Snowy Mourne Mountains

Wednesday 27th March and we woke to a good covering of snow. Between sick children and the last day of school, the kids didn't get out to enjoy it and by the time school was over it had melted. The dogs did enjoy rolling about in it.

Whilst it didn't last long in my area, I live near the Mourne Mountains and can see they are still completely white and covered with snow. Friday night, avalanche warnings were given out for some of them. The roads are clear and the mountains are now passable so we took a drive through them on Saturday afternoon. I've included some photos, below, showing our journey, heading for Spelga dam, via Hilltown and down to Kilkeel, driving back through Bryansford.

The contrast between the green lower lands and the pure white of the high Mournes, as they meld with the sky was spectacular. We had some fun with snowballs and watched the sledgers and snow-boarders making the most of the remaining snow.

There has been a lot of news coverage about the hardships faced by so many throughout Northern Ireland in this unseasonal cold snap. The height of the snow pushed to the sides of the road and still covering some houses, brought home how difficult it's been for some people.

The wall of Spelga Dam

Partially Frozen Dam

Ice In The Dam

Sledgers By Spelga Dam

The mountain ahead was covered in sledgers and some snow boarders. Photo also shows the height of snow pushed off the road.

Mountains, dam and sky melding

Tops of a snow covered fence

Irish Sea and Kilkeel in the distance

Near Bryansford & Tollymore

Spring

Spring seems to be creeping into Northern Ireland. The temperature's nudging double figures, the floods are receding from the fields, I've spotted buds on trees and even some flowering daffodils. Our rabbits have been allowed back into their runs on the lawn, the dogs are bouncier than ever and the children cleaned their trampoline and spent an afternoon testing all sorts of shapes and jumps on it.

Perhaps that's what inspired me to try a new angle to the editing process this week. I've been reading 'How To Write A Blockbuster,'  - lots of scribbles and post-it notes now adorn the book. I found their ideas about passive voice clear and concise and decided to check my MS for how many times was and were appeared. So, what was the most effective way to do that? The trusted Find and Replace feature. There I was, feeling pleased with myself as I worked my way through the MS, finding each was, checking how appropriate, passive or overused the word was. Tad ironic ending to that last sentence. I'd reached the halfway point and come across something else I wanted to change. I still don't know how I did it but here comes the cautionary tale to the spring clean. I made my changes and saved them (always very careful to keep saving as I work). Then I pulled up the Find again, typed in was and waited for the answer. Not a single one to be found. I ran it again. Surely I couldn't have been that good and not used was again for the rest of the MS? Right - I wasn't that good. I'd managed to delete every was in the entire 274 pages, including all occasions when those three letters formed part of another word.

It's been an exercise in finding every double blank space and every misspelt word in the MS but I've finally done it; I've replaced each missing was and am ready to continue where I left off. I hope.

The change in weather we've seen this week has been a welcome distraction from my mistake. Caitlin would be proud of me, digging over and starting to prepare the greenhouse for the new growing season. The children are off school so we had a day out and I have plenty of pictures to share the beauty of the Mournes on a Spring day.

Newcastle, Co.  Down 

Foot Bridge Over The Shimna River, Newcastle

Newcastle, Co. Down

Shimna River, Newcastle

Newcastle Beach

Newcastle Beach. Towards Slieve Donard Hotel & Dundrum

Up In The Mourne Mountains

Approaching Spelga Dam From Kilkeel

Spelga Dam

Spelga Dam

Tollymore Forest Park

A series of photos of Tollymore Forest Park in the Mourne Mountains.

On a visit two weeks ago we spotted the crew trucks so looks like Game of Thrones is filming there again. It's also the setting for Your Highness. We had a chuckle when we watched the film and spotted one spot of the river being used that our dogs are partial to for a refreshing drink.

Newcastle, the Mournes and Silent Valley Reservoir

Murlough Beach

Panoramic of Murlough Beach in Dundrum to Newcastle

Bloody Bridge River (and Bridge)

Above and below - view from either side of Head Road heading towards Silent Valley 

Above and below - either side of the path along the reservoir wall at Silent Valley