them speak todau while I go off to deal with Flynn and Sara and -- I hope -- get them moving on their way again. Maybe they'll catch a glimpse of these and feel inspired.


Me, sitting in the front parlour waiting for Wriggle to begin our tour.







First she showed us the piano and Archie's favorite sofa . . .or is it a chesterfield? Or . . .

Clearly antique furniture pieces are not my forte.




The front parlor fireplace.








Archie who came in and took over his favorite spot in the front parlour did NOT want to be disturbed. So we left him in peace and moved on.







We peeked into the dining room.






Then pushed open the door . . .





Next we went upstairs to our room overlooking the front drive and lake. We'd show you Kate's but maybe she'd prefer to do that. If not, I'll do it later.




A glimpse out the window made Wriggle decide we'd seen enough inside. We needed to go out and experience her domain first hand -- or paw.





First we went around the farm buildings.






















John Deere has joined the Expeditionary Force! I think Liam will recognize that little tractor at once.









Wriggle stopped briefly to give a pop quiz on house and garden history to Kate Walker's husband aka The Babe Magnet. She also got a piece of bread. Clever Wriggle.







After the farm buildings, she showed us inside the fifteen-foot high walled garden.








A look at the wall from between two hedges. When they're in bloom maybe I can figure out what they are. I asked Wriggle. She didn't know.






She showed us the dovecote. But frankly she didn't think they were very impressive. She gets free run of the place. They have to stay under their net.





There were LOTS more things she would have showed us . . . but unfortunately our time had run out.

We left her surveying her domain, waiting for more guests to show around its delights. Lucky Wriggle. I thought about her a lot today while I was out shoveling 10 inches of snow!