tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30690615692531533882024-03-05T16:51:17.215+00:00A Heron's ViewI have a great many interests. Among them is writing poetry, taking photo's, the practice of T M and following a druid like path. What I am not nor have I ever been is subservient or fanatical. In the true sense of the term I am a free thinking person.A Heron's Viewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06563706152609630696noreply@blogger.comBlogger498125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3069061569253153388.post-81790993746048816342023-08-03T14:00:00.003+01:002023-08-03T14:04:09.446+01:00Hallowe'en Pup<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKGnXZRUJraN7hpxIYKNiGs1xmrC0Bx010SWTNZm-BvSyLzaYqvPO5m7nSIzeHBx8QlQ7eGGA1IgW_jQBf0gMBM8T_A0itRxoZzEgHLJey_E2MFI-hrF_taMRWQVgbaNHcdvH2XLhI1yb7Z1age6jkp2C9rFZKDiKe1bEcTQhSSJC-iwyMqs4nGFA4RI5X/s648/THE%20GREAT%20TOBY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="648" data-original-width="435" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKGnXZRUJraN7hpxIYKNiGs1xmrC0Bx010SWTNZm-BvSyLzaYqvPO5m7nSIzeHBx8QlQ7eGGA1IgW_jQBf0gMBM8T_A0itRxoZzEgHLJey_E2MFI-hrF_taMRWQVgbaNHcdvH2XLhI1yb7Z1age6jkp2C9rFZKDiKe1bEcTQhSSJC-iwyMqs4nGFA4RI5X/s320/THE%20GREAT%20TOBY.jpg" width="215" /></a></div> A great old gentleman - Toby<p></p><p>Did I tell you that poor old Toby died in 2021 aged 21? He was a grand old dog and a great friend to us. His former owner, Jim, lived along the road here and because of his ill health he asked us to take in Toby. An Old English Sheepdog / Collie cross, Toby was about eight years old and a very timid creature when he came to live with us. He was frightened by many things but especially people throwing or bouncing balls or holding large sticks. When I pickked up the poker to riddle the fire, poor old Toby would cringe and it took awhile for him to understand that my action wasn't a threat to him. Over the years he relaxed, helped by regular meals, love and a warm stove to curl up beside. His passing brought us many tears but also many happy memories and we still talk about his adventures. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFAYUe4-G4qsvIx74j4EE7ZB70HBTcD-4FXgw05Vpn5PjvkUHzoxUY8nRLt7q4rd0847meTQlGJ1Ijr4xErdq2YHCZLDUbm274plYDSG2gz0EMk7TyG1cxDKRvX4YFuif0160VQuk_WsQqQaXwCyCmbF-25LjLX-7rCG9inio1JSklswEVhvPOsjDQ0jiT/s1578/SHAWNIE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1578" data-original-width="1062" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFAYUe4-G4qsvIx74j4EE7ZB70HBTcD-4FXgw05Vpn5PjvkUHzoxUY8nRLt7q4rd0847meTQlGJ1Ijr4xErdq2YHCZLDUbm274plYDSG2gz0EMk7TyG1cxDKRvX4YFuif0160VQuk_WsQqQaXwCyCmbF-25LjLX-7rCG9inio1JSklswEVhvPOsjDQ0jiT/s320/SHAWNIE.jpg" width="215" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs-jW_y2u8bcT98lWL0aHHhS6clIVOaDJ8bfiQ6NYy3wpzYjDAaHlTYGJNTCbVEmL2QzTrOI-G-mQdXuwHgE-ff1-uqaJRy8v3OtOcmbmfuPlrNMlvKGOAZTHU4U70CLYoP6mgqNI_rZQTefS4spyvz7bah8KF4cBqs2xaVGmXQ_G9c5N6Tw3Jb-ecr7ul/s576/IMG_0215.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="489" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs-jW_y2u8bcT98lWL0aHHhS6clIVOaDJ8bfiQ6NYy3wpzYjDAaHlTYGJNTCbVEmL2QzTrOI-G-mQdXuwHgE-ff1-uqaJRy8v3OtOcmbmfuPlrNMlvKGOAZTHU4U70CLYoP6mgqNI_rZQTefS4spyvz7bah8KF4cBqs2xaVGmXQ_G9c5N6Tw3Jb-ecr7ul/s320/IMG_0215.jpeg" width="272" /></a></div> Seánie when we met him & in his new home<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>After some time I felt that the energy of our grief could be channeled in a good direction so we talked about homing a new dog. I looked on-line at various dog adoption sites until my eye fell upon a Labrador cross Collie pup in County Tipperary. I showed the photo to Jane and her eyes brightened. A phone call was made and questions answered until we had an address and a date to meet the pup. The journey was almost torturous, as it took us up steep, hilly and narrow roads with sharp bends. We persevered and eventually arrived at a Hill Farm in darkest Tipperary to meet with the Farmer who had the pups in the shed of a neighbour on deeply filled straw floor. Half a dozen pups scampered around and I pointed out the one that we wanted and the farmer scooped him up into his arms and carried him down to the car.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1HJ7gxmNKM5gH4E2Tj8VlGi3ABzF-qwf7sBPRQ62Vaybgi9evBmSG694ra1WESAYksSfR5w2ZLlF_zlMa7X359o67QJ5ejwIBcK8HiX2mZifnczmW0jwE65Iq1s9KdB4UDjM_4Y2IeqCtKWQCQ59iBngXNEg3OO1YiIo4kVhhZ3dfZ8e7dAkk3Lj0nMIM/s720/SEANGILMARTIN%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="477" data-original-width="720" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1HJ7gxmNKM5gH4E2Tj8VlGi3ABzF-qwf7sBPRQ62Vaybgi9evBmSG694ra1WESAYksSfR5w2ZLlF_zlMa7X359o67QJ5ejwIBcK8HiX2mZifnczmW0jwE65Iq1s9KdB4UDjM_4Y2IeqCtKWQCQ59iBngXNEg3OO1YiIo4kVhhZ3dfZ8e7dAkk3Lj0nMIM/s320/SEANGILMARTIN%202.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> Seán Gilmartin RIP<br /><p><br /></p><p>We named him Seánie after a great friend of ours, Seán Gilmartin, who had passed away very nearly the day on which Seánie was born at Halloween. I am no stranger to dogs and have had quite a few of them, however, Seánie being mainly a Labrador in nature as well in looks was a bit of a handful! More than once I threatened to send him to the Dogs' Home. Fortunately this did not happen as slowly over time his behaviour has greatly improved and thus our fondness for him is now of a great magnitude! I'm so glad he is our pup, part of the family and the best boy in the world.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Lc8tI1T6E5aExX_yXGqQxtSxQDiGEeIPUXNchce62r83npqdSSiieDSbdZ7ROZzAUtO8mm5qbFHmW_GFmlEAcGhtssXHuZ7guLRty81Bah7nhnzlMc0AxXCBia25KJiXNkFevp73oTWoFgZqPOLOTH2jdD56yfI1wWF3-4KowaXb7JgvjKrjFykVXkcd/s640/Seanie%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="473" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Lc8tI1T6E5aExX_yXGqQxtSxQDiGEeIPUXNchce62r83npqdSSiieDSbdZ7ROZzAUtO8mm5qbFHmW_GFmlEAcGhtssXHuZ7guLRty81Bah7nhnzlMc0AxXCBia25KJiXNkFevp73oTWoFgZqPOLOTH2jdD56yfI1wWF3-4KowaXb7JgvjKrjFykVXkcd/w355-h473/Seanie%202.jpg" width="355" /></a></div> Seánie, almost 2 years old <br /><p><br /></p>A Heron's Viewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06563706152609630696noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3069061569253153388.post-88807527565525272682023-04-21T18:16:00.000+01:002023-04-21T18:16:34.007+01:00Bord Na Mona<p style="background-color: white; color: #18322b; font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"><span style="font-kerning: none;">I felt shame the other day when a visitor to this green land of Ireland pointed out to me the disgraceful sights that they had seen on several disused peat bogs owned by Bord Na Móna. </span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #18322b; font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"><span style="font-kerning: none;">So I researched what the BNM company policy is regards to waste…</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #18322b; font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"><span style="font-kerning: none;">“ <b>Bord na Móna Recycling is our waste management business, collecting 450,000+ tonnes of waste from 135,500+ customers every year. Bord na Móna is currently making waste collection greener through the electrification of its trucks.</b></span></p><p style="color: #143931; font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>We’re restoring and rehabilitating Ireland’s bogs to help meet climate and biodiversity goals.”</b></span></p><p style="color: #143931; font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 24px;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></p><p style="color: #143931; font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-kerning: none;">Oh right then, so why is it that at several ex-working peat bogs that I have visited recently on which large amounts of black plastic or white plastic can be seen scattered around ?</span></p><p style="color: #143931; font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-kerning: none;">There is also an abundance of old machinery, tractors, trucks and large oil storage tanks, rusting away. </span></p><p style="color: #143931; font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 24px;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></p><p style="color: #143931; font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-kerning: none;">Is it, I wonder some bizarre notion of laying down bits of 21st century industrial waste to become the archaeology of the future?</span></p><p style="color: #143931; font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 24px;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></p><p style="color: #143931; font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-kerning: none;">As we are doing our best to help the climate by no longer burning turf or coal, recycling our waste and composting etc., Bord na Móna, who collect & recycle for their paying customers, appear to be oblivious to the state of the bogs that they are supposedly “restoring and rehabilitating”.</span></p><div><span style="font-kerning: none;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI3BlMJS_-eNYWdnSCrMWzqGLzmBdGH782K6bKTTdYQoc3P1asbRCeTy4kpptbctGYX18kFhNHxZToPAYN38RWbwiUDB3PufjHe8RdFhB2MN3iAEgxDt7F5ovGP1tmlZCB6CiQiN0kAkZffVVVkse0s-xN50UNF1eA4BNkpswcm26tledaAXzKUB-sLQ/s640/BOG%20ENTRANCE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI3BlMJS_-eNYWdnSCrMWzqGLzmBdGH782K6bKTTdYQoc3P1asbRCeTy4kpptbctGYX18kFhNHxZToPAYN38RWbwiUDB3PufjHe8RdFhB2MN3iAEgxDt7F5ovGP1tmlZCB6CiQiN0kAkZffVVVkse0s-xN50UNF1eA4BNkpswcm26tledaAXzKUB-sLQ/w458-h240/BOG%20ENTRANCE.jpg" width="458" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">HEAPS OF PLASTIC BAGS</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjvNT9EU8r1Lz_yKUZPEq7rTlzaa-TVfzYrM0mV58o2VAyxMk1jz47HgYgnuZs0h2AubF9kpoHkdyi0fiOhLRLiXwhOnUo0qlsF6HacwuXId25Nf2xq1cGYCZT53ntM5_l1VHnlsP20BHjYWEeq_hIJQ_aGPgMEFFBvhI_TkUshioNybZro9snda85cA/s720/PIC%202.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="252" data-original-width="720" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjvNT9EU8r1Lz_yKUZPEq7rTlzaa-TVfzYrM0mV58o2VAyxMk1jz47HgYgnuZs0h2AubF9kpoHkdyi0fiOhLRLiXwhOnUo0qlsF6HacwuXId25Nf2xq1cGYCZT53ntM5_l1VHnlsP20BHjYWEeq_hIJQ_aGPgMEFFBvhI_TkUshioNybZro9snda85cA/w651-h191/PIC%202.png" width="651" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-kerning: none;"><br /></span></div>A Heron's Viewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06563706152609630696noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3069061569253153388.post-77844367494982702922023-02-06T12:44:00.003+00:002023-02-06T14:58:34.654+00:00<p> I seem to be a bit lost on here, I am getting confused with the operations of my two blogs, the poem was intended solely for Words of a Rambling Mind it popped up on here - now that was a surprise ! I think that I will leave it here lest I get into more trouble.</p><p>So what's been happening with Heron do I here you say ? Well have been busy on Facebook and recently on Instagram both of which are very different operations to blogging, not sure that I like either actually.</p><p>On the personal front I am now a junior octogenarian since early January and my pension went up by a tenner a week not much, but every little helps 😆 </p><p>We have a new dog, Seanie, a black Labrador who is settling in very well after having spent the first 12 months rearranging our soft furnishings, thus no longer do we have any cushions! Other than that he is a delightful little chap to have as a companion and a bit expensive on iPhone covers am now heading towards a fifth!</p><p>Poor Toby slipped away in January 22, he was about 21 years old. In his later years he became both blind and deaf but very loyal right up to the end. He is and always will be a treasured memory.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk7pK90XQIWdvo5NxW_Nus0ppTbVJ9JPGbxewu63s98C2qnvvwc_be0VfH4t3Z2hjPYJTkjt63HXI3hMqBJ43Yf-jquC-Huz1c07Oj_9l05M6VUS-vnsEz6ww1jFJ9EX_yKiKLeOY3snB-n6Ekg2VTnNSGhIgdR7m6t9oWuk1F2axJFd3vBypx0Arkxg/s288/DSCF1391.