Can't do pictures for some reason at the moment.

It really was too hot to be sitting in front of a computer the last few days.  Saturday was glorious with football with Patrick in the morning and hurling with Michael in the afternoon.  Sunday was spent in the garden.  The one cloud was when I lay back in the lounger and, because of metal fatigue, I went flying backwards and thought for a few moments I was paralysed from the neck down.  A source of great amusement for everyone else.  I regretted opting for the sharp edged granite stones and not the rounded pebbles in the garden.  Monday we went to the aquarium and seal sanctuary in Portaferry.  This involves taking the little ferry from Strangford.  We managed to drive from Drogheda to Strangford, through the Mournes, over bumpy twisty roads, without a problem.  The moment the wheels touched the deck of the ship and Mary vomited.  It was 25 degrees and we were in a car on a ship, wedged in, unable to open the doors to get at her.  My wife, the great heroism and litheness climbed over two seats and three children to reach her, nappy wipe in hand.  Wasn't too bad in the end.

Seal Sanctuary of course suggests seals, but it does not guarantee them.  And in fact there were none.  I suppose I could stick a sign in my garden and call it a penguin sanctuary and I would protect them if they ever arrived. 

The sharks and the rays were interesting and touchable.  The cafe, with glass wall and partial roof was like an oven.  As we were leaving, having eaten our smuggled in food, which, with some irony, we hid behind the the signs on each table saying "only food purchased in the cafe may be consumed on the premises", yes, as we were leaving we discovered the radiators were on.  Perhaps this is why they have been experiencing financial difficulties.

Then on to Belfast where Patrick encountered his first ever "auld bag".  He went out to play footbal and accidently kicked the ball into someone's garden.  She came out and told him if it happened again she'd stick a knife in it.  He hid upstairs, I think afraid that he'd done something very bad but also just upset at the sort of nastiness he'd never really encountered before.  I had told him previously about such ladies when I was a child but he never really believed me.