Cows are back on the country roads and Emma has been trying out some new methods to avoid getting stuck behind a herd for too long during ‘rush hour’
• IT’S taken me until this week of my 49th year on this earth to properly understand the meaning of the phrase ‘til the cows come home’.
It hit me, like an epiphany, on what I think was the eighth time I got stuck in the car behind a herd of cows being either led in or for milking, or led back out.
Now don’t get me wrong, I’m all for our cows. I’m a tiny bit afraid of them, but from the safety of my car I’m also their biggest cheerleader and don’t think it’s entirely fair to lay so much blame for our climate change on their farts.
Having said that, it always takes me a while to re-acclimatise to them being back on the roads and remembering to factor back in those extra minutes to my journeys during morning and evening rush hour.
So in slightly frustrated (at times veering towards ‘totally losing it’ territory) moments this week I tried out a few things to see if I could get the girls to pick up the pace a little bit and I can confirm the following: cows don’t respond at all to someone politely urging them to ‘move it along now please’, or ‘can we pick up the pace a bit ladies please?’ or a more exasperated ‘hurry the f*** up will ye?’ None of those had any impact at all. In fact I think it made a few of them saunter along even slower and give me a bad side eye going by.
However, they did seem to move marginally faster to a firm ‘hup, hup, hup’, or better still ‘hup, hup, hupppppppppp’ combined with some staccato tapping on the car door.
I need to work a bit on the punchiness of my ‘ps’ but there’s definitely some in that.
Interestingly I’m seeing that lots of them are sporting the ultimate Summer ‘25 accessory – a snazzy collar which I think is giving them an extra bit of sassiness. You go girls! Just a tiny bit faster if you can please. What about introducing them to roller blades? Just a thought!
The change in weather has meant there's been great drying to be had outside.
• Anyway, another source of frustration for me this week is the absolute challenge of getting anything off my ‘to do’ list.
I’ve had around six specific DIY jobs I need to get done around the house, all pretty basic, and it’s proving a complete impossibility.
They get half done, or done and then become undone and it’s back to square one – and it’s doing my head in! I think I’ll have to resort to YouTube to get a bit handy at DIY myself if I’m to get anywhere.
For now though I’m actually flat out entering all those Instagram competitions to try and win a power washer.
Seems like every influencer in the land has one to give away right now and I’m determined one will be mine.
I was also tempted to enter a competition for a week-long cruise, that I heard either on TV or radio, until the presenter said joyfully ‘your cabin will come with its own toilet’. Eh, wouldn’t that be a given? I didn’t enter that one because knowing my luck I’d probably win. Fingers crossed for the power washer though.
• Without doubt, the best thing about this past week has been the great drying out! I’ve been able to retire the clothes horse and that has brought me a joy like no other.
My advice to anyone who is about to build a house is this: have a permanent home for the clothes horse. I have a utility room but it’s also a back entrance which means the family’s undies are regularly on display for passing traffic. It doesn’t bother me, well not that much, but an entirely separate laundry room would be the job. I’ll add it to the list of jobs.
For now though the sight of clothes billowing in the breeze is one of sheer happiness and so is the stood down clothes horse.
• Finally, who is on board with An Post’s invitation to us all to write a letter to our future selves?
The powers that be there want us to put pen to paper, outlining our hopes, dreams and plans for the year ahead. In May 2026 our letter will be delivered back to us by them giving ourselves the chance to reflect on where we were and how far we’ve come. The idea behind the campaign they say, is to create a ‘simple yet powerful way to set intentions and create a moment of reflection for the “future you” and enable everyone to treasure the simple act of writing a letter and reading it back in 12 months’ time.’ What would I write? Perhaps just to say that everything will be grand, so long as I stay away from the power tools? Although I think naval gazing isn’t for me. I’ve more important tasks this week – deciding what Easter Egg to get!
