Finally the internet connection seems stable again

I hope that by saying my wifi connection is stable it does not jinx it. I've struggled to find connectivity since Friday. The modem was rebooted by the landlord's daughter and it seemed to help, but only for a couple of hours. For no particular reason it seems, the signal would come back and then disappear. It happened a few times this morning but I've been connected now for a few hours. So, what this confirms is my addiction to the web. Not a big surprise.

The library wifi is an option, but the reference section where it's best to set up, shares the temperature of my fridge. It's great for preserving food, not so much for one's concentration and productivity. I was willing to sit there without my jacket on, but I can't type when wearing gloves. So, not a great choice after all.

There is really little to report so there's no point in boring you with idle prattle. No ill effects have been noticed from the consumption of my brown bread. I've bought the same type of soda as used by the locals, known as bread soda. Maybe it's different from the 'baking soda' I have.

No significant progress has been made genealogically. I'm looking into bolder measures and still waiting for a reply from a couple of sources I had fond hopes would help. My fingers are cramping from being in the crossed position for so long.

Last night I had dinner with the Lees and Kevin shared with me a number of files related to the Coollattin Estate. I will spend this evening browsing the documents to see what pops up. One map shows the various plots of land occupied in the townland of Coolross along with an index to attach names to the plots. My Art is there. I will have to investigate maps of nearby townlands where hopefully a couple of related Kehoes are lurking out of sight.

Next Friday I fly to England and have booked a hotel room for Thursday night, in the same hotel Janet and I used before our return flight. I expect to spend Thursday at the Mormon Family History Center (FHC), tempting blindness by reviewing microfilms. On my return on the following Wednesday evening I'll stay at the same hotel and pick up the next rental car on Thursday morning. If helpful, I'll return to the FHC to complete any investigations that hold any promise.

Although you wouldn't say that it was raining at any point today, there was also seeming no point at which there was no heavy mist. So I didn't go for a walk. I'm about to dig out an exercise video and if all goes well, will actually try the actions suggested on it.

Sorry for the boring report - maybe tomorrow will be better.

Slan

If a day starts like this how much better can it get?

This morning I woke up around 8 at Rossanna Farm near Ashford, Co Wicklow. Margaret and Eugene were already hard at work checking on the lambing. I quickly showered and dressed and headed outside to see what was happening.

I'll keep you in suspense for a bit. Last night we attended the ICA drama festival, night two. There were two one-act plays and 3 sketches. Several different ICA (Irish Countrywomen's Association) chapters had entered the competition. Thanks to Margaret who'd been one of the organizers, we had great seats reserved for us. Eugene and I had a super view of the stage and were close enough to hear every word. No microphones on these actors.

All in all an very entertaining evening - and I won a box of chocolates in the raffle! Yay! They will make a hostess gift very soon. I don't dare open the box - once open even a crack these darn boxes of chocolates just never stop calling my name. And of course, it's rude to ignore a call.

Around 11 pm we got home and Eugene and I headed right to the shed to check on the sheep. There was a very new set of twins, born to a Hoggett. (Sp???) This is a one year old sheep - first time Mommy. One was already dead, still in the sac and the other, very tiny, was barely alive. The hoggett really didn't know what to do for her babies.

Despite Eugene's best efforts, the tiny little lamb didn't make it through the night and the mama was put into a pen by herself to recover.

HOWEVER - the good news was that two sets of healthy twins arrived early in the morning and were only hours old when I took these pics!

Now I'm glad I cooked that leg of lamb last week. Still several servings in the freezer and I'll probably still enjoy eating - probably. Seeing these little lambs might change my view. 

So, after that wonderful start, Margaret and I set out for Delgany for breakfast at a bakery-cafe-specialty food shop. It was overcast and cool but a pretty decent day. It did warm up a tiny bit and got sunny and was a magnificent day.

