Its about who trained the dog and how they treated it as opposed to what breed the dog is…
Tag Archive: Nature
I took a walk today round an old favourite, Drumkeeragh Forest. A mate of mine brought the place into a conversation I was having on Facebook about how wild the entrance fee is to Castlewellan Park, and so I thought I’d pay a visit. It’s always been a kind of a weird place and I’ve always been a bit spooked by it and yet at the same time drawn to it. I’m not sure what the weird atmosphere is about. Is it simply the feeling of being on ones own in the middle of a forest or is it influenced by its history which includes a murder that took place there in the 90’s and/or the IRA using it to hide in when they staged a big prison breakout in the 80’s. The place is starting to suffer from a lack of investment which I’m sure can only continue with the recession. Some of the paths have been washed away by the rain over the years and not replaced and grass has also overgrown the path too in parts. The picture is of the path that cuts through the centre of the forest during a particularly wet period.
It’s a little hilly in places and to be honest as I walked I was shocked at how bad a condition my chest is in. I’ve had a cold for two weeks, nothing major and so I was shocked when the wheezing started as did the pounding heart as I struggled for air. Getting back to a decent level of fitness may take longer than I thought.
Sometimes it’s the simple things in life that fill us with wonder and sets us at one with the world. Today I was out walking round Hillsborough Lake and along an unmarked path I discovered a while ago, when the rain came on hard. As I walked underneath the canopy of the forest the noise of the rain and the shelter from it really struck me. I stood underneath a tree for 10 peaceful minutes and soaked in the smells and beauty of Mother Nature. This therapeutic moment in time reminded me of the sneaky moments I used to steal as a smoker. Thankfully this way it was a lot healthier for me but it did remind me of the need and importance of stopping to smell the flowers so to speak…
Ocean Blue 