Herding sheep on a bicycle

Started off for Rathdrum from Baltinglass at 4.30pm, got 2 miles and had to go back for my sunglasses. Not that it looked like I was going to need them because heavy black clouds were threatened to offload overhead. But optimistically I cycled back the two miles and retrieved them. Retraced my peddles, went to the shop for money and chocolate energy boost (my excuse anyway). Got just outside Baltinglass and it bucketed down. Sheltered under a tree, had a banana and waited until the rain was not so wet.

I was off finally, unsure whether I would be able to get myself over the mountains to Rathdrum to meet up with my sister and her family in their camper van. I gritted my teeth....come hell or high water (and it turned out to be both) I persevered. At one stage I stood off the bike and a puddle of rain fell out of my lap, water also escaped from my turned up jacket sleeves. Luckily I had packed all my clothes into plastic ziplock bags in my panniers. It didn't always rain and there is nothing like the smell of the countryside after the rain. As I struggled higher and higher the views were spectacular and the clouds made for dramatic scenery. I saw a red deer take fright, his white behind bobbing up and down, then he stood stock still while we had a staring match, I moved and he was gone, into the forest. From Aughavannagh upwards was the hardest and then a very steep descent to Glenmalure lodge where I herded sheep for a couple of hundred yards and got eaten by midges. Past the Lodge and thought I was on the home stretch to Rathdrum.
Unfortunately I had misread the map and though I had reached Rathdrum and just needed to find directions to the campsite. I rang my brother-in-law from a T junction for directions. A car pulled up to offer help and then a man in a van with smoked glass windows and a big microphone in front of his mouth stopped to help. He gave me directions, and offered me a lift if I wanted to join 'them' for a drink in a tiny little doorway of a pub called Byrnes just around the corner. I declined and said that my sister was waiting for me with dinner ready. When he pulled away the back of the van read 'Rural Pub Tours' and a handful of Americans alighted from the van when it parked and were in high spirits (ya think?). It turned out I had another good bit to go and nearly all uphill. It felt cruel at that stage (8.20pm or so) to be having to go up hill again, only to go downhill again (could I not have just gone around?). I met my brother-in-law at the top of the road of the campsite on his own bike and half cut from waiting to eat when I arrived (9pm as it happened).
A cool beer, a change into dry clothes, a hot dinner, and I felt human again. Nearly 5 hours of cycling to go 25 miles, uphill mostly...I deserved this, but thanks sis and D for the welcome hospitality. And thanks nephew B for sleeping in the tent while I had the luxury of the camper van, and J for your good sense of humour to cheer me up. Until tomorrow.