I have no pictures to show for it. I had plugged in the phone to charge it overnight but didn't realize there was a switch on that outlet so - dead battery and the camera was back in Bunclody. Sigh.

We enjoyed a tasty breakfast - in my case accompanied by a capuccino and then drove to Greystones for a tour and a trot. Lots of folks were out walking around the charming shops in this hilly seaside town. In a couple of weeks we'll go back and do the walk from Greystones to Bray along the coast. I will be equipped with backup equipment to be sure to get photos. We'll also wait for a clear day.

It took a while but we did finally find a clue to the start of the walk and it should not be too hard to find. There is parking available - pay and display - and we'll have to watch carefully. Some spots are for 2 hours, some for 4 and some for all day. Given that I don't really walk too fast, we'll attempt to find an all day spot. 

Once back to Rossanna farm, the update was no more lambs had arrived. One or more could have made their debut between then and now and maybe a number of sheep will decide that "all together now" will be their theme and keep Eugene up all night. 

So, with the thought of testing my bread-making skills this evening I decided to call Mary to see if I might borrow a round baking pan and a sieve. No problem - on to Coolross. I had driven back on the usual route - not the new highway. It's prettier and actually faster to my selected destination. 

It was pretty smooth going - well, except for the blind curves, the one lane bridges approached warily not knowing if another car had the same idea but from the other side (none did) and progress was quite swift. Until Rathdrum. Up ahead it looked like a dozen or so cars had stopped. Why? Was it an Irish traffic jam - i.e. flock of sheep on the road? cattle? Nope. There appeared to be a bunch of people maybe at the side of the road. So, I concluded there had been an accident. Wrong.

Looking ahead as best I could with the twisting road, those darn people were still there. AH - another Trump protest parade? In rural Ireland where no press would cover it? Nope. As it happened, it was a funeral procession.

All in due time our little parade of cars, now dozens of vehicles long, twisted past a cemetery where the crowd of people were gathering - along with maybe a couple of hundred others. I was very glad I had not gotten too impatient. 

Onward to Aughrim at which point I turned off the GPS as I knew the route pretty well. I hoped. Yes I did remember and did not make a single wrong turn. Safely arriving at Coolross I took temporary possession of a couple of cake pans and a sieve. I thought I was off directly to get baking.

Guess I don't know myself too well. I decided to drop in briefly to Egan's pub to say hello to Larry and Mary and try to get a phone number I've been looking for. Well I did all that but it was more than a few minutes. I wish I had the head for history that Larry does.

Eventually I had to leave, and just as I got into the car my Canadian cell phone rang. It was Tom and Heather, heading into downtown Toronto. We chatted for quite a while and caught up on news on both sides. It was a lovely surprise. The call got dropped and it took us a few attempts from both ends to reconnect. I drove off and when I was in Clonegal, I pulled over to the side of the road and was able to reach them again.

We quickly finished up our chat and I finally headed to Bunclody and got here more or less directly. No wrong turns - it's just not a straight line from there to here. Or from anywhere to anywhere else for that matter.

Assembling the required ingredients and reviewing the pictures I had taken of the process and quantities, I set about destroying the kitchen. There isn't a lot of space and I'm unsure of the oven. It's quite tiny but I don't know how accurate the heat. Best to prepare your excuses in advance!

Well,, I did make bread and it turned out reasonably well. It did look quite nice - I'll say so myself in case nobody else does.  It was a smaller loaf than Kathy's had been but I hadn't skimped as much on the soda and salt as I had on the flour. A slather of jam is a reasonable antidote to to the salty taste. Not bad for a first effort. 

So - I shall return to Coolross and see if they'd like to try a taste of the bread. I'll bring along the jam that Mary Harte insisted I take. How did she know I'd need it?

Genealogy alert- tomorrow's plan

Well, if the internet remains working I'll continue to dig for Kehoe info from here. If it doesn't I will return to the library and hope it's warmer there than it was yesterday. 

