Knowing that Mom would be tired, but that she would need some activity and fresh air after the long flight, we aimed for low-key activities that took into account the limited mobility that late summer chickens have. We were also guided by the precept that we don't want to have to revisit the same monuments over and over again to please our guests; we are also here to experience the place!
Off the great wall came the National Stud and Japanese Gardens in Kildare. We had heard of this unlike-sounding pairing, and as the now-risen and showered teenager is enamored of the Japanese Gardens at home, we decided to tootle over the Curragh to this mecca of bloodstock. Of course, different people see different things: we had forgotten how charming the sheep are (as ubiquitous as trees and green), and how refreshing the hues of green can be for someone living in arid northern California.
Mullaghmast standing stone, selected on a single criteria: at about six paces from the side of an extremely quiet lane, it is absolutely the easiest standing stone to get to that we know of. It also helped that it is was close to Kildare. I'm still fascinated by the vertical grooves on it; and the boys discovered that the base of the stone contained a modern inscription with its name on it, something that had escaped our notice on our first visit.
We figured the Moone high cross would turn my mother on, and we were right. And no surprise, as the master of Moone knew his way around a granite block. We made an exception to the revisitation policy, as this is a favorite of us all--it seems to make more sense, and the changing quality of light reminds us that we are not photographing things, but moments.
