Victoriana

Back in 2016ish, I posted a few photos of post boxes.  And in Dublin last year I spotted an Edward VII box.  This one is in New Ross, and looks equally incongruous, to our eyes, in green.

We were in New Ross for another dental appointment for W.  I took some books into a charity shop and then popped in to The Cracked Teapot for coffee and a "snack".  I ordered a toasted Ciabatta.  The meal was huge, and very tasty.  7 hours later I'm still too full for any dinner.  W is eating leftover curry.

I am drinking gin.  It's been a lovely day, and we were sitting in the garden room with the patio door open.  Next door were cutting their hedge, accompanied by a yapping dog.  This has been an ongoing problem, and we've bitten our tongues up to now, as we realise that dogs are a part of countryside noises.  But the visiting couple (who will hopefully be putting in a pond) a couple of days ago remarked that they thought their dog was yappy - this was much worse. 

Eventually, this evening, I decided enough was enough - I went round to ask if there was anything they could do to discourage the yapping - did they realise just how penetrative and disturbing it was?  I was met with a ridiculously aggressive and facetious response -  "what do you want me to do?"  "I could shoot the dog".  And it progressed from there to "if I stop the dog barking, you'll complain about the machinery noise.  And then you'll complain about the farming noises in the fields."  All in all, a frustrating and upsetting conversation - through their closed electric gate, I might add!

The only mitigating factor I can think of is that maybe they had a lot of complaints from the previous owners of this house.  They certainly can't accuse us of being complainers - this is the first time we've attempted any conversation about the dog.  

Hey-ho, we have an a__e for a neighbour.  Such a contrast to the vast majority of the Irish, who have been so friendly and welcoming.