I am also in search of the trail of Redmonds from Nova Scotia back to Ireland. That trail could be very cold but there are resources I haven't tapped before, not having looked for east coast records. These are not my folks, they are the ancestors of a friend. It's still just as much fun to search.

Enough rambling for today. Tomorrow's plans are actually more extensive than written above but you'll just have to wait.

Wonder how long this connection will last

I'm going to add a few installments this evening - maybe. My internet connection comes and goes.

Here are the pictures from my walk the other day - the one with the misbehaving socks.

I found my thrill - on Strawberry Hill and (eventually) another online

Internet is down in paradise. I am posting this from the Bunclody library. I can only connect one device at a time so cannot upload any pictures. Hopefully the system will be fixed at Moss Cottage soon.

Waking up early (for me) around 8:15, I was up in time to see a fabulous sunrise. By the time I decided to go out and take a picture it had past the stage of glorious colours, but was still quite remarkable. Once the sun was all the way up past the horizon, the clear blue sky issued an invitation to go out and enjoy the sunshine. The only thing visible in the blue was a number of contrails of airplanes carrying their passengers off to - wherever in many directions. At one point there were 9 visible trails at the same time all heading different ways.

So, suitably fortified by my vitamins and breakfast shake, I adjusted my walking poles, put a jacket over my turtle neck top, grabbed my (yellow lens) sunglasses and set out. The direction this time was not into town, it was in the opposite direction - towards Strawberry Hill. At least I knew that once at the turning point, the road home was all downhill, which was a lovely contrast to the usual walk into town.

I kept turning around to admire the views. It really never gets boring. With the bright sun and clear sky the landscape seemed to go on forever. Despite promises to myself to use the camera, I brought the phone which I really think produces better images anyway. The drawback of this method is that the phone is Android and the laptop is a Mac. Despite promises to the contrary, the Android uploader does not work. I have to transfer the photos to another location and then access them from there. I've been using Dropbox. So far, so good although I've had some trouble getting the photos into the desired folders.

As I walked up the road I figured there would not be much traffic. There wasn't much, but there were a few cars. I nearly choked when I saw the speed limit going up - 50 km/hr. Hah! It was quite close to the sign which had fallen but was still visible indicating the road is very bumpy. None of the passing cars was travelling faster than maybe 25 kms/hr. Coming back down the speed limit changed to 80 kph. What? On this road. Hopefully not while I'm on it on foot, with nowhere to go except into the hedge.

After about 10 minutes the end of the road seemed to be a couple of hundred yards ahead but I was fooled. It was simply a 90 degree turn and the quality of the surface deteriorated further. Have no fear, it doesn't stop the mail from getting through. I stepped aside for the postman, er woman, to charge along to make her delivery. This service is provided 6 days a week and is very reliable. Mail delivery to the door - not quite - but to your postbox by the side of the road. Often the houses are not set back too far.

On I went past the turn, stepping aside again for the postie's return journey and was rewarded with a little wave of thanks. The road, as bumpy as it was, pretty much ended at a large home with a view to die for. Approaching the house it seemed like there were a few totem poles on the lawn. Could the owner be a displaced person from British Columbia, specifically Haida Gwaii? Of course not, they turned out to be tree trunks with branches sawn off close to the trunk at an angle. Will they grow back? Is there another reason they were not removed completely. I didn't stop to ask.

From there it became the road less trampled. There were ruts which I pretty much stuck to, but it didn't look like even the local sheep had been by lately. The hedges were high, some sprouting beautiful yellow flowers. Ah the deceptive gorse bushes. So pretty, but don't back into them, you'll think you've encountered a nasty cactus. This is January. And the gorse is starting to bloom.

I clomped along realizing that I was losing a battle. My carefully chosen new socks seemed to prefer the company of my toes rather than stay up on my ankles. Lovely? No. Annoying? More than a little. To hike them up I had to disentangle my wrists from the pole straps - many times. Note to self - use these socks as slippers and go shopping again. Choose your socks more carefully next time.

