Seeking Beauty on Roads Less Traveled

“I am not leaving Ireland until we see puffins”, declares my mother before we even hit the shores of the Emerald Isle. The internet has given this mother of mine way too much power if it is to be believed that knowledge is power. She has learned (or more to the point, I think she just always knew this) that puffins can be found on islands off the coast of Ireland this time of year. This time of year being May. Never mind that the Atlantic Ocean is rather chilly...and the winds can be brisk. A boat must be found that can navigate us to Skellig Michael where the illusive puffins can be found in one of their natural habitats. A boat and its captain are hired but the details seem a bit vague. “Just head into Port Magee and look for a blue boat”. That's it. So we do just that at 10a.m. on a very clear weather for Ireland kind of day. Driving into town with our no-bigger-than-a-bread-box rental car with stick shift on opposite side of where I am used to finding it, we