Arkansas Travelers

Corsica Holiday

2011-10-17T12:20:00.001+02:00

First, I apologize for the format.
Mary Frances and I visited Gerard, Dominique, Yann and Lucca in Corsica in early August. We also enjoyed the company of Helena. She is a Polish woman who is taking courses at Gerard's college in Tralee. She had been giving swimming lessons to the boys in Tralee and continued to do so in Corsica. The first few pictures are a glimpse of the Mediterranean Sea from the porch of Dominique's house and of her uncle's vineyard and her father's former vineyard. Next is Mary Frances at rest followed by several views at one of the beaches in Porticcio. We had a very nice day when we drove up the mountain to a village called Coti_chiavari from which we had spectacular views of the Mediterranean. We had a very nice lunch and basked in the sun enjoying the views before we went down the mountain on a different route where we stopped at a rockier beach - of which there are several photos. Following the rocky beach photos, there are several of our favorite beach in Porticcio. We swam there every day. The water is unbelievably clear and refreshing. The sun and swimming were very therapeutic for Mary Frances. We also went up into the Vizzavona Forest to a village where Dominique's grandmother had lived. The first pictures were taken when we stopped at the ruins of Foce(fort) Vizzavona. It was built by a French general in 1772. At that point we were at an altitude of 1,205 m. The mountain in the background is Monte d'Oro. We continued to Vivario which Mary Frances particularly enjoyed - partly because it had a pronounced Italian flavor. Some of us enjoyed Pietra - a very nice Corsican beer. The name means "stone" in Corsican. While we enjoyed our refreshments, we watched some very serious men play la petanque. Another highlight of our trip was a night in Ajaccio where we walked near the birthplace of Napoleon. There are no pictures of this evening.
The travel was a bit hard on Mary Frances, but, overall it was a fantastic holiday.

Jaden's visit

2011-07-27T13:11:00.003+02:00

In July we had a 17 year old visitor from Denver. She is a friend of our friend Diane and had a summer job in Cork. It ended earlier than anticipated, so we got to have her for several more days than the originally planned weekend. This worked out well. The weather wasn't great, but we still did a lot of touring! The first day she was here, we finally had a long-awaited event - Kate and her family came to lunch. Above bottom - Mick, MFE, Lindy, Kate, Dana; top, same but Jaden instead of Dana!. This was a lot of fun - they had ridden the Ring of Kerry Cycle the day before so were a little tired, but still had fun. We watched the Kerry/Cork Munster final match on TV - Kerry won. Mick is a Cork man, but took the loss well.

During Jaden's visit we went to Dingle, Killarney, and some of North Kerry. Dana go some good scenery shots, so all are here.

Dingle: It was a little windy :)

Ardfert

Ballybunion

Ballyduff and Rattoo Round Tower - this man is a local volunteer doing restoration at the church yard and tower. The tower has scaffolding on it but Dana was able to get this good shot anyway.

Killarney - Muckross House and Gardens.

Bishop visit; Marlene & Ann visit

2011-07-27T13:11:00.002+02:00

We had two short but fun visits in June , Larry and Carol Bishop from McAlester were here briefly. They were on a golfing tour, so we didn't get as much tour time as we'd like, but we had a great time. They had some sunny weather but a lot of wind! We had a nice visit to the Rose Garden and town centre (above and left below.

We also made it to Fenit (Larry above with St. Brendan -too windy for Carol and MFE) and to Ardfert - left..

The following week our friend from Siloam Springs, Marlene Schwerin and her friend Ann Fulton came for 3 days -again too short, but we made it to Dingle (above and below).As you can see above, we did get a pretty nice day for the Dingle tour - but as, you can tell below, it was a bit windy. Marlene also took this shot of Sean from Dingle Crystal and Dana - as you know we love him, his wife, and the shop so it's nice to have a picture!

Above is the picture Marlene took in our front garden - our roses are as pretty as the ones int he Rose Garden.

We also made it to the Rose Garden. Marlene took these pictures of us - we so seldom have pictures of Dana, I'm putting them on here!

On Saturday we drove them to Shannon where they spent the night in order to catch an early Sunday flight to Germany. On the way we made it to Ballybunion. We then stopped in Asdee to visit with the O'Keeffes - it was a great visit, with common interests in both cattle and Down syndrome!

Kate's Valentia Island Tour

2011-07-27T13:11:00.001+02:00

For years we have intended to take Kate on our "patented" tour of Valentia Island. We finally got it done, and chose a beautiful day. We had a lot of fun and a good tour, and ended with a feast at home with her friend Rebecca joining us. There are very few pictures of this day, as noone took a camera, and I was the only one with even a phone for taking pictures - so here are a very few, not great quality, but at least you get the sense of the day!

Ballycarbery Castle.

Ring Fort.

Atop Geokaun Mountain

And, the fruit and fuel store in Cahersiveen. I have always liked this sign - both the combination of fruit and fuel, and the way the sign is done with fruit and veg.

Listowel Writer's Week Bus Tour 2011

2011-07-27T13:11:00.000+02:00

For the 5th year (MFE) or 4th year (DS) we went on the Listowel Writer's Week Historical and Literary Bus Tour. As usual, we really enjoyed it, learned a lot, and saw a few familiar faces who take the tour each year.

The first stop was right in Listowel - the Laratigue Monorail museum. There was a monorail which ran from Listowel to Ballybunion, taking tourists to the beach. The museum has been gradually improved and is really very good. You can take a short ride on the re-built car, but we did not get to do that.

The next stop was Ballybunion where we had an excerpt from a John Keane play, presented at the Castle Green amphitheater,overlooking Men's and Ladies' Beaches.

Following this, we had a speech about Ballybunion history - very interesting, especially the part about the Men's and Ladies' beaches - a priest used to go out at low tide and put a rope between them!

The final entertainment here was the traditional Irish music provided by our friend, banjo player Killian and his group. And, Dana got a great action shot of the dancer!

We then went on the buses up a very narrow mountain road to , the only mountain in North Kerry. It provided gorgeous panoramic views of No. Kerry including the Shannon and the ferry crossing.

The final stop was Keneally's Pub in Ballylongford, where they provided us with a great snack and our music group once again entertained. There were lots of old photos and memorabilia on the walls - this one seemed to tell the best story:)

We got back to Listowel in time to have a cup of tea with our good friend Paul Pierse. A great day!

Links 2011 Outing

2011-07-27T13:10:00.001+02:00

LINKS is my church Ladies' Group. Each May we take an outing. This year we went church in the beautiful Cathedral of Killaloe.

