Sláinte an bhradáin agam

Bíonn ro-té le déanaí. Ní bhíonn mé ro-fuar faoi deireanach. Tá dith agamsa go caitheamh geansaí aríst chomh nuair chuaigh mé go An Tuaisceart na gCalifoirnea-- i mhí Iúil seo caite.

Measaim go mbeadh dúil go maith ormsa féin. Amárach, iarrfainn a caitheamh éadaigh níos tromaí ar feadh samraidh i mball. Deirim go raibh sé is easca a téamh i bhfad uaidh ná fuaradh go hionduil anseo thíos.

Chonaic mé an ghriangraf agam inné go raibh ag tógtha go láthair campála go An Thuas Mhór. Bhí pluca solasta agamsa ansiúd. B'fheídir, bhí sláinte an bhradáin agam.

Anois, bíonn bándearg fósta. Ach, tá fáth difríul a bhfuil agam le dath. Téim istigh gach uair go bhfuil brothallach amuigh.

Ar ndóigh, insionn mo bhean a tí orm ná raibh mé níos áthas leis athbhaile ar thuas. Ní raibh mé i gcónaí ina sneamh. Níl cur baisteach go leor ag imeall mo bhaile anseo.

An foghlaimeodh mé saol sona agamsa ag dul ar thuaidh? Bhuel, is maith liom ag ól te téas. Faighim aon bhlas ar seomra téas agus oíche bhrádánach leis a leabhar maith in aice leis mo chathair compordach agamsa.

The "health of the salmon" on me.

I'm too warm lately. I'm not too cool recently. I've got a need myself to wear a sweater again like when I went to the North of California-- in the past month of July.

I reckon that'd be a good desire for me myself. In the future, I would seek to put on heavier clothes during summer elsewhere. I say it's far easier to warm up far away than to cool down usually, down here.

I saw a photo of me yesterday that was taken at the campground at Big Sur. I had pink cheeks on me there. Perhaps, I had the "health of the salmon on me" (="the pink of health" in Irish).

Now, I'm pink also. But, there's a different reason for my color. I warm up inside every time it's heating up outside.

Of course, my wife tells me that I wouldn't be cheerful with a second home northwards. I have not lived in the snow. It does not pour rain a lot around my house here.

Could I learn to live a happy life going up north? Well, drinking warm tea pleases me. I could find a taste for a warm room and a cold drizzly night with a good book next to my comfy chair.

Léiriú le/ illustration by "Kim": "Bradán Feasa Fhionn Mac Cumaill/ The Salmon of Knowledge of Finn McCool"