Rain

When you look at pictures of Ireland, windswept and wild, it seems beautiful and even romantic.  I imagine sitting by the fire with a book, doing chemistry experiments with the boys, or just hanging around the house, feeling no pressure to go anywhere.

Of course on a day to day basis, rainy weather is a different experience.  Yes, it means running errands, negotiating traffic, and doing the school run in the pouring rain.  September has not been a great month here weather wise.  Let's hope that October brings an improvement.

For more thoughts on rain, check out the poem "Rain" by Langston Hughes...

Bandon Final

Today is the final of the last real "Summer" tournament in Cork.  I miss not playing in it, but our club have a good couple playing today.  I recall meeting some really tough, great players from Bandon in the women's doubles.  Solid hitting and tidy play at the net.  Yes, thank you for using me as target practice!!!  I can only hope that has improved my game.

I truly don't know how I became so hooked on tennis in the last two years...

It all started in a small Santa Barbara suburb with a fantastic teacher named Gail.  So,  going to my local neighborhood courts, I learned the grips, the basic service motion that I still have today, and got free extra lessons for helping with the younger kids' classes.  Following that introduction, I was fortunate enough to make my high school tennis team (starting first year at the bottom!!!) and slowly working my way up the ladder.  California is a great place for learning tennis because the competition is stiff.  There are excellent players receiving hours and hours of coaching and participating in some of the top clubs in the state.

Tennis team was the best extra-curricular school activity by far.  Road trips all around Southern California, matches in the 35 degree Calabasas heat, being plied with sweets before a match on the grounds of Beverly Hills high school (now that's a fantastic strategy from the Beverly Hills girls), and most of all benefiting from the endless patience and knowledge of our coach.

So, that brings me back to Ireland.  It's a far cry from the warm sunny days, where the only thing we worried about in training was having our thermoses full of ice water and being able to finish the drills our coach gave us before the other teams.  Or even beating Santa Barbara High School, the old enemy.  Here, you have to constantly battle with the wind and rain. We even had to get an ordinary broom to try and sweep the ice away from the baseline.

Having said that, it is the people who play who have proven to be fantastic sportspeople, great fun, and enjoyable new friends.  I salute you! And here's to more tennis this winter. Let's hope it doesn't snow!!!

September

Fall is here, and I have to say it's my favourite season. The dry crisp leaves are being blown everywhere, the boys are back to school, and the air is constantly changing between warm and chilly. The farmers down the road were just trimming the hedges today, which certainly makes these narrow roads more passable. The blackberries are out in force up and downthe road, and at the weekend people come down in their cars to pick them. Anyone who wants to enjoy the sensory and atmospheric experience of this must read Seamus Heaney's Blackberry Picking poem.

Its been a long month, sidelined with a tennis injury after a fabulous summer on the Cork tennis circuit. I never realised that for such a wet, windy country, there'd be so many people out there playing tennis. And as crazy about tennis as me. In fact, in Cork City there is a fantastic social scene and quite healthy competitive spirit. Playing in Sunday's Well where you have to wear white was a real treat. It was like stepping into another world. And Carrigaline, everybody was so friendly. Especially inspiring, all the women players, of all ages, playing well, enjoying themselves competing at all levels. So keep playing, I'm coming back soon!