Blossom, Butterflies, Bees and Bastard Awful Weather

Butterfly on Aubretia
Plum Tree Blossom

Well, here in Tipperary spring is not so much just around the corner as all around us now. Well, a lot of the time anyway. Much of the past fortnight has been quite bright and sunny – very good for the solar panels. All around us the land is waking up and we have early flowers, huge bumblebees, some lovely pale yellow butterflies and blossom – so much blossom. All of the fruit trees are now beginning to flower and the trees in the wood are coming on well too. The very early warm weather was bad for the daffodils however. They burst into life back in early February but the storms and frosts meant a lot of them didn’t flower at all. The aubretia, on the other hand, has really flourished in Betsy’s Garden and is in full bloom. The butterflies love it and we hope the bees will find it soom.

The sun dried out more of the fallen branches from the back of the wood and we were able to get down and do some cutting, producing a goodly amount of kindling and small logs for the stove. Although we have a path cut down to the back it is still a bit uneven and hauling the trolley laden with wood is difficult, especially with my fragile shoulders. Our mower is marketed as a Courier and we finally noticed a bracket at the back designed to fasten a small cart or something similar. Some decent rope and knots dredged up from my past in the Girl Guides and we fastened the trolley to it and drove (very slowly) up to the Majestic. We have plans to fashion a clip-on fastening between the two next week. Happy days!

The Frame has Landed
Goodbye Polytunnel

It was all going splendidly until a few days ago when the skies clouded over, the wind swept in and there was a series of vicious icy squalls. Some of the gusts were very strong and sudden and I was in the kitchen when I saw the whole of the new polytunnel vanish. We rushed out into a mini hailstorm and caught it just before it flew over the orchard wall and into the field over the road. The wind was so strong it took both of us to hold onto the cover and separate it from the frame, thankfully with minimal damage. We thought the hailstones were a bit unwarranted however.

It is obvious we need a rethink, either a much firmer base or perhaps a heavier greenhouse. We thought the site was sheltered but it seems even concrete and gravel filled pots are not enough to thwart the bastard weather! We went to visit a greenhouse supplier yesterday but left very disappointed. One thing we need to do if we go that route is level the site and/or get a concrete slab for the footings. This means we need a builder and they are in rather short supply at present. Well, we will keep looking and see what we can do. In the meantime Jacqui has a cunning plan B to secure the polytunnel for the summer.

After the Bastard Weather
Still looking Good!

Speaking of the fragile shoulders, I had my first meeting with the new (private) physio last week. She was excellent, going through the MRI report and checking to see what I hoped to achieve. Well, no surgery that’s for sure. Apart from the long recover time there are unlikely to be many good outcomes as I’ve had repeated injuries and, let’s face it, my age tells against me now. Instead we began a series of exercises to improve flexibility and start to build some stamina. I’m trying to be conscientious and doing them all and manage it most days. Like all exercise regimes it is painful but I keep telling myself that means it’s working. I really need to get some strength back as at present I can’t drive the car very far and I need to do this soon.

I’ll be honest, I’m not really looking forard to the next week or so as we have a lot of medical things booked. They include a “six month checkup” for me – something I’ve not had before in Ireland (or the UK actually). I’m trying not to view this too gloomily but I know what will happen. My blood pressure will be sky high as they use the over-tight squeezing armband that really hurts, especially with these shoulders. Also it includes a blood test, something I dread for many reasons. When I got the call I began to cry just at the thought of it, not like me at all I assure you. Well, I’ll go along, be brave and refuse to wear the 24 hour blood pressure meter with firmness and politeness. Wish me luck.

Well, that’s all for this episode. Thank you for reading, have a good few weeks and I’ll be back just before Easter.

Jennie.

by on March 30, 2025  •  Permalink
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Posted by Jennie Finch on March 30, 2025

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Spring arrives as we make some decent progress

Well, another busy few weeks with some decent progress here in Tipperary. March has excelled itself in its contrasting weather. Always unpredictable it has already given us nighttime frost and freezing temperatures, cool evenings and several most unseasonably warm days. All this has left the plants and trees rather confused and I think had driven the birds crazy. The songbirds are all over the wood and the orchard now and they are a delight. They are also eating from the (hopefully) rat-proof feeder and seem quite unconcerned when the dogs go out into the garden. One morning last week I woke very early and heard the dawn chorus for the first time in years. Walking in the woods they sing along and often hop into the trees next to us.

Fluff Feeder Before
Fluff Feeder After

For several years we have been collecting the hair Jacqui brushes out of the dogs and putting it into one of the bird feeders in the spring and summer. There are a lot of birds nesting in the hedge, the trees and even in the lean-to and we hoped it would make a warm and secure lining for their nests. When we did it the first time nothing happened for several weeks and then suddenly it was half-empty. I suspected a rat (I always suspect a rat!) but put out some more anyway. We never saw the birds (or rat) taking any fur so didn’t know if the experiment was successful until Fergus, our tree man, felled a damaged tree and commented he found a nest lined with hair. He and Tom, his assistant, were debating what sort of animal it had come from. Well, now you know.

The biggest bit of decent progress is the erection of the polytunnel behind the house. Donal cleared the space last year and we tried to assemble it several times but my useless shoulder and Jacqui’s dodgy knees made it impossible. And we had managed to lose the instructions, which didn’t help. With the growing season upon us we were despairing of ever getting it ready. Enter the indomitable Andy who has been such a wonderful help and support over the past year. He arrived with Lorraine and together they put the whole jumble of bits together, clearing the weeds and setting it up ready for use – in half a day. To say we were impressed would be an understatement. Some very decent progress indeed.