We then had a nice lunch at Goosers in Ballina, right across the river from Killaloe. As you can tell, this is a great group of women.

The focus of the trip was an afternoon at the Seed Savers in Scarriff, Co. Clare.

Irish Seed Savers Association exists as a living testimony to the richness and wealth of the agricultural legacy of our ancestors. Irish Seed Savers Association was founded by Anita Hayes in 1991. The work was initially done on a small farm in Co. Carlow before moving to Capparoe, Scarriff in 1996.

We were very fortunate to have the help of Dr. Keith Lamb who had conducted the original research into native Irish apples in the 1940s and Dr. Michael Hennerty former head of the Department of Horticulture in University College Dublin who has continued to provide wisdom and expertise. In 1996 the project moved to its present site in Scariff and In 1999 a FAS community employment scheme developed by Bridget Carlin secured employment for many staff.

Through the hard work of staff, volunteers and the generosity of subscribers and friends of Irish Seed Savers we have grown steadily since that time.

In 1996 Michael Miklis, began efforts to conserve Irish grain on his own farm in Co Kilkenny.

In 1997 the Native Irish Apple collection (Lamb/Clarke) was inaugurated by President Mary Robinson.

In 1998 an Irish Brassica project was started in co-operation with the Wellesbourne Gene Bank in the U.K.

With the acquisition of new land we were able to build a purpose built Educational Facility and small Shop and Café. We currently offer a wide range of Workshops on subjects such as Organic Gardening, Bee Keeping, Making the most of your Polytunnel, Cheesmaking, Creating and Orchard and many more.

We had a great tour guide and learned a lot, though, as you can see, it was a bit wet! They have many historical varieties of trees and plants which they are preserving. (Most of these pictures were taken with my camera by Gill - thanks!)
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Wheeler Visit

2011-07-27T13:10:00.000+02:00

In May we had a wonderful visit from Jane and Millie Wheeler (our very good McAlester friends) and Sam Bowman (our new good OKC friend). They stayed long enough to do most of our regular tours as well as to tour a little on their own, rambling around Tralee, going to church with me (Church of Ireland) and to a Catholic Mass at St.John's in Town Centre. We had some good weather and some ...well,some Irish weather, but we always had a good time. Here are a few of the pictures.We did go to Fenit and Ardfert, but it was really windy and I don't think we have any pictures except this one eating Sunday lunch in the Tankard near Fenit- which was really nice. (All of the pictures of this day are by Jane).

That same Sunday we were invited to a First Communion Party for Yann. This was an interesting Irish experience for our guests and lots of fun and good food and drink. The first picture is Dana perfecting the lemon tart he took for his contribution.

Lucca with new dart gun. MFE and Yann

A group showing the scope of the party!

Both of these are Yann and Dana having a good time!

We got a pretty nice day for the long tour to Glenbeigh, Cahersiveen, and Valentia Island.

First, in Cahersiveen, we saw Ballycarbery Castle.

Dana says this next one is one he took from atop the castle as Millie got ready to crawl under the barbed wire to get in to the castle grounds. (Not true - she was acutally reading the sign about the castle!)

Then we did some climbing around the ring fort.

Below is a shot inside the huge Daniel O'Connell Memorial Church in Cahersiveen Town Centre - not sure we've had a picture of this on here before.

Next we took the tour of Valentia Island. These pictures include a few of the Slate Quarry in action and one of the Mary Grotto high above the quarry.

This is the view from the little beach on the island and a couple of the beautiful flowers along the way.

Another day was spent on the "Killarney Day". We went to Ross Castle, though only Dana and Sam actually took the tour. Here we are approaching the castle, and Jane and I in the waiting room (which is actually very interesting with lots of historical info).

We also went to Muckross House and Gardens, Torc Falls, and Ladies View (the Ladies View picture is the lead picture of this blog posting).

I really like this one of Millie and me at Ladies View. I love (and she probably got tired of) introducing her with "she and my mother were our Girl Scout leaders when we were little girls"!

Dana really needed a tree hugger, and Jane seemed willing and eager to comply!

The culminating event of the week was a trip to Dingle. We went on Friday, over the Conor Pass,so here are pictures of Sam at the lake above the Falls and putting his rock on top of the "I made it"pile (I'll let you decide if he really carried that big rock up there!)

We ate lunch at Murphy's Pub as usual, then they toured the town while Millie and I graciously "broke in" our B&B rooms. We then had a real McAlester experience - we met up (as planned) with Wesley, Emmy, Ronnie, and Janis - all fellow MHS grads (well maybe a tad younger than Jane and I) for dinner and a little pub music. This was really fun and amazing to have us all together in Ireland. Saturday we went on the Slea Head Drive in two cars. It was a beautiful day and lots of fun.

Then we left them in Dingle and we headed back to Tralee for the Wheeler/Wheeler/Bowman group to pack up and be driven to Shannon the next day. A really fun visit!

US Trip 2011 - IA, IL, Ireland Scenic Views, Flora and Fauna

2011-06-28T20:34:00.000+02:00

Indian Creek Nature Center, Iowa and a view of Iowa flying from Cedar Rapids to West Des Moines.

Theresa and Greg's yard, Gurnee, Illiniois

Fenit, Co. Kerry - a day after we returned.

US 2011 - CO Scenic views, flora and fauna

2011-06-27T17:02:00.000+02:00

These are Dana's pictures from the Butterfly Pavillion in Denver, followed by scenic views from Aravada and Estes Park.

US Trip 2011 - AR Scenic views, flora and fauna

2011-06-27T14:25:00.001+02:00

Beaver Lake area, NW Arkansas. These are primarily in Nancy and Hal's yard or taken from their yard. A few are a little further down the road, but close by. It was early April, Dogwood and Redbud season, but a weekend in the mid-80's - a rare combination.

Below, an interesting visual perspective!

US 2011 - Iowa and Chicago

2011-06-24T19:44:00.000+02:00

John and Lorraine drove us to the airport early Sunday morning and we flew to Cedar Rapids. That evening we had dinner at the house with Mick, Jeanne, Jerry, Jean, Dustin and 2 granddogs. Monday we went on an appraisal job with Mick, then had dinner at Jean and Jerry's. They live on the Indian Creek Nature Center which is beautiful - we had a very nice private tour from Jean, who is a manager there.

On Tuesday we went to Iowa City - we walked around downtown and the mall, then visited for a while with Judy Waterman, which was great. We then met Nita, Barry, Jean, and Bill at George's - and also ran in to Dick Klausner. We celebrated old times by sitting at "our" table at the front of the bar - very nostalgic. Then to top it off we had pizza at Pagliai's! Unfortunately no pictures of this day.

