Ireland is not known for its long hot summers. As a friend of mine once put, "t'would be a great little island if you could put a roof over it." So when the sun comes out, the sky turns a dazzling shade of blue and there isn't a cloud to be seen, the Irish get giddy. Every summer the supermarket flyers tout barbecue meats and furniture stores insist everyone needs sunshades, garden chairs and tables, magazines are full of recipes for those elusive hot summer days. But when the sun hits and the forecast is for at least a week of temperatures in the high Twenties, then a transformation overtakes us.
If you meet an acquaintance when you pop out to the shops to get some of those steaks for tonight's BBQ, you will spend at least ten minutes talking about the good weather. Everyone smiles, everyone is out in the garden dead-heading flowers, watering the grass and sitting for hours in the shade. Those sunglasses so beloved of the Irish even on grey days in mid-winter, now come into their own. Suncream is slathered on and red sore-looking sunburnt skin is on show under the strappy dresses. The savoury aroma of grilling drifts over the gardens in the evening. The beaches are crowded, in fact any place where there is water of any kind, is a magnet for sun-hungry people to enjoy being out of doors.
Who needs Spain?
Monday 25 June 2018
Saturday 16 June 2018
Helping Stray Cats
Yesterday I spent an hour in front of the Youghal post office collecting for Community Cats. Community Cats does a lot of good work. They trap, neuter and release stray cats, thus preventing unwanted kittens.
Back in the Spring, when the weather was bad, a cat strayed into the backyard of the block where I lived at the time. She couldn't get out again as the walls were too high - goodness knows how she managed to actually get in there. She was very frightened and hid in a shed in the corner of the yard. I heard her miaow for a few nights before I actually saw her. She must have been very hungry. I bought some food for her and placed it just outside the shed together with a bowl of water and although I watched, I never actually saw her come out to eat. Next morning the food bowl was empty, though.
I phoned Community Cats in Midleton, the next town, and they promised to come and trap her. In the meantime, it started to snow heavily so the rescue mission had to be postponed for nearly a week.
Sheba, as I started to call her, was trapped and neutered. She was too wild for any attempt to find her a home and she was returned to the area where she was found. I have not seen her since because I moved just after this.
Sheba's rescue and the kindness and the advice I was given by the Community Cat people, made me want to help them. Unfortunately, I cannot keep cats where I live. Instead, I retweet some of their information and last year I bought their calendar and Christmas cards.
There are some wonderful people out there who help animals in distress and I wish them all continued success.
Community Cats are on FaceBook and can also be reached via https://communitycatsnetwork.wordpress.com/
Back in the Spring, when the weather was bad, a cat strayed into the backyard of the block where I lived at the time. She couldn't get out again as the walls were too high - goodness knows how she managed to actually get in there. She was very frightened and hid in a shed in the corner of the yard. I heard her miaow for a few nights before I actually saw her. She must have been very hungry. I bought some food for her and placed it just outside the shed together with a bowl of water and although I watched, I never actually saw her come out to eat. Next morning the food bowl was empty, though.
I phoned Community Cats in Midleton, the next town, and they promised to come and trap her. In the meantime, it started to snow heavily so the rescue mission had to be postponed for nearly a week.
Sheba, as I started to call her, was trapped and neutered. She was too wild for any attempt to find her a home and she was returned to the area where she was found. I have not seen her since because I moved just after this.
Sheba's rescue and the kindness and the advice I was given by the Community Cat people, made me want to help them. Unfortunately, I cannot keep cats where I live. Instead, I retweet some of their information and last year I bought their calendar and Christmas cards.
There are some wonderful people out there who help animals in distress and I wish them all continued success.
Community Cats are on FaceBook and can also be reached via https://communitycatsnetwork.wordpress.com/
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