My thoughts on a page.

I’ve been seriously let down and I think I may be psychologically damaged as a result. I’m quite a strong person but today I’m struggling and I’m sure I’m not alone. For over one hundred and nineteen thousand people in Cork were promised Summer today, and as it is now after 8 pm it is clear to me, we were duped.

For those of you who do not live in dreary, overcast, cold, damp Cork you will not know that we have waited for months for Summer. Then last Thursday live on television, as the rain pelted down and we turned on the heating, the weather forcaster announced that things were about to change.

I shushed all around me and reached for the remote control, as we watched a lovely lady point to a map of Ireland, littered with suns, promise us that temperatures were about to rise. Within days we would be melting. I couldn’t believe my ears. So thrilled was I that I wondered if I’d misheard. Had it all been wishful thinking? So I tuned into the late night news and weather a few hours later, on a different channel, and joy of joys another lovely lady was showing a picture of Ireland with just as many bright sunny suns scattered about it.

It was happening.

The following day, Friday, I began to busily prepare for Summer. As it was only a couple of days away I’d better look to see if I’d anything to wear. Opening my wardrobe a plentiful supply of warm, woolen jumpers fell out around me. Not to worry I’d not be needing them next week. I restocked with three quarter length jeans, t-shirts and light cardigans. It was like greeting old friends.

Saturday came but I’d a swim gala which would go on all day, so I’d not be able to enjoy the first day of Summer. As I left for the trip to an out of town pool I was a little puzzled by the damp, misty morning, but told myself it was early, maybe the Summer was waiting for the afternoon to arrive? Or maybe not, for as I left for home at 7pm that evening, the same damp, misty rain was falling.

Arriving home I wasn’t overly bothered as I’d been indoors all day and who would have wanted roasting hot sun making the pool complex even warmer? Sunday would be better. I was getting up early for teaching so I set out my three quarter length jeans and t-shirt, ready for the lovely day to come. I wondered would I go with my navy jeans, but no it was Summer, no more dull colours, time to don my whites.

Imagine my disappointment when I woke up to dark skies? However I remembered the lovely lady and the sunny map of Ireland so dismissed the dullness, remembering my mothers joy filled words whenever we would wake up and look out at a beautiful sunny day,

‘That wont last long, it’s too bright too early’

Yes mum was surely correct. It would brighten up later. So off to the pool I went, white trousers…on, t-shirt… on, summer shoes… on. Three hours later I emerged and immediately knew the white trousers had no place on such a day. I drove home scanning the sky for any glimpse of blue. None. The day was grey and cool, but it wasn’t yet midday, surely there was still hope?

I’d asked a friend to come play a game of golf with me. We were meeting at one. I looked out the door at 12.30 and there was no improvement, in fact it looked worse. Running upstairs I returned to my winter clothes and pulled on warm black trousers. I left on my t-shirt, because the lovely lady promised, but pulled on a warm jumper. Then I went down and grabbed not one but two rain jackets, one for ‘showers’ and the other for ‘real rain’.

Arriving to meet my friend I noted we had both dressed similarly for the heatwave. Dark raingear, she with a hat on and both of us standing under umbrellas. As we walked in the rain for almost two hours I can tell you that both those lovely ladies would not have liked to have overheard us. Heatwave my ass. To be fair it didn’t actually rain for the whole afternoon, you’ll be delighted to hear. No, it stopped and for a short time it even began to feel a little warm. No blue sky but no rain or cold wind. So we cast off our coats and leggings, dried off umbrellas and walked on… for all of five minutes when the rain returned and we’d to dress up all over again.

Cold, wet and very fed up I returned home. To add misery to misery I have discovered that the poxy heatwave did arrive elsewhere in Ireland. On social media I’ve had to look at families picnicing and enjoying the ‘heat’. Others are so thrilled with the day they keep posting photos of a blue sky, so amazed are they at the sight, while I have turned on the heating, put my wet gear on the radiators and had murderous thoughts about anyone who ever told us there was to be a heatwave.

There is no feckin heatwave in Cork.

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photo credit: Judy ** via photopin cc