Of Sheep and (Wo)men...

Thanks for all the get-well wishes!  I'm happy to report that I am once again hale and hearty, and back to wandering the streets and fields of County Tyrone! I'm continuing to take things fairly easy and walk as much as I can, in preparation for the Camino trek in May (think of this as sort of a Kate-in-training phase).  I can't believe how quickly time is passing--another three weeks, and it's goodbye Northern Ireland, buenos dias Barcelona!  It's amazing the changes since I first got here--it's now noticeably brighter in the evenings (we're gaining four minutes a day!), the grass is growing (and in some cases being mowed) and the first buds and flowers are starting to appear.  The public flower boxes in Omagh are already sporting pansies, but I thought I'd share a self-portrait of me (we had huge rains the day before), and a shot of these spring buds, taken on Monday during a glorious sunny walk:

In keeping with my livestock obsession, I've also got a candid sheep shot, with them sheltering from the rains that arrived later in the week (and wondering why the heck I'm interrupting their rest):

And here`s one of me that same day, umbrella in hand.  Check out my snazzy new walking shoes!  I'm sort of loving the shoe sales here!

On Friday I went with some friends to the Strule Arts Centre to see Ballet Theatre UK's production of Cinderella.  Unfortunately we weren't allowed to take photos in the Centre (there was also an amazing textile art exhibition and about a million little girls with their mothers, dressed as princesses complete with tiaras), so you'll have to make do with a shot of the outside of the centre and our tickets instead:

And I'll leave you with a shot of my exciting parcel from home, which I received yesterday morning.  Thanks Mom!  I've got a round of postcards and letters in the mail- let me know if you receive one (it'll be interesting to see how long they take).  Stay tuned next week for the long-promised Ballymena field trip photos, my version of Where's Waldo with Eric the donkey and hopefully a shot of the cutest mini-goat I've ever seen (if I can get the little creep to come close enough to get a good photo).  If you've got any requests, drop me a line!

-K-