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="173" data-original-width="288" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk7pK90XQIWdvo5NxW_Nus0ppTbVJ9JPGbxewu63s98C2qnvvwc_be0VfH4t3Z2hjPYJTkjt63HXI3hMqBJ43Yf-jquC-Huz1c07Oj_9l05M6VUS-vnsEz6ww1jFJ9EX_yKiKLeOY3snB-n6Ekg2VTnNSGhIgdR7m6t9oWuk1F2axJFd3vBypx0Arkxg/s1600/DSCF1391.JPG" width="288" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPsnWmiycXH7vb-pzTEKpwkxvG0CeR50FlNdllRodHXbQ1vZx_Lv4aAYUO4e0rq9kFN2okD8bubRSiU4hfp65BIt38V0cOSj8tnhf5-3Y9AFq3WJmj7iHZvfQmZ-DU2J7PckKCfy1_IxiFVW7HsMbPrWouP-AeWrq1hAYajbdYHih-qV6IKVd3PwpGIA/s144/IMG_0371.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="144" data-original-width="108" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPsnWmiycXH7vb-pzTEKpwkxvG0CeR50FlNdllRodHXbQ1vZx_Lv4aAYUO4e0rq9kFN2okD8bubRSiU4hfp65BIt38V0cOSj8tnhf5-3Y9AFq3WJmj7iHZvfQmZ-DU2J7PckKCfy1_IxiFVW7HsMbPrWouP-AeWrq1hAYajbdYHih-qV6IKVd3PwpGIA/w200-h176/IMG_0371.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div><br /></div>Well that's about it for now folks I catch you later and will be back soon - I promise <br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div><br /></div><br /></div><br /></div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p> </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>A Heron's Viewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06563706152609630696noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3069061569253153388.post-27866670996435617372023-02-05T09:14:00.001+00:002023-02-05T09:14:18.500+00:00<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p> <span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px;">I am changing my diet.</span></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">From meat to grain</p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">both fed by sunshine</p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Similar yet different</p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">a connotation under stood.</p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Swift silent stiletto </p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">sheared a friendship.</p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">When first line misunderstood</p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">The portcullis is fixed down</p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">and I am without… alas, alas.</p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Gone now into emptiness</p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">words and phrases shared.</p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">For what was their worth</p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">those well meaning words.</p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Now that all is destroyed.</p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">I am changing my diet…</p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Yet again !</p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">©MRL Feb2023</p></blockquote>
A Heron's Viewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06563706152609630696noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3069061569253153388.post-31011262937263684592022-03-16T14:29:00.000+00:002022-03-16T14:29:05.058+00:00I Am Back !<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"> As the title says I am back blogging and hopefully more regularly than once a year. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">As many of you are aware I have had a bit of problem with the bladder. Well, it now seems to be righting its self. The tumour which was a T2 and has now shrunk to a T1 and perhaps by the time they take another look in June it might not even be there. For sure the symptoms that brought my attention to the fact that all was not as it should be have long gone!</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Clinical suggestions were that the bladder needed to be removed however, after looking at the pro's and con's, also taking into consideration my age 79. I decided not to have that done because I want quality of life not quantity. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">I did though agree to have a short course of Chemotherapy. What an eye opener that was ! </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">I shall not to go into details, other than to say it was one of the most miserable experiences of my life and would not wish it upon my worst enemy. A week or two after the course I received a phone call from the senior Oncologist who informed me that there was no cancer in my body other than what may remain in the bladder. I was walking on air for several days afterwards !</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Throughout the treatment I had no hair loss which was just as well because I don't have much anyway! And the only effect I noticed was that my finger nails are now slower to grow.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">------------</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">On the home front our old dog </span><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Toby, aged 18 was put to sleep last month as he had lost the use of his legs; its was not sudden for we had seen him steadily weakening over the last while. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">A dark cloud of grief hung over us for a few weeks and then came the decision to get another dog. We chose a Labrador cross Collie,</span> black with a white star on his chest with a few small bits of white on his body; we have named him Seànie. |He was born at Halloween in Tipperary and is now virtually house trained too! He has filled that empty sad place in our hearts and is very well behaved as well as having some puppy traits like chewing the odd shoe but not anymore for we have tidied up and put them beyond his reach.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Well my friends it is time to call a halt on my ramblings and I wish you all</p><p style="text-align: center;">A Happy St Patricks Day</p><p style="text-align: center;">So stay safe all of you !</p><p> </p>A Heron's Viewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06563706152609630696noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3069061569253153388.post-49307209730868567382021-05-20T14:29:00.002+01:002021-05-20T14:29:25.916+01:00In and out of a Dark place<p> <span style="font-family: arial;">In the latter part of 2019 I was diagnosed with cancer in my bladder and since then have had two courses of BCG treatments. Each of which was six weeks long with a three month break and numerous other procedures in-between.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); color: #202124; font-size: 18px;">BCG</b><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); color: #202124; font-size: 18px;"> is a type of immunotherapy drug. Immunotherapy drugs encourage the body's immune system to fight </span><b style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); color: #202124; font-size: 18px;">cancer</b><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); color: #202124; font-size: 18px;"> cells. For </span><b style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); color: #202124; font-size: 18px;">bladder cancer</b><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); color: #202124; font-size: 18px;">, </span><b style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); color: #202124; font-size: 18px;">BCG</b><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); color: #202124; font-size: 18px;"> is given directly into the </span><b style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); color: #202124; font-size: 18px;">bladder</b><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); color: #202124; font-size: 18px;"> (intravesical). This can make the </span><b style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); color: #202124; font-size: 18px;">bladder</b><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); color: #202124; font-size: 18px;"> react in a way that makes the immune system get rid of </span><b style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); color: #202124; font-size: 18px;">cancer</b><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); color: #202124; font-size: 18px;"> cells.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); color: #202124; font-size: 18px;">Well ! What can I say except that I went into a dark place for awhile... until I reached an </span></span><span style="color: #202124; font-family: arial;">understanding within that there were a few other times that I came close to losing my life. I shall not enumerate them here; except that one was when I nearly drowned and saw as, I sank to the bottom my oxygen bubbles going upwards in the green silent water.</span></p><p><span style="color: #202124; font-family: arial;">A few weeks ago we (Mrs H and I) met with the Urology Consultant of </span><span face="arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(77, 81, 86); color: #4d5156; font-size: 18px;">Tallaght University Hospital a teaching hospital in County Dublin, Ireland, whose academic partner is Trinity College Dublin. He informed us that my cancer has now invaded the muscle bladder and </span><span face="arial, sans-serif" style="color: #4d5156;">that the best thing to do is to remove the bladder along with the prostrate - this surprised me because I have never had a problem with it. Ah' well that's the way the cookie crumbles.</span></p><p><span face="arial, sans-serif" style="color: #4d5156;">This week we had a meeting with actual Consultant who will be removing the offending organ. He detailed the various procedures that will be performed during the operation and detailed the recovery care afterwards etc.</span><span style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); color: #202124; font-family: arial;"> </span></p><p><span style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); color: #202124; font-family: arial;">Prior to the </span><span style="color: #202124; font-family: arial;">removal I shall be having a meeting with the Chemotherapy Professor who will access my suitability and then pass me forward to the Anesthatist - I feel that I should share with you all that the very first time that the surgeons removed foreign bits from the bladder the effects of the anaesthetic left me HAPPILY hallucinating for two days afterwards and I recall standing on the roof of Tallaght Hospital and seeing Mrs H driving along the approach road, I was so floaty ! </span></p><p><span style="color: #202124; font-family: arial;">I think that I ought to cease now just in case I relapse into that space again. So take care all you and I will catch up with you all later xx</span></p>A Heron's Viewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06563706152609630696noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3069061569253153388.post-67444123108813007582020-08-17T11:56:00.002+01:002020-08-17T11:57:41.608+01:00I stared enthralled<p style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Recently while I was drinking coffee outside of the Russell Gallery at New Quay, Co. Clare I had a lucid experience of a strange happening on the far shore of <span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Aughinish, between sea caves in the cliff and the ruins of a derelict farm house close to the pebbled beach.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; font-family: helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-kerning: none;">Being so moved I decided to write a poem about my experiences.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; font-family: helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></p><p style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">I stared enthralled</p><p style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">I stared enthralled</p><p style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">as miller’s grit- shards</p><p style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">shimmered streamed</p><p style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">clothed a rivers air</p><p style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">My mind ran free seeing</p><p style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Figures of every age converse</p><p style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">convivially move as before.</p><p style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Silent souls, opaque beings</p><p style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">on death’s opposite shore.</p><p style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">©MRL August 2020</p>A Heron's Viewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06563706152609630696noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3069061569253153388.post-40093821912557103592020-04-12T16:47:00.002+01:002020-04-12T16:47:16.023+01:00REFLECTIONS<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Once again I am sharing with you a recent painting of mine of the Co. Clare coastline - the time of day is sunrise and the month was May. Almost a year has gone by of since I took note of the colours and made pencil sketches of that clear and silent early morning.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