It was beautiful on the track, and then around a bend a saw - a car! What? How? As I approached I realized that the car was facing me and upon closer inspection, was full of junk. It had not budged in a very long time and didn't seem to offer the possibility of being useful for transport, even in a pinch. Past the car I finally noticed that the area opened up to the front yard of another home, with yet a better view. The road in to this home was not from whence I'd come. A road led in from the opposite side. A pretty good road.

At this point I figured it was a good place to turn around. I wasn't quite at the top of the hill but close enough and the road didn't go up, it went down. To go up would have meant trespassing on pasture land. Who knows where I would have come out, but it's a pretty good bet it would not have been near Moss Cottage.

So - back I went, stopping occasionally to take more pictures. This time I didn't have to turn around to admire the view. The sun was more or less behind me and I was going downhill.

Once off the rough track, onto the surface that was actually a road, I had to step aside a couple of times for cars to pass. When I was almost back home a nice white sedan passed with a Thule rack and carrier on top. Fine. But it said "Caution, Show Dog Transport". What? Surely not inside the Thule. I guess I'll never know, but if someone has a show dog I'm sure they would let it ride inside the vehicle not on top, in a sealed case. I guess it's like a Baby on Board sign. I never understood those either. Isn't it the driver of the car who needs to be careful?

The round trip took about an hour and yes it challenged my patience (the droopy socks thing), renewed my faith in my ability to saunter happily in the hilly countryside despite my protesting feet, and the need to use my poles to keep my balance on uneven surfaces. All in all it was splendid.

Genealogy alert: you may not want to read on. You have been warned.

I almost didn't go on the walk. I had sent an email to a friend saying that I'd seen many references to her surname - Redmond - among all the records I've been sifting through. Could her Irish roots possibly be in this area? The name isn't quite a common as Byrne, but it's not rare either and is found pretty much all over Ireland.

This morning I got a reply indicating that her Irish origins were of unknown location, but that there was great interest. Yay - something to investigate that would be a break from the frustration of looking for my Kehoes and Byrnes, both more prevalent than Redmond, and so far, yielding only tempting hints of connections. It is so easy to climb the wrong family tree.

I started with the obituary of my friend's father for his name and that of his parents. What a lovely obituary, from a genealogy standpoint. The information that was there was sufficient to start the pursuit. And the records were showing up fast. Then the wifi went down. Arrrgghhh! So, the decision had been made for me - time for a walk. Don't waste the fabulous weather while it lasts. And thus the adventure recounted above.

When I got back, there was still no signal. Ordinarily I'd reboot the modem. But there was a problem. It is not in Moss Cottage, but rather in the main house. The landlord is away until Tuesday. There is a key hidden somewhere - but I have no idea where. My experience as a burglar who easily finds such things is very limited, in fact, I have no such experience. Even if I had the key, the house has an alarm system.

I came by this last piece of information when I called my "emergency contact". She said that she or her husband would be around this afternoon and would check it out. She told me that even if I had the key, the house was alarmed so I could not get in without, shall we say, a disturbance. I kept trying to login again and again figuring it might have been a blip. No dice. I've now memorized the bizarre combo of letters and numbers comprising the password.

Around three, help arrived. Before he had a chance to open the front door - the signal returned. I noticed it because of frequent checks for availability. Having just heard the car pull in on the gravel drive I glanced at my laptop. It was, at that moment, in the process of connecting automatically. Great timing. I felt that I may have raised the alarm too soon but in the end concluded that probably it was a systemic problem and the solution was badly timed. Ah well - here I am.

Once up and running I started again in hot pursuit of Redmond ancestors. They are definitely Irish - not only from the census information, but the propensity to find a few names they liked and just keep on using them generation after generation after - well you get the picture. Within a family this is quite nice. For a genealogist, maybe not so much.

