Warm sun, clear sky, feeling damn good

Having just spent a few days away in a city, Dublin, have returned to the preferred solitude of Valentia Island. Enjoyed the city, bookshopping, seeing a few sights, just rather be back here.

Today the early May sun is fine, those first potatoes are poking through, the carrots have gone in and I can sit and feel the warmth as the days grow longer and time just spreads out before me. The usually empty beaches are starting to get a little crowded for my liking, Bank Hol;iday weekend seems to presage the tourist season so I suppose my walks with cody and pegi will have to either be very early or taken elsewhere.

The dependence of our community so much on the tourist market has always been an issue when times were tough or external events impacted (9/11, Foot and Mouth etc). Maybe, with Global Warming and the advent of Peak Oil, now is the time to look at more sustainable ways of keeping such a rural community intact and healthy. The whole Transition movement looks very interesting, I have recently read Rob's book and hope that I can find a mechanism for opening and progressing debate on the subject here on Valentia. The problem I can envisage for such a community as Valentia is that it is only recently that the impact of the Celtic Tiger has seen real chances for local people. So much of the growth locally has been fuelled by the construction boom, which is on the downturn, and I know that there is little or no resilience built up with this eventuality in mind. But people tend to think and act short term - things are good now and the politicians talk the good talk so why worry and change out of the comfort zone - and it will be a slow, precarious journey, perhaps something needs to happen to catalyse thinking and actions. Oil to hit $150, gas, electricity etc to rocket in price, food to become expensive and scarce. There was, and still is amongst older residents of Valentia, a self-reliant attitude towards life, if something breaks, find out why and try to fix it, don't just replace it. This comes from a time when it wasn't possible to jump into the car, drive to town and buy a replacement. No bridge, so a ferry journey, which in winter was often not easy, and of course ready money was not so available.

The exciting fact is that moving into transition could be creative, inspiring and fun and the real quality of living could well improve. But how do I get people to even start discussing this, let alone taking positive action? If anyone out there is listening and can come up with ideas or suggestions, all gratefully received.