Thought for today:
When feelings of mortality sweep over you it is good to know that you are not alone in your deepest, darkest thoughts. All self-aware beings have those self-same thoughts. The solution is to go to the highest hill on a starlit night, so that you are like a pimple protruding from the tip of the nose of a beautiful woman - stretch your arms out, grab the nearest constellation and shout as loud as you can. You will then realise that you are truly immortal for it is not dust to dust, but stardust to stardust - it has a slightly different ring doesn't it!
Ferries: All as normal today.
We recommend checking the ferry web site if you are travelling any great distance, click the link: Cape Clear Island Ferries.com
This blog is maintained by Cape Clear Island Hostel: www.capeclearhostel.com
Wet or Dry:
Dry throughout the day.
Sunny or Cloudy:
Same as yesterday - very sunny from the start and not a cloud in the sky- another sensational day on Cape Clear.
Night Sky
Clear and Jupiter still shining brightly
Temperature:
Near frost at 8.00am but will become much warmer during the day.
Windy or Still:
No wind.
Sea Condition:
Calm.
Tides - approx:
High: 04.38
Low: 10.59
High : 16.58
Low: 23.20
Using 24 hour clock
Birds: see also http://capeclearislandnews.blogspot.com/ .
During October
Merlin
Collared Flycatcher possibly.
Barn Owl
Red Flanked Bluetail
Red Throated Pipit
Red Backed Shrike
Pied Flycather
Ring Ouzel
Chickens x 5: Maggie; Oraiste; Teapot; Billybob; Ginger
Plumage: Starting to moult - quite a few feathers in the chicken house.
Eggs: 0 at 9am
Flowers
Roses looking lovely - pink and gorgeous..
Marigolds are huge and lovely.
Dahlia is in second bloom
Fuschia still looks good.
Sinead is tearing the hillside apart with her bare hands, getting rid of the fern and bramble.
Started building a herb garden a month ago using the front wall at the north end of the house as a backdrop.
Too many other flowers to mention them all.
Vegetables from the walled garden
Lettuce - picked leaves for dinner
Onion
Tomatoes (nearly ended)
Carrots
Spinach
Cabbage - one is nice and plump
Beetroot
Potatoes
Planted turnips
We had tomato,carrot, and onion soup a few evenings ago and it was lovely mmmmm!
Water Shortages
Please use water sparingly as water is still rationed on Cape
Fishing:
NA
Books: Currently reading:
Henry Martyn Field's History of the Atlantic Telegraph, published 1866:
The story of the heroic struggle to connect America with Europe.
Terry Coleman's Passage to America, published 1972.
Favourite Poems:
The Sun revolving on his axis turns,
And with creative fire intensely burns;
Impell'd by forcive air, our Earth supreme,
Rolls with the planets round the solar gleam.
First Mercury completes his transient year,
Glowing, refulgent, with reflected glare;
Bright Venus occupies a wider way,
The early harbinger of night and day;
More distant still our globe terraqueous turns,
Nor chills intense, nor fiercely heated burns;
Around her rolls the lunar orb of light,
Trailing her silver glories through the night:
On the Earth's orbit see the various signs,
Mark where the Sun our year completing shines;
First the bright Ram his languid ray improves;
Next glaring watry thro' the Bull he moves;
The am'rous Twins admit his genial ray;
Now burning thro' the Crab he takes his way;
The Lion flaming bears the solar power;
The Virgin faints beneath the sultry show'r,
Now the just Balance weighs his equal force,
The slimy Serpent swelters in his course;
The sabled Archer clouds his languid face;
The Goat, with tempests, urges on his race;
Now in the Wat'rer his faint beams appear,
And the cold Fishes end the circling year.
Beyond our globe the sanguine Mars displays
A strong reflection of primoeval rays;
Next belted Jupiter far distant gleams,
Scarcely enlighten'd with the solar beams,
With four unfix'd receptacles of light,
He tours majestic thro' the spacious height:
But farther yet the tardy Saturn lags,
And five attendant Luminaries drags,
Investing with a double ring his pace,
He circles thro' immensity of space.
These are thy wondrous works, first source of Good!
Now more admir'd in being understood.
And with creative fire intensely burns;
Impell'd by forcive air, our Earth supreme,
Rolls with the planets round the solar gleam.
First Mercury completes his transient year,
Glowing, refulgent, with reflected glare;
Bright Venus occupies a wider way,
The early harbinger of night and day;
More distant still our globe terraqueous turns,
Nor chills intense, nor fiercely heated burns;
Around her rolls the lunar orb of light,
Trailing her silver glories through the night:
On the Earth's orbit see the various signs,
Mark where the Sun our year completing shines;
First the bright Ram his languid ray improves;
Next glaring watry thro' the Bull he moves;
The am'rous Twins admit his genial ray;
Now burning thro' the Crab he takes his way;
The Lion flaming bears the solar power;
The Virgin faints beneath the sultry show'r,
Now the just Balance weighs his equal force,
The slimy Serpent swelters in his course;
The sabled Archer clouds his languid face;
The Goat, with tempests, urges on his race;
Now in the Wat'rer his faint beams appear,
And the cold Fishes end the circling year.
Beyond our globe the sanguine Mars displays
A strong reflection of primoeval rays;
Next belted Jupiter far distant gleams,
Scarcely enlighten'd with the solar beams,
With four unfix'd receptacles of light,
He tours majestic thro' the spacious height:
But farther yet the tardy Saturn lags,
And five attendant Luminaries drags,
Investing with a double ring his pace,
He circles thro' immensity of space.
These are thy wondrous works, first source of Good!
Now more admir'd in being understood.
Thomas Chatterton
