Warm sunshine today and just one last April shower. Most of April was cold so it was good to have a bit of heat.
Here’s the official report:
It’s not easy being a cyclist and a hurling follower. Because of the Déise match, numbers in Group 3 were down as they set out for Clonmel last Sunday. Not alone that, the resident Cork supporter decided to avoid the hill up Colligan in favour of a comfortable seat by the Lee. After fuelling up in Clonmel the lads headed uphill once again to Rathgormack or Rathgormuck depending on which signpost you follow. Once on the Carrick road back to Mahon Bridge, a stiff headwind stiffened further and on the section towards 5-Cross-Roads a heavy shower fell. No matter really, as the temperature was 19°C and the final leg back to Dungarvan was most enjoyable. Two items were noteworthy. One cyclist, when paying for coffee, was asked if he got any fuel! Secondly, much fun was had on the Sky Road, while discussing other high roads including the Clashmore Airport Road! Group 3, small in numbers, are flying.
I joined my friend Declan for coffee. See featured image as proof. Obviously we cycled there and back. Just a nippy hour and a bit before an afternoon with Marion along the Copper Coast and Tramore. No bikes involved.
I’ve got it right this time! It’s the last Saturday of April and there’s plenty to enjoy, not forgetting it’s a Bank Holiday weekend.
We’ve had one night of frost and several days of cold winds, so as May approaches I’m hoping for proper warmth and sunshine. Yesterday was a beauty! Short sleeves in the morning and t-shirt for the afternoon. I got some of the delayed powerwashing completed and I’ll be up to date very shortly.
Now that I mention up to date, here’s a selection of what’s currently on show, so sit and relax awhile. In that way, you too will be up to date. While you’re doing that, I’ll be reading some of the many other Six-on-Saturday posts from around the world, curated by Jim at Garden Ruminations. Ar aghaidh linn…
Ajuga
Having struggled for a few years, the Bugle is now thriving. I cut the overhanging Fuchsia hard last Autumn, much harder than I used to. Now, I’m happy that I did. Bugle is a dainty little thing, loved by the bees. When it finishes flowering in a while, it has merit because it is a very good ground cover plant and weeds will not take hold.
Bellis
I took out the fading daffodils and filled the empty space with this lovely Bellis. Basically it’s a double Daisy. The label informs me that it’s a pretty plant but it’s not for consumption. I’m grateful for the thought that goes into printing such labels. Being a Long Flowering Perennial, I’ll get a few more, available also in other colours. They will surely work very well in my Pot-In-A-Pot patent-pending easy-gardening plant-turnover move-them-out-of-sight style.
Acer
Acer Orange Dream is featured once again. I do hope you like it. Now in its third year here, it catches my eye. Once my eye is caught, I realise I’m hooked.
Bergenia
Bergenia, known as Elephant’s Ear occupies a small corner of the east-facing raised bed. The leaves are nothing worth blogging about. On the other hand, the flower is. There’s only one, yet I am not complaining. Readers prefer it that way.
Moss!
Ní thagann caonach ar chloch reatha. A rolling stone gathers no moss.
Would you ever in a million years think that moss would feature? Many’s the time I went along the top of the wall with a flat plasterer’s trowel. There’s probably a word for it other than trowel. At any rate, here it is growing away and taking away the bare look. I’m updating my tolerance policy. This stays!
Fern
Three weeks ago I cut back last year’s growth and lay the fronds flat to protect the crown. Now, the cycle begins again! In another week, if not less, these will unfurl. Yes, my garden is about two weeks ahead of others simply because of the shelter of surrounding walls. In Irish it’s raithneach.
About Six-on-Saturday
We are a group of gardeners who write. We write about six items in our gardens, and we do it on Saturdays. Many more choose to publish on Twitter and Instagram using the #sixonsaturday hashtag. Here’s The Participant Guide updated by Jim. For more gardens and gardening blogs, head over to Garden Ruminations, the home for Six on Saturday. Have a lovely weekend.
The Three Hairs
By going to TheThreeHairs.Com anyone who wants the bits of Gaeilge, cycling or other random thoughts will find everything there. I invite you to browse and hope you enjoy some of what’s there.
