Marty

Hi, all! Spent most of the day in the garden. Got a good bit more of my vegetable plot dug. Could do with a garden rake to prepare seed beds for various vegetable seeds I plan to sow, and a hoe to help keep the weeds down later. Unfortunately, garden centres and hardware-type shops are not considered essential retail outlets under current covid-9 restrictions, so it may be a while before I can get said implements. I could also do with a lawn mower, as using the strimmer to cut the grass is (a) noisy, (b) takes much longer, and (c) tends to cut the grass too severely. The government is talking about relaxing some of the restrictions from May 5th, but they aren't sure which, if any at all. I'm hoping they'll at least allow the garden centres to reopen. The day wasn't too bad weather-wise, although we did have a small amount of drizzle in the early afternoon for around 20 minutes. Looks like the next few days are likely to be similar. I had a robin following me today as I was digging. He (or she) would get to within maybe 2 meters of me, grab a grub or other morsel that the spade had turned up, and quickly fly off with it to the corner of the garden where I think they have a nest. Gary will probably be pleased to hear that there's a pair of house sparrows nesting under the eaves of the old cottage, and I think there's a pair of great tits (I worry Google may get upset at me using the English name of this bird) nesting in the gaps between the stones of one of the boundary walls of the garden. The house martins are back from their winter sojourn in Africa. They're busily repairing old nests on various buildings around the village. They were still flying reasonably high this evening, suggesting the high pressure is maintaining itself for a while, at least. I'm sure the swallows are back as well, but they don't seem to frequent the village the same as the martins do. Where I used to live, about 3 miles away in the country, the swallows used to nest in the rafters of my old byre (barn) and the hayshed. I reckon if I went out, I'd find them busily repairing those nests. And the cuckoo has also got back from Africa. I heard at least one when I took my walk in the woods yesterday. So that's my story for today. I might think about having a cup of cocoa and heading to bed shortly.

Hi, Albert! I've just baked another All Bran cake.

It is a beautiful country, Val. And there are lots of other beautiful ones in the world. If you are talking about my accent, by the way, that's not a true Irish accent. Although I've lived here for around 34 years, I have never really lost my north of England accent. Most people in Ireland immediately recognise I was reared in England as soon as I talk. But when I visit family in England, they will often comment on my Irish accent when I first arrive, and strangers will think I am Irish. But after a few days I slip back into my flat northern English voice (think Coronation Street, maybe).

Well, that's me told.

I made a break for freedom this morning (i.e. I went shopping). I stopped for a walk in the woods on the way home. Here's a short video I took: The original was much sharper than the way YouTube has rendered it.

Hey, Mr B!

Hi, Gary Hope the sore neck is easing off for you.

Hey, Drew! He seems to be having trouble removing that shirt. I'd more than happily help him

Hey, Albert Beautiful layering in that photo.

Good morning, one and all! But, talking of sun days, this morning is strangely lacking in sun just at the moment, although the forecast does tell me to expect Periods of clouds and sun, with a 7% probability of a little rain, although any rainfall amount will be minimal (zero millimeters is what they predict). A bit cooler than recently, as well. Currently (10:25am) about 7°C (45°F), with a high expected of 12°C (54°F). There has been a settled area of high pressure located between Scotland and Scandinavia for the past while, which has been blocking the usual pattern of weather coming in off the Atlantic to cross Ireland. This is why the west of Ireland is normally so typically mild and wet (moist air coming in from the sea, which has been warmed by the Gulf Stream passing down its west coast). This area of blocking high pressure has been diverting the normal weather pattern north into Scandinavia and south into Iberia (Spain and Portugal). (Source: http://www.markvoganweather.com/2020/04/20/high-pressure-brings-big-temperature-swings-to-scottish-highlands/). It looks like that area of high pressure is finally starting to break down allowing normal service to resume. In other words, it looks like this spell of nice settled weather may be about to come to an end... Ah well, it was good while it lasted. Hopefully it won't be the last of the good weather we see this year.

Old Persian proverb...

I saw two of Elon Musk's Starlink satellites last Monday night, around 10pm. But... https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/spacexs-starlink-could-cause-cascades-of-space-junk/

Won't matter how long you stand under the shower and scrub, you'll never get that dirty mind of yours clean.

Good night, B Sleep well

Lady? Where? And why am I thinking Pinocchio again?

He'd be welcome to help with the turning of the virgin ground, as well... Amongst other things.

Ah! Hadn't read that at the time. But I love the way that status update starts with the words: Asking for a friend... I'm thinking Pinocchio again...

Keep this up and you'll be in danger of finishing up like Pinocchio...

Why on earth would that matter?

I wasn't snoozing, nor in the pub boozing. And I wasn't shirking, I was outside working. Thanks, buddy!

Feck off, Tink. He's mine! All mine, I say! Gary told me so.

Greeting, young man!

Happy Saturday, folks!

What was the real luck was being able to actually afford it. I saw many others advertised, and some actually in a lot worse condition than this one, that caught me eye. But the asking prices were just too high. And I couldn't even afford this one when it first appeared on the market. I put a few offers on it, but the estate agent (realtor is the word used in the US, I think) kept coming back to say that there had been a better offer. When the offers got too high for me, I eventually gave up on it and started looking elsewhere. Nearly twelve months later, just as I was negotiating with a different estate agent about buying a much less attractive property a few miles out of the village (the attraction being that it had a one acre - 0.4 hectare - rough field attached), the original estate agent phoned me to say the sale had fallen through. Apparently the purchaser had changed his mind when it came to signing the final contracts. I managed to get it for more than €20,000 less than my previous highest offer for it. I think the vendor, who lives in Florida, was just anxious to finally sell it.