WITH AN OVERSATURATED landscape all around Ireland, I'm off to the quays of Clonmel to see water behaving as though it was an ocean current. The force and pressure of the River Suir is stressing embankments that have been partially reinforced against the occurrence of a 75-year event. That's what is happening around most of ireland--persistent rain is soaking the landscape at a rate seen once every 75 years. In my local area, oversaturation means slurry-laced wash-off can trickle into the fresh water supplies. I recommended to my visitors from Oregon that they don't accept water with ice cubes from any Irish venue becaus there is no guarantee that local tap water has been boiled before serving or freezing. Our car has brown weeds attached to its rear bumper and strands of grass poking through its alloy wheels after navigating standing water deeper than two feet between Freshford and Kilkenny. Traffic announcements from Bus Eireann and Irish Rail include summaries of entire town centres closed to traffic. As I type this in my mobile phone, AA Roadwatch solemnly announce all traffic into and out of Cork is suspended. Unfortunately for the businesses in Cashel, the coach traffic originating from the south cannot get onto the main routes for an extended walkabout of the Rock of Cashel. It would be a good day to count today as a national strike because a wide swath of people just can't get to work. Outside, it feels warmer than November. I wonder if that's a sign. Sent mail2blog using Nokia E90 O2-3G service on the N24 into Clonmel, County Tipperary, Ireland.