My medium is as always oils, for I appreciate the stretch and plasticity that enables me to blend and build up the layers until my desire is achieved.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQC4PsZXnEjpt7qe4D9E_IkrrPMDsTx0a3NDX5PVthwlWClcgOdKQb_-kz2Hl7asTL9Qi65c6WE6v_w0mrFeI047AZiUfh2qnZVAg2O1PECTo20Yfq317kjY2kGKCPUH-85xNOVJ9UKEup/s1600/Clare+coast+painting+%25C2%25A9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="281" data-original-width="864" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQC4PsZXnEjpt7qe4D9E_IkrrPMDsTx0a3NDX5PVthwlWClcgOdKQb_-kz2Hl7asTL9Qi65c6WE6v_w0mrFeI047AZiUfh2qnZVAg2O1PECTo20Yfq317kjY2kGKCPUH-85xNOVJ9UKEup/s640/Clare+coast+painting+%25C2%25A9.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Reflected Dawn on canvas 60 x 20 cm</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
We have the use of a holiday home off the beaten track that sits almost on the waters edge, high enough up to be safe in a storm and close enough that none can build in front of us. It suits all of our requirements like no other property could.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Unfortunately due to this wretched global virus our next visit may not be until September; I realise that there are many who are alive today that possibly may not be so in a few weeks time and that truly saddens me. I cannot help but liken the number of fatalities world-wide to the war time conditions that prevailed in WW2 (I was born early January 1943).</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The heroes of this crisis are surely the medical staff and ancillary workers of every hospital and facility that is dealing with the casualties. There is and will be much counselling to be done among the relatives and close friends of the victims.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I am cocooned here at home in the heart of the Irish countryside and wish you all the best of health. Stay safe.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
*****</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: left;">As ever I am still unable to reply to your comments yet rest assured </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: left;">that I do read and welcome your words !</span></div>
</div>
A Heron's Viewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06563706152609630696noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3069061569253153388.post-7202087601712543872020-04-01T09:31:00.001+01:002020-04-01T09:31:31.395+01:00Not in any order.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(29, 33, 41); color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">Sitting here in splendid isolation the silence is deafening as I hear the grass grow and the crackles of trees as leaves start to pop out in an un-peaceful rural way.</span></h3>
<span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(29, 33, 41); color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 18px;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, .SFNSText-Regular, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(29, 33, 41);">********</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqBpCWfP0eVmrfDu_XMomkNTJqmUUq9zC_bI9C_wpqLKGTIHb9JcjZ2D9SBzkkssQ9d1jAsg71ynfRXSECLYeirM8FyJ4rWS2PWYeS8caFzT0TxBc3xXJTvM90s_X1nhvQ4SCqg_uMN9fV/s1600/State+of+mind.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="770" data-original-width="930" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqBpCWfP0eVmrfDu_XMomkNTJqmUUq9zC_bI9C_wpqLKGTIHb9JcjZ2D9SBzkkssQ9d1jAsg71ynfRXSECLYeirM8FyJ4rWS2PWYeS8caFzT0TxBc3xXJTvM90s_X1nhvQ4SCqg_uMN9fV/s400/State+of+mind.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, .SFNSText-Regular, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(29, 33, 41);"><br /></span></span></div>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, .SFNSText-Regular, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(29, 33, 41);">On seeing this </span></span><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, .SFNSText-Regular, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(29, 33, 41);"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, .SFNSText-Regular, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(29, 33, 41);">I </span></span><span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(29, 33, 41);">obliquely answered</span></span><span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(29, 33, 41);"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: #f2f3f5; caret-color: rgb(28, 30, 33); color: #1c1e21; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; text-align: left;"><br /></span></h3>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: #f2f3f5; caret-color: rgb(28, 30, 33); color: #1c1e21; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; text-align: left;">"I prefer to be my wayward self sitting here under a mottled sky watching the birds fly..."</span></h3>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: #f2f3f5; caret-color: rgb(28, 30, 33); color: #1c1e21; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: #f2f3f5; caret-color: rgb(28, 30, 33); color: #1c1e21; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; text-align: left;">***********</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: #f2f3f5; caret-color: rgb(28, 30, 33); color: #1c1e21; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: #f2f3f5; caret-color: rgb(28, 30, 33); color: #1c1e21; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; text-align: left;">and to an </span><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, .SFNSText-Regular, sans-serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(28, 30, 33);">anonymous question I s</span></span><span style="color: #1c1e21;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(28, 30, 33);">aid</span></span><span style="color: #1c1e21;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(28, 30, 33);"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #1c1e21;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(28, 30, 33);"><br /></span></span></h3>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #1c1e21;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(28, 30, 33);">"</span></span><span style="background-color: #f2f3f5; caret-color: rgb(28, 30, 33); color: #1c1e21; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; text-align: left;">Rather over weight for its colour and it needs more flexibility in the girth"</span></h3>
<div>
<span style="background-color: #f2f3f5; caret-color: rgb(28, 30, 33); color: #1c1e21; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: #f2f3f5; caret-color: rgb(28, 30, 33); color: #1c1e21; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #1c1e21;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(28, 30, 33);"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #1c1e21;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(28, 30, 33);"><br /></span></span></div>
</div>
A Heron's Viewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06563706152609630696noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3069061569253153388.post-15239072918489190002020-03-22T10:44:00.000+00:002020-03-23T11:25:14.664+00:00Pastime...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I have lost all enthusiasm in blogging and even reading those of others ! Yet I am loathe to close down a herons view lest I change my mind at some future time.<br />
<br />
My attempts at writing poetry has left me high and dry too however, I have returned to my brushes and oils to past the time with and enjoying myself immensely.<br />
<br />
Below one of my recent paintings<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCMc7WVSzov1HggkD0xbysEQLWpbIa_ZQKeTV6yJxOpSGCoPfxWPQoohwG6yPo0U-it1H7vU-OzavyKvBOM-wuMhyphenhyphen3JHfp1EnJQ0VRWWWlFaU07Xuo58tFUX74sKZE5wNfRFnJMdOARTuC/s1600/Sunset++over+East+Galway+from+West++Clare.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="511" data-original-width="640" height="510" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCMc7WVSzov1HggkD0xbysEQLWpbIa_ZQKeTV6yJxOpSGCoPfxWPQoohwG6yPo0U-it1H7vU-OzavyKvBOM-wuMhyphenhyphen3JHfp1EnJQ0VRWWWlFaU07Xuo58tFUX74sKZE5wNfRFnJMdOARTuC/s640/Sunset++over+East+Galway+from+West++Clare.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Sunset over East Galway from West Clare</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
© MRL 2020<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
Please Note I am unable to respond to any of your comments, all of which are very welcome and it is not my fault or even that my O.S. the problem is either Google and or one of their subsidiaries = such as Blogger !</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
A Heron's Viewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06563706152609630696noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3069061569253153388.post-51221174199946819072020-02-06T12:34:00.000+00:002020-02-24T13:39:50.058+00:00Professing !<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKM3XPrnCgRbkdW3RvmDdgMlPocVw2YgKJWWSTQtgVw226BUYB5jvZMbmUz-3cfTpsfXCBAwh09YpebqsKF8bArh5SxLHQQIPGUMkk-cXdZmbiHuI11tezLPVMewuDWd3OJypChKXXHnNK/s1600/The+ancient+professor+%2521.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="448" data-original-width="640" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKM3XPrnCgRbkdW3RvmDdgMlPocVw2YgKJWWSTQtgVw226BUYB5jvZMbmUz-3cfTpsfXCBAwh09YpebqsKF8bArh5SxLHQQIPGUMkk-cXdZmbiHuI11tezLPVMewuDWd3OJypChKXXHnNK/s640/The+ancient+professor+%2521.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Actual professing.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
There are times when every learned person has the duty of stepping up to the line and of explaining the intricacies of life from their own deep well of knowledge.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
This was one of those times.<br />
<br />
My thanks to all who have left a comment including Colonel Blimp alias Cro Magnon who can never be polite no matter how hard he tries.</div>
</div>
A Heron's Viewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06563706152609630696noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3069061569253153388.post-48364354740882346382019-12-31T13:30:00.001+00:002020-01-01T14:27:12.482+00:00STUFFING TURKEYS<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: left;">