They did however live in a small place in Nova Scotia. Helpful yes. As it turns out, there were lots of them, siblings and/or cousins, with the same names - so progress slowed down to be sure that everything was done right.

I've gone pretty far back on the direct line but still nothing pointing to the location in Ireland. The family has been in Nova Scotia for generations. I've got them sorted back to before the Canadian census of 1851. Earlier censuses (censi?) were mainly in Quebec. Church records are helpful but not totally available or even in existence.

So - more work to do. But it's so much fun. Tomorrow is promising to be chilly and grey and not so inviting to be out. In the evening I'll head to Glenealy for a drama festival and a few one-act plays. Depending on fatigue and the time the last curtain falls, I may stay in Ashford at Margaret's place or may drive back here. The GPS knows the way quite well now and even I am getting better at finding my way home in the dark.

No excuse for not looking great in this town

This struck me a few days ago and came back into focus this morning. Bunclody probably has the greatest number of beauty and hair salons per capita in the known universe. How do they all stay in business?

When I went for a nail repair and manicure at Dol's (co-owner is Dolores) on Tuesday it was on the recommendation of someone in a nearby pharmacy. I asked there simply because it was the first shop when I turned onto the main street. The very helpful clerk was about to point out other choices when I said "that's fine, I'll go to Dol's". I was not disappointed. I had a lovely conversation with Sarah as she was doing my nails. I'll be back.

I asked Sarah for a recommendation for a hairdresser. Since I wear my hair short I'll need a trim in a few weeks. She said that ?? at the salon next door was very good. Good enough for me. Of course I can't recall the hairdresser's name but I'll just call Sarah as I have her card.

Today I walked to the library to return my book and a CD and pick up two books that I'd requested. As I walked along the street I checked to see if my recollection of all these salons was correct. Yep - take your pick. Every other shop offers beauty services. And there's a spa at the Mill Race Hotel.

After collecting my new books I headed back and decided to stop for a Capuccino and a scone at Sugar and Spice. Delightful and very tasty. That was lunch. I wouldn't advise it as a nutritious choice but it was filling and gave my feet a break.

Heading back home, the hill starts just as you round the corner from the main street. It's gradual at first and then gets steeper. Moss Cottage, my fine little nest, is just at the top of the hill and there is a nice easy slope downwards on the driveway. En route home I took a couple of photos. One is of the sign pointing the way here and the other, which is directly across the street, carries a rather long-winded "No Trespassing" sign. I couldn't resist taking these pictures.

Sign pointing to Moss Cottage - 

perspective doesn't really show the hill but this is where it gets seriously sloped

And directly across the street, on a fence surrounding what looks like a probable construction site, is this warning. Ignore at your peril!

Shortly after getting home I set out for some groceries at Aldi. Almost everything I wanted was there but had to make a visit to SuperValu for a couple of other items. The only thing I couldn't find in town was a set of measuring spoons. Our method of measuring at home with measuring cups and spoons is not used here. It's done by weight. However, my recipes use cups, tsp, tbsp, etc. 

Buying the groceries was easy. Getting home was something else. Timing is everything. There is a school right across the street from Moss Cottage. It lets out at the exact time I was coming home. Cars with waiting parents lined one side of the street most of the way up the hill, on the other side, and at the flatter area on top. This is not a wide road. Luckily nobody was parked on the "UP" side, going in my direction. There was quite a wait as I joined the parade of cars. Naturally they all wanted to turn at the top - exactly! That was my destination. 

Finally I was able to turn into the driveway. I guess the locals know that getting down the hill into town is best done at other times of the day. There was simply no way to move in that direction. My best guess is the car parked farthest down the hill pointing into town, would, once the kids were on board, move off and let the next one follow. Presumably the parents have this all sorted out. I'd sure hate to be doing it for the first time, or be in a hurry and have to wait for the school parade to end.

Note to self: shop in the morning!

