Finding Delight in the Little Things
life
photography
Friday Fun
I have just been editing more than 1000 images that had to be whittled down to 300 and couriered to a publisher, in London, by 4pm this afternoon. I was in a bit of flap, because I started work on them late (and far too late altogether) last night - and by the time my drooping eyelids finally gave up the ghost at 2am, I was still only halfway through the job. I started again at 8am and by 3pm, I was getting close to finishing - and mental exhaustion - but still needed to burn 6 more disks, and print a batch of contact sheets.
As I was browsing the finished shots, I noticed a photograph of the front wall of the famous "Johnny Fox's Pub" in Glencullen, County Dublin, Ireland. High up on the building was a stone, suspended by a chain, in front of white sign with red lettering. It was the first time I'd noticed that sign or the stone (I certainly don't remember seeing it when I took the shot), so I zoomed in for a closer look.
What I saw gave me a moment of pure joy, in the middle of a stressful Friday afternoon. It was Johnny Fox's Weather Forecasting Stone sign, that can be used - in correlation with the suspended stone - to predict the weather in the vicinity of the pub. It reads like this:
Condition / Forecast
Stone is wet - Rain
Stone is Dry - Not Raining
Shadow on Ground - Sunny
White on Top - Snowing
Can't See Stone - Foggy
Swinging Stone - Windy
Stone Jumping Up and Down - Earthquake
Stone Gone - Tornado
All very silly, but great Irish humour that gave me a good laugh in the middle of a stressful day. I got my package to the courier, and had a smile at the same time. Life can be good when we stop to notice the little things!
Here in New Hampshire we have similar items. They are usually sold with names like "Old Time Yankee Birch Weather Sticks".
ReplyDeleteThe better ones are sold between the Maple Syrup and the Loon whistles. The cheap ones grow out of the yard, but you have to buy the interpretation guide separately.