Jacqui is now sorting out the interior, fixing tables and putting tubs of gravel and compost around the sides. These will weigh it down but also serve as planting areas for mint. Lots of mint. It is a greedy plant and needs to be enclosed as otherwise it spreads faster than malicious gossip but apart from its herbal properties in has one very beneficial quality. Rats hate it. Hopefully it will act as a natural deterrent as well as attracting bees and butterflies. Inside we will have all the seedlings and cuttings and, of course, tomatoes. Both of us had fathers who grew tomatoes in home greenhouses and the smell and taste of these always bring back family memories.

In the recent warm spell I ventured out to see if the mower would start after a long winter and much to my surprise it did. We had ventured down the wood to the fallen tree that blocked one of the paths earlier in the week but the ground was a bit rough and uneven. It was the work of a few minutes to zip along, cutting the grass and weeds and smoothing out the path again. We can now get down much more easily and as a bonus the mower has a small flat front to carry tools, logs and anything else we need for the job. Getting the path to the pond cleared would be very decent progress so here’s to some warm, dry days.

Betsy’s Corner
Golden Evening Light

The signs of spring are all around us now with buds threatening to turn to blossom on every tree in the orchard. Despite the horrendous Storm Eowyn last month every new tree has survived and the wood and orchard are flourishing. It is a testament to Donal who prepared the ground and planted them 12 short months ago. The quality of light has changed too with lovely golden sunsets that light up the willows and surrounding land. Our friend Noel once said our kitchen window is the best TV in Ireland and it is hard to disagree some evenings.

Next week I should see the physiotherapist who will assess the damage to my raggedy shoulder. I’m hoping there are some exercises that might strengthen what is left of the ligaments, (which isn’t a lot) and maybe help develop some new muscle. I’ve had to do this once before and I expect it will be slow and probably painful at times but I made decent progress then and I’m determined to do it again. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Tomorrow is a public holiday here in Ireland as it is St Patrick’s Day, of course. We’ve had some quiet ones in previous years and one rather noisy day featuring a digger and a shotgun but here’s to everyone having a happy and peaceful time.

Cheers to you all, thank you for reading and I hope to see you again in a couple of weeks.

Jennie.

by on March 16, 2025  •  Permalink
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Posted by Jennie Finch on March 16, 2025

https://www.jenniefinch.me.uk/spring-arrives-as-we-make-some-decent-progress/

Seeing the world through different eyes

The last month has been busy (when has it not) with medical appointments, dealing with lingering storm damage and all the daily tasks that lead to a comfortable life. It still feels a bit strange and new sometimes though we are settling in to things more at last. We are very aware that Ireland is truly a different country, not just “England with a funny accent” and often when we drive around it is if we are seeing the world through different eyes. Familiarity may not necessarily breed contempt but it doesn’t always breed attention. Looking from the outside, many things Irish people may not notice are objects of interest to us still.

One of the really nice things about Ireland was the absence of litter, something we noticed when we first arrived. There was – probably still is – a big litter problem in the UK. I once got into a shouting match with a visitor who was parked up on the promenade to eat his supper. As I walked past with the dogs he opened the car window and shoved the wrappings, plastic fork and remaining chips out onto the road. Struggling to keep the dogs from gobbling the batter I picked up the rubbish and pushed it back inside. He was not happy. I had two Tibetan Terriers with me, medium to large dogs, so he hesitated and shouted at me without getting out of the car. The dogs did much of the shouting back and he drove off, calling me several rather rude names. I’m still proud of that.

Ireland has a lot less litter, though it is beginning to get worse. Around our home we are surrounded by farm land and virtually all the litter and debris comes from farming. We are still relatively unfamiliar with the landscape and looking with our different eyes we see how messy things are starting to get. The worst type of litter is plastic. This can be abandoned feed or fertilizer sacks that blow across the fields and often end up on our property. The road up to the top field and hay storage is narrow and now covered in thick mud again. The wagons carrying the bales often catch on the sides leaving torn ribbons of dirty black plastic behind. On several occasions they have left a whole bale behind on the road, bursting and scattering across the area. We clear up around our margins regularly even though we still have no bin collection. Still, the straw can come in handy.

I’ve been writing again and a new book is now almost 75% finished. I’ve set it in Ireland for the first time and so have done some heavy research. A lot of it is based on things we see travelling around, looking with our different eyes. Why, we wondered, are almost all the cottage doors painted red? Even the door to the Majestic is red, like most sheds. Well there are a lot of reasons, some more fanciful than others. It is said the colour keeps away the fairies who are a more malevolent lot than those in the UK. More Brothers Grimm than Hans Christian Anderson I think. One story is that Queen Victoria once ordered all doors to be painted black. In a suitably defiant mood the Irish painted them all red instead. I like that idea though it is hard to know what might be the truth.