I often keep a look out for interesting and unusual things when I am out and about to use as blog topics and a few days before Christmas I was in awe to observe a hearse in Lidl's car park. We did look and it was empty at the time.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimSkES9DXNtpIt5yAd5f8epSITGlQc59erX6rWgWcgpp3dz7S2WEMvGsqG_OA-pIRUFVHt-4U4frFat7MJUJ0vX_j5f0eEFkY796b8KnClhF4dFIIcR2QaHaRqARH9u3RzpNysonZUVE4X/s1600/shopping+hearse..JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="343" data-original-width="637" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimSkES9DXNtpIt5yAd5f8epSITGlQc59erX6rWgWcgpp3dz7S2WEMvGsqG_OA-pIRUFVHt-4U4frFat7MJUJ0vX_j5f0eEFkY796b8KnClhF4dFIIcR2QaHaRqARH9u3RzpNysonZUVE4X/s640/shopping+hearse..JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Later as we were leaving I noticed a fellow customer walking across the car park carrying several large frozen turkeys, he seemed to be heading in the direction of the hearse.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Mrs H went off to investigate.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
As they were chatting the man put down his burden and opened the passenger door.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Out fell several more very large frozen turkey carcasses. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Obviously imbued with Christmas spirit he then tried to stuff them all onto the seat and into the footwell. Mrs H helped, secretly hoping that he would open the rear door and place them in a line where the coffin would normally rest.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
It was not to be, so wishing him season's greetings we drove away still wondering why an undertaker would want so many frozen turkeys. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Answers below please. </div>
</div>
A Heron's Viewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06563706152609630696noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3069061569253153388.post-55438925879969131622019-12-21T13:31:00.001+00:002019-12-30T15:27:18.977+00:00SOLSTICE SPIRIT<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
My favourite tipple at this time of the year</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
home made blend of Vodka and Polish Cherry juice</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBBEfDcDZmSsiN43OBNoHTDmG_o9zDHagT96sV-ZsMExlwui-LRDZ54JEQPLVjvGHu_bLTPU86c-VCRi4stSgSp7MLs60BaVXDQc7m2FC3QzYdEu8Z2NQlESqN14dYtUr9yjg7hfAZ6qFQ/s1600/cherry+vodka+JPG.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="604" data-original-width="277" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBBEfDcDZmSsiN43OBNoHTDmG_o9zDHagT96sV-ZsMExlwui-LRDZ54JEQPLVjvGHu_bLTPU86c-VCRi4stSgSp7MLs60BaVXDQc7m2FC3QzYdEu8Z2NQlESqN14dYtUr9yjg7hfAZ6qFQ/s640/cherry+vodka+JPG.JPG" width="291" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
AND</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
So it leaves me no more to do</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
than send to you </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
my readers and friends </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The Very </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
BEST WISHES </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
of a</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
HAPPY SOLSTICE<br />
<br />
Still a problem leaving comments on my own blog<br />
and yet I was able to leave one.<br />
Strange things are occurring in the blogging world!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
A Heron's Viewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06563706152609630696noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3069061569253153388.post-91386700084529134322019-12-06T17:26:00.002+00:002019-12-09T21:12:06.310+00:00HALLUCINATION !<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2tige6hbDeAiuPWTd_OHDvVzPGHEbCBoefI6tT4Ek2dw1E6CET0Cyn-a8VHbMI4CLlHdg13UXHUWgzzeQpYYT1UBhoK9aHVHJNptx9HQNdu3eB0gqNkQdggKO-R-JY_TET9oihVIEL1sg/s1600/origin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="561" data-original-width="998" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2tige6hbDeAiuPWTd_OHDvVzPGHEbCBoefI6tT4Ek2dw1E6CET0Cyn-a8VHbMI4CLlHdg13UXHUWgzzeQpYYT1UBhoK9aHVHJNptx9HQNdu3eB0gqNkQdggKO-R-JY_TET9oihVIEL1sg/s320/origin.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
In a moment of haste I deleted A Herons' View. That decision was probably caused by a cocktail of drugs that was administered to me by the anaesthetist prior to a procedure in a prominent Dublin hospital.<br />
<br />
Never in my life have I ever been quite so stoned for such a long time, the hallucinations seemed to go on for hours on end and only truly ceased when Mrs H called in a friend to give me an extended reflexology treatment.<br />
<br />
Oh bless their cotton socks! That really did work by returning me back to planet earth very quickly.<br />
<br />
I mentioned my experiences to my GP who laughed out loud and said "Well Mel that's because we keep the best for ourselves !"<br />
<br />
I suppose one good thing did come about though. I posted my stash of pipe tobacco to a friend - minus my pipe which I have been unable to locate - so that is the end of my pipe smoking days.<br />
<br />
My treatment is not yet finished and I can foresee several visits more which I will try to keep a handle on without acting so rashly in the future.</div>
A Heron's Viewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06563706152609630696noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3069061569253153388.post-47946249614989935242019-11-17T11:03:00.004+00:002019-11-23T16:51:19.030+00:00HOSPITAL<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I shall be missing for awhile as am going into hospital for a procedure on my bladder,<br />
hopefully my stay there will not be a long one.<br />
<br />
The one good thing is that I have neither pain or discomfort, it seems very strange to write that because I have always assumed that patients have too feel poorly.<br />
<br />
Well my friends be good to yourselves and to the strangers that you meet on the road.<br />
<br />
All the very best to you !<br />
<br />
MY APPRECIATION TO ALL OF YOU THAT HAVE LEFT ME A COMMENT DOWN BELOW !<br />
<br />
All that I can say at the moment is that investigations are on going and that apart from feeling a little tired at times I am without pain.<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
A Heron's Viewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06563706152609630696noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3069061569253153388.post-32270120567972765682019-10-29T19:22:00.002+00:002019-10-29T19:22:17.441+00:00Science : of Governance <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM6dCM4iVFrSvuOwy-mpj4RjXCh5gumeRt2PUY-Or61nvW4QYhptc_-3vAKx6IFWeJgAx10MRvz00Zx7dQzuPQ1k1i6e8vGDjb2OPqu0X4GxaTr42IQXItTv-ChecCX3y-vgT-QI2wdGWX/s1600/th.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="265" data-original-width="474" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM6dCM4iVFrSvuOwy-mpj4RjXCh5gumeRt2PUY-Or61nvW4QYhptc_-3vAKx6IFWeJgAx10MRvz00Zx7dQzuPQ1k1i6e8vGDjb2OPqu0X4GxaTr42IQXItTv-ChecCX3y-vgT-QI2wdGWX/s640/th.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Westminster Storms </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Found this on social media and thought it amusing.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(27, 27, 27); color: #1b1b1b; font-family: -apple-system-font; font-size: 18px;">Oxford University researchers have discovered the densest element yet known to science.</span><br data-reader-unique-id="1" style="caret-color: rgb(27, 27, 27); color: #1b1b1b; font-family: -apple-system-font; font-size: 18px; max-width: 100%;" /><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(27, 27, 27); color: #1b1b1b; font-family: -apple-system-font; font-size: 18px;">The new element, Governmentium (symbol=Gv), has one neutron, 25 assistant neutrons, 88 deputy neutrons and 198 assistant deputy neutrons, giving it an atomic mass of 312.</span><br data-reader-unique-id="2" style="caret-color: rgb(27, 27, 27); color: #1b1b1b; font-family: -apple-system-font; font-size: 18px; max-width: 100%;" /><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(27, 27, 27); color: #1b1b1b; font-family: -apple-system-font; font-size: 18px;">These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called pillocks.</span><br data-reader-unique-id="3" style="caret-color: rgb(27, 27, 27); color: #1b1b1b; font-family: -apple-system-font; font-size: 18px; max-width: 100%;" /><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(27, 27, 27); color: #1b1b1b; font-family: -apple-system-font; font-size: 18px;">Since Governmentium has no electrons, it is inert. However, it can be detected, because it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact.</span><br data-reader-unique-id="4" style="caret-color: rgb(27, 27, 27); color: #1b1b1b; font-family: -apple-system-font; font-size: 18px; max-width: 100%;" /><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(27, 27, 27); color: #1b1b1b; font-family: -apple-system-font; font-size: 18px;">A tiny amount of Governmentium can cause a reaction that would normally take less than a second, to take from 4 days to 4 years to complete.</span><br data-reader-unique-id="5" style="caret-color: rgb(27, 27, 27); color: #1b1b1b; font-family: -apple-system-font; font-size: 18px; max-width: 100%;" /><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(27, 27, 27); color: #1b1b1b; font-family: -apple-system-font; font-size: 18px;">Governmentium has a normal half-life of 2 to 6 years.</span><br data-reader-unique-id="6" style="caret-color: rgb(27, 27, 27); color: #1b1b1b; font-family: -apple-system-font; font-size: 18px; max-width: 100%;" /><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(27, 27, 27); color: #1b1b1b; font-family: -apple-system-font; font-size: 18px;">It does not decay, but instead undergoes a reorganisation in which a portion of the assistant neutrons and deputy neutrons exchange places.</span><br data-reader-unique-id="7" style="caret-color: rgb(27, 27, 27); color: #1b1b1b; font-family: -apple-system-font; font-size: 18px; max-width: 100%;" /><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(27, 27, 27); color: #1b1b1b; font-family: -apple-system-font; font-size: 18px;">In fact, Governmentium's mass will actually increase over time, since each reorganisation will cause more morons to become neutrons, forming isodopes.</span><br data-reader-unique-id="8" style="caret-color: rgb(27, 27, 27); color: #1b1b1b; font-family: -apple-system-font; font-size: 18px; max-width: 100%;" /><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(27, 27, 27); color: #1b1b1b; font-family: -apple-system-font; font-size: 18px;">This characteristic of moron promotion leads some scientists to believe that Governmentium is formed whenever morons reach a critical concentration.</span><br data-reader-unique-id="9" style="caret-color: rgb(27, 27, 27); color: #1b1b1b; font-family: -apple-system-font; font-size: 18px; max-width: 100%;" /><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(27, 27, 27); color: #1b1b1b; font-family: -apple-system-font; font-size: 18px;">This hypothetical quantity is referred to as a critical morass.</span><br data-reader-unique-id="10" style="caret-color: rgb(27, 27, 27); color: #1b1b1b; font-family: -apple-system-font; font-size: 18px; max-width: 100%;" /><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(27, 27, 27); color: #1b1b1b; font-family: -apple-system-font; font-size: 18px;">When catalysed with money, Governmentium becomes Administratium (symbol=Ad), an element that radiates just as much energy as Governmentium, since it has half as many pillocks but twice as many morons.</span></div>
</div>
