This is the story of "Felix and the Fiddle", our first true "Swap":

Way back in the first year of the century we were in South Africa, getting ready to migrate to Ireland. We had spotted some brilliant handmade copper and brass figures of musicians at an art gallery, and thought we would be able to sell them in Ireland. However, having no spare capital was a problem!

We tracked down and got to know the creator of these humorous figurines, Kosie Wium, and got on very well with him. It turned out that apart from being a sculptor, artist and poet, he is also a keen fisherman and offroad driver. At the time our daily transport was "Oscar", a 1976 Series 3 short wheelbase Land-Rover, but we also had "Felix" a 1972 Series 2A long wheelbase stationwagon fitted with a 4.1 litre Chevrolet straight six engine. We didn't use Felix very much, due mainly to his massive thirst.

Sooo, when Kosie starting looking covetously at Oscar, we cheekily offered him Felix - in exchange for a collection of his figurines! He was interested, and after we agreed a value for Felix, he faxed us a list of figurines, using his trade price and adding a few extra, because he's like that. We said yebo gogo, and Kosie went to work on the figurines!!

A few weeks later he visited us for a barbeque, bringing along all the figurines, carefully packed in black dusbin bags!! We gave him Felix's keys, and he went away contented!!

On Wednesday evening we were sitting quietly after supper when there was an “anybody home”? Call from the door. Oi vey, we thought, bloody tourists! Nope – it was Tony, with a rope in his hand, to the other end of which was attached Bridie, the Connemara pony! “I've brought a friend to visit” he said! And he stayed and chatted for a good while, with us getting to know old Bridie again. She was very patient and calm, and just stood there savouring all the attention. She obviously dotes on Tony, as she was nuzzling his chest! They really do take good care of their animals, those Keanes. Very special lot altogether, and what a nice thing, to walk old Bridie all the way up to door to say howzit. She had been away off up the mountain across the valley for months, and we missed her a lot.

Apparently she is a kosher Connemara, and has the papers to prove it, but she isn't show material as she is the wrong colour!! Apartheid exists in the horse world! The best colour for Connemara's is apparently grey, and she is a deep brown – chestnut, I think they call it. The old girl is about 15 years old, and has had a pretty solitary life, alone on the mountains most of the time. Her mother and a couple of sisters were stolen – horse rustling is alive and well in these mountains! They didn't ever ride her, but she was used to haul fenceposts way up high on the mountains at one time.

"Bridie" is our name for the old girl, after we heard that the ruin in the woods across from us was "Bridie Lally's House". Recently, down at Keane's pub, I got chatting to a fellow at the bar (as you do!) and he said no, she was actually Biddy Lally, and he was the young chap who found her lying dead in the house, many years ago, when his parents had asked him to go up and check on her. She was a spinster, and lived alone up here. She had long blonde hair, and used to wash it in the stream that runs down the side of our house, and then sit and comb it dry in the sun on the big rock where our house now sits.

Hehehe – an Irish solution to an Irish problem! For the last few months we have been watching the progress of young Thomas's new house down there across Lough Bofin. That was where we first stayed when we came over here, in his Aunt Pauline's house just down the road – a dead-end, which up until 1935 was actually the route of the Galway to Clifden railway line.

Anyhow, young Thomas is a very pleasant young feller indeed, and the house is pretty big, for that neck of the woods, with a big double garage to one side – seperate from the house, as is the way round here. The walls went up, the roof went on (hope he's used tiles like we have, with an extra nail at the bottom, as he'll get a lot of wind where the house is) and the usual big mountain of topsoil was dumped next to the house. Ah, there's the garden now, we said. Sure enough, in due course it was spread out neatly – and then – extravagance of extravagances! - roll-out turf was laid out – instant lawn! Brilliant, but must have costaplenty!

Driving past tonight, what did we see dotted all over his brand new off-the-shelf lawn: SHEEP – a whole herd of them!! Jawelnofine, the lad obviously has run out of funds for the obligatory ride-on lawnmower, so why not just inspan the family herd to do the necessary?!! Fair play to ye, lad, as they say around here!! Nice one!!

Yebo Gogo! and here we go a-Blogging once again. It's sure to be sporadic, but that is the nature of life these days. Hang in there, and check back often!

Hot (well 23 degrees is hot in Connemara!) Sunday on the side of our mountain in Maam Valley, and a very lazy day it has been, too. However, I did find time to tinker with the online photo album sites, and have posted new (and some duplicates too, by accident!) stuff up at:

http://picasaweb.google.com/alan.cookson
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alan-cookson/
and www.snapfish.co.uk

The best photo place seems to be picasa, they have just set up a picasaweb service that integrates with a new version of picasa, and with Hello! - a photo orientated chat program. Works best if both parties are on line at the same time, although it will apparently queue stuff for someone offline, and deliver when they go online.

Broadband looks like it could reach this outpost of civilisation by the end of next year, since rumour has it that there is a Government directive to the effect that all schools have to have broadband up and running by then. We shall see! Meantime we have upgraded to ISDN, which is no faster than dialup (unless you you both lines together, and pay for 2 calls!) but does allow us to use the telephone and surf at the same time. Works fine on my old desktop, but whenever we switch the modem across to the laptop - that has to be rebooted. VERY inconvenient! Have no idea what causes that. Maybe the fact that my desktop is running XPSP1, but the laptop runs XPSP2, which has more strenuous security features?

Nina's birthday today, so had a cheerful chat with her around midday, just as festivities were getting under way in Amsterdam! She had already received my wee parcel, sent off on Thursday, so that was great. Sounds like it was a really hot day over there, with 30 forecast.

That's it for now, must go and pour some Birthday Booze, and get supper on.

