The road up Divis Mountain
is polkadotted
with cow pats.
This is shared space, you see –
a road that walkers share
with cattle
who wander across the mountain
until icy blasts of winter
drives them indoors.

Walkers on this road
daintily side-step
the bovine brown/green discs.
A minor inconvenience
that I barely notice
but today
something catches my eye –
a wee family of toadstools
has popped up
around the edges
of one of the cow pats!

And as our walk continues
several other wee toadstool families
fringe cow pats
along our way.

Such a surprising combination!

It makes me think –
isn’t it amazing
how, in the wonders of His creation,
God has made a place for everything
and everything in its place?

© Claire Murray, 26th October 2020

Autumn is painting colour
all around me –
flame-coloured branches
of yellow and orange,
golden tree-lined avenues,
acer trees draped
with crimson, feathery leaves
and sprays of eye-catching berries
that arch into gardens
in so many shades
of yellow, orange and red!

Golden leaves float through the air
like giant, yellow snow flakes
and land on footpaths
where winds sweep them
into deep piles
that crunch like Corn Flakes
when youngsters
(and the young-at-heart!)
stride and kick through them.

And in Musgrave Park
a wee, old man in his nineties (!)
stoops slowly on his daily walk
to gather pretty leaves
(how cute is that?)

It’s autumn
and I’m surrounded on all sides
by beauty.
Thank you, Lord,
for the health and the time to enjoy
your multi-coloured autumnal masterpiece!

© Claire Murray, 16th October 2020

Lord,
thank you for bringing us
to where we are now –
at the end of our first September
of retirement.

Thank you, Lord,
for an end to 6.30 am starts.

Thank you, Lord,
for time to dander
along the Lisburn Road
and sit in coffee shops.

Thank you, Lord,
for being able to book appointments
for any day of the week.

Thank you, Lord,
for time to plant, build and tend
in our garden.

Thank you, Lord,
for bracing walks
up Divis Mountain
on crisp, clear mornings.

Thank you, Lord,
for time to sit down together
and watch “Neighbours”
at lunch time
and for time to pray the Rosary
afterwards.

Thank you, Lord,
for time to step back
from all of the rushing about.

Thank you, Lord,
for the wonderful freedom
of being able to ask ourselves
each morning,
“What will we do today?”

But most of all
thank you, Lord,
simply for time to spend
together.

© Claire Murray, 12th October 2020

Travel plans for retirement
have been much-discussed
for the past five years .
Should we go to Milan, Malaga or Rome?
Or maybe all three?
So many destinations
to choose from –
we feel truly spoilt for choice!

But as Mammy often says,
“If you want to make God laugh,
tell him what your plans are!”
and her words are oh, so true!
My retirement coincides
with Coronavirus
and all my plans for travel
evaporate.
When we finally book our holiday
our destination is …
Donegal!

This feels like such a let-down!

But Ireland seems to forget
that it’s autumn now –
and we are treated to a week
of clear blue skies
and sun!

At St John’s Point we turn a corner
and are blinded
by mile upon mile
of silver, sparkling Atlantic Ocean
in the autumn sunlight.

Receding waves at Rossbeg and Portnoo
form a water mirror
so that the wet sand reflects
a cloudless, blue sky
perfectly.

Teal waves
tipped with white foam
chase and charge into the shore
at Glenn Cholm Cille,
crashing against black rocks
and casting fountains of spray
into the air in s l o w m o t i o n.

The steep, green-swathed valley
of Benwisken,
forms a natural cathedral
hewn out of the Dartry mountains
absolutely breath-taking!

So much beauty
on our holiday –
so many “wow-moments”
and occasions to simply gaze in awe
at the wonders of creation!

And as we drive home
I can’t help but think
there’s no place like Ireland.
There’s no place like home!

© Claire Murray, 5th October 2020