The Wearin' (& Walkin') O' the Green

Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone!


I hope you're all wearing green so the leprechauns won't pinch you. Or any overactive 2nd grader, for that matter.


On this holiday, I wanted to examine a cultural phenomenon, all anthropology-like. Some people take St. Patrick's Day very seriously, for better or worse. I think most people fall into one of the following categories:


1. Devout Irish Catholics (which Savannah, GA is full of - I've worked for several of them). These folks go to church on St. Patrick's Day, and they actually know who St. Patrick was (as well as you can know who anyone is, from only a Dark Age legend).


2. Drunk idiots who pretend they're Irish (or perhaps have a bit of Irish blood in them) - (Savannah is MORE full of these folks than Catholics). These people do not actually know anything about St. Patrick, and the knowing is probably mutual, which is good, because if St. Patrick knew what these people were doing to celebrate his death day, he'd...not be happy. Did I mention he was a Catholic priest and missionary? "Missionary" generally does not equal "Flashes Strangers For Cheap Beads" and "Drink Til You Throw Up."


3. People who disagree with celebrating the life of a person who (according to legend) brought about the end of the native culture and religion of Ireland, and thus do not celebrate the holiday at all.


4. People who like Ireland, enjoy Enya's or U2's music, think corned beef & cabbage is AWESOME, and enjoy a jaunt down to the local Irish pub on occasion for some live music. Also they like Guinness. And celtic jewelry.


5. People too focused on the NCAA championship (GO DUKE) to focus on anything else.


Personally, I can understand the rationale of People #3. However, I think the religious meaning of the holiday has been watered down so much over the years, that it has become more of a day to celebrate Irish culture as a whole (as mixed up and "impure" as that culture's gotten over the years). Which I can't disagree with. Because anything that makes people interested in their ancestry, in ancient languages and handicrafts and music and dance, can't be all bad.


Besides, Guinness is REALLY GOOD.


So that puts me pretty strongly in category #4.


Also (just for irony's sake), St. Patrick wasn't even Irish. Heh. There are those who would argue he wasn't the first to bring Christianity to Ireland either. And on top of that, there were never snakes in Ireland, so he doesn't get credit for being human snake repellent. Sorry, Patrick!

Davy Crockpot is busily cooking a huge pot of corned beef & cabbage right now. Noel and I went out for a walk and when we came back and opened the door, the smell was SO GOOD in the RV. Yum!


We went for a jaunt at the Limestone Cove Recreation Area, part of the Cherokee National Forest. It wasn't a huge trail site, but a tent camping area. However, it was just beautiful. So follow us on our trip down the Mossy Green Road!:

(OOOOH - moss on everything. I was in heaven!)

There was a small creek running at the edge of the property. I think it's called Indian Creek, and is most likely a feeder creek for the Nolichuckey.

The trees were just gorgeous, so I got several pictures of them:

I can't think of much more Irish than moss and corned beef & cabbage. So Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone! Watch out for Category #2 people if you're on the roads tonight!