Summer in Seskin

It's that time of year again, the sun has aroused itself from winter slumber and bare arms and legs are to be seen decorating roads, parks and shopping centres all over Ireland. People's heads are filled with thoughts of beaches and holidays and the gloom of cold wet winter seems like a long-forgotton memory.

Here in this little piece of Tallaght, however, summer means something else entirely. Buckets. The Bathroom has sprouted a collection of buckets. "Save water", they say, "shower with a friend". My mother and her friends, the buckets, shower together each morning before taking the trip down to meet the other buckets and tanks scattered about the garden.

Then there's washing the dishes, - how does one justify using two basins, one to wash and one to rinse? Easy, re- use both of them - hence the need for the multitude of buckets in the back garden. You'd be amazed at how much space re-usable water takes up!

Why has this happened? Well every year in this country there's a drought caused by water mismanagement, and we can all do our bit to prevent it. Mind you, it'll be a cold day in hell before you find me out there first thing the morning after torrential rain with a bucket in each hand. Watering the plants.

Mother's Postscript: I was actually feeding the plants as I have heard that the food is best absorbed when the ground is wet, which it surely was that morning!