Greetings from Ireland

Sunday 27 Dec 2009

Good day all family and friends,
Last Sunday morning we were met with snow, it continued throughout the day, sometimes less severe but other times it really snowed!!!! Coming out of church the view of the high pine trees covered with snow was spectacular. I remembered that I had my mobile phone in m jacket pocket en turned around very carefully, as I have been the one who was warning the older people to be careful, took 2 photos and turned back my first step back to the car was fine but the next one I put my foot down on another ones footprint and in a split second I landed on my back. Fortunately I was so well dressed with 2 prs of socks that the bones were well protected. Home I realised that I must have stretched the ankle and knee muscle on the right side , I had a blue foot for a few days but nothing serious, but an accident like that can happen so fast!
It kept on snowing for 3 days intermittently and the roads were a health and safety hazard, not to talk about the falling temperature during the night. Daytime -2 and then a drop to -9, the snow just starts to melt and then it ices over it. So it came that we were sliding to church this morning early, must say that your driving skills are truly put to the test in such circumstances ,We reached church in one piece but we were only 10 people.
Christmas day was very cold, we did not have new snow but none the less, it was a white Christmas.
Barry and I spent the day warm in front of the fire eating our specially cooked chicken with roast potatoes and Christmas pudding all by our selves, saving space for the next day, yesterday, Finbarr and Amanda arrived at 3pm and we then enjoyed a second festive meal with trifle and all!
They brought us the newest in technology, a digital photo frame, and you can look at your pictures at your leisure.
The days are already a slight bit longer and the intensity of the sun has definitely increased. The birds have doubled in numbers as Barry has been feeding them the geese feed (turkey fattening pellets).
Because of the thickness of the snow there were no insects and very little food in nature available and Barry took it upon himself to make sure the birds ,who would in any case survives, are kept alive and well!. It meant that w had an invasion of several different kind of visiting birds like the starlings, the arctic thrush, green finches, gold finches, and then of course our own birds, the red robins, hedge sparrows, bull finches, blue tits, and black birds. All the crows and Mag pies eat whatever is left.
We also noticed yesterday for the first time the rat the size of a small cat, moving ever so confidently between the birds, in and out of its hole in the ground. He must enjoy all his privileges as the pleasure of eating bird food is coming soon to an end! Poor rat!
With the bad weather we were wondering if Gerlof and Sandra got away as the airport at Gatwick were closed since late Tuesday evening!
The cathedral in Longford built in 1850 has burnt down on Christmas Eve. A great loss for the
Architectural heritage and off course for the community, it was such a definite landmark in town.
There was no water pressure as all the water pipes were frozen and the fire brigade had to pump water from the canal through hosepipes to quench the fire. Later in the day it got better and they could use the proper fire fighting equipment.
Another week at home and then a visit to the GP to hear if I can go back to work I would have been home 5 weeks then + the 8 days in hospital 6 in all.
I am back on organ duty at church and it is good!
I will greet you all now with the New year in sight and pray and hope that all your dreams will come true ,that you will experience great wisdom, that you will be able to endure the trials and tribulations that lies ahead end that you will count your blessings every day!
Special Greetings to our tante Poppie! May she experience the love and wonderful dearness of our Lord.
Travel safely, lock your doors, watch your step. May the summer be warm ,may it rain where it is dry!
Regards from a melting freezing wet Cranleymore
The Dunnes