A Heron's Viewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06563706152609630696noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3069061569253153388.post-66291467687464972572019-10-27T12:42:00.003+00:002019-10-27T18:52:10.833+00:00ON SECOND THOUGHTS<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja3PLhQplWPfZhv6-gXmLmX0GM8ooSp9uwcTv53DQJ_Kq0ceUKSScJXuXG3AsfeahyphenhypheniruA5c5tdxfK3PTdnVyYwdAupuDIR1jjVe9hTrU1HgLDQ7B9BEdUWrZGA2RVa6QAx4Ddz_0Wlgmv/s1600/MEL+%2526+TOBY.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja3PLhQplWPfZhv6-gXmLmX0GM8ooSp9uwcTv53DQJ_Kq0ceUKSScJXuXG3AsfeahyphenhypheniruA5c5tdxfK3PTdnVyYwdAupuDIR1jjVe9hTrU1HgLDQ7B9BEdUWrZGA2RVa6QAx4Ddz_0Wlgmv/s640/MEL+%2526+TOBY.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">TOBY my faithful companion</span></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">On second thoughts I have decided to keep the blog going, in spite of Google restricting and curtailing my democratic rights to comment on other peoples blogs. Nor am I going with some peoples' advice to put google chrome on top of Apple's Catalina operating system or any other alternative programme. In similar vein am not moving over to Wordpress either, for no other reason other than my stubbornness.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I guess that I am making a silent return on this lovely sunny October day, sitting as I do near the window and today, looking up into a clear blue cloudless sky while a slight breeze gently trembles the leaves. The sight of this brings peace into the core of my being.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">'Peace' at the core of our being is a very precious state to be in. So very subtle that it is hard to attain and also to maintain for very long. I know that some people see this state as being part a religious experience, I know for instance that the Dalia Lama mentions it as a being a mind-body-soul state, however, the word 'soul' rips me up somewhat for I am not a religious person and think the experience is that of mind-brain-body.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">None of the above matters very much or is of any importance to anyone but my self they are merely words rolled into sentences and punctuated for ease of your understanding the thoughts of a complicated person.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Well until the next blog post I wish you all peace.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It seems now that I cannot even reply to comments ! so I will use this page to thank Debra for her kindly one.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Thanks Cat sorry about not getting visits or notifications of them. I must point out that Ireland is an independent state and is not in part of the UK or the Commonwealth. We are though a member of the EU and happy to be so.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Kris : May thanks for your kind words !</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Lettice: I note that we have/had similar problems, pity that Google is so large that they cannot rectify the situation.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Vallypee: Thank you for your kind offer which I will take up.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span>
<br />
<table __gwtcellbasedwidgetimpldispatchingblur="true" __gwtcellbasedwidgetimpldispatchingfocus="true" cellspacing="0" class="K3JSBVB-p-y blogg-commenttable" style="border-spacing: 0px; border-top-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-top-style: solid; border-width: 1px 0px 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; table-layout: fixed; vertical-align: baseline; width: 1602px;"><tbody style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<tr __gwt_row="0" __gwt_subrow="0" class="K3JSBVB-p-b" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><td align="left" class="K3JSBVB-p-a K3JSBVB-p-c" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 8px 5px; vertical-align: baseline;" valign="top"><div __gwt_cell="cell-gwt-uid-7779" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div class="K3JSBVB-P-d" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<br /></div>
<div class="blogg-visible-on-select" style="border: 0px; color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 5px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; visibility: hidden;">
<span role="presentation" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" kind="remove" role="button" style="border: 0px; color: #00838f; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></a><span aria-hidden="true" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" kind="delete" role="button" style="border: 0px; color: #00838f; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></a><span aria-hidden="true" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" kind="spam" role="button" style="border: 0px; color: #00838f; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></a></span></div>
</div>
</td><td align="center" class="K3JSBVB-p-a K3JSBVB-p-c" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 8px 5px; vertical-align: baseline;" valign="top"><div __gwt_cell="cell-gwt-uid-7780" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<a href="https://draft.blogger.com/profile/17422876955246850636?authuser=0" style="border: 0px; color: #00838f; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">^.^</a></div>
</td><td align="center" class="K3JSBVB-p-a K3JSBVB-p-c K3JSBVB-p-n" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 8px 5px; vertical-align: baseline;" valign="top"><div __gwt_cell="cell-gwt-uid-7781" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
at 17:22</div>
</td></tr>
<tr __gwt_row="1" __gwt_subrow="0" class="K3JSBVB-p-r" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><td align="center" class="K3JSBVB-p-a K3JSBVB-p-s K3JSBVB-p-d" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 10px; vertical-align: baseline;" valign="top"><div __gwt_cell="cell-gwt-uid-7778" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<input style="-webkit-appearance: none; background-image: url("data:image/png; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border-width: 0px !important; height: 18px; margin: 0px 5px -3px; overflow: hidden; width: 18px;" tabindex="-1" type="checkbox" /></div>
</td><td align="left" class="K3JSBVB-p-a K3JSBVB-p-s" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 8px 5px; vertical-align: baseline;" valign="top"><div __gwt_cell="cell-gwt-uid-7779" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div class="K3JSBVB-P-d" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<br /></div>
</div>
</td><td align="center" class="K3JSBVB-p-a K3JSBVB-p-s" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 8px 5px; vertical-align: baseline;" valign="top"></td><td align="center" class="K3JSBVB-p-a K3JSBVB-p-s K3JSBVB-p-n" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 8px 5px; vertical-align: baseline;" valign="top"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
A Heron's Viewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06563706152609630696noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3069061569253153388.post-55197677027951839952018-12-18T15:02:00.001+00:002018-12-18T15:02:58.782+00:00Self Portrait<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I don't believe that I have ever shared with you that my first love was painting and that at various times in my life I have been quite prolific. During the in-between times my mind was wholly taken up with poetry which filled and satisfied my being.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Creative poetry now seems to have left me high and dry once again ! So I have now returned to my first love once more and have set myself up in our spare room.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibX5zYi41SqTZOQPLSVC1kyarRPARskvipsX83pX8iHz-DC09Eg8TCSHsxLueh9pj5JBbbanPR5fxOpABxA-pv6w4SqB8_roKrnwQBiXc4kmogKj2Jbsc2eh4e8duf4Vwlspv3LUedZPNa/s1600/IMG_0755.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibX5zYi41SqTZOQPLSVC1kyarRPARskvipsX83pX8iHz-DC09Eg8TCSHsxLueh9pj5JBbbanPR5fxOpABxA-pv6w4SqB8_roKrnwQBiXc4kmogKj2Jbsc2eh4e8duf4Vwlspv3LUedZPNa/s640/IMG_0755.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
In the background are my glass paintings which provide a screen between two rooms.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilWrz_FkiHG6Xd-d94VN5Gcagup2THjLrw4Xd55jYZnyPEa37Xr7wxWK59Vgnfv17pnxzUUlXb90OevN8jV93qkAfld6nqAkOd3wIlrSJugVmb1MyWSQNmoryMqLBn3Q-Uq0ZgQCPQQx2g/s1600/IMG_0753.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilWrz_FkiHG6Xd-d94VN5Gcagup2THjLrw4Xd55jYZnyPEa37Xr7wxWK59Vgnfv17pnxzUUlXb90OevN8jV93qkAfld6nqAkOd3wIlrSJugVmb1MyWSQNmoryMqLBn3Q-Uq0ZgQCPQQx2g/s640/IMG_0753.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Here is a replenished supply of my oil painting tools, the tin lid in the foreground is my palette.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I don't believe in wasting money on fancy equipment apart from </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
my Peterson pipe and baccy of course - both very necessary to me!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGX93tC9C2X_KqWoIJwac_sthCWHRW6bhr783VP1DYrL09mI9ioQPYfGZalo26441TlBwEdJZXt4H24fm8v931ECOIxnXdC4mtX052sBOfbb9CuxJrJXYsRhzpjYyN2M-Soaf6d528x5eM/s1600/M+in+seascape.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGX93tC9C2X_KqWoIJwac_sthCWHRW6bhr783VP1DYrL09mI9ioQPYfGZalo26441TlBwEdJZXt4H24fm8v931ECOIxnXdC4mtX052sBOfbb9CuxJrJXYsRhzpjYyN2M-Soaf6d528x5eM/s640/M+in+seascape.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Here is my painting, after twenty-five years of being in the doldrums. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
This is my first ever attempt at a self portrait (minus glasses and wrinkles of course - wink!) </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The background is Co. Clare where we recently holidayed.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Please let me know your opinions in the comments section.</div>
</div>
A Heron's Viewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06563706152609630696noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3069061569253153388.post-79324755696492200602018-12-05T15:42:00.001+00:002018-12-05T15:42:12.791+00:00NOCTURNAL ADVENTURES<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjbJA_esjsvg0zsPLEgLFCN4VBUTN8YRyHAmM2GMN4tNDnEMvEGgWty-VWeNimZAq6qRFk6Fkn0tPYoq3KJjXv4U0FrwKzZ-T10HN9t4F8yGuHAgxuDYk4i20cXlkPT-_WxVR-o8iXSy9R/s1600/fairy_gnome_fishing_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="782" data-original-width="467" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjbJA_esjsvg0zsPLEgLFCN4VBUTN8YRyHAmM2GMN4tNDnEMvEGgWty-VWeNimZAq6qRFk6Fkn0tPYoq3KJjXv4U0FrwKzZ-T10HN9t4F8yGuHAgxuDYk4i20cXlkPT-_WxVR-o8iXSy9R/s640/fairy_gnome_fishing_.jpg" width="384" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I am not in my studio today. Waiting for the paint to dry is an excuse for feeling lazy, due perhaps to my nocturnal travels.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There is a portal in the bedroom that I enter that allows me to visit other realms of life. Last night's journey was to faery and I had some wonderful adventures with those special folk. We went to a hurling match which was quite violent at times, almost like a faery war but not. Did you know that outside of the arena they play their fiddles for the sole purpose of encouraging and enlivening the hurlers ? That was news to me.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">After the match I made my way home via a coastal route that took me close to the sea where I saw an old chap fishing with his pole, dressed in colourful clothes and wearing a wooly cap. I think he felt a bit shy because as I watched the colours of his clothing started to fade until all that was left of him was a black outline that pulsated once or twice and then was gone for good.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The fisherman did appear again later and this time he was just an outline of himself sitting precariously (I thought) on a very thin, twiggy branch of a blackthorn tree. This time I avoided staring at him for any length of time in case he took fright again. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My journey ceased near a mound not too far from where I live and very soon I was back in bed and sound asleep.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So What did you do before sleep</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">last night ?</span></div>
