Really? Rain?

June 27, 2010

I just checked the weather forecast, and I don’t like it at all. Today: rain. Tuesday: showers. Wednesday: rain and wind. Thursday: rain.

We all knew it would come to this at some point, but I think everything may change now. We can’t go lie on the beach in the sun now, like some did this weekend in Kinsale. We can’t admire the blue sky above the Quad on UCC’s campus. But at least our raincoats will finally get some wear.

Weather is a popular conversation topic among the Irish. I discussed it at length with the woman who ran the Sunville B&B in Bantry, Bridget, who introduced herself as Brita. “It looks clear until Wednesday at least,” she had told me as we were about to venture for a walk Saturday evening. But outside, we were trapped by a five-minute mist above the center of the town as we were eating a picnic dinner of bread, cheese, hummus and chips. Behind us, a full rainbow appeared completely above the city, with the ends stretching to the edges and the mountains. (Was there a leprechaun or a pot of gold? We can only wonder.)

Apparently, Ireland had a harsh winter this year, Brita told me. They’ve hardly seen so much snow. And the past few weeks have been the warmest and sunniest in a while. The last two summers were dreadful, she said, so we should be thankful we were here now. Parts of the country were even experiencing a drought, but her husband still watered their yard occasionally to keep their gorgeous, bright roses healthy.