No More CoCo Before Bedtime

It’s been one of those weeks – not again I hear you say. Could I be talking about local Northern Ireland politics? We have the DUP, the UUP, the TUV, the PUP, the SDLP. Is CoCo just another political party in ‘our wee country’, like the others on the scene continually looking back and failing to see the road ahead? Or am I thinking of the recent commercial acceptance that one of our favourite chocolate makers Cadburys will be bought over by Kraft Foods. So literally it is no more cocoa before bedtime. The end of a tradition many may say. Rather it is the end of a tradition that goes back a whole seven months. As last weekend saw the last ‘Tonight Show’ presented by Conan O’Brien. I get to watch CNBC here in Ireland and its normal programming consists of wall to wall financial news. But for two hours each weekend evening it shows the previous week’s ‘Tonight Show’. It didn’t matter who Conan’s guests were, as I always found his opening monologue the funniest part of the show. So I am going to say goodbye to Conan and Cadbury, with a little tear in my eye. But at least I still have our local entertainers up in Stormont Castle. This is a show that continues to survive cancellation, despite the fact that they have reading from the same tattered and worn scripts for years.

Slieve Croob An Easy Walk With Wonderful Views! - So I Am Told

I went for a three and a half mile hike on Sunday up Slieve Croob in the Dromara hills. I have been told that it is difficult to find not being well sign posted; though I didn't mind because I was with people who knew what they were doing and knew exactly where they were going.


I was not really sure what to expect never  having done anything like this before and I must admit to having a sense of foreboding - considering the hangover and the miserable morning that I woke up to. I don't consider myself a terribly healthy person, my main fear was that I would not be able to keep up, or that I would fall down exhausted and have to be carried back to the car. A bit of a dead weight for the more experienced walkers. Now, I know with an impending hike and all those fears it is probably not a wise thing to go out the night before and have a drink but I have a friend and all I can say about her is "She is a very bad woman! And has always been a bad influence on me". I met her for a coffee but you know how one coffee sometimes leads to a beer? and well I am not quite sure how things developed from there. They never go as I imagine they should that much is for sure.

Back to the walk, I was assured that the forecast for Sunday was to be bright and sunny but I knew as we were driving up to the Dree Hill Road car park we had no chance of sunshine. Slieve Croob was shrouded in mist and snow was laying thick in places from a few weeks ago. It was absolutely freezing and sometimes you could hardly see your hand in front of your face. Let me tell you about the views I didn't see. They are beautiful (I Googled them). On a clear day you can see the higher peaks of the mountains of Mourne and down to Lough Neagh and over to Donegal and the famous cranes Samson and Goliath in Belfast. So I have been told.

I found it easier to walk at my own pace and not to try and keep up with some of the more experienced hikers who I think were quick marching. I wondered were they all ex service people. I bet they don't smoke or drink too much. However I walked along at my own pace when I realized they would not leave me behind but would stop and wait from time to time for me to catch up. I noticed how they all chatted casually as they walked up the steep road. I didn't, not so much, I let their voices caress my ears not paying much attention to anything that was being said just focusing on getting there and get there I did!

I was delighted when I reached the summit I wanted to do a little victory dance (as there was no view for me to 'wow' and 'ahhh' at but thought it probably better to conserve my energy for the rest of the walk. The summit itself is fascinating it has the remains of what I imagine to be cairns. They apparently give you half decent shelter from the elements. More importantly to me in that moment was the fact that I had made it and had not collapsed with fatigue and totally humiliated myself. I had a real sense of achievement. The Slieve Croob Hike (or walk) is regarded as an easy walk but an easy walk in my mind is a stroll along the towpath to the lock keepers cottage for coffee and cake (or something more if you're called Iris). This walk is daunting enough for an inexperienced walker and pushes you but not too much (thank God). But it pushed me enough!

We set off again and this time we were making our way down but there was no clear path to follow and the ground rough and swampy was totally covered in nature (obviously).. You know - animal droppings and grasses, plants and boulders- I am sure the other walkers would have known the names of all this stuff if I'd asked, but I can't walk and talk at the best of times. Some of it was springy and some stiff and crackly. All of it, I was convinced put there to trip me up. I put my hand out to steady myself on a fence and felt a prick I thought I'd touched the barbed wire but it was an icicle, a long shard. "Geri" I thought. "You are mad!" But, I was amazed that an icicle could prick me. No wonder nature scares me.

This part of the journey was spent focusing on staying upright and not breaking an ankle, so I still didn't talk much to my fellow hikers. I was told on the upward journey that this part of the journey was quite simple it was just some rolling drumlins so just a bit of walking up and going down. At times the mist cleared and I saw a bit of scenery that reminded me a little of Donegal. Rough with boulders here and there and the odd sheep, some broken stone walls and rough dense low growing vegetation. At one point walking across a field tripping and splashing through this terribly swampy ground the mist was so enveloping that I could barely make out the people who were walking in front of me. There was an eeriness, almost a sense of unreality and other worldliness. I was walking on my own and deep in my own thoughts. I imagined that Brigadoon could be just beyond behind the fingers of the swirling mist and that out there people where singing 'Almost like being in love'.

