REASON NUMBER FOUR

SNEAKY PEAT

The funniest experience we had at the Irish Festival was had at the Sneaky Peat tent. Naturally there are hundreds of booths set up where you can purchase anything from authentic Irish candy, to beautiful hand crafted harps, to...well, genuine Irish Peat.

Peat is compresed turf from Irish bogs. The fuel of many fireplaces in the old country. It smells like home.

My sister Kit decided to purchase a log for my Mom.  I stood in line with her, gripping a box of Irish Bar-B-Q peat for the barbie. She went first and asked Sneaky exact instructions for use.

He went on for ten minutes with her. I think he had the hots for her. He would not let her go! He asked questions such as, "Where is the fireplace, inside or out? In Ireland, in the hearth, outside Ireland, outside the hearth." He did illustrations with his hands simulating the fireplace and asked Kit where the coolest part of the fire should be.

Folks, it went on forever!  It was as if they were the only two in the tent. I was doubled over laughing at times. All the people standing in line waiting for a taste of Sneaky Peats' roast and a chance to speak with this Irish renegade with the Donegal accent laughed along with us and waited patiently.

With the exception of one who had the audacity to interrupt his flirting with a question, "Is that a pig pork shoulder?"

He stopped, rolled his eyes and said, "No, it is a lamb pork shoulder.  Come tomorrow and it will be a chicken pork shoulder."

His sharp tongue and burning wit reminded me of my Nana.

After he finished with each of us, he would bless us with the holy water of  Ireland, Irish whiskey, squirted on our spot of pork roast and then in our open mouths! I was too close and laughing too hard to get a shot of Kit getting the blessing but I did manage to get one picture of this guy lucky enough to be served before Sneaky Peat fell in love with my sister.