</div>
A Heron's Viewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06563706152609630696noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3069061569253153388.post-28729621558256303632018-11-21T13:44:00.001+00:002018-11-21T13:44:22.117+00:00 Shorelines<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This is my five-hundredth blog post and the last photos of our recent holiday</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">on the West coast of Co Clare.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-uNEQHGgOpQ6QDde2spo-_XroR-tdtpCHbv0QmauU8XSAboS3VcyEmf44_y6zdAeGPozNrNsK-yWl-y_UM-ib1eUBv8tUPSm7UInlLLodpcafPhaYRp6-fLNHI4ktGGDIooS4AYrzMYp_/s1600/CURACH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="549" data-original-width="864" height="409" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-uNEQHGgOpQ6QDde2spo-_XroR-tdtpCHbv0QmauU8XSAboS3VcyEmf44_y6zdAeGPozNrNsK-yWl-y_UM-ib1eUBv8tUPSm7UInlLLodpcafPhaYRp6-fLNHI4ktGGDIooS4AYrzMYp_/s640/CURACH.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It would be fair to title this photo 'Ancient and Modern'.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In the foreground is the traditional curach which has been in use for centuries </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">by the inshore fishermen of Ireland.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5DM58qe6DBjepuXc-WYvjJDfAiIdwvUD2huQxkfHZNnPbz7c284UqMU8tNk89zbhCUbVXO-QhDPmtFQ3hmbhofdJjjveLIp9idE3aD3xoZKRb4bwKUp_pMIeOVv4eRSJJPhsrMnQuIySy/s1600/POTS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="486" data-original-width="864" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5DM58qe6DBjepuXc-WYvjJDfAiIdwvUD2huQxkfHZNnPbz7c284UqMU8tNk89zbhCUbVXO-QhDPmtFQ3hmbhofdJjjveLIp9idE3aD3xoZKRb4bwKUp_pMIeOVv4eRSJJPhsrMnQuIySy/s640/POTS.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Modern lobster and crab pots made of steel.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My eye was caught by the high trees, so close to the shore, an unusual sight</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">in this part of Clare for you can travel for miles without seeing any at all.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfDdNHfD1Y5AC13QemsFQ2JsO6E0jTuw0Mg83tbveSxwOvh7yuWS7vRC6dKCv9ktyp9KrldNtNdXVicQmZIbuZK5UZPFZUd4OHzV1OjAUp_KX4yOasyQbAjmPor1ErhRK_lc9WQlfXDiUM/s1600/Burren+2+sea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="491" data-original-width="864" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfDdNHfD1Y5AC13QemsFQ2JsO6E0jTuw0Mg83tbveSxwOvh7yuWS7vRC6dKCv9ktyp9KrldNtNdXVicQmZIbuZK5UZPFZUd4OHzV1OjAUp_KX4yOasyQbAjmPor1ErhRK_lc9WQlfXDiUM/s1600/Burren+2+sea.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The glorious limestone of the Burren dominates all </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">and provides an eye stopping backdrop.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQNlQMmz-BYb39g7535VVpEPIT5_2m-BrapkmoVEdcnB0d60nbZ7XVNueFgHkn5SfA53OW2cfm2GrgHAnR_KIbxNRJ93mJ1ovI3EYo9Dw-Ba2uCDa7oI6FhSA_YukZctL4bG-36C3K6m1D/s1600/ANCHOR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="649" data-original-width="864" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQNlQMmz-BYb39g7535VVpEPIT5_2m-BrapkmoVEdcnB0d60nbZ7XVNueFgHkn5SfA53OW2cfm2GrgHAnR_KIbxNRJ93mJ1ovI3EYo9Dw-Ba2uCDa7oI6FhSA_YukZctL4bG-36C3K6m1D/s640/ANCHOR.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The small harbour of Ballyvaghan and a large old anchor</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNK0afcIPWzKkVBsCi5KUOqTrzQc1BmwubpJ2CgKA9bn1Owp1tvbFwaNDOBF_7QTBbinNvcl3to2G0VxR4wUNHyaFZMVaVCvLEYYYLncDcPpq33yfz5m6b5o8n_n5f4NzmoB-iDa9y14OF/s1600/Village+shore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="486" data-original-width="864" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNK0afcIPWzKkVBsCi5KUOqTrzQc1BmwubpJ2CgKA9bn1Owp1tvbFwaNDOBF_7QTBbinNvcl3to2G0VxR4wUNHyaFZMVaVCvLEYYYLncDcPpq33yfz5m6b5o8n_n5f4NzmoB-iDa9y14OF/s640/Village+shore.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The houses of Ballyvaghan seem to cling to the shore for survival, </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">squashed as they are between the Burren hills and the sea.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqJ0Won84rTXJT9oB-s1TyIOR_aIHehCxiBplI2zSgY9m2uCKFvMRPnjh6enwibuY55mBH3Gz0S-Gfhfc7XPrEQmLPvdOIFJ-m_Il-dKUPfLIEVEM78wqeglg11g_L1XwfYUx1WrzJz9n7/s1600/Fanore+sea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="486" data-original-width="864" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqJ0Won84rTXJT9oB-s1TyIOR_aIHehCxiBplI2zSgY9m2uCKFvMRPnjh6enwibuY55mBH3Gz0S-Gfhfc7XPrEQmLPvdOIFJ-m_Il-dKUPfLIEVEM78wqeglg11g_L1XwfYUx1WrzJz9n7/s640/Fanore+sea.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Further along the coast is Fanore beach with its sand dunes. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I imagine that it may be a good place to fish with a rod and line </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">given the right conditions.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc2UVKTvgj9_bnx_cWoUp7XaMSiGyBb-7zCcF3SOyYQUP9PHt53WGV4WXrZXlw5n2ROtfxril-H-yCvxM1ZntjxRJTM7gldPEJMuOkb7SrNzNROZUDMEnlmz9gtpzCnroxNmpj7B6J_kaA/s1600/Rocks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="648" data-original-width="864" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc2UVKTvgj9_bnx_cWoUp7XaMSiGyBb-7zCcF3SOyYQUP9PHt53WGV4WXrZXlw5n2ROtfxril-H-yCvxM1ZntjxRJTM7gldPEJMuOkb7SrNzNROZUDMEnlmz9gtpzCnroxNmpj7B6J_kaA/s640/Rocks.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In the foreground are the feeding grounds of sea birds as well as herons and egrets.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The rocky isles are almost totally covered by the high tides each day.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1aGEQ_Yig84nEmNVlWhZfOyAGhjngxHUHX30LzAYZZqaojnzKFwZmlMa2D8FD760ByVxL8EK__kD2o8nbQ5jXPNreGhklV47JZXuhacOdut97A0Lu9wQ-89mZFJEbszgrbur0FHtIaj8-/s1600/INLET.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="648" data-original-width="864" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1aGEQ_Yig84nEmNVlWhZfOyAGhjngxHUHX30LzAYZZqaojnzKFwZmlMa2D8FD760ByVxL8EK__kD2o8nbQ5jXPNreGhklV47JZXuhacOdut97A0Lu9wQ-89mZFJEbszgrbur0FHtIaj8-/s640/INLET.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Night falls slowly and the sea has a particular look about it </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">that says winter is not far away.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilBlC9upU9SoAT-RNDgnrdgj6i51YXrc3H6BsuDOVpx5T3ZMiQK4QbRnNKY9jHqQ4NzaC2jxonHqC6csRZ6KWCqS3ftxzwfuKtBYTfwT_sF01SVsXGQWijgt6o2wu-O9Se-hie4afzRUXX/s1600/Greeness.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="648" data-original-width="864" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilBlC9upU9SoAT-RNDgnrdgj6i51YXrc3H6BsuDOVpx5T3ZMiQK4QbRnNKY9jHqQ4NzaC2jxonHqC6csRZ6KWCqS3ftxzwfuKtBYTfwT_sF01SVsXGQWijgt6o2wu-O9Se-hie4afzRUXX/s640/Greeness.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The ever-present elements of wind powered waves crash upon coastal rocks</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">to shape the land that we call home.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
****</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My great appreciation and thanks to everyone who visits and reads this blog</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">and please leave me a comment for it is nice know who has visited.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
A Heron's Viewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06563706152609630696noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3069061569253153388.post-33988018032405850342018-11-12T14:46:00.005+00:002018-11-12T16:16:23.236+00:00TRANQUILITY<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This blog has returned to normal, well whatever normal is... This blog is a continuation of our holiday in Co. Clare and the photos are those that were taken in the early morning immediately after my first nights sleep in a strange bed. A single bed at that, which in itself felt strange, not having the comfortable companionship of a sleeping partner immediately next to me. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP0MRVQ7YhZXXxTDvfI6M5FYMVfI_vLTHavmmsq-Q0ZgTmwA9b-HB8RoBcWkwI0-Mqxr84ZP_ugumPWj0MkgebjS5QPYggretczPBHedK1_AL3x66e_xT5A1yOFSNCuPfQfzJN8jOVMXet/s1600/DAWN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="648" data-original-width="864" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP0MRVQ7YhZXXxTDvfI6M5FYMVfI_vLTHavmmsq-Q0ZgTmwA9b-HB8RoBcWkwI0-Mqxr84ZP_ugumPWj0MkgebjS5QPYggretczPBHedK1_AL3x66e_xT5A1yOFSNCuPfQfzJN8jOVMXet/s640/DAWN.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The dawn light breaks lovingly through in the eastern sky.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTpsahI_SEUyZtktmHMOF7tvnMi01dCXLZer09SDliGhZT4LpBLrxVTHWaeoDeXU0ssMnxD03vbrdbrbBL1xzxP53t2kz9Q0rkqTFxURd79Nyigqygtcx8m0kfkBHevYEf0kn_FiI2J3Kn/s1600/D2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTpsahI_SEUyZtktmHMOF7tvnMi01dCXLZer09SDliGhZT4LpBLrxVTHWaeoDeXU0ssMnxD03vbrdbrbBL1xzxP53t2kz9Q0rkqTFxURd79Nyigqygtcx8m0kfkBHevYEf0kn_FiI2J3Kn/s640/D2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">On the horizon the low fog and the sea reflects the dawn lights.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">And all is tranquil.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirfYwvlcct3-1-1K5q2sAvnIRZRLKbk-7HlS_Xsp8uphMNYkSwSYqfy6z1_km7UCTcmZ5j3VEKfjMpo5Bf8qYGW_HKtYfQUXDLQbDJAiRcHA5IeyqmA6QOB2Kak7Pv1uvsPuDWsoV0NMk3/s1600/D3+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirfYwvlcct3-1-1K5q2sAvnIRZRLKbk-7HlS_Xsp8uphMNYkSwSYqfy6z1_km7UCTcmZ5j3VEKfjMpo5Bf8qYGW_HKtYfQUXDLQbDJAiRcHA5IeyqmA6QOB2Kak7Pv1uvsPuDWsoV0NMk3/s640/D3+.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Looking to the northeast-ish.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhl7q4FTwHaXDOkLmMcnNvvGiKY7ir5I064a29i4dpvbl7gL19qEnX8CZlZWX-X80UUTQME_sp3ikaj4pz5vC8ZYlExtUIpkcRa7unYfUfh2yjf7vdHbdaxdsswjQS9gfKwKMJG4slYDcD/s1600/D4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhl7q4FTwHaXDOkLmMcnNvvGiKY7ir5I064a29i4dpvbl7gL19qEnX8CZlZWX-X80UUTQME_sp3ikaj4pz5vC8ZYlExtUIpkcRa7unYfUfh2yjf7vdHbdaxdsswjQS9gfKwKMJG4slYDcD/s640/D4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEgNIX0g2TjxEGkT_p0kbAyD5u6s6n58mUt6epQAdUWsLWkD23dXVu1VbIAcKFw1AcoNuf-0yay2QKMlH0ENXkpd4ah5dIW-amxnn6fH1sIlqjdjmBHiyGvetAIHHhJ5C9_AL3hck4GaTh/s1600/HH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEgNIX0g2TjxEGkT_p0kbAyD5u6s6n58mUt6epQAdUWsLWkD23dXVu1VbIAcKFw1AcoNuf-0yay2QKMlH0ENXkpd4ah5dIW-amxnn6fH1sIlqjdjmBHiyGvetAIHHhJ5C9_AL3hck4GaTh/s640/HH.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Our holiday home and the replaced Bentley catches the early light.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp8zEgAt3bHIdmObIW3klmiMuaCEXehQ5nXF7uUeeKJV5pIw4pbJJs_nIH5Ui6E3VFXRWn7UcpyVZ2__WA4ghgHAsGFOlBHkWLrQhH8wIRciDk_Yi5qRUbQWHF0bFOMRpamcDrh3vNxXZE/s1600/Looking+north.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp8zEgAt3bHIdmObIW3klmiMuaCEXehQ5nXF7uUeeKJV5pIw4pbJJs_nIH5Ui6E3VFXRWn7UcpyVZ2__WA4ghgHAsGFOlBHkWLrQhH8wIRciDk_Yi5qRUbQWHF0bFOMRpamcDrh3vNxXZE/s640/Looking+north.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Long shadows are cast upon the ground, typical for the time of the year.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ojpRhgiTcst70QuPRJjIHAcWbAlEJ-k2-rttt2zlj-_u4CKMXuB_bs1-ROvlNZfbgBxiLEPc437-LZ1CnozmZ_dTLxGR7PKKwiOaJvU1krFg3aB-xRTZFkqPti-a7IapU_jI20dQAzIr/s1600/Ballyvaghan+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ojpRhgiTcst70QuPRJjIHAcWbAlEJ-k2-rttt2zlj-_u4CKMXuB_bs1-ROvlNZfbgBxiLEPc437-LZ1CnozmZ_dTLxGR7PKKwiOaJvU1krFg3aB-xRTZFkqPti-a7IapU_jI20dQAzIr/s640/Ballyvaghan+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The small harbour of Ballyvaghan with its fishing boats sit silently shrouded under </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Cappanwalla and Gleninagh Moutains of The Burren.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaM-PKIdpfk32MuWZTSYsd1kBVtIQPQ5NuAhuBYEs_Hob989gIM8Qqryg3NJjtBJanxvjpMo_kqu6xYGQ-gZvkYc01HTm8oYv_Pu5T4lxgKigd69meYAmezqy2P8B6PMIHI8cFbKpe9OPI/s1600/TWO+ARTISTS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="648" data-original-width="864" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaM-PKIdpfk32MuWZTSYsd1kBVtIQPQ5NuAhuBYEs_Hob989gIM8Qqryg3NJjtBJanxvjpMo_kqu6xYGQ-gZvkYc01HTm8oYv_Pu5T4lxgKigd69meYAmezqy2P8B6PMIHI8cFbKpe9OPI/s640/TWO+ARTISTS.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Later that day we visited an Arts and Crafts Exhibition where Jane met a local artist Helen Lowe.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> It turned out, unknown to me, that they are Facebook friends ! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">There are more photo's to share with you because I really do want to show case</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">this part of Ireland with you all.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
