Snippets from my Sabbatical
May 8, 2018
American pennyroyal was the first plant I ever heard talk back to me. That was in Harriman State Park in NY. She said she prefers ~Royal Penny~ and who am I to argue? (She also prefers "devastatingly attractive" to "so cute".) Scotland was the first place where I heard a plant talk sarcastically - classic Scottish humor. I was trying to identify a weedy plant in the driveway, idly muttering, 'I wonder who you are,' and heard, plain as day, "Foxglove, I'm foxglove," and I said, "I know foxglove, you're not foxglove," thinking of the garden beauties I was familiar with at home and she said, with substantial attitude, "Fine. I'm not foxglove, fine." Guess who was right? Foxglove 1, Robin 0.
Ireland though, won me over with the sheer, sometimes overwhelming Spirit that shines out of every nook and cranny of the land. The pussy willows began to flower, the purple violets came out, and the dandelions began flowering. And I fell in love with primrose flowers (Primula vulgaris). The magic was hard to miss, the veils between this world and all the others was very thin. I must go back when Ireland is in full bloom, though it was a pleasure to watch the land turn that famous green over the course of the month since I arrived early in March, when it was still cold, brown, and sometimes snowing, and left at the end of the month when everything was springing to life!
One of my favorite things was that there are hundreds and hundreds of kilometers of marked walking trails everywhere. When the trails go through farmers' lands they simply request that walkers leave open gates open and closed gates closed. In County Clare the roads were windy and small and the vistas were gorgeous as were the lochs/lakes. Down south on the Sheepshead Peninsula, all my walks led to the sea. So beautiful.
Perhaps most magical of all were the stone circles one encountered in so many places, especially in west Cork. I felt thrills up and down my spine visiting these sacred places, and loved meeting local folks; artists, herbalists, musicians, and hearing music, and of course, drinking Guinness and other local brews in the pubs. I am appreciating my blessings very much and next up is: Greece! I'll keep you posted!