On Wednesday Mick flew us to Des Moines where we spent the day with Chauncey and Tiffany and had a nice dinner with them. It was fun - we toured the picturesque little town of West. Des Moines and also enjoyed the flights.

Thursday evening we met some of Jeanne's teaching friends for a wine tasting in Solon,

Friday we drove to Chicago. Actually, we drove to Greg and Theresa's in Gurnee, Illinois, north of Chicago. Dick and Pat took the train up from Chicago and we all had a delicious dinner fixed by Theresa. The next day we went to Wrigley and had a fantasttic time. The weather was amazingly good for Wrigley in April and the Cubs made a come-back to win - a very fun day. Greg grilled for us that night - delicious. The Iowa crew left early Sunday and the other 4 of us had a leisurely Sunday morning before they drove us to O'Hare for the flight back to Shannon. It was, as always, a very long day, but all went smoothly.

Here are the first pictures back, showing the beautiful sunny weather, which they had the whole time we were gone!

US 2011 - OK

2011-06-24T19:43:00.006+02:00

We took the bus to Shannon on Monday evening and spent the night at the airport hotel so we wouldn't have such an early start. Our flights were uneverntful and on time, so after stops in New York and Atlanta, we arrived in Tulsa at 10:15 and were met by Susan Clark. We were very tired (20 hour day) so went right to bed for a great night's sleep. The next day we shopped a little and Dana fixed dinner for Susan, Sam, Louise and Bill, and me - delicious and fun. I continued to sleep a lot - long nights and long, hard naps. On Thursday we had a lunch with a few McA high school friends. Our friends from Siloam Springs, Mary and Ed, picked Dana up for the trip to Siloam.Susan and I spent a quiet night at home. Friday morning my friend Janet Nichols came over to visit.

Then Susan and I picked up Sam and Louise and we left for the big weekend at Grand Lake. Our house was fabulous - right on the lake, though the weather wasn't too great for enjoying it. All 3 cars arrived within a few minutes of each other and we began the great weekend of taking, laughing, eating, and drinking - so much fun. The pictures don't do us justice, but at least give you the flavor.

Saturday we toured around Grove a bit, then had a great dinner - the picture at the top of this post is the group at dinner, including Kitty Kennedy Brown, the "older woman" who joined us from her home in Vinita.

Sunday we enjoyed a leisurely morning then brunch at a nearby restaurant, then off for home. I changed cars - this time I went with Mary Beth and Susie to McAlester, where I visited briefly with Jim Northcutt and Thurman Shuller then met Dana at Sharon and Bill's, where we stayed for the next few days and visited friends. We took almost no pictures :( - this one is at of our niece Maria and great nieces Kellye and Casey who drove up for the afternoon from their home in Texas.

We also went to lunch with Dorothy and Dorothy Kennedy and Dorothy (Wootsie)'s new husband Phil. We visited with Cassie and Joe and their families and had dinner at the Isle of Capri- and even seconds of lamb fries the next day for lunch thanks to Bill! We then left for Siloam, stopping at Lovera's for caciocavera (I looked this up - is this really how you spell the cheese we call gourd cheese???)
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US 2011 - Denver

2011-06-24T19:43:00.005+02:00

Gerry drove us to Tulsa on Tuesday morning for our flight to Denver. All went well except for a slight altercation over our cheese which was in Dana's carry-on. We now know that kochcaval from Krebs is "soft" cheese (this after a thorough examination by a guard wearing latex gloves) and cannot be carried on. After some conversation, Dana went back down to Delta and was allowed to put it into his checked luggage (despite this making it overweight). The next I knew (as I waited on the other side of security with all our paraphanalia, was that he was being escorted to a side room by 2 guards - it turned out that a Euro coin in his money belt set off the alarms on his second time through (no problem first time ???) and he was taken off for a pat down. I was very glad to find this out, as I thought there had been some problem with the cheese - such as it blowing up?? Anyway, on, uneventfully to Denver.

Lorraine and David met us at the airport, whisked us home, cleaned us up a bit, and took us to a fancy fund raiser at the Denver Aquarium. This was a lovely dinner and silent auction - Lorraine is a bit of a mover and shaker for Jefferson Co. Mental Health, so was mentioned several times - we were honored.

Wednesday Lorraine, Dana and I met my high school friend Mike Beatty and his wife Kathleen in down town Denver. It was a lot of fun and a great reunion. On left, Mike and MFE; on right: Lorraine, Dana, MFE, Mike, Kathleen.

After lunch the 3 of us toured around the town a little - very fun and interesting.

Here are some shots of down town.

Note this interesting "clinic" we passed.

Pat and Michelle came over for dinner that night. We were glad to get to meet her - and not just because she's from Oklahoma :).. And, yes, we woke up the next morning to snow on the deck!

Thursday night we were invited out to dinner by Diane - you will remember lots of blogging about her and her kids when she was the SLT for DS Cork. It was so much fun to see them in the US! We had a great Italian dinner and enjoyed seeing Matt and Kendal (above with Diane and me) and Katie (who we had met in Dingle last year) and also meeting Tony, Diane's boyfriend, and Katie's husband.

Friday John, David, Dana and I went to the Butterfly Pavillion which was fun and beautiful.

That night we met Diane and Tony at the Rockies/Cubs game and had a fabulous time (despite the Cubs loss :( ). A point of interest -it was Jackie Robinson night, so all players on both teams (and apparently on all major league teams) wore number 42. It must have made announcing the game and adventure, and also makes identifying players in the pictures a challange!

On Saturday Lorraine, David, Dana, and I drove through Estes Park - we saw beautiful, snowy scenery and lots of elk and deer. We also visited with a friend of theirs in Estes.

US 2011 AR

2011-06-24T19:43:00.004+02:00

We arrived at Dana's parents house and were glad to see Bill and meet Barb, the caretaker, who is wonderful and was very welcoming. We also visited briefly with Dorothy at the nursing home. Once again we didn't take many pictures, but here are the highlights of this part of the trip:

1. Dinner with Mary at Emilia's the new restaurant in downtown Siloam.
2. Several dinners and visits with the Donners

3. A coffee morning at the Cafe on Broadway with several of my Presbyterian friends
4. A nice visit at Doris Ramsey's house with her, Emma and Tom, Pat H., and Darrel and Carol
5. A wonderful Sunday afternoon potluck at Mary and Ed's house with all of the old "foodie" weekend group - a gorgeous warm day in between lots of cooler weather
6. A night for MFE at the Embassy Suites in Rogers with Barbara and dinner with her and Marilyn
7. A pizza dinner with all the Schwerin's (including Naaman who we had not met, and both sons-in-law) and Ann, who will be Marlene's traveling companion when she comes to Ireland in June.
8. A weekend with Nancy and Hal, including dinner with the Donners and the Grahams. Here are a few pictures of AR - I'll post more of flora and fauna in a separate posting. The weather was gorgeous -in fact hot - and the dogwoods were in full bloom - so beautiful).

