Dolphin Address 22
August 31th 2006
I walk, run and dance over 4 months now nearly every evening on the rocks and begin to feel incredibly at home there. Since a recent craniosacral therapy my agility has even accelerated and every day I long for the evening to dwell for a few hours in 'Rock Paradise'.
I empty all my pockets for travelling light, but for 'Okki', my Dictaphone, to capture fleeting thoughts.
The field of vision just in front of my feet is of excellent quality. I have a natural disposition since I tend to stoop a bit. It has a strong resemblance to what I call my 'type window'. If you ask me blindfolded where the keys on my computer are located I would not be able to tell you. But when I sit in front of my system my fingertips find them all by themselves. Same goes for my feet on the rocks. They seem to, under my eyes supervision, find their way by themselves, like 'foot smart'. For the untrained eye the random throw-up of rocks seems an arduously obstacled area, but practise reveals access alternatives. I developed numerous routines close to the meadow, recognise an ever extending repertoire further out and beyond meet the challenges to my improvisation.
Of recent I hop over to Fanore beach, rinse my mouth with bacterial water from the tap in the loo and raise the corners at the notice put up there: 'No washing of feet in the toilet'. Splendid idea, just put your foot in the bowl and flush. Not a great many people would have figured that out by themselves.
Or I go south and follow the chunk line, along 'Akeen', the corner of 'Bridie Gulf', by the wash channel and 'Trawee', the desolate beach, to 'Bridie Bay, where I drop in for a cuppatea at Bridie, the godmother of the dolphin swimmers. Well after dark I march back along the road, whistling jigs and reels to my stride.
Since a few weeks I practise my speed and footwork on the
rolling stone bed. This is a 30 metre slab of stone fluently carved by the rocks rolled over it by the waves. Might I fall the damage would be limited to a bruise. Very different from the rocks, which often vary in height up to several metres, precipiting 15, with razor sharp edges and washed out thorns. The bumps and dents in the roll bed differ no more then 30 cm and are ground to a smooth. I go by long jumps and only in the air decide where to land my feet. An exiting, yet safe thrill.
Advancing over the rocks is somewhat like a challenge in physical chess, fast as lightning, nearly simultaneous.
Each step, jump or manoeuvre could be pretty fatal. Moreover, I hardly ever meet anyone out there and it could be days before I'd be missed and found. But I have always worked with danger, heavy trunks, tonnes often, literally razor sharp gouges and knives (tested on the hair on my arm), jumping chainsaws and impossible angles. So I am an accomplished, wide awake perfectionist, never reclining on my laurels for what I have done, full bloodedly alert on the instant things might go wrong. Only happened once, in a double failure, when I hurt my hip and elbow.
On the rocks gravity is always on the prowl. I rejoice in an ever extending assortment of recovery manoeuvres that I can instantly apply. By maintaining velocity my bodyweight acts as kind of a freewheel and improves my balance. The faster I go, the better my balance, but the more acute I have to 'read' the next rock formation.
I prefer to choose my routes over larger rocks, as they are more reliable. It does happen, however, that one of them shifts when trodden and that can be very frightening. Usually I mark them with a rolled stone as a 'dipper'.
Although I spent many hours on my computer I'm a lot out there. As there are quite a few sudden showers of fine rain ('drizzards') I have located shelters to my measure or added and built them myself under the rocks. There I sit or lie in refuge when the going gets wet.
I look, watch and try to understand. Up towards the beach at another rolling stone bay there is a ridge, where only small stones linger, like a self-sorting basket. Fossils in the rocks for the keen observer, much more easily found though on the sidewalks of O'Connellstreet in Ennis.
Limestone swiftly absorbs water. After a shower the rocks dry up in no time at all. I'm even turning pretty limey myself. I capiche my chalk nails now and if my bones are equally susceptive my skeleton will last for ever.
Jan Ploeg, Meadow Fanore, August 31th 2006
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