River Arra, Newcastle West,
Co. Limerick, Éire

It is too easy to see a gently flowing river and think that it is always like this. The illusion is enforced even more when the flow is always steady whenever you are in its vicinity like I have been dozens of times by the time of writing. However, things were not thus in August when the River Arra burst its banks and inundated neighbouring houses to the point that the rising water levels threatened lives. The cause was a constant fall of rain due to a stalled weather front while I was enjoying better weather in Scotland's Western Isles. Some are fortunate when others are not so a mix of gratitude and compassion is in order on too many occasions such as this.