Jeez, this Irish weather!
June, for feck’s sake, and we’ve had the heating on several times this past week or more.
It has to affect us. A dark cloud drifting across our collective psyche. A cold northeasterly rattling through our optimism.
Shivering our souls and shaking our very sanity.
Waiting for the sun to come out, the rain to pi … pass off, or that dreary wind to blow over.
Not like those smug, sun-baked tropical types swaggering around their town squares, stopping in for a cold beer, or a warm natter with their bronzed buddies under cloudless blue skies.
The senioritas and the mamacitas fanning away their attentions as they pick at a splendid sundried salad feast.
No thoughts for us pale-faced Irish, leaning into our predictably unpredictable elements.
Longing for those midnights on the holiday veranda, the kids asleep with duvets sliding off, while we adults sip wine to the beat of the clicking cicadas as the dependably warm air flirts with our arm-hairs.
Would make anyone a bit wonky, this Irish weather. Less than stable.
No matter what we do it catches us out.
Visitors here often remark how the natives never seem to be prepared for bad weather when it arrives.
The sky darkens and the forecast rain starts to spill and we are half-drenched by the time we find our macs. If we have any.
But what sort of life would it be going around with an extra jumper in your bag, or a scrunched up poncho, or carrying an umbrella, just because it might turn bad later?
So we have to be a bit reckless, take a chance, even if we’re always a little worried.
And never stop talking about the weather.
The weekend is given down to be fine …
But there’s rain in it too …
This is the wettest summer since Columbus’s time, or that was the driest May since St Patrick was a lad …
Should we take in that washing before we leave the house …
What if it …
We’re cursed with a temperate climate here, plenty of middling stuff but no extremes. Normally.
And we’re no good at all when it turns really good.
Or bad
Like when it snows seriously, the country is banjaxed altogether. And it’s the lead story on the news every night. Squealing kiddy high-jinks on toboggans, car roofs peeping out of snowdrifts, cattle rescued from freezing islands … disappearing villages … all sorts of mad stuff.
The local councils are out, putting the salt down on the roads way too late, and of course we have no special wheels on our cars or those chain things that sensible Nordic crowd put around their tyres.
There’s a run on booze and bread in the supermarkets.
Better not talk about snow, though … it wouldn’t surprise me to see a few flakes fluttering down in that nippy breeze, June or no June.
For a country obsessed with the weather, we’re just not used to it.
Not used to weather of any kind.
The sun comes out and we’re already afraid it won’t last, or telling ourselves we will pay for it later.
Or we’re sweltering in the kitchen, windows open, barely moving and gasping for a blast of cold air.
Wondering what it would be like to have predictable weather.
Good or bad.
Like we’ve been watching Fargo on Netflix, the TV series based loosely on the Coen Brothers’ movie of the same name.
It’s a heady blend of noirish malevolence and downright savagery seasoned with quirky humour.
But what has fascinated me more than anything is the snow.
I don’t know what Minnesota is like in the summer, but in Fargo, it’s snowing all the time.
Brrrrr!
No wonder we’ve had the heating on!
Snow is maybe cool to ski on and pelt a few snowballs in for an hour or two, but day after day ….
Don’t think I would fancy that.
Must do things funny things to a psyche.
All those eye-squinting variations of white and the contrasting black forbidding shadows, driving carefully up those slidey hard-packed roads, off into those low, mythic horizons.
And Billy Bob Thornton coming to waste you with a shot-gun …
Crisp and lung-expandingly clear on a good day. Miraculous blue skies high over majestic fairytale reindeer-bells-ringing panoramas of icy perfection.
But on the fog-bound bad days, I’ll bet it’s morosely grim and treacherous.
Just like Billy Bob’s character Lorne Malvo in Fargo.
But all that snow, all the time!
It must shape perceptions and keep the well-padded, snow-booted denizens in their place.
Literally at times.
Show them nature is boss.
And a tough old mother.
And still people live there.
You get used to anything the weather gods can throw at you, I suppose.
Like we do here.
Dreaming of a proper summer. Whatever that is!
How’s the weather with you?
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MomOfTwoLittleGirls
EndaStories 
Fancy a house swap? Am sweltering in the mid-thirties, hating the heat, the lethargy, the smell of sweat and BO. There’s a run on ice, on water, on beer. No one is cooking. It’s too hot to BBQ. And the flies, the flies, the flies… Be careful what you wish for, mate. A hot summer ain’t all it’s cracked up to be.
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Haha … like I said, we’re not used to any kind of weather, good or bad! Mind you, there’s no flies on us!
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As I read this, it became an angry, but informative poem and that cheered me up. Im from Brighton, I have grown to love our (almost/wannabe) Mediterranean like living. This year however, I’m back in a Parker Coat, its the late 1970’s and everything is grey again. Or is that just how life is again?
