Dunboyne Castle

2 nice pictires for you today. The rather splendid edifice is Dunboyne Castle Hotel, where Neice M is to do a work placement which she refers to as "working in front of office". We assume that's hotel speak for what Dad, in 'distribution land' would call "customer-facing", dealing with the public and keep on smiling! Dunboyne is out to the WNW of Dublin, out past the M50 motorway and as far again, on the M3 motorway to Kells and points out towards Navan, Enniskillen and so on. It all looks very grand, M; will we be allowed to associate with you when you're that posh? We can all think of less comfortable surroundings to work in.

The other pic is of the Traction Avant recently bought and brought back from down Swindon way by 2CV Llew. Nice one, Llew. Very smart.

Dad completes a succession of 11-12 hour days in the run up to the operation start up at their new depot, and gets a free weekend to recover prior to the first trucks a-rolling in. Everyone is feeling a bit home-ish and soul food. Last night sees the humans eating (admittedly posh) sausages, (allotment) mash, carrots and baked beans, and this morning it's the turn of bacon butties. Lunch is oxtail stew turned into a soup. Coal fires are the order of the day and muddy dog walks return via the allotment for harvesting chard, cabbage greens and leeks. The latter slide out of the soggy soil with a satisfying squelch and get root-washed in the water butts.

Dad fires up the 2CV after weeks of lack-of-use. 2CVs are notorious if left, for the fuel draining back down to the tank and forming an airlock between tank and pump. Dad's note to self. Invest in one of those bellows suckers the AA men use to see if you have fuel in the fuel line. Then you won't have to suck and end up with a mouthful of lead-free. Yeurk!

Deefs

(about to stretch out in front of the fire!)