unironedman

IN WHICH WE COME TO THE END OF OUR COURSE, DO A WEE BIT FOR NATURE, BID A FOND FAREWELL TO AN OLD FRIEND, AND GET A LITTLE FESTIVE CHEER ON BOARD…

That month fairly flew! I have finished up my EMT course, and have been deemed fit enough to go forward for my 40 hours of placement on a local ambulance service. After that, there is an exam, and then a series of practical tests in front of a number of examiners where you have to be able to perform a range of medical skills over a short period. Nerve-racking, for sure. All part of the journey, I say to myself. Possibly as a form of reassurance!

On Saturday evening, we went to see one of Tamsyn’s friends from school, who is carving out a lovely career as an operatic singer. She is part of a quartet, and they put on a lovely show in the local church, singing a blend of classic carols, operatic favourites and a couple of more contemporary tunes.

Earlier that day, I rendezvoused with an old friend to bid him farewell. I met Dale many moons ago in another life, and we shared many projects together in the wildlife arena. He is an irrepressible Aussie; rare to see him in anything other than fine humour, and a sheer physical presence wherever he rocks up. You were never in any doubt that Dale was in the room. Indeed, the building.

For personal reasons, he is heading back to Oz. Not for good, I gather, and I am sure we will meet again somewhere down the line. To say goodbye properly, he had arranged a tree planting on a woodland not far from me (this is standard Dale stuff, believe me). The group who supplied the trees and some labour were Crann, and you can read more about them here. Their patron is the President, Michael D Higgins, such is their pedigree.

And so I found myself on a very cold and damp Saturday afternoon, careering down a muddy track in the back of a flatbed truck with a dozen or more foolhardy souls. We gathered in a clearing, and spades were handed out, along with Holly and Hazel saplings to plant. We made short work of the planting, in truth, and then it was on to the more serious business of making a presentation to Dale for all his fabulous work with Crann over the years in environmental education.

The landowner, Joe, was on hand with a bottle of Sloe vodka and a tray of shot glasses. It was the perfect fuel for a freezing day in a damp wood. Speeches were made, and it was quite emotional for many there.

The day had actually started with Mark and I going out for a little run. I have no idea why I am telling the tale of this day backwards, but here are! We took to the park and managed about 7 or 8 k before retiring to the local Insomnia for hot chocolate.

And so here we are, lovely people. The planet continues to spin, and we spin with it. We journey once more around the sun, and as Saoirse announced cheerfully the other day, it won’t be long before the days start getting brighter again. Though I note from a few of my contacts on social media, there have been some unusual flowerings in the last week, not least Wood Anemone. This is one of my favourites, and I will regularly post images of it in a variety of places, including this blog. But it flowers in late February and on into March and April, so it has no business being out at this time of year. My own bit of floral madness can be seen by the pond, where an Easter Lily has decided to flower. It’s a bit odd, and a little disconcerting.

Speaking of social media (well, I was, anyway), let me share with you a recent exchange on the family Whatsapp group. It’s called the FamSquad, and is just for the four of us. The question posed was: which film will we go and see this week? One suggestion was Napoleon. Another; Wonka. Then I added that, according to real historians, they are essentially the same…

I am, indeed, a loss to comedy. But then, you knew that anyway 🙂