Dolphin Address 02
February 8th 2008
Half an hour ago the sea was virtually calm, but now she rolls out white runners again. The wind has changed from north-west to south and by now the chill will have been blown back by heavy winds. Not a clue why, but waves nearly always come towards the shore.
Against the waves a savage wind was whipping the spray off the crests.
It’s nice and warm in my bus. With this temperature half an hour engine warmth suffices for three hours of weather and wind sounds. The mildness of the climate never ceases to amaze me. In the middle of the winter happy daisies flourish and I have already spotted flowering daffodils. In the sandy soil that I deposited on my kitchen roof bonsai-like mini plants are developing.
Yesterday I woke up with sleet on the meadow and the slopes of the Slieve Elva were unreally white. I have begun walking the rocks again, but there are a lot of slippies so I have to concentrate in full. That is why I was past the ‘Throne Rock’ when I descried the mountains of Connemara. They shone snow white in the sun while shadows gave them dept. It looked like five Mount Everests in a row. They look ever so close when the air is clear. I did not have my camera with me and it made no sense walking back as the sun was about to disappear behind the clouds. But a good look, instead of through a camera is freeing the mind.
Recent storms have tossed the front line to and fro and because they are only just settled some are wobbly. That in the least causes a fright.
Spring calf
Because Galway disposes of a part of its waste water in the bay the amount of nutriments, particularly for algae has increased in recent years. This has boosted the growth of slipperslimy green hair weeds. But slippery has many faces.
When there is a storm froth flakes are blown over the rocks in great numbers. When these have dried up you don’t see them anymore, but they still are super slippery, especially when you have wet soles. And then there is this brown deposit that is mostly caused by slowly returning water. When every thing is wet from the rain it is difficult to see the difference between reliable and slippery. Plenty of reasons to be extra careful about where you walk. Best is to step on top of your feet and seek support for your hands. When it is dry rock walking is so much safer and a lot more fun.
It has been raining torrentially and incessantly the past week and the meadow is soggy like I’ve never seen before. Bridie remembers it has not been this wet since 1976. As far as I know Funny Lane never had mud tracks this deep. I stay on the meadow as much as I can, but sometimes there is no other way.
Then on the meadow I go full throttle and shift into second gear as soon as possible. This way there is less traction on the wheels, so they are less liable to skidding.
But still there is an advantage to all this rain. Because I park the bus so close to the sea often a salty spray is blown over it. One would expect the car to be a lump of rust, but there isn’t any. The rain generously washes all the salt away.
Jan Ploeg, Meadow, February 8th 2008
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