A Heron's Viewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06563706152609630696noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3069061569253153388.post-11734722249542784192018-11-05T19:34:00.000+00:002018-11-05T19:34:11.980+00:00The un-coffined ones.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6wrzvdM7saKjqnm8Y4rtn4ezQ3o_VJhLWl1iuRfyH5epVG2wxfo_ZkfNgaodYSDS_LYqD4SoFtIckI7VYbUchkNzuQwGZIlsUvhxe-YyRK8U9GPSEu-Vr467ogh1yW_-iDCSTp8SKvE4q/s1600/The+uncoffined+ones.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="505" data-original-width="676" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6wrzvdM7saKjqnm8Y4rtn4ezQ3o_VJhLWl1iuRfyH5epVG2wxfo_ZkfNgaodYSDS_LYqD4SoFtIckI7VYbUchkNzuQwGZIlsUvhxe-YyRK8U9GPSEu-Vr467ogh1yW_-iDCSTp8SKvE4q/s320/The+uncoffined+ones.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I had a strange experience when we were taking a late summer holiday in Ballyvaghan in Co.Clare. One clear, sunny day I sat looking at the sea at high tide, the only movement was from the waves as they ended their journey and gently touched the shore.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I became aware that there were lines of greyish-white floating on the water. As I looked more carefully I saw it was script and could make out names, numbers and even the names of ships in some of the lines.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The majority of names were foreign ones, though mingled between them were the more recognisable Irish and British names. Nearly all of these names had numbers, such 23,16, 78 and 52 next to them which I presumed were ages. In some cases names of ships also followed. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Hundreds and hundreds lines of names were floating towards the shoreline and disappearing in the slight foam as it touched the beach.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This vision went on without stopping for an hour and a half, until I just had to take a break and go indoors for a cup of coffee and biscuit where I shared my experience with my companion.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">About an hour later I returned to the car for a pipe of tobacco. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Surprisingly my earlier ‘vision’ was still there, the script was identical in style although the names were different.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The next day when I looked at the sea at high tide the vision was still there only this time, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I was unable to decipher the language for it was written in an oriental language similar to Chinese Hanzi.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My conclusion is that my vision showed the names of people who had been drowned at sea and whose bodies were never recovered. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Water has memory, an idea first propounded by Samuel Hahnemann, a 18th-century German doctor and then debunked by scientists of the day and sadly by some today.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">However, in the 1980’s Dr. Jacques Benveniste proved that water does indeed have memory. Unfortunately Dr. Benveniste died before any awards could be made but Prof. Luc Montagnier, Nobel Prize Laureate, has taken on the formidable task of following the pioneering work of Beneviste. Once again it has been proven that water has the ability to reproduce the properties of any substance it once contained. In other words - water has memory.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Back to my vision - what then caused me to see this?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I have no answer, nor do I know if others have had the same experience.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This experience did lead me to construct a poem from my vision </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The Un-coffined Ones</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I watched in awe a million names drift ashore</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">grey white words floating on waves</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">To become absorbed gently on the foreshore</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">and beached at last for evermore.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Written in old unused script</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">names foreign unknown</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">from long ago and yesterday</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The lost un-coffined ones.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Pedro, Sebastian, Antonio</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Jon- Marie, Roberta, Siobhan</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">To name but a few</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Names of the lost dead</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Mourned and perhaps still loved</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">beneath the waves they lie deep</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In the oceans depths untouched</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">No flowers for their graves.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">© MRL November 2018</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
A Heron's Viewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06563706152609630696noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3069061569253153388.post-61917544565613840142018-10-30T15:56:00.000+00:002018-10-30T15:56:59.194+00:00Different Views<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I really had to take a photo of the Heron hunting for food !</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic_q1HTX6DhMI_2PB4M_FLV6KUmpdugNxz_4J6ZTE65wVRb375SujPUq0_ktY_orqZflYgAtGP5drqNsdY5pbiPret_YVcDgvkf_SpwGGgHeHCsa5crkjHZ-m2OCvQu68bBNGkN3pjkA7Z/s1600/+HERON.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="821" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic_q1HTX6DhMI_2PB4M_FLV6KUmpdugNxz_4J6ZTE65wVRb375SujPUq0_ktY_orqZflYgAtGP5drqNsdY5pbiPret_YVcDgvkf_SpwGGgHeHCsa5crkjHZ-m2OCvQu68bBNGkN3pjkA7Z/s640/+HERON.jpg" width="608" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The poor quality of the photo above is because I was too lazy to use the tripod... </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">and perhaps over fed.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">LINANNE'S BAR at New Quay, Co. Clare.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9TUalFr1PAzqaOCxnoGW4QEXHs9Mz6JcOupt77BdT9CQhwPEyE0j0U2UP2dRmDIiG-wOpnLSbznLdaOnuHH1FkSpfMg4xySye-zvgbyMNfa6Jf3QRYAre9GpBuB3WHFNL_VcYaY3xyHhE/s1600/Linnane%2527s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="539" data-original-width="960" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9TUalFr1PAzqaOCxnoGW4QEXHs9Mz6JcOupt77BdT9CQhwPEyE0j0U2UP2dRmDIiG-wOpnLSbznLdaOnuHH1FkSpfMg4xySye-zvgbyMNfa6Jf3QRYAre9GpBuB3WHFNL_VcYaY3xyHhE/s640/Linnane%2527s.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This is my favourite Bar and Seafood Restaurant and so popular that the best time to visit to be sure of getting a table is in the winter on a weekday lunchtime.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_v2BwkM5IeM9aFviY_ZtRqyvTCWZo6H7uNQXexHS7tQVAcwzvcE7t_R9a4Zg52_yXqVGJsb2-HIfaOZv-k_NPAxIHj3aK5jxaZpbHYLsem37fTHtl4bqSeqgNWrnIBO7dhZXjo8Mxno36/s1600/linnane%2527s-lobster-bar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="733" data-original-width="550" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_v2BwkM5IeM9aFviY_ZtRqyvTCWZo6H7uNQXexHS7tQVAcwzvcE7t_R9a4Zg52_yXqVGJsb2-HIfaOZv-k_NPAxIHj3aK5jxaZpbHYLsem37fTHtl4bqSeqgNWrnIBO7dhZXjo8Mxno36/s640/linnane%2527s-lobster-bar.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Sea fresh lobsters stuffed with prawns are my favourite and if unavailable then I can recommend their seafood pie which is also delicious. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Washed down fifteen minutes afterwards with a pint of Guinness!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://linnanesbar.com/">http://linnanesbar.com</a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1KH5C9V795XW8PCX9BowQamYy3VH_5H-_vOVEIbM01OfH3DbB2mXVEDJmt0vnqclyWT5xgshMOwLPopQGbct4OmYxNoyFH4PLHTAUkuA-5DWIpsrP_i8L-ARRoyCUJQvvkceAdfkOS0RY/s1600/Russll+G+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1KH5C9V795XW8PCX9BowQamYy3VH_5H-_vOVEIbM01OfH3DbB2mXVEDJmt0vnqclyWT5xgshMOwLPopQGbct4OmYxNoyFH4PLHTAUkuA-5DWIpsrP_i8L-ARRoyCUJQvvkceAdfkOS0RY/s640/Russll+G+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The Russell Gallery - <a href="http://www.russellgallery.net/">http://www.russellgallery.net</a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A truly amazing place to wander around and see a great variety of arts & crafts.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There a great many very attractive and skilful paintings there, a few of which I would have brought home had we the wall space. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">One in particular, entitled <span style="background-color: white;">'Not all who wander are lost' by Roland Byrne </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">really caught my eye - follow this link and see for yourselves.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="http://www.russellgallery.net/Roland_Byrne/Roland_Byrne.html">The work of Roland Byrne</a></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipH0OX2g-rg6Sv4Qu0vDTHH6iZ6VAPNQcf42bS1myQ73SB503SU1hwdbgQ7xazf-6Cj2mDmAmiO9urrCcm3yems89l84BWHhI4zVVx5730coDyESCEUdfVFehfS-YHcIzuUX9pTB7mjn0f/s1600/RUSSELL+Gallery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipH0OX2g-rg6Sv4Qu0vDTHH6iZ6VAPNQcf42bS1myQ73SB503SU1hwdbgQ7xazf-6Cj2mDmAmiO9urrCcm3yems89l84BWHhI4zVVx5730coDyESCEUdfVFehfS-YHcIzuUX9pTB7mjn0f/s400/RUSSELL+Gallery.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I love this old building which is so full of character and as well as the gallery it also has a small bistro that </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">sells a wide range of organic wines with delicious dishes. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Mine choice was their Antipasto which I did great justice to, not a crumb was left.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> I can also recommend their great coffee.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2agc25zKa1iSm4POs_zrniGZcmLOO5V4Vg88oTpWEg1p97cZWCBkD72-sAgSycApWhL2eoAldlhnwIBoj6UC469cDtudy6_vKJafbBxk2l34IU5_ZEMKVbzbFZBaRlJmrKEYuVW0OJMWN/s1600/reflections.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="637" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2agc25zKa1iSm4POs_zrniGZcmLOO5V4Vg88oTpWEg1p97cZWCBkD72-sAgSycApWhL2eoAldlhnwIBoj6UC469cDtudy6_vKJafbBxk2l34IU5_ZEMKVbzbFZBaRlJmrKEYuVW0OJMWN/s1600/reflections.