Another thing we have noticed is the total lack of abandoned structures from the last war. England in particular is littered with old fortifications and Pill Boxes. In Ireland there are several thousand stone Tower Houses, much older than the WWII fortifications. Some were part of larger castles, some stood alone. Generally they had one room on each floor and could be defended by a small garrison – or determined household. Most of them are crumbling away and the stones have been taken to build and repair other structures. They are now mapped and labelled preserved buildings which offers some protection but actually makes any restoration very difficult and expensive. Surrounding by prohibitive planning rules (you can’t even paint the inside walls without a report) some lovely buildings are left to rot. We often point out derelict or abandoned houses and cottages (“There’s a fixer-upper”) as we roll down the road but a lot of them are “preserved” and no one will touch them. A perfect example is the lovely Kyle Park National Agricultural School. Built in 1843, it operated until 1875 when staff shortages forced its closure. Now it sits, unloved and forlorn, with such potential but a dismal future.

Another thing we noticed is the lack of war memorials, a feature so prevalent in Britain. There are memorials but they are overwhelmingly for incidents and ambushes during the fight for independence. In the UK the memorials stand in villages and towns far from the graves of the lost soldiers. In Ireland they tend to be placed at the site of the incident. They don’t have as many names as most UK memorials but many do list those killed on both sides, with equal respect. One fine example is the Modreeny monument, set at the side of the road near Cloughjordan, which was erected by the local historical society.

As we continue to look around our new home we still find new things to admire and occasionally puzzle over. When we first moved in to our permanent home the lovely Patrick from the cottages at Puckane came for a visit. We walked through the wood (then totally overgrown) and pointed out the tiny frogs and newts travelling through the grass and some of the insects. He shook his head and smiled saying “Who would have thought two ladies from across the water could show me new things here in Ireland”. That’s the power of different eyes and long may it last.

For those wondering about the MRI results, I’ve read the report and deciphered some of the medical terms. It doesn’t look brilliant to be honest but I’m hoping to see my doctor this week and we will plan a way forward. I promise to keep you posted.

Thank you for reading and I hope to see you again in two weeks.

Jennie.

by on March 2, 2025  •  Permalink
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Posted by Jennie Finch on March 2, 2025

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Some bright spots on a dirty day

Well, it’s February and today is what the Irish call a dirty day. After the snow and the awful storms we are back to rain. Not just any old rain either. This is slow but relentless, soaking into everything and seeping through the smallest of gaps. We first heard the expression “a dirty day” whilst staying in the cottages soon after our arrival and it sums up exactly how the day feels. Everything seems covered in mud, paths and roads are slippery and the damp and cold creep into the house and wrap themselves lovingly around you. It can be rather depressing especially when faced with an almost empty log box. Going out to collect the wood in February is always an exercise in necessity over reluctance. It is doubly so on a dirty day.

The stove in the snug is a daily bright spot through the winter. Fuelled by the dead ash trees from the wood and an excess of kindling following the storms even the sight of the fire seems to warm the house. We have relied on it for comfort and warmth through the worst weather and even heated soup on the top during the longer power cuts. Now however it needs some TLC from us. It is quite old and we have searched in vain for the manufacturers as it is in need of some spare parts and a good service. The firebricks are cracked and tend to topple out despite the application of special fire cement and the centre of the grate is buckled. It has certainly seen better days.

Last week we did one of our longer run around trips, visiting two supermarkets, the vet, a hardware store, the camping shop and then out into the countryside to visit Ryan’s Stoves. Here we met a lovely, helpful and knowledgeable woman called Madeleine who offered us some hope for our old Horseflame fire. Although the manufacturer’s parts are rarer than hen’s teeth many other stoves are made to the same specifications. We hurried home and I spent a busy morning photographing and measuring inside and out of the fire (which was off and cleaned out of course). We sent the results off and are crossing our fingers she can help. Otherwise we are probably looking at a new model – expensive but an essential bright spot in our lives.

After such a busy day we had a nice dinner and opened a bottle of Cava as it was exactly four years since we moved in to this house. So much has changed since that day, inside and out. It has its problems of course but we are very settled here, the dogs love it and we have room and a warm welcome for our friends who venture across the sea and our local friends who are always welcome for tea and a chat. There were many good memories and bright spots to recall and celebrate and even the weather (it was another dirty day) didn’t matter.

Although it is still February – how does the shortest month last so long? – there are signs of spring already around us. Winter brings some fabulous colour, especially at dawn and at sunset when the evening light is golden and lights up the willows in the wood. The magnolia tree is the first to show signs of new growth with a sudden spurt of soft white buds emerging and spreading. We are choosing a number of our trees to remember some of our friends and relatives now passed away and the magnolia tree is for Jacqui’s mother. After the storms we have been watching, wondering how many of our little trees would survive such an onslaught. Thanks to the sterling work by Donal and some extra watering and care from us it looks as if all of them have made it through that crucial first year. Now with help from Andy we can nurture them and add a few more to both the orchard and the wood.

I’ve had my MRI scan pictures from the unit though the report that actually explains them won’t be in for a while yet. There’s a continuous series of 120 images that show the whole shoulder, a sort of medical short film. Images of the movie “Fantastic Voyage” flitted through my mind as I ran it back and forth. It is a very strange thing, to “travel” through your own body. I have to stop myself worrying over some of the pictures. Is there supposed to be a hole in the white layer? Are the tiny white lines on the bone serious or normal? I’m waiting to see my doctor who will have a copy of the report next week and trying to rest the shoulder as much as possible. I’ll let you know what he says next time.

One of the bright spots about living here is the much wider range of goods in the supermarkets. Small local producers of items like cheese, meat and cakes all feature in all the big shops. They may be there one week and gone the next but you know they’ll reappear in a few days. This really helps the local economy and helps build a stronger sense of community as well as offering the chance to try new and often delicious choices.