When I got to the spot where the front walkers were waiting for me a guy turned to me and said exactly the same thing! You see, I may not chat much to these people but we are obviously all soul mates of sorts!

There was a little bit of what I would call hysterical running in places that were steep and I just couldn't stop myself, luckily though I didn't land on my arse once and I didn't break or twist an ankle. I got down to the car park at the Slieve Croob inn all in one piece and my wee legs still wanted to walk. They hadn't caught up with my mind saying stop.

It was a great day, Slieve Croob is where the Lagan rises and I am convinced I was walking through it in places but my feet did not start to feel the cold and wet until I was in my own car and heading home. I would recommend it but go with a group who know where they are going and know what they are doing. My ambition for walking in the future is to be able to multi task - walk and talk at the same time.




You may also like  'Cavehill The Perfect Place For Tall Tails (Tales).

And some super winter photos of Cavehill at Corinna Shares her Rambles Around Cavehill

Feeling Simply Divine

After my last blog entry one of my more intellectual friends contacted me (and I use that word - intellectual, advisedly). She was disappointed that I was not discussing The Divine Comedy (the epic poem and wondered "Who t'hell are Divine Comedy the group?


Divine Comedy the poem was written by Dante in the early part of the 14th century. It is a culmination of the medieval world/church view. My vague memory of it from my studies is that it comes in three parts. Inferno, Purgatory and paradise. A bit heavy going for this time of the year in my estimation.


I would much rather refer my friend to the works of Neill Hannon who is regarded as 'Divine Comedy'


Enough said about all that, considering that the rain has been pouring down relentlessly and unrepentant; and considering that yesterday was the most depressing day of the year, I must admit to feeling rather chirpy. Yes I can honestly say I am feeling rather divine!

Divine Comedy, Sound Systems And Bemused Lodgers

I have a 'lodger' and today she sat watching me perplexed-or bemused- or something of that nature. Her head cocking from side to side as though trying to figure out exactly what I was up to.

I rarely play music because every time I do I am reminded that I am in need of a half decent sound system. Sometimes though, I find a c d and can't resist putting it on. Tinny noise be damned, my lack of a decent sound system be damned! Sometimes you just have to belt out the music, bring back the memories.

Molly was - shocked when I put Divine Comedy on, well who could resist those smart, poetical, funny lyrics. Think of songs such as 'National Express' and 'The Frog Princess' Who could resist being transported back to an earlier time albeit for a little while?

Yes, Molly was shocked and then a little taken aback when I started to dance around the living room and sing along. She was initially a little subdued but soon got into the spirit of things when I swung my hoodie around my head and flung it high. She whined yelped and barked. (I like to think she kept in time and in tune). I doubt if the neighbors were very impressed by our antics and we'll never be asked to audition for the X factor...Seriously though, how was my day? Quiet.

Trying To Start Up A Business?

Are you a creative and imaginative person who gets ideas that you believe could be turned into business opportunities? If you are that type of person and have the patience to peruse the internet and seek out advice and even practical advice you may find that there is the possibility of grants out there to get you started.

If you visit websites such as the National Institute of Small Businesses you will find plenty of advice about what agencies to contact about getting grants and information on just what grants are. They have a blog and and a twitter page. So updates and information from them should be regular.

No matter what website you find yourself on I think you should take the time to read the information they are offering. Don't do that 'speed read' thing that is associated with surfing the web...That way you will make proper sense of what they are offering. If you think your idea may be eligible for a grant, go for it but be optimistic and patient! It may be worth your while.

Stormont In The Snow & Mrs Robinson Spoof

Stormont today, looking peaceful in the snow.

Click here to view a you tube video of Mrs Robinson. A spoof on the scandal surrounding Iris Robinson one of Northern Ireland's leading politicians and a woman who always laid claim to hold the 'moral' high ground.

Embarkation

As they walked into the terminal he was taken aback by the sheer size of it, it looked as though it stretched into the distance, the far horizon. A seething mass of humanity swayed in front of him looking as though they were aimless and disorganized from his perspective. He thought of the possibilities for chaos and confusion.

People chattered and babbled noisily around him there was a undercurrent of excitement and anxiety. As people entered they were initially unsure what to do and surged forward but terminal workers gently and firmly guided them into two separate queues. "Not much in the way of crowd control" he thought.

As he walked slowly forward in his queue stanchions appeared and the crowd dissolved into the singular as one by one the people made their way forward to the customs desks. There were no velvet ropes, no grandeur, but sensible retractable belts. These barriers were there to show the way in an orderly fashion rather than to hem people in. He noticed how it is in the nature of man to approve of order over disorder as one of the belts loosened from its fitting and a man in the queue fixed it firmly back in place.

The few dark thoughts about his surroundings that he was having started to lift as he finally came to one of the desks and handed over his passport and his documents. He felt he would soon be back in the light of day and out of this over sized human barn. The excitement of his vacation lay ahead. When he had entered it had looked like a mass of confusion, but it had turned out not so bad after all.