Mischief and McGuffey in Ireland with Paul Byrom

We persuaded Carol to take us to Ireland to see our favorite singer, Paul Byrom, such a delightful person, on two tours with Travel Concepts.  This book includes some of our favorite experiences from both tours, I and IV.  Our highlight was watching a prize-winning sheepdog working the sheep at his master’s commands.  We got to experience riding very unusual horses and protecting a castle.  Paul shook hands with us and held us several times.  We saw northern Ireland, toured the Belleck and Waterford factories among others, traveled the Wild Atlantic Way, where we really needed Carol to protect us from the wind.  How many sloths get to visit Ireland?

~ Mischief and McGuffey

Because I cannot take animals from the wild to travel with me, I decided to take my plush sloth friends with me to see Costa Rica and Panama.  McGuffey had been reading about all the exciting places and wanted to see them for herself.  Mischief likes to have adventures.  

Mischief and McGuffey are always ready to share their adventures with children, so I take photographs of them on their travels.  I write their stories because I have traveled through many countries since childhood.  I have taken four trips around Ireland, one of my favorite countries because the people are so friendly and helpful and the scenery is so beautiful.  My extensive experience in photographing since childhood inspires me to share their stories with my readers.  Whether or not you can travel, you will enjoy sharing their adventures through our books.  Everyone should travel, even if only through books and television.  Perhaps later you can visit Ireland as well.  I hope you will help to conserve the wild areas and their wild creatures because all of us need the benefits, both practical and aesthetic, we gain through communing with nature.  That applies to every country, including your own.

Walking across the Peace Bridge and seeing the statue of two reaching out their hands in hopes of real peace between the two Irelands was very emotional.  Watching the careful work done in the Waterford Crystal factories made me appreciate the delicacy of the processes.

I even shared my own highlights, the sheepdog herding sheep, holding a barn owl on my wrist, walking through the pastures of famous horses, and watching the dog relaxing on the back of a donkey.  Only in Ireland!  I even managed to hold the barn owl so steady that it did not flutter to keep its balance.  Nature in Ireland outdoes itself along the Wild Atlantic Way.

~ Carol Creager