9. A dinner at a really fun Korean restaurant in Bentonville - we treated Mary and Ed as a small part of our thanks for the use of their car, and also enjoyed introducing them to Hal and Nancy.

10. A quick stop by the Co-op to visit the Early Childhood staff - these the people still there from "my era" (at least the ones who were on site that day.

Dorothy was able to come home many of the days we were there, which we enjoyed. Also, she came home on our last night for a dinner with our friend Steve Thomas.All in all this was a great visit with enough time for some rest and just enjoying the town and our friends.

Alyssa, January,2011

2011-01-25T17:09:00.002+01:00

Our great niece, Alyssa Wall (daughter of Sue, granddaughter of Nancy and Hal) is an aspiring actress. She spent last summer with Forestburgh playhouse in New York State, where she had a unique opportunity to act in many productions - she was chosen to do this from amongst many applicants from all over the US. She has now moved to NY City and is starting the rounds of auditions. Forestburgh contact her to reprise her role as Juliet in their adaptation which they were taking on the road - to Ireland. We were so excited, and planned this for 2 months. It all worked very well. They were based in Adare, Co. Limerick, and had performances in several places including Kilkenny, Galway, and Nenagh. However, they had several nights in Limerick, so we drove to our B&B in Adare on Saturday afternoon and met Alyssa at the venue - The Loft - in town centre Limerick. Our first thrill was walking down the street and seeing a poster of Alyssa on the lamp post. We then saw the real thing - sitting in the pub downstairs from the production venue. We had a great time visiting with her and the troupe photographer, Meredith. (pictured above: Dana, Alyssa, Meredith, MFE).

Then our friend Kate joined us. She, Dana and I had dinnner while the others prepared for the performance. We then enjoyed the performance - and especially enjoyed Alyssa, who was superb. We spent a while visiting afterward. On Sunday, we went to the beautiful house they were renting and visited for a while, then took Alyssa on a bit of a tour. We drove down the Shannon to Foynes and took pictures in front of the Air-Boat Museum (it was closed). We had lunch in teh same pub where we had lunch with Nancy and Hal 3 1/2 years ago. We then drove to Limerick and saw a few landmarks and enjoyed coffee and tea in a pub, then dropped her off for the evening performance. It was a short visit,but so much fun to have her in Ireland!

The pictures below were sent to us by Meredith.Rutledge, the photographer who was traveling with the troupe. She is in the first 2 pictures above. She very kindly gave me permission to use them on this blog, even though she is a professional photographer.

On the right, here is the real thing - with the poster on the street that I mentioned above. On the left, Kate, Dana and I buying our tickets.

This is Alyssa (Juliet) and Romeo, in a production - not sure which venue this was. The two below are posed at King John's Castle in Limerick (I think) - first Romeo and Juliet and the bottom one just a beautiful one of our personal Juliet!

The Bowens, December 2010

2011-01-17T17:45:00.005+01:00

John,Lorraine, Pat and David arrived a week before Christmas, in the middle or our record setting snow and ice siege! This was Pat's first trip to Ireland, and he didn't get to see too much, but here are some wintery scenes of some familiar places: Ardfert, Ross Castle, and Torq Falls.

Here are a couple of nice bird shots. Top on is a chaffinch, bottom is a robin (which are a different species than US robins).

Since they were leaving NY Eve morning, we had an early celebration - early by being both a day early and nowhere near midnight! This is at Blennerville with the lighted windmill behind us. Below at the Station House in Blennerville.

Lorraine did a wonderful job as cook's assistant, bottle washer, nurse and confidante - but not least of her jobs was the great job of decorating for Christmas. These pictures are by MFE.

Mick and Jeanne October 2010

2011-01-17T17:36:00.003+01:00

Mick and Jeanne came for their second visit in October. They went to Dublin and Newgrange for a few days, then toured Kerry (both new and old spots). They also went to Clare to tour the Cliffs of Mohr and Doolin and had a spectacular sunset while coming back on the ferry.

Above, cannon at Ross Castle, and a beautiful swan in the lake there.

Cliffs of Mohr and Doolin. (The lead picture on this posting is also at Doolin).

A friendly goat on the rocks at Doolin.

Sunset from the ferry, crossing the Shannon from Kilkee to Tarbert.

Ardfert - seen many times before, but a nice view.

And,one of their last days, a cold and windy but beautiful day at Brandon Point.

Brandon Point - Dingle Peninsula

2010-09-24T16:07:00.002+02:00

In late August we had a beautiful, bright sunny day so we took a drive. We turned off toward Brandon Bay, just before the main road climbs to Conor Pass. This was new territory for us and it was so beautiful. So, this posting is all scenery - Kerry on a sunny day can't be beat! (If you click to enlarge the one on the left you will see me sitting on the wall.) The yellow flowers are gorse and the purple ones are heather.

A highlight was watching 2 pods(schools) of dolphins - there must have been 15 or 20 in all - jumping and frolicking below us.

In the picture above,some young French tourists are looking down at the dolphins (and a boat passing by). This is what alerted Dana to look down and see them.

Dana thinks this is a chough - a sort of crow that is seen infrequently here.

And, here are some great shots of Mont Bretia. This is the "back-to-school flower" that we have described to many of you who have visited at other times of the year. And the one shot shows it along with the red fuchsia, which blooms a little earlier but lasts into Fall in some areas.

Fenit and Guaguan Berra

2010-07-06T14:30:00.002+02:00

On the Saturday after our trip to Thurles, we made a visit to Fenit for the first annual Fenit Sea Breeze Festival. We went specifically for an advertised "Eco-Walk" with Frank King, the "bird man" on Kerry radio. It turned out we were the only takers - so he was pleased to see us! (The main events catered to the younger crowd, as you'll see later). He said it was the wrong time of year for birds, but... oh well. He knew lots about birds and all flora and fauna and was a pleasure to be with.

