Down On Your Luck.

We watched the excellent Americas programme on Sunday night presented by Simon Reeve.  In one part of his programme he visited Los Angeles.  He went on a tour of Hollywood and showed us the shop where Brad Pitt worked, the Hollywood walk of fame and Beyonces house.  

Then he showed us the opposite side of the coin.  People who are homeless living in tents pitched on the pavements and a lady who lived in a concrete railway bridge with her dog.  She seemed very articulate, self educated and listened to David Attenborough podcasts.

Homelessness seems to be everywhere these days.  Be it urban or rural.  I have often said that if there was a major disaster like a city being destroyed by natural disaster or by war or terrorism.  The governments would find the money to rebuild the city with infrastructure  and homes.  Why can't  they find homes for the homeless now?  America appears to be a land of haves and have nots?

When I visited Kent this summer.  I saw people sleeping in shop doorways at seven in the morning.  When I was young you would see an odd elderly tramp but there weren't  people of any age sleeping in doorways.  

In Ireland.  People often say good luck when bidding goodbye.  I believe in luck.  Good luck and bad luck.  Some people are just down on their luck.  

It will be interesting if there is a general election which parties will build council houses and establish credit unions to help people to buy and renovate houses?  

Time for a Thin Lizzy song me thinks:

I saw them on the Renegade tour.

Potting On In The Polytunnel..

It's been rather a washout here in Ireland this week.  I only managed half a day gardening outside.  Yesterday we bought three bags of potting compost and I spent the afternoon and this morning potting on my cuttings.

It's always a joy to see if they have grown roots.   There are hydrangea, dog wood, hebe, rosemary, fuchsias, cotoneasters, sedums, nepeta, pelargoniums, lavender..   Lots and lots of new plants.  The majority are shrubs with  a few dozen perennials.  Most perennials can be divided but I like to make cuttings too.

A glimpse inside the polytunnel.  There are lots of newly rooted cuttings, kale plants and potato stalks emerging from the polystyrene packaging.

Hardwood cuttings  can start to be taken now.  I tend to make lots of cornus or dogwood cuttings  at this time of year.   You can make your own little shrub nursery and plant them directly  in the soil in the veg plot or grow them in large pots in a cold greenhouse or polytunnel.  Just water them if necessary.   Next Spring they will start sprouting leaves and roots.

Have you had much success with cuttings?

Still Eating The Vegetables From The Veg Plot.

I picked two small swedes and some more  kale from the polytunnel this very morn along with some  beetroots and a young leek from the veg plot.

The beetroots will go in a pan of water and boil away on top of the range when its lit later today.  The vegetables will be made into a beef stew.  Organic beef mince is on offer at the German garden centre and supermarket (Lidl) this week.  So it's our second stew of the week.  We always say to each other:

"It's  not what you want.  It's what you need."

It's  just the right food when you have been outside and its wet and cold.  Yes it may be boring but it's full of vitamins and it's not been sprayed with weedkillers or grown with chemical granulated fertilizer.

I remember when me and my old friend went in a pub in Doolin last year and we both ordered the Irish stew.  It was excellent and went up to the bar and said to the barman that I would like to pay for two Irish stews.  He replied:

"Were you hungry?"

We both laughed.

What do the Police have for their dinner?

Irish stew!

" I  arrest you."

Get it?

Do you know any stew jokes?  Do you know any jokes?  Could do with a laugh.  

I Am A Cider Drinker.

I have started drinking cider because it's cheap and 5.2 Percent.  That's two litres for 3 Euros and 79 Cents.  We don't or can't get any English beer any more.  Don't know why.  I use to enjoy Newcastle Brown but you can't buy it any more.

I had a few attempts at brewing my own beer but we didn't like the taste of it.  Recently I have tried some of the Craft beers made over here.  I found them expensive and up there with my home brewing attempts.

When I  went to Canterbury at the end of July.  I would go in Wetherspoon's and order a pint of Cornish Doom Bar bitter for two Pounds a pint.  Then I would go in Sainbury's and purchase a few bottles of Newcastle  Brown Ale.  The cashier would ask me every time if I wanted a bag and if I  wanted a receipt.  Dear old Blighty.

Time for a sing song me thinks:

A Day Trip To The Top Of Snowdon.

For Gwil.

About twenty years a go my wife and my two or three year old son and my self decided to go to the top of Mount Snowdon in Wales.  We traveled by car and then boarded the mountain train.  Its a very scenic railway line and also quite steep.  On the way up we passed some Gurkha's marching up Snowdon.  Yep marching, 

 We eventually arrived at the summit and the wife went into the cafe for an ice cream for number one son and a "nice" cup of tea or coffee for her good self.  

I decided to proceed a bit higher to the cairn at the very top of the mountain.  It's more of a place of where angels fear to tred.  I slipped and slid and was not an happy bunny.  In fact I felt rather frightened.  So I scaled down the rocks and entered the sanctuary of the cafeteria.

I looked like I had been dragged through an hedge backwards.  My hair was unkempt and my leather jacket was saturated with the relentless rain and mist and my slip on shoes were saturated too.  I looked across to my son who looked like he was having a shave with his ice-cream.  Then I noticed the Ghurkhas looking at my apparel in sheer horror.  It was like they were thinking:

"We've just marched 3000 feat to the top of Snowdon in full army uniform and he's walked and climbed up it in a leather jacket and slip on shoes!"  

They didn't realize we had got there by train and I had only walked to the cairn at the top..

"I'm Living In A Cardboard Box.."

Domino is on sentry duty in the kitchen today. 


It's easy to get cabin fever when it seems to never stop raining.  We did watch Ronnie win again at the snooker this afternoon.  Domino watches it too.  He looks round the back of the television when a ball is potted.

Apparently  the word Snooker is a British army word.   The game of Billiards was designed to be played outside.  The green baize is supposed to look like grass.  They took it to play in India.   Then the Monsoon season started and they took the table inside and the game of Snooker was invented.  I  think I have mentioned this before?

Think it's Monsoon season here in Ireland too.  At least there's Snooker on the box or you can even sit in a cardboard box.  Hopefully it will stop raining and I  can make some money.  Or else it's a day potting up rooted cuttings in the polytunnel.

Phil Lynott Coin.

https://www.loudersound.com/news/thin-lizzys-phil-lynott-to-be-honoured-with-limited-edition-euro15-coin

Not only is there a special edition set of stamps celebrating Thin Lizzy being fifty years old.  There is also a special limited 15 Euros coin being minted to honour Phil Lynott.

He would  be seventy years old this year.  The last time I saw him he was 31 and l was 17.  Where does  the time go?   The coin costs sixty five Euros.  There was a coin minted for Rory Gallagher a few years ago by the same company.

My birthday and Christmas are in December.  So I think l will leave a few hints about the coin.

Here's  a video featuring Philo.  It's  about Elvis but I often think of Phil.  Dire Straits guitarist and rock n roll hero Mark Knopler is also on the record.  I would love to visit Gracelands.  Anybody been there or planning  a visit?