If
one swallow doesn't make a summer then what about three elephants. Moya,
Ghandi and Tonga arrived in Newcastle last weekend alongside a welcome
spell ofsummer sunshine. Rain or shine its never hard to finding something
to do in the Mourne's, but I'm spoilt for choice when the sun is shining.
With Wimbledon still many weeks away I managed to defeat my son in straight
sets on the refurbished tennis courts in Castle park. The fact that he
was recovering from a recent spell of the Mumps may have been the reason
for the whitewash. With Sl Donard towering above and the Shimna river
below there can't be many more picturesque courts. I'm sure I could make
a fortune selling ice cream and sun cream here. Sunburnt on Sunday morning, I went to Donard park to sketch Tom Duffy's Circus and avoid cutting grass. The big top has always attracted artists, the Irish painter Jack B Yeats often drew circus performers. Before during and after the show there is so much happening. When I arrived animal keeper Gearg Frank was preparing the elephants for the afternoon show, giving them a good rub down with course grade sandpaper. They love it!, he assured me, but its still hard to watch if your neck is sunburnt raw. Heavy chains and metal spikes prevent the elephants wandering too far, making them easy to sketch. It also keeps them away from the towns fruit shops. Heading back home along the coast road I noticed a paraglider close to the cliff edge. I initially thought he was about to land in the sea but far from being in any danger he was happily cruising along the coast powered by a large fan strapped to his back. I might try that next time the sun shines, it cant be any more dangerous than playing tennis without sun cream.