The same goes for the range of wines. There are fewer French wines, unlike in the UK, but all the supermarkets have offerings from the wider EU as well as the newer producers. We’ve been most impressed with the wines from Chile and New Zealand and have become much more adventurous. Sometimes I’m swayed by a label – Donkey wine anyone? Felon 19? – as in this wine from Portugal. Who could resist the Sardine Submarine! Well, not me obviously. And the wine was good too, another bright spot on a dirty day.

Thank you for reading, keep safe and wrap up warm. I hear February may have a few surprises for us still to come.

Jennie.

by on February 16, 2025  •  Permalink
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Posted by Jennie Finch on February 16, 2025

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First the cows, then the storms – welcome to January

Well, January has been a very exciting month. First we had the cows, then we had another medical interlude, and then the storms. Not surprisingly we are feeling rather tired now. The cows were rounded up and most of them settled in the field opposite where they had some shelter. We rang Bill, the wonderful fence man, and just 48 hours later he turned up and put in a new heavy duty fence to secure the orchard. He also reset the gateposts so it closes properly now.

We are very glad he did as later in the week we were driving up the hill on our way home and encountered most of the herd on the road again. This time they were wandering down towards our house, in and out of the fields. Several got separated behind the stone wall and we watched as they scrambled and jumped over the barrier. I had no idea cows could jump that high! We were a bit anxious in case one didn’t make it and injured itself. All finally did move safely on thank goodness.

We had two medical appointments this last two weeks. One was local, a routine appointment with one of the heart doctors. These hospital appointments are very curate’s egg-like – sometimes good, often not. This one was not. It was yet another different doctor who basically had a very limited amount of time and a checklist to run through. After we managed a small amount of time attempting to address issues that concerned us he made it very clear he didn’t feel the need to listen. He also implied he didn’t need to do any reading or research on anything new as it took too long to become practice anyway. We did manage to leave without being threatened by security however so it wasn’t all bad.

It was at the end of the week when the storms hit. Storm Eowyn, close behind storm Darragh that brought freezing temperatures and snow as well as high winds. There was some fuss over Darragh but we were not warned to how strong Eowyn might be until it was almost too late. Fortunately we were already on high alert and went around filling water vessels, boiling water for flasks, sorting some battery lights and leaving the camping stove out just in case. Jacqui even made a rich minestrone soup we could reheat. Then Eowyn hit in the middle of the night and everything went off. In common with 1 million people across Ireland we had no power, no heat, no telephone or wifi and no water. The solar panels did keep the pump working for some hours but then the sunlight ran out.

For almost 40 hours we kept the wood stove on, heated water on the camping stove and lived quietly on bread, tea, fruit and the lovely soup. The worst part was the darkness for 65% of the day, coupled with the slow but relentless howling of the wind. We were out of power for our tablets and phones by the end as even the power banks were drained. We thought we had been ready but this was a salutary lesson. We’ve now got extra batteries, four more camping lanterns on the way and a wind-up phone charger that is also a radio. We will add extra gas canisters too when they become available. As I write there are still 47,000 customers without power, many without water too.

In some ways we were lucky. Although we are quite remote we were reconnected relatively rapidly. We had some battery light and could heat water and cook simple meals, having bought the camping stove after the big storm in 2020. We have a large water butt so could fill containers for the loo. The biggest benefit was the wood burner in the snug. It was much darker in there than the other rooms but the stove made it a safe and warm place. One councillor reporting after the storm made the point that many people now live in new build all-electric homes. None of them have a fireplace or even a chimney, meaning they had no heating at all for the duration.

Eowyn set a new wind speed record for gusts of 183 km/hr. It is being compared to the infamous “Night of the Big Wind” of January 1839, an event still spoken of and written about. Eowyn did less damage to buildings, probably as they are generally much better constructed and maintained now. It did however wreak havoc across the country with thousands of trees lost and substantial damage to some areas. Roads are still littered with broken branches, hedges have been uprooted, fragments of garden debris are scattered across the countryside and some magnificent and venerable trees have been uprooted.

One such loss is in the garden of some friends. An ancient Ash tree, planted in 1819 when the house was first built, was blown down. It towers over the pasture, lying on its side next to the crater made when it fell. It is hard to imagine the force needed to move something that heavy and strong. We went around checking our wood, counting the new trees and inspecting the old ones.

Apart from some branches and some hedging we escaped unscathed, including the orchard that has now survived the cows and two mighty storms. All credit to Fergus, our tree man who inspects and makes the wood safe every year and Donal who did such an excellent job planting and securing our fragile saplings. And a special thank you to our friends for letting me share their magnificent, lost tree.

We had scarcely recovered from all that excitement when we were off to Limerick once more. This time it was for Jacqui’s eye appointment. She had made the list, finally, and we set off for an unpleasant but vital procedure. I must say I am seriously impressed by the care they take over eye injections. Three lots of anaesthetic and antibiotic before, a fetching hair net with a full body blue smock during and more antibiotic drops for three days afterwards. They are certainly not taking any chances and it is reassuring to see the care they offer and Jacqui says the shade of blue got her thunbs up. Going to Limerick is a pain but for this service it is worth it.

