After almost five years since our move from the UK we now have a very different life here in rural Ireland. I became aware of it last week when I was about to go back inside. It had just started to rain but I realised I was not running to the door. Instead I ambled over calmly, brushing my wet hair as I got there. Then I remembered I’d forgotten to check the water system so went back out in the rain. We are responsible for much of our own infrastructure and as I noted water and electricity usage I reflected on how much time this actually takes every week.

Back in the house, I heard the bathroom basin glugging away. I’d used a high power water jet to clear it a few weeks ago but it was blocking up again. The power jet is battery operated, like most of the tools, as the electricity is improved but not totally reliable. I was glad to see the evil biofilm had not returned. This was something new and most unpleasant in our different life. A putty-like slime that can grow in the pipes, it is hard to remove but needs to go. In my new, different life I use water jets, boiling water and then bleach to repel this invader. Bleach is used with caution but we have found a brand that is compatible with a septic tank system.

There are a number of other invaders too. The bats are still around so we have to be careful at night. Another bird, a wren this time, flew into the back porch and had to be ushered out gently. There is evidence of another pine marten in the orchard (the scat is quite distinctive) and I believe it was responsible for destroying a nest I found, ripped open, below the plum tree. Charlie won’t go near the scat or any other traces of a pine marten. Clever boy – they are small but fearsome. On the other hand we get foxes ambling through the yard and setting off the security lights. Fox scat is, apparently, irresistible. I have to keep an eye on him when out walking as he sidles up and will snatch a mouthful. Horrid boy Charlie!

We have been very, very tired recently – not what we expected from a different life in retirement. Last week much of this can be attributed to a hospital visit in Limerick. This can take anything between four hours and eight depending on traffic, parking, waiting time at the hospital, delays in any procedure and getting out again. In this different life the Regional Hospital system makes accessing specialised health care – even a check-up – difficult and stressful.

Limerick UCH is the worst in the whole country with more bodies (alive, we are assured) on trolleys, longer waiting lists and an admin system full of holes. We’ve taken some responsibility for our own health by checking for missing appointments and asking (obviously impertinent) questions. But sometimes you have to trudge to Limerick, then down and up steps, along corridors and sit on very uncomfortable chairs for several hours. If you have limited mobility it is a bit of a nightmare.

Despite this we have pushed on and the horticultural part of our different life is flourishing. The pots in the garden were overgrown with a type of tall grass and several had a layer of solid roots about six inches down. Jacqui managed to clear most of them out and prepared them for planting. We are still trying to save my pathetically weak shoulder so I couldn’t do much. After 18 months I had hoped for more improvement but a fairly disastrous physio session put it back a long way. Nothing to do with my advancing years of course…

Now we have peas, stringless beans, climbing French beans, sweet peas and wonderful salad leaves all flourishing on the gravel soakaway. The gravel itself was almost overgrown with this tall grass and as we pulled it up we saw it was growing from corms. It has seeded from the silage field over the wall and is likely to be an annual problem. Well, we are learning new things all the time and will be prepared to repel the invaders in future. In the polytunnel there is a new frame for the tomato plants, which are flourishing.

The myriad of bees that circle the lavender and the wild flowers have discovered the new plants now and there are butterflies and dragonflies in the wood and the orchard. I also spotted the smallest moth in the house one evening. We are keeping a close eye on the ripening fruit, watching for windfalls and looking forward to picking apples and plums soon. There’s a storm forecast for later this evening, so we are keeping our fingers crossed all is well. Yes, life is very different here with new challenges and different concerns. Still, we wouldn’t change it back.

Hoping you all have a happy and safe August. I’ll try not to miss a week next time.

Take care and thank you for reading.

Jennie.