The big interest events were bungee jumping on the pier and the hamster run (that's this ball with a kid inside being pulled around the shallow part of the bay). There was also a cheese stall with our friend Maia from last year's cheese making in Castlegregory, so that was fun. A later event was the "All-Ireland Stone Skipping Contest" - 1st annual I think! We missed it, but did see some enterprising local youngsters selling bags of "perfect skipping stones"!
And we ran into the Kerry Rose (our contestant for the Rose of Tralee in August). She has Down Syndrome as her charity, so was glad to pose with me! (She had just finished Bungee jumping!).Low key, but nice day!

The next day I (MFE) went on my annual outing with LINKS, my church women's group. This year we went to a small church near Cork, (where the 13 of us doubled the congregation and all of the other 13 came to the after church tea to talk to us - fun. Then we went to Béal na mBláth ,the site of Michael Collins' death in an ambush in 1921 (Linda, on right,is reading us historical material as Esther listens!. Then lunch in Inchigeelogh with a fun, singing host.

Finally we visited Guagan Barra , a beautiful, serenic and scenic spot with a lake, a chapel, and some historic markers. . 3 of the 4 cars of us drove back over an amazingly steep, curvy, narrow, isolated mountain road! Our guide knew it well, but she is not popular now with 2 of the drivers! Left, Olive; right Viv, Linda, Esther; below Linda, Rhona, Mary,Gill.

Brunger visit

2010-07-06T14:26:00.004+02:00

And, the last big event of the Spring/early Summer - Ann Owens Brunger and husband Scott came to visit. (As some of you know, Ann is my close childhood friend who moved away to Beirut, Lebanon, when we were 12, but managed to keep in touch all these years! I was in their wedding in 1968 and Ann performed our wedding in 1987. They live in Maryville TN, so we saw them some in the TN years, and have visited, emailed, and phoned over the years.) We were very pleased to have them. They arrived on Friday , then went to England for 4 days on Monday, then returned to us for about a week.

On Friday, their first day we drove back from Shannon through Foynes and they toured the AirBoat Museum (while I drank Irish coffee in the place of its invention). We then changed our plans and headed straight for Tralee because of muffler trouble - we sounded like hot rodders! We did visit Fenit that evening.

On Saturday we went to Dingle. The weather was gorgeous, so I'm posting a few pictures of things you have seen before - just so beautiful.

The picture at the top of this post is Ann and Scott putting their stones on the pile at the top of the Conor Pass. Just above is one of Scott at the lake above the falls just before Conor Pass. The other 2 are by MFE - of Ann across the road from the falls, and of Scott and Dana climbing down from the lake.

We did the Fungi (dolphin) boat, mostly for the great scenery, and then had our regular lunch at Murphy's before taking off on the Slea Head Drive. Left, right and below: views of Dingle and Fungi on this beautiful day.

A funny thing - we had a traffic diversion (what Americans call detour) because of an overturned tourist bus. Because we had no idea where we were going, we had some nice touring on tiny roads - very scenic. We came out and headed back to pick up part of the drive that we missed. We stopped at the Bee Hive huts, which we have done several times before. I was so confused - everything was different - layout, payment, no written info. I spent 15 minutes exclaiming over this, then got back to the car where Dana informed me that these were different bee hive huts. Well, now I've seen 2 sets...... and was pleased to find my memory hadn't completely gone.We completed the tour then went to Gerard and Dominique's for a wonderful summer meal outside on the patio. Yann was gone, so Lucca enjoyed having all these adults to himself! Later, Yann returned with Paul, Claudette, and Dale and also Gerard's friend Brian came, so we had a wonderful time.

On Sunday, Ann, Scott and I went to church, and they enjoyed a historical tour of the church after the service - by a parishioner who loves to do that! That afternoon we toured the Tralee Rose Garden, went to the Kerry Co. Museum, and then enjoyed the Pipe Band Championships - again beautiful weather.

The picture above is us enjoying tea and coffee in the bright sunshine on the square in Tralee while watching the pipes - very nice. A fellow at the next table took the picture, against Dana's wishes. We have to have some with him in them!!

They went to England on Monday. On Thursday we picked them up in Cork and drove to Kinsale where we spent the night at Jim Edwards Pub/ B&B.. We walked around the town (above, the harbour, rightSt. Montrose Church) and had dinner there with Diane and Matt, who were moving back to the US on Saturday, so this was our goodbye dinner.

This 12th Century church dedicated to the patron Saint of Kinsale was probably built on the site of an earlier 6th Century church of the same name. It was here that Prince Rupert proclaimed Charles II as King of England, a proclamation repeated at the close of the Cromwellian period 11 years later.

On Friday we toured Charles Fort (I went last year with Mary, but was pretty tired and slept on a bench, so this was good!). This is a star-shaped fort on the harbour. It was used for centuries, then burned by the IRA during the civil war. We had a great tour guide and learned a lot.
his was constructed in the late 17th century on the site of an earlier coastal fortification. Charles Fort is a classic example of a star-shaped fort and has five bastions. The two seaward bastions, the Devil's and the Charles' were for defending the harbour and both are casemated - that is, they have gun embrasures inside as well as on top of the walls. The North, Flagstaff and the Cockpit, are the three landward bastions and all three had a brick sentry box at their outermost point, two of these still survive.
William Robinson, architect of the Royal Hospital in Kilmainham, Dublin, is credited with designing the Fort. Across the estuary is James Fort, an earlier structure, which was designed by Paul Ivy in 1602. In 1690 after the 'Battle of the Boyne' the Williamite forces arrived at Kinsale and attacked both forts.

We then drove through West Cork to Kenmare, then home. We made a couple of scenic stops, and then made one wonderful and impromptu historical stop at the Michael Collins Centre. (I especially like this since I had just been to the ambush site the week before!). The guide was a wonderful guy (pictured above, holding a replica of the car in which "the Mick" was riding) who obviously has this as his passion - my impression is that he has single handedly arranged and prepared many of the exhibits. He gave a great and knowledgeable speech about Collins - and especially about the ambush. Very interesting - more people need to go to this! (left - the armored car in the entourage and right a car of the same model as the one in which he was riding). We went back home through West Cork to Kenmare, making one stop at a chocolate factory! We bought lots of wonderful cheeses at the Truffle Pig, our favorite shop in Kenmare.

Saturday we went to Cahersiveen and Valentia - good weather, but not as spectacular as other days. We made all the usual stops, but I'll just add a couple of pictures.Above, the Fogher Cliffs from Geokaun Mtn. Below Ann and Scott on Ballycarbery Castle - click to enlarge the pictures - you'll see they are there, even in the distance shot! And note the pretty day - though it was very windy, especially on top of the mountain!

