June 26, 2011
Midsummer 2011, the shortest night of the year, passed by with little ado here in Ireland. There was no holiday, just a brief note in the calendar that the midpoint in the waxing and waning of light came. The Irish Examiner did report that some persons in East Cork part took in the ancient Viking custom of burning bonfires on the night. Jumping over the fire 3 times will clear you of sins and sickness for the upcoming year it is said. But there were no reports of wild dancing around flaming heaps of gorse by Kerry maidens engaged in love and fertility rituals.
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May 29, 2011
I used to know all the species of trees growing in Finland. Here in Ireland I have struggled to get to know the names of even a few of the trees I have encountered. The ash, for example, seems to morph itself into all kinds of shapes depending on the location and soil. There is a great variety of birches – maple, oak, beechnut and alder all grow wild.
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