Nature seems to be on schedule this year. It has seemed for the past couple of years that seasons were a bit confused by weather, but this year, so far, blossoms have bloomed when they are expected. Spring arrived on time and temperatures have been generally as expected. Though Ireland, being in such an usual place geographically – far north, but influenced by the gulf stream and at the interface of continental and maritime weather patterns – we can have “interesting” days with wide temperature changes and when it rains, shines and hails all within hours.
Daffodils came and went on time, tulips are still in bloom and bluebells are coming along well. The first rhododendron have blossomed and more will follow in the coming weeks. It could be a good year for growers if the weather stays on schedule. Farmers are well in to the season as livestock is fattened and crops have been sown. Our little vegetable patch is under control with the early crops, like allium, coming along well and most other seeds in the or on the way in to the ground. It’s getting busy as growth rates are accelerating. While gardening might appear to be a leisure sport to some, this article notes that gearing up for the summer gardening work needs a similar kind of preparation to that of an elite athlete going into a final! Now I feel a bit better!
The concert for PestalozziWorld is next weekend – Saturday 9 May. It will be a fun evening with a family feeling. Some people are looking forward to the tour of Castletown House which I’ve heard is impressive. Virginia Kerr’s singing is some of the best and she is a great entertainer. There are some great auction prizes and a raffle to launch the after concert reception. Ken Whitaker has agreed to be the patron of the charity and will come with his family – what a wonderful person! If you haven’t bought a ticket you can do so online here or call us on (059) 9155037. All proceeds to the educational charity PestalozziWorld.
Earth Day recently passed on 22 April with little fan fare as most of us are more concerned with stagnating economics (like Ireland’s credit downgrade and emergency budget), though there are signs of improvement. We are still aggravated by the usual suspects (politicans, banks and a few others …) but markets seem to be moving again. Property is changing hands, appropriately at much lower levels, and businesses is stabilising. We’ve seen a number of businesses expanding or starting up so opportunities are appearing. And perhaps we can create a few of our own. Sometimes one’s perspective determines whether we feel good or bad. We’ve been used to measuring success with money, but that can be deceptive. Many of the things from which we get pleasure, enjoyment and value are not counted – friends and family are near the top of the list. For example, it was heartening to read a story praising the dynamism and success of the GAA which is Ireland’s largest sporting organisation and is fuelled by community spirit. Enjoy the article Doing sports business the GAA way here. We can also take the example of our Viking forebears. The stereotype of a marauding villain is wrong. In fact vikings integrated in to the local community adapted to the local culture and improved administration and systems. That is why they were successful. One widely known example is William the Conqueror, a third generation viking immigrant to northern France, who organised England in the late 11th century. Read this story for some inspiration.
The other end of the spectrum is Tesco where Every little bit helps … the shareholders. We’ve complained about the illusory offering by Tesco for some years now, especially since they invaded our local town of Tullow. And the proof is in their annual results. Despite a recession they have managed to increase profits by 10%. You only need to check the prices against continental supermarkets (eg Aldi, Lidl) to know that they retain huge margins on a wide range of basics. Good for the shareholder, not so good for the shopper.
Yoga classes are back on again in Tullow. Yoga is a good antidote to tough economic times. Give Pam a call to find out more (059) 9155037.
Though the fishing season has started, activity is greatly reduced for conservation reasons. So anglers have put down their rods, but others need to clean up their act too. The two major contributors to riparian habitat destruction are urban development and agricultural run off. And this story sums up the kind of irresponsible trade-offs that we have allowed – building houses without building teh infrastructure to support them. In this case, the new development overburdened the sewerage system and now untreated effluent is flowing into the river.
Tomorrow is May Day which traditionally marks the beginning of summer in teh northern hemisphere. Its origins are in the Irish pagan festival of Beltane, when great bonfires would mark a time of purification and transition, heralding in the summer in the hope of a good harvest later in the year. It is opposite Halloween, or Samhain, in the calendar and shares similar cosmic and pagan significance.
Best wishes to all for a hot summer.
Tom
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