Sunday they went to church (I had laryngitis, so stayed home) then we went to North Kerry - Ratoo Round Tower; Ballybunion with trad. Virgin Rock picture; Carrigafoyle Castle; and Ardfert. Dana was especially pleased with the picture of the round tower - first time he's been able to get a good vantage point with no electric lines!

On the way back we stopped in Causeway where they were holding the Kerry finals for trad music competitions. There wasn't a lot going on, but we got in on some good set dancing - Ann took this picture. And we had a unique experience bought and ate some perriwinkles - small shell fish - a new find!

Here is a special picture. When Ann and I were young, my mother made us several matching outfits (the most memorable being leopard pants!). So, Ann brought us matching shirts and we posed for this picture, replicating our youth - with a few extra gray hairs!

Monday I decided to rest and get well, so they took the bus to Killarney and had a good day - shopping, Ross Castle, Deenagh Lodge.

Tuesday we went back to Killarney and went to Muckross House, Torc Falls, Ladies View (above), and lunch at Avoca at Moll's Gap. We ended up searching for (and finally finding) a new site for us - Muckross Abbey. This involved a beautiful walk through the woods by the lake. Also there were this apparently Scottish couple having their wedding picturesmade.

Then, home to pack and put them on the bus to Shannon Wednesday morning. Of course, within all of this were numerous gourmet meals by chef Dana - they were a very appreciative audience!

Historical and Literary Bus Tour 2010

2010-07-04T20:02:00.000+02:00

While the Shullers were touring, Dana and I went on the Historical and Literary Bus Tour (my 4th, his 3rd). Each year it goes on a different route. This year we went to the Clashmealcon Caves near Causeway, where there was a major civil war incident in 1923. Not only was it historic, it was gorgeous, with the beautiful horses racing around the cliffs above the caves (above).

We then went to Ballyheigue, where Roger Casement was captured while trying to bring in arms during the 1916 rising. We enjoyed music by the group that has accompanied us the last 3 years - including our friend Killian O'Carroll on banjo.This year a dancer joined them. Our tour guide was once again Father Tony, pictured above with one of the annual organizers of this tour.

Next stop was the Ratoo Round Tower at Ballyduff - no pictures as it has been on this blog many times. We ended up at a pub in Ballyduff and enjoyed the music of the group again.

County Tipperary

2010-07-04T19:57:00.003+02:00

In between the Shuller visit and the Brunger visit, we made a quick trip to Thurles, Co. Tipperary, to visit Carina Pierse and William Smyth. Carina was our first landlady (Kilflynn), aunt of a client, and a good friend. William is her partner and has a wonderful wholesale nursery. Carina had a full day of sightseeing planned. We visited Holy Cross Abby.

Next stop was a great jam-making enterprise in a private home (sort of manor house- no pictures).

Then on to Farney Castle - the residents are Cyril and Margie Cullen. He is a renowned weaver/wool designer and ceramics artist. They gave us a wonderful tour.

Farney Castle is the home, design studio and retail outlet of Irish International Designer, Cyril Cullen, and it is the only Round Tower in Ireland occupied as a family home. The first castle was built at Farney in 1185 and this would have been a timbered structure. The present round tower was built in 1495 by Thomas Butler, 7th Earl of Ormond,

We then went to visit William's nursery, which we thoroughly enjoyed, and then had dinner at their beautiful new house.

The next morning we drove to Cahir and toured a castle there, then drove home. A nice, but short, visit.

Shuller/Carney visit

2010-07-04T19:55:00.002+02:00

In late May/early June we enjoyed a visit from McAlester friends Mary Beth Shuller Carney, husband Jim, brother Henry, sister Margaret (aka Maggie) and brother and s-in-law Frank and Jane. They stayed with us a few days during which we went to Valentia (unfortunately a rainy day), North Kerry, and an evening at Siamsa Tire (plus Jim played a round of golf with our friend Donie).

They then left to tour around a bit and ended up for their second week at a holiday home in Kenmare - we joined them there for the June Bank Holiday.

Most of the pictures I am posting are of people, as the scenery has been seen here before. However, we did tour the south end of the Ring of Kerry, which we haven't done too many times, so here are some new sites there. Above left: walking along the street in Sneem (note my Kerry Jersey - this was the day Kerry played Cork); middle and right - beautiful scenery around Cahernane House. Below - Cahernane House, home of Daniel O'Connell, which we toured.

Below left and right - Staig fort, slightly different than the one we usually visit in Cahersiveen. And, 3 of the sibs on the fort! .

Left, mfe and Henry with Charlie Chaplin in Waterville, where we ate and watched the Kerry/Cork match - Kerry pulled out a draw at the very last minute! And, the last shot - the award winning toilet in Port Magee - the sign says Ireland's Top Toilet Award - runner up. It is quite nice - can't imagine how pretty 1st place is. Below a nice close up of the Skellig Islands.

One day we drove from Kenmare through Moll's Gap, Ladies View, Torc Falls, and Muckross - the gardens at Muckross were too pretty to leave off! Mary Beth and I are at Torc Falls, and the group is Ladies View.

And, this final picture to give me a chance to tell you about Frank's passion - geo-caching. He hunts for "caches" by getting GPS coordinates - they are left all over the world. We went on a few side trips looking for them, but mostly they were where we were going anyway. Interesting.

The Singing Men of Arkansas

2010-05-02T14:41:00.001+02:00

We had one of those "small world" experiences Wednesday night, April 28. I read in a paper that a group called "The Singing Men of Arkansas" was going to sing in Killarney. When I got on their web site, I found that they were from NWA - sort of connected to 1st Baptist in FV. Even more amazing, their director is Mike Bedford and a member is Stan Bedford. We bought Color Mate Photo in 1990 from Jack and Vicki Bedford. Stan and Mike are Jack's brothers. So, of course, we went and had a great time. First, they are a great singing group, so if you're in NWA, look for a performance. And, what fun visits we had. Stan owns Bedford Camera and Video stores in Springdale, Rogers, FV, Ft. Smith and LR and we did lots of business with him, so we knew him pretty well. He was amazed to see us and very appreciative that we had looked him up.

Above, Mike Bedford, director; Jonathon Storey, accompaniest; the choir in action singng the song written by Vicke Bedford. And, just above - Stan Bedford, Patsy (Baldridge) Bedford, MFE, DS, David Sager.

