California calls. First message from Madeleine Toland from San Diego to tell us that her friend Nancy Magee is planning to visit Ireland this week, staying in Dublin for about four days and hitting Shannonbridge for one day or so. Then Ken Smith from Santa Barbara tells us that he has an answer to Gussie Claffey's thermometers. Ken reckons that Gus will have to take his Celsius and Fahrenheit to the Arctic and find a cool spot that will measure - 40 on both instruments. Ken enjoys Kates log of Africa and thinks she should publish the lot in a book later.
Shannonbridge will be well represented in a group of about eight ladies who are heading off to New York tomorrow on a five day shopping and sightseeing trip. They got an unbelievable bargain and hope they enjoy Thanksgiving weekend in America.
Mick Brian and Pat went for a boat trip to Banagher yesterday which was very enjoyable except that they saw one dead swan downstream from the village bridge and a lonesome mate swimming around lost.
Weather is staying mild today and tomorrow - dry and cloudy with sunny breaks and temperatures between 52 and 57 F. Unfortunately the weatherman is promising rain on Thursday.
Came across a small volume of poems published by Jack Quinn Ballinasloe in 1984 titled - 'Through A Small Window' Here is one on
- Clonmacnois -

Cowled monks ethereal
Their chant unheard
In shadowy procession
Sandles soft
On Kieran;s ground
Mute witnessed
By the mellowed stones
Speaking their timelessness
Mortals stand
In trepidation
Trembling
On the brink
Of centuries.