Reflections at Samhain.

The trees are providing a wonderful colour display this year. Unlike other year’s we have’nt had the harsh winds that rip the leaves prematurely from the trees. Reds, pinks, greens, yellows and browns are the colours of the moment.

Some plants, like this Geranium, which are in sheltered spots,  continue to produce blooms as we head into the first days of the Celtic Winter.

Even the brilliant orange of Montbretia is fading, having decorated our gardens and roadsides for many weeks. 

The leaves have already dropped from the Rowans leaving the berries glowing like Christmas baubles. Soon the weather will become harsher and the birds will feast here.

Rosehips catch the eye as myself and the Dogs take our daily walk. Walking is done earlier in the day now…before the evening chill sets in. I’m not one for walking in the darkness…even on our quite laneway. From now on more time will be spent indoors. The intense activity of the Summer is past and the larder is filled with the fruits of our labouring.

Walking back up the lane this handsome black Cow comes to greet us. Friendlier than the rest of the herd she even let me rub her.  A small privilege that gave me such a lift.

I have often heard that Fairies have white blood because they nourish themselves by drinking milk straight from the Cow’s udder under cover of darkness. Maybe this girl will be visited tonight.

Happy Samhain!

What is it about water?

 

Ben Bulben Mountain near Sligo shrouded in heavy mist.

As the  Earth breathes the waves move in…and out again.

Deserted beaches are so appealing…

So much seaweed… I wish I’d brought a bag.

The weir at Clarendon Lock just outside the village of Knockvicar.

Beautiful!

An eerie fog…

Weatherwise yesterday was a horrible day. From early morning it rained non stop. I managed to duck out any get some fruit and veg and give the dogs a quick walk but apart from that it was an indoors day. Just does’nt seem right to have to stay indoors in July. By seven in the evening the rain had stopped and everything was dead calm. A strange sort of evening. Eerily quiet, everything permeated by damp and then the fog appeared…

I noticed it first at about seven thirty. Sliabh an Iarainn (The Iron Mountain) is usually clearly visible and often bathed in evening sun at this time. Last evening it was almost obliterated by the low-lying fog.

The sky was beautifully streaked with shades of  pink to the east…

and also to the west.

The wispy fog came in from all directions.

Within a short time the whole valley was enveloped in the thick fog.  So quiet…

If you look closely you can just about see one of the wind turbines in this pic. I found it very eerie indeed. It very much reminded me of Hound of the Baskervilles…the 1939 movie starring Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes. Based on a book written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle  it’s a movie I’ve watched many times. Always found it soo scary. Is that a dog I hear howling in the distance!!!! I’m off indoors!!!

Rainy days and climate change.

What’s happened to the weather? Not just in Ireland, but all over the world,  this year has broken records everywhere. The wettest Summer in the UK since 1860. Same in Ireland. In USA there has been  record high temperatures  resulting  in serious problems for agriculture. The end result will of course be food shortages and higher prices for available supplies. Today, 17th July, is a wet mizzly day here in Arigna. It should be Summer!!

There’s definitely a change in the climate worldwide. The Irish Summer now seems to be March, April and May. Wet and dull through until September when we get another blast of good weather. I was reading earlier how the wet Summer has disrupted the cafe culture in Paris. Can’t blame people for not wanting to sit out in the rain sipping coffee. This then has a knock on effect on businesses and livelihoods. Here in Ireland agriculture is in serious trouble. Farmers can’t make hay or silage and the grass is starting to rot in the fields. Potatoes will be expensive this year as the crops have started to rot in the earth. A bit of a doomsday scenario but that’s how it is. How anyone can deny climate change now is beyond me.

 I’m amazed that flowers are blooming despite the lack of sunshine. Sunday was a fab day but that’s been the only good day for weeks. These Lilies were in bloom today but they won’t last long if the rain continues.

Shasta Daisies hang their heads low, weighed down with rain…

 Rosa Ragusa looking similarly droopy. Of course there’s few insects to be seen. I was to be involved in the Butterfly count this year but there’s been few opportunities. What happened to all the Bumble Bees and Butterflies there were about in May I wonder?

In the micro climate of the polytunnel a solitary Bumble Bee enjoys a newly emerged Dahlia. Glad I planted these in pots indoors as I don’t think they would have done any good outside.

I also spotted a Green Veined White Butterfly on a Rose. Can you see it? There were a few more of these Butterflies about but that was all the insect activity I could see today. Mid July, the air should be filled with the sound of buzzing insects! So sad!

On a more positive note the Peaches are almost ripe, in the polytunnel of course. I test them by cupping the fruit in my hand and gently pulling. If ripe the fruit will come away. Another way to test for ripeness is to see if the flesh around the stem is soft. Test carefully though as Peaches bruise so easily. Another day or two to wait for this one.