Well, that’s all for this episode. I hope the next few weeks are a bit more restful for us, and for you all. We are being threatened with a “snow beast” – arctic air and blizzards approaching apparently. Here’s hoping it misses us all and we can begin to drift into spring. The bulbs seem to think it’s already on its way judging by the snowdrops, daffodils and one tiny crocus.

Thank you for reading, stay warm and safe and I hope to see you again soon.

by on February 3, 2025  •  Permalink
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Posted by Jennie Finch on February 3, 2025

https://www.jenniefinch.me.uk/first-the-cows-then-the-storms-welcome-to-january/

Surviving the zombie cow apocalypse and other oddities

I’m sorry this episode is a day late but I’ve had rather an interesting 24 hours. As most of you know we live deep in rural Ireland and that means we are surrounded by fields. This being Ireland thas also means we are surrounded by cows. Lots of cows. Last night not long after midnight Charlie, our youngest dog, started barking. It was a proper alarm bark, not just ‘Oh, there’s a car on the road’ sort of bark. A quick glance outside and we realised we had about eight heifers milling around our front drive.

I ventured out to see what had happened and was surprised to see all the gates were closed and latched. Grabbing a large and reassuringly heavy tree branch I decided to check in the orchard though I couldn’t see how they had got in, down the steps and past the shed in the dark. Well, they had. My trusty head torch gave out half way up the steps and I stumbled along in the dark. As I reached the gate another cow loomed out of the lane and began to scramble over what was left of a part of our wall. Shouting and waving the branch persuaded it to make off along the road, fortunately.

I know cows can be tricky and even a heifer is as tall as I am so I followed the cow down the road at a safe distance and opened the main gates from outside. The cows immediately made a dash for freedom and I beat a hasty retreat through the smaller gate and locked them out from the inside. We did try to contact the farmer but only managed to reach his voice mail. Shaken but relieved, it took us a while to settle down again.

The next morning I looked at our trail cameras and one of them had captured the escapees in the back field pressed up against our fence. Taken at 12.45 am, they look very disturbing with glowing eyes as they loom up against the fence. Truly zombie cows! Inspecting our orchard and drive we found a lot of hoof prints, some charming cowpats and the front wall much reduced in size. As we mused on how to secure the orchard on a Sunday there was another flurry of alarmed barking. Yes, they were out once more, this time several dozen at the front and ten or so at the back.

The farmer came out again and herded them back to the field, finally identifying a hole in the hedge they presumably used to escape. So, despite the creepy picture not so much zombie cows as Houdini cows at midnight.
I am waiting for our fence man to call me back as the gate in also now out of kilter and we need to secure the land urgently.

Apart from that bit of excitement we’ve had a fairly restful couple of weeks. The snow melted away and it got much milder very fast. This was good for some work around the gardens and Andy came last week and did a wonderful job clearing the overgrown front beds. I’d forgotten we had a path around there! Well, we have one again. We also did our regular log collections and I ventured around the wood path to see how it was looking.

Much to my surprise there was a large white bag lodged over the old log that has been home for various animals over the past few years. This was about 10 metres back from the path and behind the intentionally wild and overgrown section. Foolishly I decided to investigate, clipping brambles and struggling through heavy growth. I finally reached a large seed bag wedged in the log and dragged it back up the wood path. The whole thing took almost half an hour and I know now it was a mistake. My already weak shoulders are now very sore again so it’s back to the basic exercises for me.

We are forecast more snow later this week but the unseasonable warmth has accelerated some of the spring plants. There are tiny flowering violas in one pot, the daffodils are already appearing in places and primrose leaves are sprouting in the wood and garden. If we start to get flies again I will know the seasons are out of kilter!

Some evenings we watch some programmes from RTE, the Irish equivalent of the BBC. Last week there was a report on “Ear to the Ground” about a charity called “Free Trees Ireland”. Several times a year groups and individuals can apply for bundles of mixed saplings, all native trees. They donated 54,000 trees last time, an amazing achievement. We are looking into the scheme but I need to establish whether the numbers (5 minimum, 30 maximum) relate to bundles or individual trees. We have some clearer space and can clear more but I’m not sure we could cope with 50 trees in one go!

Well, that’s all for the start of the year from me. We are hoping for no more snow – or zombie cows. Thank you for reading. Your support means a great deal.

Stay warm, take care and I hope to see you again soon.

Jennie.

by on January 20, 2025  •  Permalink
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Posted by Jennie Finch on January 20, 2025

https://www.jenniefinch.me.uk/surviving-the-zombie-cow-apocalypse-and-other-oddities/

Rounding up the year in 1,000 words

It may be an arbitrary date, dividing one year from another, but the New Year is always a good time to remember and reflect. Despite this supposedly being a quiet time of life this last year has been very busy and a bit of a rollercoaster. Rounding up 2024 in 1,000 words is a rather daunting task but here goes anyway. Like every year there has been good and bad, old and new. We have made some new friends and got to know some others a lot better. As you may know from previous episodes, some of these friends helped to make our 40th anniversary a memorable occasion.

Although we remain stoically antisocial we have got out a bit more, beginning with the trip to Cork in February. I had a visit to Dublin in the early summer where I met up with my old friend Jon “Ginge” Moore for the first time in almost 30 years and had a chance to visit the wonderful EPIC museum. I also had a stall at the local farm, art and agricultural show where I met some new readers and a number of hopeful writers.

