After the Storm

Well, Ophelia has given us all a chance to pause for thought. There's nothing quite like a forced day indoors to make you value the outdoors - and generally how lucky we are with our temperate climate in this part of the world. 

We awoke this morning to a much calmer day and feelings of gratitude that our little corner of Ireland was spared the worst of it. We pause to think of those who were not so lucky and the teams, crews, communities and volunteers all over the country who helped prepare for Ophelia and who will deal with the loss, damage and repairs long after the storm has left the headlines. 

So, its back to normal, back to the precious days of Autumn before the dark evenings truly set in. It's time to pick the last of the crab apples to make jelly before getting outside to kick some leaves. We will also wander down to the beach to watch the waves roll in from the North - which tells us that the storm hasn't gone, it has just moved on.

It's important, every now and again, for Mother Nature to remind us who's boss.