The promise of a sunny Summer’s day.

Such a beautiful sunny Sunday morning greeted us here in the valley today. Very still and calm, not a leaf was stirring on the trees. Early morning sunshine casting dappled shade. The promise of a good day to come.

Beyond the trees the shrub border looks fresh and green. The early morning dew still on the leaves. In another hour this will be in full sun.

Daphne is out early too, she comes over and looks at me in a sort of puzzled way. Probably wondering what I’m doing… up and out and about so early. Such amazing growth with everything this year. Look how high the grass is in this field.

The Sycamore tree casts it’s shade over the steps to the chalet. The air is still… allowing the signing of the birds to be heard… crisp and clear…and beautiful.

The promise of a Summer’s day.

The gravel garden has taken well. Planted about a year ago everything is now starting to establish and spread. Sedums have done particularly well…I do love them. So easy to propogate and of course they are a real Butterfly magnet when they are in flower.

Lots of Succulents in pots too although some have jumped from the pots onto the ground below. I remember the walk through the bog in Tipperary collecting the Bog Oak for this little corner garden with my brother Tommy. Happy thoughts on a bright Summer morning.

Yes…all is well…everything is still…and calm…and green. We have the promise of a sunny Summer’s day…

In praise of green…

Ireland is famous for it’s greenness…there is even an old song that mentions Ireland’s 40 shades of green. We may complain about our weather…all that rain can be wearing…but it is that very rain that makes Ireland the lush, green place it is.

Green is such an important colour…it is the colour most often accociated with Nature and being in the countryside. It is the colour of the heart chakra and is in the middle of the colour spectrum. It holds the balance between the red, hot end of the colour spectrum, and blue, the cold end of the colour spectrum.

Green is soothing and helps to reduce feelings of turmoil and negativity. Everyone feels better after a walk in a cool green forest.

Tourists are drawn to Ireland because of the slow pace of life here, away from the city anyway, maybe it is the predominance of green that helps people to chill out and have time to stop and chew the fat (chat). 

What can be more soothing to a person’s soul than gazing into the green canopy of a beautiful tree…even if the sky behind is grey!

Green food is full of vitamins and minerals which help to keep our bodies in balance. “One of the causes of heart disease is a diet low in the antioxidant vitamins C and E and beta-carotene. Green leafy vegetables are a particularly rich source of these.” Secrets of Colour Healing by Stephanie Norris.

The old adage “Eat your greens” was very sensible advice indeed…

Even the Rainbows are low…

After having had pretty good weather in March, April and May it seems that June was the wettest since 1860. I do think that the south of the country had it worse though. Every time I rang my Mother it seemed to be raining heavily there, yes, we have had rain too, but it’s only the last 2 weeks that have been monsoon like. That’s climate change I suppose, some places getting less rain while we get more. If it continues in this vein more growing will have to be done indoors in polytunnels, in Ireland anyway. The overcast skies are quiet depressing and heavy. A rare patch of blue sky yesterday evening had me rushing out with the camera to capture it!

It darkened again almost immmediately and this rainbow which bridged Corry and Sliabh an Iariann appeared. Not the usual high arch to this one. Very squat and low lying. Have’nt seen one this low before. Even the rainbows are affected by the low cloud!! Does’nt the countryside look beautifully fresh and lush though…one benefit of all that rain.

In the garden flowers are doing surprisingly well. I don’t like this dark leaved Lysmachia, actually I thought I’d removed all of it, but I have to admit it makes a good pairing with this peachy pink Lupin. Maybe it’s saved itself!

Lady’s Mantle and Catmint, two plants I really like, they look good together. I have to admit I’m a trial and error gardener. I bung everything in, cottage garden style, if it really does’nt work I’ll just move plants in the dormant season. I know some people swear by plans and charts but not for me. Lots of self seeders are left to prosper too. I don’t have the heart to remove them.

The wild Dog Rose is almost finished now…

each fallen petal leaving a temporary love message for all to see.

At Carrowcrory for Bards and Harps.

Saturday last saw Andy and I at Carrowcrory, near Ballinifad, Co. Sligo at the home of John Willmott and Claire Roche. The occasion was the fifth Bards and Harps Day to be held here. Regular readers will remember John from the Poetree Walks postings. He is a fab poet, tour guide, folklorist, story teller and labyrinth maker. Check out his blog at www.celticways.com .