Another great post, but please lets ask for some sunshine…….
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Oh please, like Morecambe and Wise sang, ‘Bring me Sunshine’ Anything to save you from that Parka, Ian!
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Guess what song I can’t get out my head now……… Thanks for that haha
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Hazy, hot, and humid on the east coast in the States. Rains 4 days a week, usually the weekends or evenings when you’re not at work. You might get one non-rainy weekend a month in the summer. Sigh.
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Hazy, hot, I like … but humid? No thanks, Stacy!
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wet here. Not wet as in biblical-floods-and-Noahs-not-got-the-boat-ready-yet type of wet as predicted in the terrorising weather reports. Why cant they just say it might be a bit wetter than average this June rather than, stay indoors and don’t go near Wales as the whole country will be under water by ten past breakfast. It really does affect tourism business adversely. As it happens I spend 6 hours gardening today and Hubby turned up with what is either sun or wind burn on his forehead. Changeable about covers it. #globalblogging
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Flaming June is definitely not a good description of this year, that’s for sure, we have also had the heating on, I fear that we had our summer at Easter #dreamteam@_karendenbid199@gmail is
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Despite all … I’m still hoping, Karen. Thing about unpredictable Irish weather, it can occasionally break good too! hehe
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The weather certainly keeps us on our toes. One moment in Kent we have beautiful sunshine and the next its freezing cold. There’s just no rhyme or reason to it! #DreamTeam
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That’s our climate to a tee too!!!
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Same here. Still waiting for our annual one day of summer to arrive 😊
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We’re not greedy .. just a few bright spells every now and again … oh, and a cloudbuster to clear these overhead rain-laden fluffy things, Clive!
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We live in hope!
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We live in Ireland 😁
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Today has been a really hot day with temps in the 30s . At least the weather is consistent over here on our side of the pond where it’s summer all year round!
Wanna swap ?
#AnythingGoes
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…. What about the humidity? That would be one thing I can’t hack, clammy!!!
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I’m kid-free all week and looking at a weather report of nothing but rain. A lot I was hoping to accomplish in the yard and on the golf course look like they aren’t going to get done #anythinggoes
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Damn weather!!!
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Yep, humidity is high in our tropical climate but it’s good for the skin!
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I had to laugh at your description of people driving to the store to buy booze and bread before a snowstorm. We live in a pretty temperate location too, not too much snow in the winter, but when it is in the forecast, the joke around here is everyone goes to the store to buy *milk* and bread. I live in an area with a lot of teetotalers. 🙂
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Jeepers not too many teetotallers around these parts! And I do enjoy my wine!! We had a big snow scenario about 15 months ago and the running joke was the crazy run on bread!
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Oh obsessed with the weather is not the word for it. If you took the weather-related conversations out of Irish culture I’m not really sure what we would be left with. Not much I’d say! I am a bit obsessed with it myself (for every reason you have listed above) but I wish I wasn’t. That is what severe deprivation will do to a person. Oh how I yearn for proper consistent seasons. If I could just get that winning lotto ticket I could start following the sun. But for now we’ll have to keep dreaming about it! #dreamteam
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Yes, we will dream on … And not just with the #DreamTeam😀
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Im back, the weather hasn’t improved and Im still humming ‘Bring me sunshine’ but #itsOK
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Ours is still crap too … nice bright start, but the cloud cover is back … it will probably rain … ho hum
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Back from #globalblogging !
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Wet and cold here in the Midlands. It doesn’t bother me too much unless I have to go out. Summer is coming late this year, I predict it will be bright and warm in Cornwall around mid August…or it had better be, this holiday has cost me a small fortune.
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August is usually good, to be fair … especially in Cornwall, I hear!
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We had our Summer in Manchester back in February! We somehow managed an outdoor picnic then, but it’s been rotten since. SIGH. #dreamteam
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Where did that phrase “Typical Manchester weather” come from!!! Thanks Tina, ours was late in the week, A Thursday, if I remember!!
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Here’s hoping the weather turns soon. I’d happily take a warm 20 degrees. I’m not greedy. #dreamteam
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Me neither, I just want a bit o sun, nothing fancy, just coffee in the garden warm will do!
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I”m 35 and am still waiting to experience a proper Summer…! #dreamteam
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But it wiil be great when it does come!!!
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Here in middle Tennessee, we had a hotter than normal May but a nice spring June. Soon July/August will be upon us and we’ll have our hottest temps. Fortunately, we live on Cumberland Plateau and are 5-10 degrees cooler than those areas around us.
[visiting from Anything Goes Linky]
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Good for you though, Donna, at least it’s consistent there!
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We had rain last week but it hasn’t been too bad this past week. Thankfully! In fact we’ve had a bit of sunshine.
You would think with the random weather we have we would be used to it! Where’s the fun in predictable weather. hehehe
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Haha, no fun at all, Kim!!