One of the library books I picked up is "The Wicklow Firebrand" - the story of Feagh McHugh O'Byrne. He is a possible ancient ancestor according to legend and what I've read. I think he was the King of Leinster. We are among the Byrnes of Leinster and he was among the first to take on the surname. At least I think that's the story. Once I've read it I will post an update. Off to reading land now.

The day after brown bread day

How can I find another day to measure up to yesterday? Actually"measure up" may not be the right term. There was little actual measuring done - just fistfuls, spoonfuls and pours of buttermilk and water.

Today started with an email, saying an e-book I'd placed a hold on at the Ottawa library was now ready to download. It was the latest Flavia de Luce novel. I guess I have the mind of a kid, because these are kids books but oh so delightful. It would be amazing in so many ways to be around a kid like Flavia. No right-minded parent would ever have raised such a kid, but hey, they're novels. They are written by Canadian author Alan Bradley. Light reading and such fun.

So, I downloaded the book and now am almost finished. The day was grey and rather foreboding looking. I went outside twice - once to take the recycling to the bin and the other time to take the garbage. By no definition does this qualify as exercise. The total distance of both trips was about 40 yards. Ah well ...

I had planned a walk to the Bunclody library to return "Precious and Grace" a novel by Alexander McCall Smith. If you haven't ready his "#1 Ladies detective agency" or "The Sunday Philosophy Club" or other series, get thee to a library. No - wait - go online and google the series in order. They are delightful books but best read them in sequence so that you become acquainted with the characters in the right chronological order.

I will have to make that walk tomorrow as a book I'd placed a hold on, has now arrived. It is of genealogical interest, not really entertainment. I have a copy at home but could not bring my entire library with me. I don't have an idetic (sp???) memory so can't recall relevant info. That's what libraries are for so I take advantage.

I spent so much time yesterday, once I got home from Carnew, poring over the Askamore Vol 4 book that I thought I would not want to look at another printed page. Hah! Bring them on. Now I have to find Vols. 1 through 3 and spend as much time poring over them. There are several interesting articles of historical interest. However, I was busy reading the captions under the photos, looking for familiar names. I found quite a few and photographed the pictures I wanted, including the list of names underneath (or beside) the pictures.

If you have ever done Irish genealogy you'll see the irony in "familiar names".  I'm rapidly coming to the conclusion that any given family was allowed to use only about 10 names, and did so, in the same sequence over and over. All children of a couple gave all of their children the same names. How on earth did cousins distinguish themselves from one another? At a family reunion if you want assistance you only need to call out "Sean, please come here". Instantly you'd have 10 chaps eager to help.

Lest you think that I spent the entire time reading let me advise you that I do have a cooking gene, if not baking. Rather, the soup making gene. So, I made a pot of mushroom soup. If I had waited a couple more days it could have been rotten mushroom soup so there was some pressure. Having bought some bouillon cubes since my last soup day, the process is easier. I could not find any powdered chicken soup base but cubes worked fine.

My favourite find in SuperValu was the fresh Scottish salmon fillets. For my North American friends, the cost of only 3.50 Euro per pound may provoke some envy. I'd been paying almost 3 times that at home so it was a rare treat. It could become an addiction here. Not sure why there's no Irish salmon. Maybe I'll look into that.

So today was a rather lazy day. This evening, with no access to the tv shows I like to record and play back at leisure, I will listen to a CD from the library. It is a lengthy interview with Owen Murphy and his telling of a childhood encounter with a leprechaun - or rather "an elfish man dressed in green" and later with a banshee, among other stories. Naturally these recollections do not go back to the time that my ancestors actually lived in Ireland but it increases my understanding of Irish life.

So much for today - rather lazy I'm afraid. I like to think of it as pacing myself. Actually I should do a little pacing to make up for the lack of my daily trip up and down, or rather down and up the hill into and out of Bunclody.

Perhaps tomorrow will bring more excitement - or at least motion.