Claire is a harpist and singer, but not just any singer, a singer with the voice of an Angel. I saw tears being wiped from eyes as Claire gave her wonderful performance. In this pic, which is a crap pic because of the light, Claire is getting ready to play 2 harps at once. Quite an accomplishment! The cottage itself is wonderful. Decorated in the traditional style it is a warm welcoming home. But then a home can only reflect what the people who inhabit it are like. John and Claire welcomed each and every person with gusto. One immediately felt at home and so welcome. Throughout the day food was available. Delicious food prepared in the cottage. Between each performance everyone visited the big table in the kitchen which was laden with food all day. Breads, salads, frittata, chowder,  dips, tarts, cakes. Each offering more delicious than the last.

Everyone who came seemed to be imbued with the same happy, jovial spirits this place seems to generate. I love this pic of the lovely Tina Rock with flowers in her hair. Everytime she caught my eye the Sandi Thom song, I wish I was a Punkrocker with Flowers in my Hair, came into my mind. That’s Andy with the big grin.

That’s John heading round the corner. The pic was taken from the Tree Labyrinth which has been planted in front of the cottage.  There’s not too many thatched cottages left now so it’s lovely to actually know the people who have brought this one back to life…and what a life!

So I will finish with a little more about the day’s entertainment. In the evening we were treated to a performance from another harpist. It was after all Bards and Harps Day! Fionnoula Gill, of Riverdance fame, gave an amazing performance in the little theatre space behind the cottage. You could hear a pin drop in the room. Each and every person was spellbound. I wonder do all harpists have angelic voices? Seems that way to me! She finished her set with Molly Malone which everyone sung along to. So floating on that cloud of joy and enchantment we headed off at about 9 in the evening. John however had one last edible treat for everyone. He had made his own chocolate and peanut butter cups, just like Reese’s! I won’t say how many I had…but they were yummy! A wonderful end to an amazing day.

The Longest Day.

Summer Solstice is upon us once again. The high point of the Summer when everything in Nature is lush and abundant. This year the weather has been pretty good since March so it seems like we have had Summer for a long time already. We have also had lots of rain which combined with the warmth has enabled rapid growth of everything.

Now is a good time to propogate shrubs from cuttings. There’s always a place for new plants to be slotted in. Otherwise the abundance of the season can be shared with friends. A free plant always brings a smile to someones face.

A nice bunch of flowers is another welcome gift. This arrangement was collected from the garden yesterday morning. Given to a friend who is retiring from work,  it brought a beaming smile of appreciation. The flowers were placed in a glass which I then covered with this organza bag which was saved from I gift I had recieved. I always save nice packagings, ribbons and gift bags to be reused and recycled.

For me Foxgloves are the flower of Summer Solstice. They self seed everywhere here and most of them are left to reach maturity. It would be an insult to remove these gifts from Mother Nature. Far nicer than anything bought at the garden centre with the added bonus of no air miles attached. No patent attached here!

In the vegetable garden there is lots of produce. We are harvesting Lettuce, Spring Onions, Beetroot, Peas, Broad Beans and Mangetous right now. The Potatoes are just coming into flower. They will be ready for harvesting about 2 weeks after flowering. Of course leaving them longer gives bigger Potatoes but thats not likely to happen. These are Ballydoon which were planted on St. Patrick’s Day.

Summer Solstice is the time when bonfires are lit to celebrate the season here in north-west Ireland. This tradition which has been going on since Pagan times has died out in other parts of the country but alive and well in this area. It is now called St. John’s Night, the celebration of the birth of John the Baptist. Like many other Pagan celebrations it was masked by Christians as the celebration of a saint’s day.

To conclude I wish you all health, happiness and abundance at this special time of the Summer Solstice.  Happy Days!

Bridget x

Cute stuff!

Isn’t this cute? Well, actually I’m not sure if cute is the right word as Ida’s tealeaves are making a pretty disastrous prediction. Hopefully Ida stayed safe and sound in the coop. This lovely print was my prize…drawn from the hat…for commenting on a blog I follow. At www.hedgecombers.com, which is a varied and interesting blog,  there is a link to Jane’s online Folksy shop where these prints and cards are for sale. Delighted with my prize…I think a black frame will suit it nicely.

Accompanying my prize was this lovely card also from Jane’s range. So cute! It is sitting in pride of place on our mantelpeice.

No the postman’s not that good! I did send Jane my name and address to receive my gift. Thanks Jane!

Don’t know if a car can be cute but this one certainly tickled my fancy. It was spotted at a garden open day I attended recently. Bought in Germany by the current owner in the 1950s it has been completely restored and is in perfect working order. He and his wife drove it from Germany to Ireland last Summer.

The whole front of the car also doubles as the door. The steering wheel moves with the door to facilitate opening and closing. Amazing!

Dinky steering wheel…

and a rack on the back for one’s suitcase.

To finish here’s a cute pic of Lettie and Freddie on the couch. I know there’s too much light from the window and the crazy pattern on the throw makes for a busy picture. But I like it anyway! Hope you do too!