(Written yesterday, I didn’t get around to the photos until this morning)

Hi! I’m in the mood for some stream-of-consciousness writing. I’ve not done this in a while!

It’s currently 4:30 in the afternoon, and I’m outside in the back yard, snuggled in my adored Coleman folding camp chair. I will be heartbroken when this chair wears out! None of the other three folding chairs we have are half as comfortable, and none have two cup holders. Best chair ever, and I won’t find another over here to replace it.

It’s about 22degrees c, or 72f. This is my perfect, perfect temperature. I’m in shorts and my bikini top, likely getting the last rays of sunshine that I will get until next April. It’s breezy, but it feels good rather than being chilling. I almost feel as though my upper body and shins are sucking the sunshine in, gasping for this last chance. It’s wonderful.

I did a little putzing about with plants today, and took a rake of pictures with my iPhone. First thing I did was pot up some sweet William seedlings. The S.W. has gone to seed and oh myyyy, have they have germinated. Oops! I put a call out on Facebook for anyone who wanted seeds/seedlings to come and get them, but had not one taker. I think all my local friends and family are only going football crazy and have no time for anything on FB that isn’t Mayo related. I experimented by putting up a pic of my Houttuynia cordata ‘pied piper’, as it is red and green. Tons of ‘likes’ for that! Yep, football-brains only around here it seems.

I don’t think I mentioned that I was doing another experiment, this time with what I hoped were seeds from my skinny purple iris. I put them into sifted fine soil, in a plastic take-out container that has a lid. Set it on a sunny windowsill and left it.* For about four months! Finally, when I remembered to check on it, there was life. Not just the moss and mould, but something that looked like grass. I sighed and supposed that it was grass, and was prepared to give up… until I took a closer look and realised that these were indeed baby iris plants! Go, me! *Same method I used to ahahaget the lilac seeds to germinate last year.

Today I potted them up; I really hope they survive. I don’t want to put them outside, so I hope they don’t get too big, or get confused about what season it is.

We also Had A Man In to sweep our chimney. First time in 8 years, we were really chancing our arm waiting so long! He brought in a big shop-vacuum and his brushes and rods (in a nifty copper tube, it probably is an antique), laid down some quite grey but clean sheets, and got to work. Only took about 15 minutes for the actual cleaning, another 15 for setting up and tearing down again. €45 – a bit much for 30 minutes of work, really, but when done he asked hubby, “You do a bit of computer work, don’t ye? I’ve a 2 month old Garmin sat nav that isn’t right, and the shop won’t help me. Can I drop it intae ye and you’ll have a look?” So, I’m guessing we’ll get €20 back in trade. Got to appreciate men with skills!

The clouds are sweeping in, and the angle of the sun is so low this time of year that my neighbour’s roof leaves my back garden in shadow. I have the smallest sliver of sun left to me, along the back wall, an imperfect triangle that is getting smaller minute by minute. I’ve only been writing about a half an hour, with a break to help hubby bring in the shopping. It seemed when I started that I would have sunshine forever. Gone, gone! So fleeting, the things that we treasure the most. I’ll have to put my real clothes back on and go sit out front, instead… Ah, that’s better. Back in the heat, with a little less skin showing because NOONE needs to see me in a bikini top. The bikini rather makes my neck sore anyway – there’s a bit of weight pulling on my neck, can’t imagine what that’s about… Hehehe.

Hmm. Now that I’m out front, I’m noticing that the Tigridia has nice fat seed heads. I wonder could I start some of those next year? I wonder would any of you be interested in giving it a try, too? We could have a seed exchange! Of stuff that is really, really complicated and slow to grow. Anyone up for it?

Hubby’s been to our local (award-winning) craft butcher, and intends on grilling the delicious meat he purchased. He originally said he was going to grill in the morning, to fortify ourselves before the big game. He’s also still deciding if we watch it at home, or go to the pub. If we watch at home, we’ll go to the pub after, of course. I know I’ll be hurting on Monday morning if we go to the pub to watch (it’s on at 3 in the afternoon! That’s a bit early even for me to start horsing drinks into me), but the craic will never, ever be forgotten if we’re with a crowd and we win. Besides, everyone I know will be hurting Monday morning anyway! I think we should go out to watch it. I want those hugs from drunken strangers, I want to see a sea of red and green jerseys, I even want the little girls and boys in their Mayo gear, eating crisps and drinking orange, trying to be good and grown up in the pub while dad, or mum, or mum and dad, are shouting at the telly and downing pints. I want face paint and red and green fingernails on the women and silliness and extreme emotion! I want the Irish sport experience. I love it, I do!