Tea Time with a Twist

Hello, hello. How’s everybody today then? I think I’ve finally managed to get my blogging boots back on, I’ve even got another post lined up for this evening and everything. Nope, it’s not the fairy stories. I know I promised fairies, and fairies I will bring you, but they’ll just have to wait till tomorrow ‘cause I feel like indulging myself in a little geekiness this evening. First things first however - exciting news!

Word on the street is everybody’s favourite hostess, Vanessa from A Fanciful Twist, has announced the date for this year's annual Mad Tea Party. Yippee! I’m especially excited since it’ll be the first one I’ve actually participated in. I remember stumbling upon plenty of the party posts last summer though and, while I wasn’t quite sure what was going on at the time, I thoroughly enjoyed all the madness. Can’t wait to join in the shenanigans this year!

Anyway, if you haven’t already signed up or if you’re wondering, like I was this time last year,  what the hell all this chat about blog parties is about, run along over to A Fanciful Twist for all the info you need.  And now this is where I should tell you to ‘hurry, you’re late’ and call this an important date etc, but I’m trying to hold back on the Alice puns for now so I’m not going to.  Just go sign up. It’ll be fun.

Pride

Ok, so I’m a wee bit tipsy. ’Twas pub quiz night and, for the first time in a long wee while, we actually won. Hurray! Not only that but we whooped their asses, as they said in the olden days. But I’m not here to brag about the awesome amazingness of our new team, or to spout the usual cringy ramblings I can be prone to when we win (the prize is beer). Nope, I’m here to quickly share another little triumph:

 

 

This, my friends, was National Geographic's 'photo of the day' today (when I say today I mean yesterday, though I’m still awake so it’s still today goddammit!). It’s of a little place called Lagg, near the village of Malin, in my own fair Inishowen.  Isn’t it lovely? Since I was a wee girl that is the church I said I’d be married in. And unless we bugger off to Italy it will be too. Anyway, at the time of writing this image has had 13, 412 ‘likes’ on Facebook. I’m literally swelling with pride.

You have to understand, we in this tiny cut-off corner of the country know we have something pretty special. But we also know that not everyone else knows.  So it’s great to see a bit of worldwide recognition!  Oh, and just so you know, if the photographer who took this had turned around the picture would’ve been just as spectacular. Just go type ‘The Five Finger Strand’ into Google or Flickr or something to see what I mean. Highest sand dunes in Europe, them.

Apologies, Promises and Predicting the Irish Weather

 Image source.

 

Sorry folks, I’ve been at it again. Slacking off. I’m getting worse too. All I seem to do these days is crawl back every so often, full of apologies and promises, and a lot of chat about the weather, then slink away into obscurity again only to return a week later with a lot of the same.

So I’m going to try not to do that tonight. Though I suppose that ‘sorry folks’ is a form of apology, and saying I’m not going to go slinking away again does kind of count as a promise. Plus, I am going to talk about the weather! Well I’m Irish, it’s what we do.

As they say in these parts, ’tis a while night out there. Terrible windy. Though that’s not quite the type of weather chat I was on about. I was thinking more of the ‘reading nature to predict a storm’ sort.  In fact, I hadn’t actually intended talking about the weather at all until I sat down to write this. I had meant to post about local fairy tales for the lovely Laura.

Most of you won’t know Laura, she doesn’t have a blog, but I’ve known her in the real world for years and believe me, she’s just brilliant. She lives in England and doesn’t get home much, but I met her at a wedding the other day and she promptly reminded me that she likes to keep up to date with the blog. At least she did when there was stuff to keep up to date with. Sorry missus! (Shit, that was another apology.)

Anyway, as I said, I had planned on hunting down some local fairy stories which I knew she’d appreciate. And I did, I found some from right by the area she’s from. They’ll have to wait for another day though (and that’s another promise) ‘cause on the same site I also found this adorable guide to forecasting the weather from signs in nature.

As far as I can tell, it was written by an Inishowen schoolboy in 1938. It’s a just wee bit hilarious, especially considering the storm that’s blowing out there tonight. And I’m sure it’ll be as helpful in Yorkshire as it is here!

 Weather Signs 

by Liam Grant, Maghermore 17/01/1938

When the moon is pale it is a sign of rain.
When there is a ring around the moon it is a sign of rain.
A coppery or pale sunset is a sign of rain.
A rosy sunset means good weather.
When the stars are very bright it is the sign of a storm.
When the cloud are heavy it is a sign of rain.
When it starts to rain if the hens run to their house it is a sign it is going to fair but if they puck about it is going to be a wet day.
When the mist comes up from the sea it is a sign it is a sign of good weather.
When the mist comes down Meentagh glen it is a sign of rain.
When we hear Binion strand roaring it is a sign of rain.
When we hear Carrickabraghey roaring it is a sign of frost.
When the cow shakes herself in the byre it is a sure sign of rain.
When the smoke blows down the chimney it is a sign of rain.
When the hares comes into the fields it is a sign of a storm.
When there are clouds in the sky like goats hair it a sign of rain.
When the crows are up high in the air and fly straight down to the ground it is a sign of rain.
If you see the rock glistening in the distance hills after a shower it is a sign of rain.
When you hear the rivers sounding very loudly it is a sign of rain.
When you can see the hills very close it is a sign of rain.
When you see the merry dancers in the north it is a sign of storm.
When the hills look far away it is a sign of good weather.
When you see the dogs eating grass it is a sign of rain.
When the sun goes down red it is a sign of good weather.
If there is anybody who see wild geese it is a sign of storm.
If you see cows with their backs to the wind it is a sign of rain.
If you see a blue light in the fire it is a sign of storm.
When you see sheep coming in to the front of the hills it is a sign of storm.
If it starts to rain out of the south and the wind to change to the north it will fair.
When you see the cat sitting with the back to the fire it is a sign of storm.
If the new moon has her horns sticking up it is a sign of good weather.
When the horns are sticking down it is a sign of storm.
If the crain goes up the river it is a sign that there is going to be a flood.
If the floor gets damp in wet weather it is going to be good weather.
If the floor gets damp in good weather it is going to be wet weather.

 

THE END

Read more about the 1938 School Manuscripts here.