Summer has arrived!

Oh, what a gorgeous weekend we have just had! I think we can finally declare Summer has arrived at last, after the wettest May I think I ever remember. And that is as it should be. Last Thursday was Ascension Day, which I always think of as the first day of summer, perhaps because it was a school holiday and we were allowed out by ourselves to explore. I must have been just 13 when I went with a friend the same age on the train to Arundel. We boated on the River Arun in front of the Castle, and ate chinese goosberries - now called Kiwi fruit, but then a rarity - with our picnic.

Beautiful Borrisnafarney Church

After lashing with rain until noon on Saturday, the skies cleared and we went to beautiful Borrisnafarney Church to celebrate the wedding of my good friends' daughter Kirsten to Christian, followed by the christening of their baby daughter Zoe. The tiny church was full of children, and Paddy Anglican really needed his stentorian voice to make himself heard. I was fascinated by the fashionable, skimpy, feathery hats the ladies wore. Afterwards we were royally feasted at the Yacht Club by the bride's father Jack. And to cap it all, Leinster won the Heiniken cup!

Kirsten & Christian celebrate in the Roller

Zoe, Kirsten & Christian

Sunday broke with clear skies and news that the Volvo yachts had arrived in Galway in the early hours, with Green Dragon in 3rd place. I had a beautiful drive with Susanna to Shinrone and Aghancon to lead Matins - you can find the address on child abuse and John's kosmos-world here. This was the last of my regular jaunts to the Shinrone Union, because their new Rector will arrive in June. Afterwards Jean Talbot treated us to a superb Sunday roast lunch. On our return I should settled down to course work, but in the lovely sunshine I decided I just had to get to grips with the Drive Border, cutting back an overgrown Spanish broom, pulling nettles and giving Penstemon Ruby Garnet a hair cut.

The Drive Border

The Nenagh Carbon Watchers is a group of individuals concerned about global warming who decided to continue meeting after last Lent's Omega Climate Change course. We wrote to the local and European election candidates with questions about their views on transition to a low carbon society. On Monday I pulled together the responses we received - I would have hoped for more - to write an article for the local newspapers. The candidates all support reducing carbon emissions and taking initiatives to help our communities flourish in a low-carbon future. It is good to know that the need for action is now so widely agreed that all are in favour of motherhood! I also put the responses up on a website - http://nenaghcarbonwatchers.blogspot.com/ - so that they are now a matter of public record.