Weather - Sheep - Soldiers etc.

BlogPostFriday28Aug09 – 15.00 pm
Today has been another one with a totally new experience! I went to the Carmelite Friary for a retreat this morning at 11:00 – 12:30. (It, too, is a 5-minute walk from my flat.) The retreat speaker is a Catholic priest “direct from ROME” (the introducer said this). He speaks almost no English, so an interpreter accompanied him and that was something I’ve never experienced before. Even the Dalai Lama spoke in English when he came to Atlanta. (He did have an interpreter, but rarely relied on him.) So, despite the need for an interpreter, it went extremely well – but still it is hard work to listen through an interpreter. I found that if I closed my eyes and just listened to her, it went better. But, when I did that, I missed all of the speaker’s facial expressions and body English which makes for a rather dull talk. So, I switched back and forth. At any rate, it was a pleasant experience although I don’t intend going again for tomorrow’s session. (Yoga class tomorrow.)
An event on Wednesday I didn’t report – on my way to the SuperValu I passed an armed military person on all three corners just below the store. There is a post office and a Bureau of Exchange where they were posted – don’t know what is on the other corner. Have no idea why these 3 soldiers were standing there with their rifles – maybe it’s a common occurrence, but not for me!
Sheep. Sara’s sending me a delightful sheep video reminded me – I forgot to tell you why some sheep have blue or red paint on their backs (from about the “waist” back – not toward the head). Friend Win Nelson explained our tour guide, when she and I were here years ago, explained the farmers paint the under belly of the breeding males so that they know by which male the female has been bred. I don’t know what they do if they have more than two breeding males – never saw anything but red or blue paint. I also don’t know how they keep the paint from drying before breeding occurs!!! I can envision a scenario, but won’t draw a picture. Use your own imagination.
One other phenomena we in South Carolina can appreciate – the weather people on TV never say anything about weather here in the Republic of Ireland, only in Northern Ireland – they are all British Broadcasting Company stations. (You know how often our weather people refer to “the Carolinas” while pointing to NC?) So, what you see is the weather person standing in front of Ireland except for Belfast – on the east coast – and so we have to guess what is happening here (SW). That’s what we get for independence! The channel based in Wales actually does speak occasionally about the weather here. Actually, my most reliable source is the internet weather which Luke fortuitously set up for Cork and Ninety Six on my home page – so I can easily see each day that your weather is in the 90s and mine is rainy and in the 60s with lows in the 40s. If for no other reason – weather is a very good reason for being in Ireland in August! I have yet to see a day when the sun doesn’t shine at least half the day – although which half is not predictable. And, what a joy to wear a sweater part of the day!
Enough of this.