We’ve had some visitors too, repeat visits so we must be doing something right. Helen and Adrian and Noel stayed in the spring and summer and my niece Polly braved the storms just before Christmas. Christmas itself was a quiet time, most welcome as we settled down in our “snug” and just pleased ourselves. We had a tree though I didn’t get the outside lights done, due to a mixture of high winds in indolence. I can’t resist modeling my new coat for you all. Thank you Jacqui!

A lot of our efforts have gone into establishing and maintaining the wood and new orchard. We are hugely indebted to Fergus, Donal and Andy for all their help here. Bill built a large and very fine lean-to just inside the wood and now collecting and drying our logs is many times easier. No more fighting with a huge pile of chopped wood and hauling tarpaulins around. Quality of Life product for sure.

All of these projects are ongoing and will take our time and attention this next year. We hope to clear more of the wood, removing the remaining dead ash saplings. Hopefully we can add a few more trees to our new mini arboretum and up in the orchard we have pla. ns for a few more fruit trees. We also hope to actually harvest some of the raspberries ourselves this year. Last year the birds stripped the lot in one day. I’ve been clearing out and have a pile of old CDs, mainly unusable computer disks. We’re making a frame to go over the raspberries to hang them out as bird scarers. We won’t net the bushes as birds can get trapped and die in the nets.

The wildlife continues to both share and invade our house. We have an on-going battle with the acrobatic rat that will strip our bird food from the main feeder. He still tries to get to the hanging containers though I think has failed so far. In the spring we woke to find baby bats stuck in our shower – how the hell they got in we don’t know. We rescued them in a soft cloth and put them safely under cover until dusk when they flew away. The mice crept in to the boiler cupboard last winter and it took a month of traps and the occasional release to get them out. Well, they are back again. At least Mabel the feral/farm cat gets the occasional tasty (and poison free) snack.

Our biggest invasion was a wasp nest in the end roof. This appeared in early autumn and so we waited for them to die off, to no avail. In the end it took three visits from Rentokill to get them out and I still find the occasional large but very drowsy wasp in the kitchen. The hole they made in the wall will need to be filled before spring, as will another inviting gap in the top gable.

At the end of 2023 I had two falls, one from a ladder and the second on some ice. This caused problems with both my shoulders and I had some helpful physio for the worst one. Sadly the other has now deteriorated so I’m looking at more treatment in the new year. Apart from this we’ve been fairly healthy if a bit more tired than usual. This is despite the interventions of the utterly useless consultants who did little but make Jacqui much worse for a lot of the year. They don’t want to see us and we certainly don’t want to see them so we are working on restoring her health and mobility ourselves. It seems to be working, slowly but we will get there. I guess age is finally catching up with us. Why is that always a surprise?

Ireland remains increasingly wet and once more the summer was something of a disappointment. When the weather is fine however it can be stunningly beautiful. It rarely snows here though it is snowing as I write, just to prove me wrong. The sky two days ago was a bright, hard blue with an unnusual number of vapour trails. Then a frost struck yesterday and – hey, presto, snow today.

It’s only the third time we’ve had snow in the four years we’ve been here and it causes great excitement amongst local children. Despite this it seems a rather benevolent type of snow as opposed to the UK snow we had in the north east. That came sideways up the street driven by the north wind and it only stopped when it hit a wall.

It’s getting chilly in my room now so I will stop and creep down into the warmth of the snug. There was a lot more going on but I’m up to my 1,000 words so will end my attempt at rounding up here. If you want to know more or need a quick catch-up you can click on the links to the right of the main web page and read back as far as our move!

Wishing you all a very good New Year, thank you for reading and know I appreciate all the comments and support very much.

Jennie.

by on January 5, 2025  •  Permalink
Posted in A big Adventure, Friends and visitors, Remembering travels
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Posted by Jennie Finch on January 5, 2025

https://www.jenniefinch.me.uk/rounding-up-the-year-in-1000-words/

Easing into Christmas as the solstice arrives

Well, it has been a rather frantic month here in sleepy, rural Tipperary. The autumn slipped by quietly, enlivened only by the mowing of the ever-rampant grass and some gathering of unexpected but most enjoyable apples from the new orchard. We entertained the idea we might potter along, easing into Christmas in a calm and restful way. Yeah, right. As we wanted to mark our 40th anniversary we planned the meal for our friends and a wonderful evening it was. Please see the previous entry for details – but it took us quite an effort to organize ourselves, having become unused to keeping to a timetable!

We wanted things to be perfect, if possible, so there was a lot of cleaning and polishing. Jacqui’s meal was a triumph but nothing that good is achieved without a great deal of work. We ended the month exhausted, taking a number of days to just stop and rest. And eat all the delicious leftovers of course. I even had Southern Comfort “tipsy” trifle for breakfast one day. A day when I was not driving, of course.

Then winter descended with a bang. Two fierce storms swept over with exceptionally high winds and torrential rain. We were fortunate there was no serious damage apart from a mass of branches from one of the old poplar trees. These broke off and landed across the path to the pond at the end of the wood. This is a tree marked for felling by our tree surgeon, Fergus, and we are glad most of it withstood the gales. Now we will go down and remove the debris after Christmas, drying it out and chopping it up for kindling.

We had a couple more visitors just afterwards. Julie, our friend who used to live in the cottage next door, was over from England. The dogs were very happy to see her and we had a nice talk, reminiscing on her time here. Then my niece, Polly, arrived on a long weekend. She flew into Shannon and we picked her up from the bus station in Limerick. This did nothing for my aversion of the town. The roads in were narrow and poorly signposted, the bus station was actually clagged on to the train station and parking was a nightmare. Add the fact the sun was shining in our eyes the whole way and you have a severe headache in the making.