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Reflecting on reflections.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Mrs H took this amazing photo of me looking out of the widow of our holiday home.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoSzM8pxxgltRrzgzZZPRVqdoJPrTnGLeCDmsiBybqH-UylienFVDwDVmLv1Se7UBqS7KXgl54ygS7Xvk7Y3ksIIZVzM1SPuagRo0L4HfMyqbFzSrfkTq3qvxb4JDrQXedpNeXea2yF1Vd/s1600/Stoned+%2521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="486" data-original-width="864" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoSzM8pxxgltRrzgzZZPRVqdoJPrTnGLeCDmsiBybqH-UylienFVDwDVmLv1Se7UBqS7KXgl54ygS7Xvk7Y3ksIIZVzM1SPuagRo0L4HfMyqbFzSrfkTq3qvxb4JDrQXedpNeXea2yF1Vd/s640/Stoned+%2521.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Here she is again beachcombing.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy3hsAumOCxaYwCPnnEwYtUDy42Ow3DgH7PX05CB9dJXtY0h5KAoz16tIJHEy-iFaWYY_X8BQWEu692BGJGC-kR9se5LQ_WaUMcFO6IlTHXv9tDzM6MuMhbyjf4f9LX5xY4MDdKNuZLpXN/s1600/Mrs+H+and+friend.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="681" data-original-width="668" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy3hsAumOCxaYwCPnnEwYtUDy42Ow3DgH7PX05CB9dJXtY0h5KAoz16tIJHEy-iFaWYY_X8BQWEu692BGJGC-kR9se5LQ_WaUMcFO6IlTHXv9tDzM6MuMhbyjf4f9LX5xY4MDdKNuZLpXN/s320/Mrs+H+and+friend.jpg" width="313" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNPYsyO6xP4IBqkrs9h9eBkX_7Svqz9rFw2jBWJPhL1FoXhOBlTyDc2A_Sgl9X6wuUoD5ZmyivISYiG0ncQPBY-Ioydyy2nq6yGMTLd7nX6iO35WJwu4ITNpVgjZvWdQ51gaXbwspnGYLC/s1600/WATCHING+OUR+WAY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="597" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNPYsyO6xP4IBqkrs9h9eBkX_7Svqz9rFw2jBWJPhL1FoXhOBlTyDc2A_Sgl9X6wuUoD5ZmyivISYiG0ncQPBY-Ioydyy2nq6yGMTLd7nX6iO35WJwu4ITNpVgjZvWdQ51gaXbwspnGYLC/s640/WATCHING+OUR+WAY.jpg" width="442" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My good self with the amiable Toby.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I took dozens of photo's during our holiday and have lots tales about</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">our fun times too; so as they say watch this space for there is more to come !</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
A Heron's Viewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06563706152609630696noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3069061569253153388.post-78655749506727168262018-10-15T10:26:00.002+01:002018-10-16T14:45:48.527+01:00Holiday<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I am off on my holidays and thus I shall not be blogging for awhile and may not even return as I am losing interest. Perhaps I will return and perhaps not.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Just so's you don't forget me</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5pTmf0dQFG5VNCZSyH8qJBwBKqB-_xrege4jMig3ieySi510VTu55SJbZSC9gP15kilfRwBTCvYpknUsIGOrarRnSPugRxdvZTL4vJKq_kifP_c3VtkjIXBWwt9-FzyJy74cmWsRp4OC_/s1600/IMG_0658+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5pTmf0dQFG5VNCZSyH8qJBwBKqB-_xrege4jMig3ieySi510VTu55SJbZSC9gP15kilfRwBTCvYpknUsIGOrarRnSPugRxdvZTL4vJKq_kifP_c3VtkjIXBWwt9-FzyJy74cmWsRp4OC_/s640/IMG_0658+copy.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I have just had my beard re-sculpted by a Turkish Barber !</div>
</div>
A Heron's Viewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06563706152609630696noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3069061569253153388.post-40182014636500525162018-09-29T20:46:00.000+01:002018-10-02T00:26:46.840+01:00TWO LEFT FEET<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
What does an only child do to find friends when he lives in one town in which he was not born and attends school in another town which is six miles away? </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
He joins the Wolf Cubs at the age of nine in 1952 to improve his social life and gain a few playmates.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
By joining I was following in my father's footsteps. There were no cubs in his day so at the age of eleven he joined a Midlands Scout Troop in 1914, becoming a Patrol Leader and an adept First Aider, Woodsman, Tracker and Cook.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIp7Kj-1Jai0PLEP0STsBURNcC4mNCS7yc4vvOUIJB25oLI8fZaq1MV-gDhlYBAVGpVCeqZmmwO63ZjE80ND919vLM-wi0MZlTzDw0K-5d_8HwjQeRpQrPhMQjvYcgyddFBeL48QJmro9B/s1600/cubs+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="648" data-original-width="864" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIp7Kj-1Jai0PLEP0STsBURNcC4mNCS7yc4vvOUIJB25oLI8fZaq1MV-gDhlYBAVGpVCeqZmmwO63ZjE80ND919vLM-wi0MZlTzDw0K-5d_8HwjQeRpQrPhMQjvYcgyddFBeL48QJmro9B/s640/cubs+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
4th Newton Abbot Wolf Cub Pack</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I am standing in the back row on the end right.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I progressed through the Wolf Cubs completing the training and earning badges for all of the tests, the first being 'how to thread a needle and sew on a badge'. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
My memory is a little hazy but I do know that we had to learn to march and to keep in step, otherwise a loud voice would shout out "Lloyd, do you have two left feet?" </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Oh the ignominy I felt when that was said. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Eventually it was no trouble at all to keep in step with the others.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Life progressed and eventually I passed on to become a Boy Scout (or sprout) in the 4th Newton Abbot Scout Group and in 1954 the troop attended The Devon Jamboree which was an international gathering from about ten different countries. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
There were two amusing incidents that lightened up my boring stay there. One was when The Chief Scout's jeep knocked down the entrance of a local troops gateway and the second when a Scandinavian Scout fell into the latrine and was taken to hospital.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd3950Kq84kTvg8tuatDyhZjT5AzwUBKGx9-3tlI9jrN9phebEhtf7yPchsT3G5ZmcQIJfFWLThjbChyXGjQDEsB83_uySFAOb-Tjd24_p34JqCs6slkxNQaVSoVK6sk7et4JiiFwtCvJo/s1600/Vintage-Boy-Scouts-Devon-Jamboree-Torquay-1954-Badge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="259" data-original-width="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd3950Kq84kTvg8tuatDyhZjT5AzwUBKGx9-3tlI9jrN9phebEhtf7yPchsT3G5ZmcQIJfFWLThjbChyXGjQDEsB83_uySFAOb-Tjd24_p34JqCs6slkxNQaVSoVK6sk7et4JiiFwtCvJo/s1600/Vintage-Boy-Scouts-Devon-Jamboree-Torquay-1954-Badge.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
However I was very glad that I attended the jamboree and experienced all of the dumbing down by the seniors, for that gave me the impetus to join the local the 1st Newton Abbot Sea Scouts.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
In those days they met in a room above the Seven Stars Public House and on my second meeting I was initiated into the fine art of imbibing beer!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
After a few weeks of learning the skills of drinking we relocated ourselves to Hackney, near Kingsteignton on the upper estuary of the River Teign and handily enough only a stones throw from The Passage House Inn.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Now this fine hostel stocked not just beer and ales but that grandest of West Country Liquor - Rough Cider/Scrumpy, as well as delicious platefuls of crab sandwiches. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Jack Hayward was the landlord, a most amenable man, who was always ready to have a laugh and not ask any silly questions regarding age.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv3Hkw982WHMzITM5OUUcUeOyA0AuQ3TLzqdjIwILEFBHKVkEWQUsBCG6Hoye8G3gWWnONQJ6TiDSyHvpxPbVFYdoScbwvRZNXWlDrKsgypfORSc6IsAWYr66UqU08wbmykfVabuHclPzO/s1600/S%253AScouts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="864" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv3Hkw982WHMzITM5OUUcUeOyA0AuQ3TLzqdjIwILEFBHKVkEWQUsBCG6Hoye8G3gWWnONQJ6TiDSyHvpxPbVFYdoScbwvRZNXWlDrKsgypfORSc6IsAWYr66UqU08wbmykfVabuHclPzO/s640/S%253AScouts.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The 1st Newton Abbot Sea Scout Group.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
This time I am in the back row and the fourth from the left, </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
my sailors hat was too small and made me look as if I had a high forehead.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXJ9RHSR8byrrke-uvjajoxpYmP19TAxlh_H2KMMrg_x-QTHl-4ogOJ0LdvzV2OFAOxMGYQwJuctRa2-ax3njO-28xRXoiF3fTBDBNLwnIyF0gkahpgHZlRKPpRBqRZgH0zKi2S33-wkm4/s1600/P.H.+ferry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="864" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXJ9RHSR8byrrke-uvjajoxpYmP19TAxlh_H2KMMrg_x-QTHl-4ogOJ0LdvzV2OFAOxMGYQwJuctRa2-ax3njO-28xRXoiF3fTBDBNLwnIyF0gkahpgHZlRKPpRBqRZgH0zKi2S33-wkm4/s640/P.H.+ferry.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Myself with my back to the camera being ferryman to the photographer </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
and his son sitting in the stern.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Tuesday evenings were our regular Scouts' night of tuition, learning various knots and what they were used for, first aid, tracking, identification of birds found in the estuary and at sea, their calls and coastal navigation. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We were taught to estimate the height of a tree by its shadow and to find north using a wrist or pocket watch - point the hour hand to the sun and the numeral six on the face is north. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The Sea Scouts were able to do all that the Land Scouts could do and lots more besides, including unarmed combat.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP9JMhDqPoJ2LiELmuKs5BLvuOS5yMCdqH-UOPp3NyXEX0qnemeF8R7jzFaKboXLsRdzmvsEb36zYhyphenhyphenVUdAZjWB2xfuO5DDWSCi-LeIz6EQX1BJBPFfeDD3L7C63jxMHJ1dJv6hi-5X0g9/s1600/+4+oars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="556" data-original-width="864" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP9JMhDqPoJ2LiELmuKs5BLvuOS5yMCdqH-UOPp3NyXEX0qnemeF8R7jzFaKboXLsRdzmvsEb36zYhyphenhyphenVUdAZjWB2xfuO5DDWSCi-LeIz6EQX1BJBPFfeDD3L7C63jxMHJ1dJv6hi-5X0g9/s640/+4+oars.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
A four man racing gig where I am the bow oar, my position, </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
regardless of the type of craft that we were rowing. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Whether it was a naval cutter or whaler, Mel was the bow oar.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Our boat crew did well at the regattas. One year we came first in the West of England Whaler Championship at Dartmouth and we also won the Ships in Harbour race.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Dartmouth College, or to use it's full name Brittania Royal Naval College, was our second home during the summer for two weeks, where we held our Summer Camp in a variety of tents.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Lots of fun was had by all and sundry. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I can honestly say that joining the Sea Scouts gave me great pleasure for several years of my life.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Messing about in boats, whether rowing or sailing, is a very healthy life with lots of exercise that keeps a person fit and mentally alert. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I could write a book about all the goings on however, I'm sure your imagination and a few earlier hints can fill in the dots - if only our parents had known !</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
A Heron's Viewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06563706152609630696noreply@blogger.com18