under another sun

Up and clear headed to take a business call at 10:00 this morning. Then another day of fog and damp rolling in from the sea. The cloud was a touch higher today, however, so when we were at sea level down in Doolin past O'Connors and the little river that rushes by it, down to the sea we had an inspiring view of the cliffs, with great Atlantic waves breaking against them. Climb up a few dozen metres and we were in the cloud again. John drove us around lots today, along the coastal road, which is such a weird science fictional place, with the sheets and curves of the limestone rock curving into a wild misty grey sea. Stolid cattle finding scraps to eat here and there, and farmers driving out to see them in jeeps. Along the coast, past tiny broken stone fishermen's cottages, through some villages and we stopped for a drink in a pub by a little harbour. Then we went off to visit Yeats' Tower, Thoor Ballylee, we were the only people there for some of the time. Yeats wrote ab...

Lorraine working from home today, so a comparative lie in… Getting up at 8 o'clock. Lorraine working on the next desk while I had an excellent day's work on the book, clarifying the introduction and making its argument more rigorous. Quite satisfying and I am beginning to believe that I can actually get the thing finished. L and I received another wedding present from John and Sue, a beautiful hardback copy of The Tower by W.B.Yeats. Not only is Yeats my favourite poet, but the tower in question where Yeats lived, Thoor Ballylee, is close to their property in Ireland where we have been invited to stay. I would love to visit it. Nice to have Lorraine at home, and eat soup with her at lunch and cook in the evening before she went off to the school she is a governor at. I also slipped off this afternoon to visit Janet and Ken. Janet is having a heart check up on Monday, and Ken and I are going to collect her or visit her depending on what action is needed, after she had a bit...