3 or 4 not-very-deep thoughts about taking photos in Ireland

So I ended up--after a lot of culling--with about 700 photos from my Ireland trip. And I'm even happy with a few of them.

I'll post more photos and some deeper thoughts later, but for the moment, here are a few general take-aways on taking photos in Ireland.

First, it really did rain every day--and for all but two days it pretty much rained all day. Mill Girl was not pleased. Don't tell her, but I was ecstatic. Photos of sunny skies and green grass are boring. Grey cloudy threatening skies are so much moodier, dramatic.

And B, it's been a long time since I've done a lot of landscape photos. I just got bored with them. Not possible in Ireland. Holy crap--beautiful landscapes. I kind of don't even care (OK, I care a little) that most of the photos I took have been done a million times. They're still pretty, dammit.

Exhibit 1/B:

I'll be spending the next several months cloning out rain drop spots on photos. 

Third, I now feel really, really bad for all the photos of sheep I've trashed in the Flickr DeleteMe! group. Typical pithy comment from me (nasty comments are not only allowed but encouraged in the group): "Next time, get the sheep's face instead of its ass."

I am soooooo funny!

Well, I have returned from Ireland with at least one million photos of sheep ass and exactly two in which the sheep are looking at me.

And when I say looking at me, I mean STARING DIRECTLY AT ME AND FREAKING ME THE FUCK OUT.

Exhibits 2 and 3:

Dude, stop staring at me!

Even the baby is doing it! STOP LOOKING AT ME!

But these are indoor sheep who have just had babies. I have entered their farm/ranch/pasture turf and come into close proximity of their offspring. They stare because they do not love. Plus, you know, they don't have anywhere to run. In the fields, the sheep are very quick to flounce away, flicking their little tails and giving you a great shot of their soggy bums.

These photos, by the way, were taken at the Coolakay House Bed & Breakfast in Enniskerry, County Wicklow. It is a real live working sheep farm, and I have the customs form to prove it.  

What happens when you check "yes" on these two boxes on your customs form?

Exhibit 4:

I not only touched or handled livestock, I probably (definitely) stepped in their poo.

You get laughed at, that's what.

Customs guy: What kind of livestock?
Me: Sheep.
Customs guy: What kind of sheep were they?
Me: Um ... The cute kind?
Laughing customs guy: You can leave now.
Me: My friend touched way more sheep than me. Get ready; here she comes!

Mill Girl got her shoes cleaned by customs. Harrumph!

By the way, Mill Girl has already written several blog posts about our trip. This is a good thing, because I had (and have) no idea where we were 95% of the time. You have too many Ks, Ireland!

Here are her posts, conveniently organized in chronological order:

Dear Dublin
Dear Galway
Dear Connemara
Dear Dingle
Dear Killarney
Dear Killkenny
Dear Enniskerry

Does that list of links seem overwhelming? Go look anyway. She includes a lot of pictures and is as funny as shit. Follow her on her quest to touch a sheep! Listen to her rail against the weather! Join her in making fun of my driving and sleep-shouting! And for goodness' sake, check out the pic of the famous person she met!