It’s Bank Holiday weekend here in Éirinn. I’m heading to Lismore Castle for poetry today, cycling tomorrow and perhaps on Monday. Whatever you’re up to, enjoy it. You’ll hear from me next week.
It was a long wait Thirteen point eight billion years And suddenly it happened Given only nine months advance notice I arrived on Sunday.
I will be dead shortly To face another thirteen point eight BY I have a dead dream After a decent interval My DNA appears in a grain of sand on a South American beach Dead man swimming.
The robots reconstruct my life path He was a gardener they affirm Diet good, no crisps or cocaine Tall but overweight Three hairs on head One crooked tooth That died before him.
They peered within this grain Itentified traces of my left ulna Brought me back to starship lab Into the time prison, and shook the living daylights out of me To be opened by a furure electronic descendant.
They declared the ulna not dead He was a poet, they revealed He had imprinted a QR code on the bone In an ancient code called internet Long dead but archived Was a poem called Not Dead Dot PDF.
Laboritised and subdivided The urge to reconnect with soil and sand and home Alive within my bits Messaged my Tipperary cousins Biophilia: the urge to connect with nature But they maligned me Used me only for research My dead self stripped of dignity I sought out other dead selves in adjacent sand grains. Until, to my surprise, The pirate cousins rescued me And brought me to the mountainside Near Kilcaroon.
It’s a long way to Tipperary But my best bits lie there Frosted, scorched and rain-wrinkled Home for a short while The Ballyporeen Boys could clone me But the Great Algorithm v.2.7 rejected the grain The chance to be someone again is gone They don’t know the real me within There’s a poem sealed in that sand Stored to endure the thirteen point eight BY slumber The long sleep where crisps and cocaine would keep me fully alive.
Scene: Local Man and three accomplices are planning to destabilise Waterford Whispers News.
Right, ye know the plan.
Sure boss. I’ll hack the website. Tom will seduce the head honcho and turn him. Mary, what’s your bit?
I’m going in with a petrol bomb and a sword.
What’s the sword for? Peter asked.
All in good time, said Local Man. Synchronise watches. Seven fifty-four on my mark… Mark.
Do we have a plan B?
No need, Peter. If it don’t work, I’ll pop a success message on the website. Everyone believes everything on there. By five in the morning WWN will be no more. The rebranding will be finished. I’ve a bottle of whisky to speed things up.
You haven’t told us what it will be called?
WWN… Wise Wexford Nobbers. There will be jobs for Local Women.
Peter thought for a moment.
Any jobs for the men?
He thought again, only for a moment. Ah, feck. I’m the kamikaze hero, amn’t I? Do I get my own WWN obituary?
Local Man, in a loaded satirical tone, informed the team that he was fed up of being maligned. From here on in, he said, WWN will be fully sexist. Men will be portrayed as slightly inferior.
Ring, Old Parish, bypass Ardmore, N25 to Castlemartyr, Mogeely, Tallow, Lismore, N72 home. 109km
Not once this week, not twice, but three biking days! Now it’s time for some rest and recovery.
There was a cool northerly wind today, cold for the first hour. More than that, the 109km route turned out to be 115, and I needed to cadge a gel from a teammate on the way home.
Here’s the official report:
As the Déise hurlers headed to Tipperary, Group 3 crossed into Cork. Having several elite members in Mallorca, a smaller remnant of six faced the cold northerly crosswinds by Old Parish, Ardmore, Youghal and Killeagh. The morning warmed up and there was some relief from the wind on the way to Castlemartyr. It was decided to stop there for coffee before facing the headwind to Dungourney and Tallow. No one could remember cycling this road, and the many rolling hills caught them by surprise, until the fast descent was put behind them. All commented upon the good road surface. Following a roadside break after Tallow, the journey home by Lismore and Cappoquin was thoroughly enjoyed at a faster pace. No one can figure out how the 109 km increased to 115. One theory put forward was that Cork kilometres might not be standardised. All said, this was a wonderful outing. The Déise boys could well have beaten Limerick. Perhaps Group 3 could head that way soon?
Group 3 Report.
