Marty

Way too cold for me I would be at the hotel sipping hot chocolate One of the challenges I had set myself around 2013 was to stand on the highest point of all 32 counties on the island of Ireland. So, on the Easter Monday of that weekend trip to the southwest of Ireland, I decided to climb Knockboy which, at 706 metres (2,316 feet) above sea level, is the highest point in County Cork. Actually, I had set out to do it on Easter Sunday but, after a hair-raising six or seven mile (10 kilometre, or so) drive down a narrow switchback single track road with grass growing up the middle of it, and often steep drops on either side, I got to the start point and stepped out of the car into a howling gale, and a mist that had come down leaving almost zero visibility. I wisely decided that the mountain would still be there another day, and got back in the car and returned to the hotel (where I possibly did have hot chocolate, Mr B). The next day proved better, so I returned to make the climb. Here's a photograph of the summit triangulation point with my rucksack next to it: You may notice that I had my tripod strapped to my rucksack. However the day was so cold that my fingers froze after taking my gloves off to take this photograph. So there was no way that I could have managed to assemble the tripod and attach the camera to it and set it on "Timer" to get a 'selfie' without severe frostbite setting in. And before any of you ask whether there is any hidden meaning behind the name of the mountain (Knockboy), it's derived from the two Irish Gaelic words cnoic buí, which basically translate to yellow hill. (Buí means yellow, and is found in many Irish place names, and is often anglicised to 'boy')

And you, bro.

It's also Read A Road Map Day today. (https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/read-a-road-map-day/ You planning a road trip, Val?

The Brendan Theme (from The Brendan Suite - Composed 1979-1980 by Shaun Davey) Full suite (The Brendan Voyage: "A suite for uilleann pipes and orchestra" 40 minutes) below:

In 2013, Easter also fell right at the end of March, with Easter Sunday being the 31st of March. That was the year before I retired, so I spent the long weekend break hillwalking, staying in a hotel in the southwest of Ireland. I drove down Thursday evening after work, and didn't get back home until late evening on Easter Monday. In 2013, spring was very late arriving, there was still snow on the hills at Easter, and the weather was still quite cold. On the Saturday, I summited one of my favourite mountains, Mount Brandon on the Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry. Rising to 953 metres (3,123 feet) above sea level, legend has it that it is named after Saint Brendan (the Navigator) who, while fasting on the summit of this mountain sometime in the early 6th century AD, was visited by an angel, and experienced a vision of "a great land to the west". This led to him building a curragh (a boat made from timber covered with animal hide) and setting off on a sea voyage lasting several years, during which he encountered new lands to the west. Some believe that these lands may have been Greenland and/or the Americas, in which case he would have discovered America almost a whole millennium before Columbus. Here's a photo of me stood by the summit cross on Mount Brandon on Easter Saturday, 2013. I think the hoarfrost on the cross gives some idea of just how bitterly cold it was at the time...

It's a little overcast here as well, and I can sleep in almost any day I like at my age. The wind's turned round to the northeast, so it feels much colder than recently. Forecast is for it not to warm up again any time soon. Almost looks like spring might be deserting us for a while...

For clo.... Original version:

Although it almost breaks my heart to tell you this, ma féé diabolique, but you aren't part of my current social bubble under current Covid-9 regulations. And I am not allowed outside my county - let alone country - just at the moment, so was unable to hide chocolate eggs in your garden. Peut-être l'année prochaine.

Have to admit, bro, it scared me a little bit as well. I had an uncle who got blinded in one eye when he was scratched by a thorn as he ducked through a gap in a hedge to get from one field to another...

Good! And good boy!

Happy Easter to you as well, clo. And, no. I went chocolate delivering.

Happy Easter Sunday, everyone! Of course, I still can't resist a bit of irreverence....

Good (Canadian) morning, Gary. You look after that eye of yours, bro.

Good day, bro, and everyone! Bright, sunny day here. Currently around 11°C/52°F, but feeling several degrees warmer in the sun. Expected to drop to around 2°C/36°F overnight. Current indications are for the next few days to be similar, but then for there to be a big drop in temperatures for a number of days from Tuesday, and for the weather to become more unsettled, with even the possibility of a light dusting of snow.

The reports I am reading is that two officers were rammed by a car, and that the officers and the car driver have been transported to hospital. https://www.thejournal.ie/us-capitol-lockdown-5399752-Apr2021/

You're just too kind, bro.

Trust dugh to choose the one that doesn't need a shave...

Don't you mean treats?

And you, bro.

Greetings, Bucket! Sleep well, bro.

And may Cod bless you, as well, Albert!

Greetings, young Albert!

And you, Page!

Have a good, Good Friday, everyone! But, of course, I can't resist the temptation to be a little irreverent...

lol The second observation, on the fourth line of your comment, mirrored what I was initially thinking of, when I was wondering what to say in the third line of the haiku... Thanks for the comment, @RafaelDe