The L.E. Orla

Contrary to popular opinion, Ireland does indeed have a Navy. OK so it's not a very big one and it's unlikely to present a threat to any foreign flotilla which might choose to land an invasion force but in battles with illegal fishing vessels and pernicious drug smugglers our navy has had some spectacular successes. I haven't even mentioned the rescuing of silly yachtsmen who run themselves into trouble or the more serious threat of arms shipments to the bad guys which was a popular pastime for many years, have I?

Here is The L.E.Orla on a visit to Arklow this morning. I don't know why she berthed here today. The only activity I could see was the repeated lowering and raising of that inflatable you can see facing the camera. Perhaps they were having trouble with the winching gear. Anyway when I last saw her at about 3pm she was about to vanish over the horizon and I had to use the binoculars to see her at all.

Now here's a minor mystery. Yesterday my right shoulder and neck were so painful that I could hardly move ans even when going to bed last night I winced at the effort of just laying my head down on the pillow. I have no idea how this came on but I took a couple of Ibuprofen pills (as suggested by eo) and voila woke up this morning almost totally pain free, and so it has remained all day. Amazing! What is the body trying to tell me. Thanks to all of you who wished me well. Your collective magic appears to have worked.