Despite this we found one another in the station and a lovely weekend ensued. Realizing she needed some rest and comfort our youngest dog, Charlie, followed her around. He cuddled up next to her at every chance and slipped into her room to hold paws as she napped. He’s a natural therapy dog, so intuitive and a most calming presence. We visited the little Christmas market in the town one day and made a gingerbread house another. Jacqui baked the cakes, two loaves, and I showed Polly how to cut it into shape, ice the roof and add windows and doors.

I still have the little figures my mother used and it looked very festive. Some bits we pinned on with cocktail sticks to keep them in place until the icing set. Polly decided it looked as if Vikings were attacking it, a novel interpretation of the poor miniature band. As royal icing takes a lot of stirring I used Jacqui’s big mixer, to great effect. All went well until I tried to get the whisk out and turned it on with the cover open. Icing flew everywhere, including over me. We cleaned up but I’ve been finding odd splashes all over the kitchen for the last week. I suspect my mother would have laughed at the whole performance.

Jacqui has been quietly making Christmas puddings using the secret Mavis Finch recipe and we’ve been sampling them. They are, of course, excellent. She’s also baked the Christmas cake though we’re not allowed to sample that yet. As the pudding recipe was used by my grandmother and passed down to us we remember our families well at this time of year.

After several days recovering from all the driving to Shannon we were back on the road, off to bl#*dy Limerick again, this time for an eye appointment at the regional hospital. Each of these trips took four to five hours and the dogs were decidedly put out, especially as we decided to push on the next day and do all the shopping and errands in town the next day. After four shops in town, four stops to deliver “thank you” biscuits to the exceptionally helpful businesses and two supermarkets we are well and truly exhausted. But – we are finally home and are easing into Christmas at last.

It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster year and I’ll do an annual catch-up of the highlights in a couple of weeks. May I take this opportunity to wish you all a very Happy Christmas and send all good wishes for the New Year.

Thank you for reading and for your support this year. It means a great deal and I hope you will stay with me for 2025.

Now I must go out and try to get the lights up along the front hedge.

Jennie.

by on December 22, 2024  •  Permalink
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Posted by Jennie Finch on December 22, 2024

https://www.jenniefinch.me.uk/easing-into-christmas-as-the-solstice-arrives/

Forty Years on and a glance back in time

Forgive me if this episode is a bit late and a bit shorter than usual but we were up late and carousing on Saturday night. Sunday was our anniversary, forty years on from when Jacqui and I moved in together. It was not possible to have a formal ceremony then but we have always marked our union from December 1st, 1984. Saturday night we had a small celebration dinner with new friends in Ireland, another milestone for us as we continue to build our life here. It was a rather lovely evening with conversation around the table, some wine and prosecco and a fabulous buffet prepared by Jacqui. A good time was had by everyone, including the dogs, who behaved impeccably despite the multiple temptations around the room. We feel so lucky to have friends who will travel down dark country roads in miserable weather to help us remember and celebrate.

Whilst doing a bit of clearing up afterwards we remembered a night ten years ago, our thirtieth anniversary. We were still in Saltburn and our neighbours Mark and Sarah ran an occasional supper club. They put on a fabulous meal for us and we invited family and friends. It was dubbed the “155 year celebration” as our birthdays added up to 125, making 155 with the anniversary included. That was another memorable evening and Sarah even made a special surprise anniversary cake. Based on coconut and pineapple, I was a little dubious at first but it was one of the best cakes I’ve ever tasted, and beautifully decorated too.

The last forty years have been interesting, to say the least. We’ve lived in three different houses, had a number of different jobs and made many journeys across Europe, sometimes with friends or family but often just us. For over thirty years we enjoyed the freedom to travel across the continent by car, train and ferry. Neither of us like planes but the slower journeys were often as important as the time spent at our destination.

We drove to Greece – much to the horror of our parents -, took ferries down the Adriatic, drove to Verona to see the opera and traveled on Swiss trains through breathtaking mountains. We also encountered forest fires, thunderstorms, a pistol-wielding teenager in France and even a couple of earthquakes. A lot of adventures to look back over, forty years on. The saying goes “nostalgia’s not what it used to be” but hey – we’ve got the photographs.

One of the things we miss is that easy access to the continent, and not just because of the cheap wine by the box load or the excellent food. We were very fortunate to be able to roam freely for so long. Looking back, forty years on from our first day-trip to France (with bicycles!), there is a sense of sadness, for us and for all the young people who can’t do the same.

This was before the combined disasters of Brexit and Covid, of course. Together they changed our world, forcing us onto a new path. Now, from our home in Ireland, we know we are fortunate. We are able to work together to make a different life here and we are building something new and valuable for one another. Forty years on and still together, I think that’s a blessing indeed.

