I took part in another stocking at Blessington today. We released 1500 rainbow trout again. The stock fish were in perfect condition, even the pectoral and dorsal fins were undamaged. Now we have to hope they don't all dissapear into the black hole that is the middle of the lake as the last ones did. Noel and I are going off to Lough Sheelin again tomorrow, unless the weather is unsuitable. If it is bright and windless we might just go and give some of the new stockies a few lessons and keep them clever. Noel isn't free until the afternoon and the stockies will have settled well before then. Some of the lads were connecting with a few before we left the lake this evening. I took herself out with me...she spent hours chasing non existent rabbits, followed by a few sand Martins...they keep flying past oblivious to barks etc....and had a bit of a paddle. Now she's beside the computer, snoring away, happy as larry...if a little scruffy (burrs, seed pods, bits of leaf etc. in the coat) It is not worth the bother brushing her, she will be as bad tommorrow...

I am seriously thinking of starting to paint again, I am beginning to feel both guilty and an itch. Who knows next week I might be raring to go...