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Just think how boring and how we’d run out of things to talk to, especially to strangers, if our weather was predictable. I love the variety. I love the chance to predict. Also I’ve lived in the Mediterranean. It can be a bit same-y. (Who am I kidding, I’d go back there in a flash!) #wotw
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You’re right, we’d be lost without the weather as a conversation gambit. Bloody hell, I wouldn’t mind a good run at predictable sunshine, though!!
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Totally agree, I hate rainy dull and cold weather! I am so glad it seems to have turned a corner here in London. Though I have gone and said it now… #dreamteam
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The weather where I live has been slightly better than last week – which wouldn’t be difficult… I’ve found it humid, too warm to wear a coat but too cloudy to risk going out with out one.
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Back with the ‘weather’ from #wotw…today we have sunshine…hallelujah!
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Back from #bloggerclubuk !
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This weather has been crazy too here in England, I wish it would make its mind up so I could put the washing on the line haha X #wotw
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There I was, thinking the West Coast of Ireland was almost tropical ( I said almost) because it was caught in the Gulf Stream? In fact a couple of years ago I was in Australia in April. First day of their Autumn. Friday afternoon and I was about to head to the airport to head home. All the office workers were clearing out and heading to bars on the baks of the Yara River in Melbourne. The university rowing team were practicing, travelling up and down the river. I then realised the benefit of living somewhere with such awesome weather! That said, Australian rainstorms are supposed to be second to none!
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We’re on the east, John. The west, in any event, gets the worst of the bad weather here, rain, snow, or wind! So at least however bad we have it here, it’s usually worse out west!
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I feel like Washington state and Ireland have similar weather. It changes so fast here and we refuse to be prepared. We get wet, we sunburn, we never know how to dress! It’s quite a roll of the dice each day just deciding what weather to dress for. #GlobalBlogging
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Like your style there Heather. Good to know there are others equally clueless!! hehe
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Today was another chaotic weather day. Woke up and it was showing sunshine, everyone wore shorts and t-shirts. Cue two hours later and the sun leaves, the dark clouds visit, the temperatures drop down into the 50s. Everyone is cold, it is raining, yet our weather app says it’s sunny. Liars. #DreamTeam
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Your last line sounds like the makings of a classic Tom Waits song, Heather!
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4 seasons in one day here as well on the west coast of Scotland, a lot of the time getting Irish castoff weather.
Not a sun/heat lover for me my idea of ideal is nice balmy weather 12-16 oC will do nicely thank you, little to no wind and dry. No need for a jacket but no risk of sunburn either.
I am a rather grumpy person in the heat, and don’t queue jump in the shop while I am waiting to pay for my ice lolly cos I will tell you straight to try the back of the queue #WoTW
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Doesn’t seem like we will be queueing for ice lollies anytime soon over here, so think you are safe enough on that score, Elaine!
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Ahh yes the weather has been a bit off here. It’s usually very wet in scotland anyway #wotw
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Our June was awash-out, and July supposed to experience a heat-wave … so let’s see!!
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Back from #abitofeverything !
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Im currently reading this on the hottest day of the year so far, and thanking the gods that tomorrow its going back to just warm. 😁 #abitofeverything
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Pretty decent this weekend here too … Pity I’m at work just now (6pm Saturday, July 29!)
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It’s been cold and crappy here but yesterday was gorgeous sunshine and today looks the same! Our winters don’t snnow but it currently feels cold enough too! #KCACOLS
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Having grown up in Sweden (near Stockholm), I’ve had my fair share of snow and winters. Now living in the south of England, I’m very grateful for less snow days, if any (and by “snow days” I mean days with snow, not “school’s off due to snow”, that never happened in Sweden!). Even more than the lack of snow though, I’m grateful for more daylight hours in the winter part of the year. The darkness of Swedish winters used to leave me a little broken… Also happy to not have the lighter summer nights, as I don’t like the sun blazing through my windows at 3 am. Not sure how I’d be with your Irish weather though, it sounds a little too irratic for my liking, lol!
Thanks again for linking up with #KCACOLS! Hope you come back again next time x
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I can only imagine having months of snow would be like. Don’t thnk I would enjoy that, or the unnnatural, to you, daylight rationing in mid-winter. Bt you are right too about our erratic Irish weather … that would drive anyway demented! Hehe
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Back from #KCACOLS !
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Oh I have to say that this year June weather has been pretty odd. This time five years ago I had my little girl and it was the hottest it’s ever been and we have never really had to worry about the weather. It rained and poured on her birthday which is a first.Thank you so much for joining us for #KCACOLS and we hope see you next time!
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Hi Kelly-Anne … at least the weather in these parts has picked up recently and we have had some lovely sunny days, with a nicer breeze. perfect for me!
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