Route: Ring, Old Parish, bypass Ardmore, N25 to Youghal (bypass), Killeagh, Castlemartyr, Mogeely (roadside stop 55km), Tallow ☕ 75km, Lismore, N72 home. Several options between Youghal-Tallow for anyone not wanting full 109km
I also cycled on Wednesday with the Park Hotel gang. This will become a regular for the summer ahead. 65 very windy kilometres, hot chocolate & lemon merangue and a very slight tanning of the white winter calves. Thanks to Emma for the warm welcome in Eamó & Ró in Kilmacthomas.
On Friday, after a decent S&C gym session, I ventured to Kilmac with another old goat. I needed to be back early so we pushed on reasonably hard into that easterly wind (again) and when we got a shot of coffee we tested ourselves properly on the journey home.
On this second last Saturday of April, there’s an early sunrise and there’s wine, a fruity Sauvignon red. Plants & flowers too.
Last week’s edition of Six-on-Saturday did not appear within the WordPress Reader, so some of my readers will have been disappointed. I now know why. Knowledge is powerful. Here it is.
We’ve had a mixed weather bag here in West Waterford with plenty sunshine but cold easterly winds. Am I bothered? Not in the least! Early sunrise and longer evenings are the buzzwords of late April. How has it been where you are?
I’ve had some gardening time, not a lot but enough to keep my patch of earth tip top and to record a few bits for this Six-on-Saturday, so sit and relax with me awhile. While you’re doing that, I’ll be reading some of the many other Six-on-Saturday posts from around the world, curated by Jim at Garden Ruminations. Ar aghaidh linn…
Heather
I am pleased with my planting of heathers at the base of the vegetable/nursery bed, about five years ago I think. They are very suited to this spot.
Array of Annuals
I mentioned a few weeks ago that I’m only growing twobeirt annuals from seed this year, namely Alyssum and Nasturtium. In total there are 48 of each. I did sow two Nasturtium seeds in each cell but I needn’t have bothered, as every single one sprouted. I then needed to remove the second ones. I’ll know better next year. As for the Alyssum, the seed is so tiny that each cell has 5-10 and they will be fine en masse.
South West
Last week, I featured shots of the garden to give an overall view. Here’s one facing south West from the breakfast table. I really should powerwash the patio. I don’t mind powerwashing as long as I spread it out over a few days but I do not like the word ‘should’. On the other hand, perhaps I’ll not trouble myself!
Look at that wonderful blue sky. Is there anything else that catches your attention?
Wine Time
Are you going to Scarborough Fair? Parsley, Sage, rosemary and wine.
I’ll wager it’s not everyone uses empty wine bottles. The phrase dust to dust springs to mind. Grains of sand used to make glass are returned to the earth once the grapes, grown in the earth have been ingested. Casillero del Diablo is a decent wine.
My friend Liam was quick off the mark.
The wine was served with beef. The rosemary on the left added to the flavour. I’ve my mind set to summer days when tomato plants will climb the frame behind. I love cooking with wine.
Job Done
The hellebores are still flowering, although now going over. This flower is long gone. It formed a fine seed that has just dropped. In the large pot beneath, I had covered the soil with a layer of loose stone. I’m hoping the seed will nestle in a cozy nook and when the heat of the sun together with some rain does its magic, new life will emerge.
Scallions
I’ve got plenty scallions and more young ones coming along. Last Autumn I planted several rows outside and they’ve been a regular on the lunch menu since January. These new ones were started recently indoors and I’ll get them planted out shortly.
About Six-on-Saturday
We are a group of gardeners who write. We write about six items in our gardens, and we do it on Saturdays. Many more choose to publish on Twitter and Instagram using the #sixonsaturday hashtag. Here’s The Participant Guide updated by Jim. For more gardens and gardening blogs, head over to Garden Ruminations, the home for Six on Saturday. Have a lovely weekend.
The Three Hairs
By going to TheThreeHairs.Com anyone who wants the bits of Gaeilge, cycling or other random thoughts will find everything there. I’m loving some rubbishy fiction. ‘Wasting Away’ has been published recently. It’s a one-minute read outlining Fidelma’s advice about getting into that special dress for a wedding. I invite you to browse and hope you enjoy some of what’s there.
The Three Hairs 