Well Goodness Golly Gosh, this is totally brilliant stuff! Well done Ninotch, I LOVE it!! Keep up the skryfing and blogging. PA XXX

Stories from the Jukebox of Time

This is brilliant stuff! As if one needed any further encouragement to get Blogging, the good old Economist comes up with a very "on Point" article. Actually it's part of a survey on "The New Media" (Among the audience | Economist.com) in the April 20th issue.

It's the links, stupid | Economist.com

It was crazy busy at work today, as the 8th of December is what they call "Culchy Day" over here. "Culchies" being country yokels who hit town for their Christmas shopping. It's some feast or Holy day, I believe the Assumption (whatever that may be!) of the BVM HERSELF, and schools are off. Traditionally it is the start of the serious Christmas buying season, like in America it is the day after Thanksgiving.

The traffic started just after Peacocke's Hotel at Maam Cross, and I was in total shock. Normally there is nobody on that first 25 minute run to Oughterard.

No big sales at work today, just steady prezzie stuff. Got a nice 599 € diamond yesterday, though, so mus'nt grumble, I suppose.

Lekker slap frikkadel, chips, egg and beans comfort-grub supper, with a glass of rooiwyn and some Irish music on TG4. Followed by a bit of website work, tinkering with Art in the West and Lyndacookson.com, and showing HERSELF how to put up links.

After a lekker Sunday spent pottering around sorting out art and
website stuff, this morning we went in to Galway City Library and
hung 60 of Lynda's pictures, ready for the "opening" on Wednesday. We
thought it might take an hour or two, but in fact it took over four
hours! And that was without having to drill any holes, or hammer any
nails, as the walls were already drilled and bolted adequately.

What took the time was deciding what to put where, and in quite a few
cases adjusting cords, chains etc, so that everything hung right.
There were some floor-standing movable padded panels that took a big
picture each side, but we had to rig these up with old-fashioned
picture hooks, as used on picture rails in old houses, and fishing
line.

The highlight for me was having an excuse to visit Freeney's fishing
tackle shop to get some heavy-duty fishing line. Tony, the owner,
gave me a little brochure on knots for fishing line, so I'll be
practising away on the rest of the line! Goodo, I love knots, but my
really good knot book never made it to Ireland, sad to say. Didn't
have time this morning to learn and try any new ones, as we were
seriously pushed for time, so I just had to settle for the good
sailor's standby, the bowline. Seems to work fine in monofilament
fishing line, as long as it is under tension.

Josephine, the Head Librarian, was very friendly and helpful, and
even has wine glasses to lend us for the opening! She will also do a
short introduction, after which a couple of young dance students will
dance some Irish dances, then I do a two minute spiel, followed by
some drinks and munchies. Sounds like a good party, eh?!

Sunday was wild, windy and very wet, but today the sun came out for
most of the day. Still very wet, but I think we missed all the rain today,
as we were inside at the time. Just as well it didn't rain while we were loading and
unloading all the pictures.

Alhamdulillah - Lynda's new website is up and running, as of today YEEHA! This
is a commercial website, which she will manage, and earn commission
on. It was her idea, and the technology is the same as used on the
SouthAfricanArtists website, which is run by folk in England! OI VEY,
Isn't technology wonderful! The website is over at
www.emeraldisleartists.com, and so far it has 1 artist - Lynda,
HERSELF!! Expect more to join pretty rapidly!!!

Back to work at Samuel's tomorrow: 12 - 6 shifts, Tues, Wed and
Thurs, 12 - 9 Friday and 9 - 6 Saturday. Oh well, at least there's a
chance to do some work - or have a lie in on four days!!

After a lekker Sunday spent pottering around sorting out art and
website stuff, this morning we went in to Galway City Library and
hung 60 of Lynda's pictures, ready for the "opening" on Wednesday. We
thought it might take an hour or two, but in fact it took over four
hours! And that was without having to drill any holes, or hammer any
nails, as the walls were already drilled and bolted adequately.

What took the time was deciding what to put where, and in quite a few
cases adjusting cords, chains etc, so that everything hung right.
There were some floor-standing movable padded panels that took a big
picture each side, but we had to rig these up with old-fashioned
picture hooks, as used on picture rails in old houses, and fishing
line.

The highlight for me was having an excuse to visit Freeney's fishing
tackle shop to get some heavy-duty fishing line. Tony, the owner,
gave me a little brochure on knots for fishing line, so I'll be
practising away on the rest of the line! Goodo, I love knots, but my
really good knot book never made it to Ireland, sad to say. Didn't
have time this morning to learn and try any new ones, as we were
seriously pushed for time, so I just had to settle for the good
sailor's standby, the bowline. Seems to work fine in monofilament
fishing line, as long as it is under tension.

Josephine, the Head Librarian, was very friendly and helpful, and
even has wine glasses to lend us for the opening! She will also do a
short introduction, after which a couple of young dance students will
dance some Irish dances, then I do a two minute spiel, followed by
some drinks and munchies. Sounds like a good party, eh?!

Sunday was wild, windy and very wet, but today the sun came out for
most of the day. Still very wet, but I think we missed all the rain today,
as we were inside at the time. Just as well it didn't rain while we were loading and
unloading all the pictures.

Alhamdulillah - Lynda's new website is up and running, as of today YEEHA! This
is a commercial website, which she will manage, and earn commission
on. It was her idea, and the technology is the same as used on the
SouthAfricanArtists website, which is run by folk in England! OI VEY,
Isn't technology wonderful! The website is over at
www.emeraldisleartists.com, and so far it has 1 artist - Lynda,
HERSELF!! Expect more to join pretty rapidly!!!

Back to work at Samuel's tomorrow: 12 - 6 shifts, Tues, Wed and
Thurs, 12 - 9 Friday and 9 - 6 Saturday. Oh well, at least there's a
chance to do some work - or have a lie in on four days!!