Brown Bread day

I had an appointment this afternoon in Carnew at 2 pm. Today was bread making day at Kathy Doyle's. We had made the date on Sunday in Coolross and I was excited to learn how to bake a delicious (or even edible) loaf of Irish brown bread - rather than the large tasteless lumps I've produced in the past that were more suited to use as door-stoppers than for lunch.

My morning amble into Bunclody started a bit late, but who cares? The ground was damp and you could see where the car had been parked as the stones beneath it were dry. But it was quite warm so I donned the raincoat, put up the hood and headed out on foot. I wasn't even into town when I put the hood down - and that was that for the rain. No umbrella had been required. It was more like wet in the air than actual rain. My mission was to find somewhere to get a broken fingernail repaired and to replace the peeling polish on my nails. Dol's was suggested so it was there I went. I made an appointment with Sarah for 5 pm. Then I returned up the hill and home. No noticeable difference in my fitness yet. It's still a tedious walk back up.

About 1:30 I got into the car and pointed it in the direction of Carnew. This is possibly the sole destination for which I don't need the GPS. Directions are easy. Out my gate, turn right and except for  a pause at the bottom of the hill, it's a straight drive to a T-intersection where I turn right and keep going until I'm in Carnew. Even I can't get lost on this route. Really, I can't. Really.

I do have a bit of a reputation for finding unusual routes from starting point to destination - no matter where I am. I think it's genetic. But I've got a fix on Carnew. From here to Coolross - ah, the roads less traveled seem to be the ones I find. It is exceptionally beautiful countryside here near the Wexford, Wicklow, Carlow borders. Perhaps my inner chauffeur just wants to see it all. But I digress.

The trip took less time than I'd expected so I was a bit early. No matter, I was shown a suitable parking spot not far from Kathy's door and then walked into the community centre where she was finishing up her card game. We walked back to her unit and got to work.

When I bake, there is a stack of measuring cups and spoons that get pressed into service every time. Then the ingredients are assembled on the counter top ready for use. To make great brown bread, Kathy uses a sieve for "measuring" and sifting the right amount of white flour, a nice coffee mug for liquids, a large-ish spoon and fists full of this and that ingredient, a decent pour of buttermilk and water as needed. Hmmm - how will I get it right when I'm on my own?

I took lots of photos and a couple of little videos. I paid close attention. The intention was that I'd write down instructions as close to the quantities and process as possible as soon as the bread was in the oven. Well, once the bread was baking we made coffee and took it into the living room for a chat while the bread baked. I somehow missed the writing down part. It may be a while before I "try this at home" because I'll have to consult with Kathy to see if my instructions are close to what's needed. I think the process of having a coffee is an option.

We got looking at her album of prize certificates from decades of entering country fairs. They are arranged from all the first prizes through thirds. It took a lot of pages before we ran out of the firsts. She's been honoured for brown bread, soda bread, tea brack and scones and other items I've forgotten. No recipes needed for any of them - she has made so many it's all second nature.

When the bread was ready, Kathy took it out of the oven and out of the pan, dusted off the bottom of the loaf with a brush, then with the loaf upside down, put it back in the oven, lowered the temperature and we adjourned again to the living room. After about 5 minutes she turned off the oven and let the bread stay a bit longer before taking it out. What a magnificent loaf it was!

Shortly afterwards, the doorbell rang and rather than Kathy getting up I answered just for fun. The lady at the door figured she had the wrong house. However, I told her Kathy was in and both she and her little girl, both named Mary, came in for a bit. They were waiting for her father who was visiting the doctor nearby.

They joined us for coffee and Mary mentioned the lovely smell of the bread. I insisted she take part of it at least so Kathy cut off 1/4 of the loaf. I brought the rest home and made supper out of a couple of pieces and a bit of smoked salmon. Yum - best brown bread ever.

I had planned to add the video of the process but it takes forever to upload so will just stick in a photo of the finished product. Aren't you jealous?