Greetings from Ireland

Friday 4 Sept 09

Good day to all, far and wide, and some nearer!
Walking (sloshing) through the bottom field, under water, I realised once again the preciousness of living in the country and not in a town or city,
We are officially now in autumn and the black berries are late and so is the raspberries. With my little container I walked along the fence and picked every black berry that was ripe and not devoured by insects.
The raspberries stand 6ft tall and are only starting to have fruit now, so on the stove at this very moment I am cooking blackberry/raspberry jam!
You cannot eat the fruit from the plant as it is not safe, you can get parasites from it as it grows wild that is the black berries, and there is not enough raspberries to warrant a separate cooking session.
Now the picking of blackberries comes along way, during war times the government gave permission for people to walk onto farm land to pick the berries as a source of food, the berries are rich in Vit C and filled the tummies of hungry people in a time of need!
We are very fortunate that there is no ’time of need’ and in spite of the recession I am still employed and earning better money than I ever enjoyed in SA. Therefore with thankful hearts we start and end each day! The redundancies at work have been stopped for the time being after 4 people were let go last week. A Union meeting with management on Tuesday brought this about as there were some irregularities in the process when it came to the Nursing staff employment regulations, meaning that we can all breath freely and the sleepless nights for some are over, I have to admit that I never felt threatened but was prepared in any case should my hopes be shattered!
Last night I was all on my own with 2 patients, went well as they were both stable, I did about 10 Sudoku’s and 10 Code Word Puzzles, looked at a very sad but realistic film of an alcoholic mother and what a terrible decease it is, the devastation it brought into the family and the trauma to the children, good after midnight.
Here at home I would like to sing the praises of my husband, he is just unbelievable, never stops and every week there is something new he starts.
Since Monday this was the events! Polish guy came back and although Barry said he will not take him on again, his heart softened and I think he was glad.
Visit to the Hardware shop, purchasing the new gate, chicken wire netting etc.
3rd Railway sleeper cemented in, fence between road and garage completed.
The donkey house tidied up and all goods lifted up off the floor and space made for the chickens and geese that we plan to get. All possible holes in the fence around the bottom field secured.
Tuesday the Pole had to go to the welfare to sign on for his money and Barry did the plumbing that was disconnected when the new room were created and my extra washing machine made redundant, A New water pipeline was created with a tap. All with stopcocks so that the water can be turned off by the turn of the screw driver!
The delivery from the hardware shop was wonderful till we realised that the support post onto which the hinges have to go is on the wrong side, disappointment was great, but Brian in the shop promised that he will correct it by phoning and to find out if there is one in the manufacturer’s yard that is the other way round. He forgot to phone back and we were in despair!
Wednesday
In the mean time it is still raining it started now there some 12 weeks back! With the Pole at hand things moved very quickly and soon the fencing was secured on both sides of the shed
Contacted the hardware shop and he apologised but there is a gate available and will be delivered as soon as it arrived.
Thursday. While I was asleep the 2 men took the old gate off and placed it between the shed and the railway sleeper , now the bottom field are separated from the yard! It really looks good!. This all take precision work especially with Barry as perfectionist and the Pole who could not give an iota,
The new hinges had to be secure into the pillars at the gate and that was even more difficult as it needs to be precise. Wonderful stuff that goes into the holes to hold the enormous bolts, hardened like steel!
Now the front is open and suddenly we have no security!!!!as if a farm gate would have stopped any-one! The gate did not come.
Friday.
This morning a miracle happened and there was a patch of clear sky with brilliant sunshine and off Barry went to cut down 3 irritating trees,
Their shadows are so thick that the ground underneath them never dries
And they interfere with the electricity cable and we were warned to cut then down, it is fast growing trees and in 3 years time they will be well grown again! We cut them down the year we arrived on the ‘estate’ 4 ½ years ago!
Then it happened the gate arrived and by the time I got up just before 2pm the gate was in place!!! And it looks good!
Now fully secured we will sleep well tonight!
The bird children are spoilt rotten, sits and wait every morning for Barry to get their breakfast- we counted quickly one afternoon about 40 eating at a time! Too beautiful! The days are becoming shorter quickly the sun rose at 06h45 this morning and it is now dark at 9pm. Temperatures in the morning down to 6-8 and does not rise above 14 any more!!!!! And off course even if the sun shines, it still rains!!!!!!!
Birthdays are few in my book We think of Maryke in memory whose birthday it would have been tomorrow the 5th and then of Michael Knight, Annette’s husband, maybe Paul can let him know that after so many years I still remember!
To all who so regularly talk to me via email thank you, Joy in Australia especially, Trish is quiet and so is Sue in Canada! Hope all is well.
Thilo in Saudi please let me know how you are!
Hope it rains in the dry area, that all the crops reaped and sown are good, all the animal thriving, all those studying , enjoy and everything of the best to Pauli from Gerlof and Sandra that is returning to SA
You must all take care, be watchful, and never forget to secure the doors and windows, trust in the Lord and be well!
Thankful regards from the Dunne’s on a floating Ireland