We also met several other members, wives and mothers. We found that another member, David Sager, knew Dana pretty well in SS Kiwanis. And, Mike Bedford's wife was married to Mitch Baldridge, who was a partner in 2 B's Auto with our friend Dennis Bergthold (Mitch died several years ago). And to top it off, they sang a song written by Vicki. As I said, what are the odds that in 2010 I'd be sitting in a church in Killarney listening to a group for NWA sing a song written by Vicki Bedford. I love the way life provides these scenes for me!

Clara's Visit

2010-05-02T14:35:00.002+02:00

Clara Hogan is the daughter of Jan's sister Tara. We knew her sister Molly well, but Clara was born after we left Iowa City - I had met her once at Jenifer's wedding. She is doing a semester in Brussels and for her Spring Break she toured Europe ending up with a 36 hour trip to visit us. Well, fate intervened and the volcanic ash crisis let us keep her for 5 days and gave her a much better view of Kerry! She handled it well, though obviously a bit frustrated - her fellow students were stranded all over Europe, some alone, so we were glad she was with us. She eventually got back to Brussels via train, ferry, train, train - about a 28 hour journey. Lucky she's young!

The first evening we went to Fenit and Ardfert. The next day we went to Dingle (the original 1 day tour we had planned!). That evening we went across to our local pub for a going-away gathering for Kate, so Clara got to meet a few of our friends. Above she is on the beach we call Ryan's Daughter's beach. To the right, MFE and Clara at Kilmalkedar Church. Below right , the mountain climb up from the falls just before the Conor Pass.Below left, some brightly painted lambs near the church.

On Friday she and Dana went to Killarney and toured Muckross House and Ross Castle while I worked. Dana says this is his best picture ever of Ross Castle! Left and right - Killarney Lakes.

It was a beautiful day and he got some very nice flower shots.

Saturday we went to Ballybunion - above and at top of the post the traditional Virgin Rock picture! Also, here's a shot of Nun's beach, the one near the end of the Cliff Walk. There was so much more beach exposed than usual - it was hardly recognizable.

Sunday back to Killarney for Torc Falls, Ladies View and Moll's Gap. This picture is Ladies View - notice the Muslim visitors enjoying the sights! Monday she spent the morning trying to arrange transportation then took an early afternoon bus to Dublin.

New York Trip - Central Park

2010-05-02T14:03:00.005+02:00

We flew to New York on the day after St. Patrick's Day - sort of funny, since many people from Ireland go over for the big parade. We arrived at Gustavo and Renata's apartment in time for dinner with Renata - G. was in Brazil, and returned the next day. They have a gorgeous apartment on the Hudson River, just behind the Lincoln Center and just a few blocks from Central Park. So, on Friday, our first day, we spent almost the whole day in the park. It was beautiful - 70 degrees and sunny and we really enjoyed it. We walked nearly the whole park. Obviously, Dana took thousands of pictures, so we will give you a sampling.

This first street scene is at the 59th street entrance. The globe is in front of one of many Trump buildings. We had coffee/coke and enjoyed the street musicians.

Then we set off walking. Here are some beautiful scenes and statues. I took the one of Dana taking a picture after a lady stopped me and asked if I was with him. When I said I was, she said she was a professional photographer and that a picture of him would be wonderful, so I took it.

And here are my favorite statues - Hans Christian Andersen and the Ugly Duckling (and me - no comments please) and Alice in Wonderland.

We went out of the park and had lunch, then walked some more. We saw the John Lennon memorial, which is right across from the Dakota where he was shot. and We walked all the way around the Jackie Kennedy Onassis Reservoir, with beautiful views of the skyline, including the one at the beginning of this post and the one behind us in the shot below.

We walked out of the Park and into Times Square, stopping to rest at the Rockefeller Center. Since this was March 19, we saw many signs of Irish celebration, including these 2. Then we bought Metro passes and went home - a wonderful day!

New York - Days 3,4 and 5

2010-05-02T14:03:00.004+02:00

On Sunday we again hopped on the subway. First top was Grand Central Station.

We then went further south to the WTC site, the Brooklyn Bridge, Pier 17 (where we had a bite at an Irish pub) and Battery Park. To the left - the church near the WTC site, where firemen's boots were hung on the fence - and some never came back to get them. It was a miracle that this church survived intact and was able to serve as a main location of assistance. Below left - the WTC site - constructing a new Tower 2. Below right, the park near the subway stop.

Right and below left - the Brooklyn Bridge - an amazing structure. We walked only about 1/2 way - it is VERY long!

Right, Pier 17. Below Statue of Liberty
from Battery Park.

Monday was our first (and only) rainy day. We still enjoyed walking around Greenwich Village and Soho. Dana was doing memories, as he lived in that area for a few months in the '70s. We enjoyed a great lunch at a bistro. Then Dana went home to cook and I toured the UN - I have great memories of doing this in the 60's with my mother, so I enjoyed memory lane - and did enjoy the tour again.

That evening Dana fixed dinner and cooked a blueberry pie for Gustavo. We had their Brazilian friend, Adrian up to share the pie.

Tuesday we again headed south and stood in line for discounted Broadway tickets (even discounted they are breathtakingly expensive!). We were able to get tickets to Chicago,our first choice. We then rode a bus all the way north to Harlem, then went back to the apartment to rest and get ready for the theater. It was wonderful. We were on the third row. We both love the music from this show, and they did it very well. There was an understudy playing Roxie and she was really great. What a treat!

New York Day 6 - Morris-Jumel Mansion and Heather Garden

2010-05-02T14:03:00.003+02:00

On Wednesday morning we took a bus heading north on Riverside Drive. We thought we would go to the Cloisters, but got a bit side-tracked and enjoyed our impromptu day! We happened upon the Morris-Jumel Mansion. This was a large house which has had several owners, but its main claim to fame is that George Washington used it as his headquarters for a few months in 1776. We had a very interesting talk with the woman working there, who was originally from Wisconsin. The house has been restored and furnished as it may have been during GW's time. To the left is the desk in his bedroom and to the right is the dining table set for breakfast with his cabinet - we were told that John Adams and Thomas Jefferson among others dined here!

After lunch in the village, we walked and rode a bus to the Cloisters, but decided against touring it, as it was already fairly late in the day. So, instead we walked through the Heather Gardens, which were beautitful and had a great view of the George Washington Bridge, the Hudson River, and New Jersey.

Then we went to Times Square Broadway area and visited B&H photo - a photo superstore from which we had ordered many many times. It is an amazing store! Then we went to a KMart and loaded up on some things we wanted to take back to Ireland. And, finally we had a beer at a microbrewery in the bottom part of the Empire State Building. That evening Adrian and his wife, Jaesie, came over - sorry no pictures.

