Finally, my first drawing in Cushendall is finished! We had trouble finding a functioning scanner, so yesterday, Vincent at Glens Computers kindly photographed my drawing. Today the library is open and Charlotte the librarian scanned it for me. Thanks to both! Thanks as well to The Glens Hotel for graciously allowing us to use their internet.
I drew the part in the large circle as I sat on the bench by the niche of the tower. The drawing in the medium circle was done from the window of the living room, which is on the third floor. As I drew I recalled the scene from the night before, when I woke up to shouting and witnessed some fighting on the street in front of The Central Bar. Crows watch the scene from their perches in what I call the “chimney pot world.” In the tradition expounded by the Native American medicine cards, Crow is said to embody Sacred Law.
Today we left the confines of the tower and the warm coziness of Cushendall to travel to the city of Ballymena, where we got set up with cell phones, bought power tools, fiberfill for the “creatures,” and health food stuff. We ate lunch at the the Bay Leaf Restaurant. The highlight of of the meal was a dessert made by and for angels– called pavalova. It’s a fluff of meringue and whipped cream from contented Irish cows. Did I say that having eaten sticky pudding, I was pretty sure I wanted to move here; now I know I do!
The cow parade slowed the bus ride considerably for a few glorious minutes.
I completed my drawing for last week yesterday, and I will have it up tomorrow, if I can find a scanner.
We were busy as bees our first day at the Tower. Several hours were spent cleaning the niche and the space around it, after which the Tower joined many of the neighboring houses by echoing the flower pot theme. We hope that the niche will become a focal point of interest while we are here, and we eagerly anticipate that others will offer contributions of an artistic and uplifting nature to the niche.
We have met so many wonderful people already, having been in Cushendall for only two days. The air is fresh with the sea and the green and the heart-awakening scent of burning peat. There is no doubt we are in lovely, magical Ireland!
