Ann's Cleaning & Homecare Services

09/08/2026

I have often threaded on broken snail shells on the paths & earth when I am working in the garden. Garden snails entered a period of dormancy, during the hot, dry weather in July. It is called aestivation. They sealed off the opening to the shell & remained in position. The sharp eagled song thrushes availed of the snails as "sitting ducks". They are the only garden birds that can whack them off a stone & eat the contents.

01/08/2026

Temperatures exceeded high measures in Britain, France Portugal & Spain, & in many European countries. These countries's multiple heatwaves with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees in some places & 30 degrees in Britain. The consequences of heatwaves result in wild fire outbreaks & deaths. Holiday makers were forced to return home due to wildfires & high temperatures. Europe is warming faster than any other continent & you would expect the EU to increase effort to reduce emissions but instead it has been diluting policies in recent years.

In the USA, Trump denies climate change & he cancels off-shore wind projects as well as the removal of subsidies for solar power. He has re-issued new drilling licences & rolled back a great many environmental protection laws. However, renewables have succeeded in Texas - about 30% of electric power was supplied by renewables in the month of June. In California, renewables supplied about 60% of electric power in the same month.

Greenhouse gases remain in the atmosphere for many years & we have to ask how much warming will occur before fossil fuels are replaced by renewables. Climate scientists predict that anything over a 1.5 degree increase from pre-industrial times in global average temperature may result in irreversible change, such as permanent drought in some countries & widespread flooding in others. This threshold might be crossed by 2030.

01/08/2026

The Art of Opposition by Curtta Newland.

01/08/2026

August welcome

As we venture into August ..

August whispers soft goodbyes,
As summer's warmth begins to fade,
The sun hangs low in amber skies,
And trees don hues where green was laid.

The air, a blend of heat and chill,
A gentle sigh from nature's breath,
Each lingering warmth, a sweetened thrill,
Yet shadows hint at autumn's depth.

Fields of gold and rust embrace,
While laughter echoes in the breeze,
A bittersweet but warm embrace,
As memories float like falling leaves.

Time for reflection, pause and rest,
To cherish days that swiftly pass,
In twilight moments, hearts are blessed,
With both the present and the past ..

🖋️ C.E. Coombes 🎨 Jo Grundy

Serendipity Corner 🌞

01/08/2026

Welcome August.

August - Mis Awst
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26/07/2026

Mayo won the All Ireland football match at Croke Park today

Mayo have beaten Kerry to win the All-Ireland

Live coverage on Radio Kerry brought to you by McElligott's Tralee Ltd.

26/07/2026

Up Kerry for the Sam Maguire Cup!!!!

26/07/2026

In the last 3 heatwaves, the amplification of heat by concrete, asphalt & stone surfaces in cities can be a lot hotter than the surrounding countryside. This is termed "the urban heat island effect". Buildings, roads & walls act like hugh storage heaters that absorb heat from the air during the day & release it as air temperatures cool at night.

Research has shown that "the urban heat island effect" keeps air temperatures in cities up to a third of a degree warmer than the surrounding countryside & that trees halve this effect. Trees are very important for making our cities safer, healthier & more liveable as they reflect some of the heat energy that would otherwise be absorbed by urban infrastructure, & actively cool the air through the movement of water.

Plants release water vapour into the environment through transpiration, which is the movement of water from soil through the plant & out of tiny pores called stomata in the leaves. This cooling effect of "tree sweat" almost halves the urban heat island effect in cities globally. Trees can have this cooling effect over areas that are wider than the shade cast by their canopies. If you have enough trees, the cooling effect can even create local micra-climates where temperatures are significantly reduced.

Again, the benefits of trees as climate controllers in cities are not fairly distributed across different locations & socio-economic levels. The "leafy suburb" effect is well known, as more affluent parts of the city, outside the city centre, have more extensive tree cover. Trees are planted in less densely populated areas & areas with more trees are in higher demand because of their aesthetic appeal & their functions i.e. cooling etc.

The Urban greening & tree planting in parts of the cities with few or no trees can help all communities with vulnerable communities there to reduce the risks of climate change & adapt to new conditions. The EU Nature Restoration Regulation explicitly considers the biodiversity benefits of urban green space & the ability of trees to reduce the magnitude of climate change & help people to adapt to a warmer world. Cooler spots in cities enable other species of plants as well as pollinators, birds & mammals to thrive in cities.

It is important that inner city areas & areas with few trees are not left behind so that all communities can benefit from the cooling effect of trees & not just the leafy suburbs. (Thank you Professor Yvonne Buckley for your article"Nature's climate controllers help city dwellers cope with rising heat". Irish Times, 23rd July, 26)

19/07/2026

Well done Limerick who won the all Ireland Hurling Championship at Croke Park, Dublin. Galwyay 1-18 - Limerick 1 -29. Comhchairdeas le Lumni!!! A win for Ireland at last.😀🇨🇮🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

19/07/2026

Havana's housing crisis