Aleria's Adventures

   Clouds to the SW obscure view of the conjunction Yesterday evening between 4 and 6 pm we might have seen a rare stellar event: the extraordinary conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn. The last time the planets were this close from our viewpoint on Earth was almost 400 hundred years ago on 16 July 1623. It is thought to be the Star of Bethlehem.  Jupiter and Saturn 21 Dec 2020 by E. Piotrowski via twitter But no conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in Clew Bay tonight. Clouds to the SW were not moving at all. Moon in a haze. Next time it will happen is 800 years from now.  This time in 2010, we were experiencing a big freeze in Mayo. We had spent the winter of 2009-2010, which was even worse by all accounts, in the Caribbean having sailed off in 2009, just a year after arriving in Ireland. It's not very cold this year and, in fact, lots of flowers are blooming and buds budding.  Yet, we have turned the corner on the solstice and, though Newgrange was closed to the public, the OPW live-

Is there anything out there but miserable weather? Summer Sailstice, a global celebration of sailing on the longest day of the year   A sliver of blue sky was hopeful We sailed out of our inlet in Clew Bay at half tide. That’s when we can make it over the shellfish bed that runs across the entrance.   We had about a foot of water beneath our keel at the shallowest.   But that was not so much the issue. The issue was that the morning was cold, dark, damp and just miserable. Oh, and it was flat calm.  When we got out into Clew Bay, there was not a boat in sight.   Then, a really dark cloud came by and it started to rain. Alex and I looked at each other and knew what we were thinking. Should we turn back and get back in while the tide is still with us?   Nah, we kept going in the shadow of the Holy Mountain, Croagh Patrick.