Hello

[An Tarbh Dubh]

I'll have to admit I was the despair of my English Lit teacher in school: he was somewhat miffed at my friend and I working on orbital mechanics problems and things like that instead of paying attention to him reciting literary notes. He was even more miffed when we were able to recite his notes back to him verbatim, since we'd cottoned on that he was just reading out readily-available "prepared" notes! However, one poem did make it through and stick in my memory: a poem by Robert Frost (I'm pretty sure it was he), with the line "miles to go before I sleep".

[Threewellsofmyown]

I hated English Lit

Books are to be read and enjoyed not disected into totally boring meaningless notes and assumptions about the author's intended meaning

Only one author lost me and left me totally cold

Dickens whose verbosity is enough to ruin any thread of a storyline

[An Tarbh Dubh]

A fine pair of literary heathens we are ... and with my sister being a professor of Anglo-Irish literature and all!

[goodlookingone]

Hi, if you see me here, chase me away - got to do things, an get stuff in todays post ... Anybody got any first class stamps?

[Will - LP]

Just a brief call in to say Hi, and try this out.
I'm off on my hol's on Thursday, so won't be about anywhere for a while.

Nice to see you here, Rwth

I'm with you on Dickens, 3W. Far too wordy. I prefer Wilkie Collins.

This is the poem, An Tarbh Dubh. One of my all time favourites, I've regularly used lines from the last stanza as a sig-file.

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
BY ROBERT FROST

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.


Cheers all. Be good.
Will.

[Rwth of Cornovii]

Apparently, he wrote it on a summer's morning after being up all night working on something else. I don't think that spoils it for me.

I did love English, but agree that over analysis was a waste of time. I did A level and found the single remark about "The Tempest" that "It was all about Prospero learning to rule and not spending his time with his books" rather illuminating. I soon worked out that just reading the texts a lot and being able to quote bits meant that you could say anything you liked if there was anything in the text to support it. It doesn't matter what anyone else says. Small wonder that I have been creeping over to science, but use a historian's critical view of the experts' writings.

Yes GLO, I have a first class stamp. I'll post it to you. Oh I haven't got your address. Never mind, you can buy them in Tescos. I usually try to keep a book of them handy.

[goodlookingone]

Gawd.. quiet here innit?

[goodlookingone]

Goodnight each - Beatysleep needed..... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[An Tarbh Dubh]

And another working day dawns ... strange, there seems to be some sun shining.

[Mrs Hippo]

Too hot today. Off to find a nice mud wallow to read my book in. If I lie on my back, I can hold a cocktail and a parasol in my feet too. Need the other front paw to turn the pages.

[goodlookingone]

Too hot and dry to find mud, here.
Too hot to walk up "One Tree Hill" to find a breeze.
Too many Flying Ants and/or Mites and/or other itchyables to stay here.
Lifes a Bugger sometimes innit?

[An Tarbh Dubh]

Too hot today. Off to find a nice mud wallow to read my book in. If I lie on my back, I can hold a cocktail and a parasol in my feet too. Need the other front paw to turn the pages.

You'd like County Clare ... thousands and thousands of acres of mud-wallowing! With the occasional pub to break the monotony ... even the odd road meandering through the muddy bogs

The biblical 40 days and 40 nights of rain would constitute a worrying drought here ...

[goodlookingone]

Not Certain whats Happened Here - Couldn't find the reply page and had to log in again.

I HAVE been to County Claire.. I also remember Walking up Sugarloaf Mountain, which I think was in the next County, and finding a few plataue en-route with spongy turf, like bouncing across a mattress.

[Mrs Hippo]

Sounds heavenly Mr Dubh!

[Rwth of Cornovii]

Sorry, I've not been in for a day. I'm weak now from having my locks curbed. I was going for a long walk this afternoon, but got sidetracked. It's just as well I took a walk in Cleeve Abbey car park and community meadow.

I've not been to County Clare. Nothing further north than Bantry so far, via the Sheeps Head Path or the Goats Head Path depending on where you are when you look up to see the near vertical road up the mountain.

I was going to pass on the link to this place to a friend, Brian's Cravat who was wondering where 3 Wells had got to, so don't be surprised if he appears.

[goodlookingone]

Each time I get in here I have to re-register. Might be better to get a few wrinkles soierted, but yes, twould be nice to Keep Brian in the loop.

[An Tarbh Dubh]

No worries, Rwth ... we'll keep an eye out for Brian's Cravat. This is never going to be the Grand Central (or Church Gate ...) of message boards, more like a comfy snug, but good company is always welcome.

There's a road we took once on our way home from Bantry, called the Priest's Leap: utterly spectacular. Barely suitable for cars (or nervous occupants): very steep, with very sharp bends over crests, but before it plunges down the far side of the pass heading for Kenmare, the views back across Bantry Bay are simply stunning.

I found these photos we took, one looking back, the other one looking ahead:

Bantry Bay from the Priest's Leap road

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Priest's Leap road, towards Kenmare

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GLO, I think there's a Sugarloaf in West Cork ... the one I know is on the other side of the country, in Wicklow (actually there's two there: Big and Little - I used to do orienteering between and around them in my youth. Can't do that anymore, they've run a flippin' motorway through the glen). I believe the West Cork one (probably that's the one you know of) is in the Caha Mountains, between counties Cork and Kerry, so very nearly "the next county" to Clare

3Wells is somewhat down at the moment, but will pop in now and again: at the moment, she's watching the Great British Bake-off and enjoying some Doom Bar beer, from Cornwall. Which we first found while taking a motoring holiday through Cornwall and the West country, and it's now available here.

[An Tarbh Dubh]

Each time I get in here I have to re-register. Might be better to get a few wrinkles soierted, but yes, twould be nice to Keep Brian in the loop.

You shouldn't have to re-register; if that was happening I'd be getting new user registrations! Perhaps you are having to re-login; try ticking the "remember me" check box. I'll do some example screen shots in the morning and post them.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[goodlookingone]

An Tarbh Dubh. I'm sure you gessed that like all tourists we stayed at Glengarriff, a Bay out of Bantry Bay. I think the climb up that hill/mountain started from the beach, thus the height above sea-level was the Height we climbed.
I was about to show off re Another Sugarloaf, Peak District - but I can't find any ref to it - only another in S Wales Brecon Beacon..... So I'll shut up. So wonder what the derivation is?

I did tick the "remember me" again but this time it stuck.
Goodnight each.

[Rod]

And it's wotcha from me.
Rod (aka Gtteyrod /one legged wonder)