Day 7 - Oldcastle - Causey Farm
We slept like logs at the haunted castle...if ghosts were there, we didn't hear them!
We were up and off early for some horse back riding, then a visit to Causey Farm.
We took a little drive around the country side, to pass some time before our appointment with the horses.
We were enjoying the scenery of Irish farm lands and hedges and trees so close to the road they form an arch. All of a sudden we hit a VERY large pothole......quickly followed by a VERY flat tire! This immediately required teamwork, as we were in the middle of nowhere, to get the tire changed and get us back on the road. A pit crew we were not, however we worked quickly together and got the tire changed in no time! Bill O'dredi had us over to the farm...lickety split!
We each had a horse to ride. After suiting up in proper riding shotes and helmuts, we mounted our horses. MaryAnne had Trigger, Rob had Charlie and I was riding Max. These were very tame and gentle horses, with a guide, we walked down a path through the farm. Rob's horse was very hungry and stopped frequently to eat ferns and tree leaves. We even had a few trotting times! Our guide, Julia brought us safely back to the barn and we were off to Causey Farm.
Band members will visit Causey Farm in March to spend time being Irish for a day. This place is a real working farm that offers programs for teens. Matt is the farmer that runs the programs, and he immediately invited us for tea and scones, so we could chat about what we would do when we visit. There are so many fun things that you will do here! Baking traditional soda bread, that you'll enjoy once its baked sounded grand. They have a whole shed full of hurling sticks and equipment, this is a popular game here in Ireland, so a match may be possible. Matt has a Border Collie named Patches, who was super happy to go to work and demonstrate his skills hearding the sheep. A quick shout from Matt and he moved them left or right or stopped. Matt took us to a barn where you will learn about the bodhran drum and dance to traditional Irish tunes. From how he explained it, you should all catch on pretty quick, moving in organized formations...sound familiar? There are many farm animals there, sheep, cows (you'll learn how to milk), chickens, ponies. In March, there will be a very good chance that some of them may be having babies, so Matt was hopeful that some of you would be there during that time.
Then we headed out to the bog....you should all google Bog-Jumping...now this is some outdoor Irish fun! Bogs cover 60% of Ireland, so people here know a lot about them and you will find out lots of interesting facts, including learning about turf-cutting. Brave band members can even race through the bogs!
We were feeling very excited about the day we will spend there, as we said our good-byes to Matt. It will be a great, memorable day for everyone for sure!
We were then headed back to our haunted castle for one last night.......oooooo
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