We are coming round to Christmas again (where does the time go?) and we are all blessed – we have homes, food, friends and safety. I try to send a little gift out this time of year to maybe help those who are not so lucky. This year I’m not making a calendar. Instead I have the wonderful “Animals in Paint and Poetry” calendar by Sheila Graber, an old friend and supremely talented artist. She has donated a large number of original drawings and paintings to charity over the years, runs regular fundraisers and all the proceeds go to her three charities. Have a look and maybe get one too.
https://www.facebook.com/SheilaGraberUK

It is said it takes a village to raise a child and our good friend Noel O’Reilly does just that. He began a small charity in Kenya, Lighthouse Children’s Home and this supports a family with a single mother, several disabled children, an amazing young girl and several recent arrivals, children who were orphaned and abandoned to fend for themselves. With support from a diverse group of individuals across several countries they have built a safe home, can grow their own food and all the young people are now in education and have the medication they need. You can read about this uplifting project here:
https://www.lighthousechildrenshome.co.uk/who-we-are

Finally, when shopping this month there will be bins for the food banks in the supermarkets. This is a sad time of year for many families and just something that costs a pound or a Euro can make a difference.

And now I must go and help finish the clearing up.

Thank you for reading.

Jennie.

by on December 2, 2024  •  Permalink
Posted in A big Adventure, Remembering travels
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Posted by Jennie Finch on December 2, 2024

https://www.jenniefinch.me.uk/forty-years-on-and-a-glance-back-in-time/

Marching towards winter with some help from our friends

Met Eireann, the Irish weather centre, is warning of “an arctic front” in the next few days. This will be centred on the north and west but may move south too. Now, we are somewhat ambiguous here as we are in the midlands, more south than north and both west and east by different reckoning. Either way it is getting colder so we are marching towards winter, with help. After the flurry of maintenance last month we are looking to consolidate the outside work. Winter brings cold and the inevitable rain but it does stop the damn undergrowth from growing which is a major plus!

Andy came back last week, finished the orchard work and moved on to the wood. In there we cannot use the mower as the ground is still very rough and there are hundreds – literally hundreds – of stones. He used the new brush cutter and leveled all the weeds and undergrowth, trimming carefully around our new trees. We have a lot of bark from the logs that we gathered into bags over the year and this is now spread around the tree bases providing warmth, protection and feeding the soil in the winter. He has also cut back a bit further, clearing the way to the dead ash saplings. Hopefully there will be some clear weather this winter so we can remove them and open up a bit more of the wood ready for planting in winter 25/26.

We have to take some trees out as they are diseased, especially the ash, storm damaged, especially the shallow-rooted poplars, or have self-seeded and are too close to thrive, mainly sycamore. We are aware the wood is not just for us however. It is home to a variety of life and has its own eco system. The aim is to balance the need to replant and grow a healthy, hopefully attractive, wood with providing shelter and habitat for our co-residents so are progressing slowly and carefully.

About a third of the land is – and will remain – untouched. About half will be the wood, surrounded by the newly cut path. This will be controlled by careful mowing and weeding, but not anything resembling a lawn. Rustic field is what we are aiming for. The rest will be half wild with some cutting of brambles, thistles and the dreaded bindweed. That’s the plan anyway. We couldn’t manage it without the help of people like Andy, Fergus our tree surgeon and Donal whose amazing planting skills have transformed the wood and the new orchard this year. Fergus came back with Martin and they chopped and stacked the wood cut last winter in the lean-to so now we are well set up for winter. He did a walk around and there are a couple of trees that are leaning a bit too far so he will be back in a month or so.

Overall it has been a bit of a long march to winter, this last month. The wasps are finally gone – well, 99% of them. We had to give in and call Rentokill and they did two separate treatments. I’m working on the remaining 1% using a bottle trap. Put a sweet fizzy drink in an empty water bottle, lay it on its side near the nest and the wasps fly in and drown, or at least can’t get out again. This was the theory and it worked wonders last year with coca-cola. This year I gladly sacrificed can of “strawberry cider” we got as an experiment. Even the wasps won’t touch it. It’s called “Sotma” which my dyslexic brain misread as “Stoma”. I think my name is closer to the truth.

The removal of the wasps cleared the way for the cable installation and we have new wifi and a landline at last. This involves a lot of setting up and reprogramming our different devices but we’re plodding though that now. We are very happy with the improvements but are all looking forward to a few quiet days, especially the dogs. They have been bred as watch dogs for thousands of years and the flow of different people has been hard for them – and for us as their bark is both loud and continuous!

There are still things to do. In a house like this there always will be but we are now slowing down a bit and pacing ourselves. There was an added complication as the car needed some work last week and suddenly developed a different fault on the drive home. The garage, Slatterys in Puckane, were marvelous, collecting the car early the next morning and getting it back before breakfast the following day. All our planning for shopping and banking went out of the window however with extra workmen and no transport for a few days.

We realized how vulnerable we are to a breakdown out here so are mulling over possible solutions. A second car could be too expensive, both to buy and run. We have the mopeds but neither of us can drive them at present. Jacqui mooted the idea of a quad bike – could be fun but I’m not sure about the legal position on public roads. And this could also be quite pricey. There is no public transport alas and very few taxis in the area since Covid. We shall have to think it over during the winter. We are now considering a motorcycle and sidecar.

Well, with all these goings on we have had little time for other pursuits. Jacqui is starting to look at her painting again which is wonderful – looking at it and the art itself. I’ve been thinking about the new book and will settle to it soon. Bring on winter and the snow – we are ready!

Thank you for reading, keep warm and safe and I hope to see you again in a couple of weeks.

Jennie.

by on November 17, 2024  •  Permalink
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Posted by Jennie Finch on November 17, 2024

https://www.jenniefinch.me.uk/marching-towards-winter-with-some-help-from-our-friends/

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