New York - River Trip

2010-05-02T14:02:00.001+02:00

On Saturday morning Gustavo and Renata went to look at apartments (they're having to move from their beautiful current apt. because the owner of their unit lost it to a bank) and we went just across the street to beautiful Riverside Park. It was again a gorgeous day and there were many people, buggies, bikes, skates, and dogs for us to enjoy - as well as beautiful views.

On the walk back we got these shots of Eleanor resting in the park and of the corner with Riverside Drive.

When they returned we rode the subway to Times Square, then walked to the pier and took a riverboat ride on the Hudson and East Rivers - beautiful. I particularly loved the close up views of the Statue of Liberty, the great views of the skyline, and of course the brilliant company! Below are pictures of skylines - just a few of the many!

World Trade Center construction and World Financial Center

Brooklyn Bridge

Statue of Liberty

Ellis Island

Rockefeller Center - we walked by here on our way back from the river boat.

Last Day

2010-05-02T14:02:00.000+02:00

We had all day on Thursday to tour, as our plane was not until late evening. First we went up to the roof of Gustavo and Renata's building and Dana got the shots he used to make this beautiful panorama.

Then we walked to Central Park - started the trip here and enjoyed it again on our last day. It was amazing how much things had bloomed in that one week!

Then we took a bus south and stopped off at Washington Square Park since it was a sunny day and our first tour there was in the rain. We walked around the Village a bit, then took a bus further south, getting views of the WTC site and Battery Park.
(Dana's comment on the bike - "we understand this bike was in perfect working order last night!".

Then it was home to pack and leave - a great trip.

Galway/Connemara trip - February, 2010

2010-03-12T16:58:00.004+01:00

On Friday, Feb. 26 we drove to Kilkolgan, south of Galway, where I had a meeting. During my meeting, Dana explored the area and below are shots of Kinvarra bay, Dungaire Castle, and a ruin near my meeting venue. The duck is in Kinvarra bay and Dana is pretty sure it is a Wigeon.

After the meeting we drove to Spiddal, on the coast, and visited Sliding Rock Pottery - the potter is Rob D'Eath, cousin of Michael. We had visited them in October, 07 when Michael and Brenda were here and were glad to see them again. He and Maureen picked us up at our B&B that evening and we had a very nice visit and seafood dinner. Maureen hates having her picture taken, and if she sees this she will not be happy, but I like it!

Saturday morning was bright and sunny but cold, as you can see in the shot above on Spiddal pier (where apparently John Wayne and other cast members of The Quiet Man spent some time). All of these shots are on the drive from Spiddal, curving north through Connemara and returning to Galway via Clifden. The weather fluctuated from sun to rain to hail and back again - the bonus of this was that we saw a LOT of rainbows. All of the pictures below are of the drive and the rainbows. As you can see, we were incredibly close to some of them! . The lead shot of this blog post, and one of the shots below is Kylemore Abby, which is very beautiful. We did not tour it or its gardens, but enjoyed the view. There are still Benedictine nuns living there. And, we have included this sheep because we thought she was so pretty - almost dainty - and she was so interested in having her picture taken!

And now the rainbows:

Closer to home - miscellaneous shots

2010-03-12T16:58:00.000+01:00

After we returned from Galway, we had a nice week. On the following Friday we went to Cahersiveen - it was just like old times with MFE covering Kate's therapy sessions and Dana chauffeuring, assisting, and exploring. There were lots of breaks in between therapy sessions, so we rested at Rossbeigh beach, had lunch at Daniel O'Connell Park, and walked through town centre. These 2 shots are from the city park below the old barracks. The water was so beautiful and blue that day! This is the same mountain that many of you have seen as our screensaver - just Spring now instead of Fall! On the way home we stopped in for a visit and tea with Patricia and Kevin in Glenbeigh.

On that Sunday, it was again bright and sunny, but very cold. We took Joe for a walk on the beach at Fenit. Again, the water was so beautiful and you can see the remnants of snow on the mountaintop across the bay.

And, the final entry for this post: on Tuesday Dana drove Gerard and me to a meeting in Ballyvourny - the 1st Co. Cork town as you leave Kerry. Again it was a nice day and Dana had time to explore.He found the highest pub in Ireland! (Although we understand that Wicklow also has a pub that makes this claim!), some interested sheep, and some turbines (there are many such wind farms around Ireland)

2 Kappas in Ireland

2010-02-09T20:37:00.001+01:00

As you know from other posts, I helped the Cork branch of DSI recruit Diane, a speech-language therapist living in Denver. She and I have had lots of contact in the 1 1/2 years she's been here, and have gotten to be good friends. We discovered that we both grew up in eastern Oklahoma (McAlester and Sapulpa) and that we are both members of Kappa Kappa Gamma (Diane at Tulsa, MFE at OSU). So we submitted an article on ourselves to the Kappa Key (magazine) and it was accepted. So, last Saturday, we met in Killarney with for a photo shoot with our professional photographer - Dana! We even took clothing changes! We had a lot of fun and here are the results. I think they may be in the Key in June. Above, in Killarney National Park. Below at Ladies View and 2 posed professional shots.

St. Brigid's Day - The Biddies

2010-02-09T20:31:00.002+01:00

On Sunday, January 31 we met Gerard, Dominique, Yann and Lucca at Muckross Park for the St. Brigid's Day celebration. The weather was beautiful and we had a nice time. Here is a bit of a description - Gerard tells us that there is actually a bit more to it - some of it risque, at least as he remembers from his youth.

St. Brigid's Day is celebrated on 1st February, the pagan feast of Imbolg, the festival of Spring, the coming of fertility to the land. Even today it is still the occasion of popular and partently un-Christian rituals such as the Bridoge and the Biddy doll. St. Brigid's crosses are very common in jewelry and tourism! There was a man there making them from reeds. He said the tradition is for a comely man to pull the reeds, so he did it himself! St. Brigid is second only to Patrick as a patron saint of Ireland.

The dancers were pretty good - especially the broom dancer. You can't really see, but one person was carrying the "Biddy Doll" mentioned above.

The Big Freeze

2010-01-12T19:09:00.003+01:00

In December, 2009, right before Christmas the temperature in Kerry dropped below freezing and did not top that number until January 12, 2010. During that time we had snow and sleet and then more snow. (I know this doesn't sound like much to our hardy US friends, but in Kerry this is very very unusual.) These pictures do not do it justice, but at least give an idea - all pictures are by MFE. Above, the mountains from our street. Above left, the hotel across the street from us - I thought palm trees with ice and snow were a nice touch! Above right our back garden (yard). Below some of the art work in our area - note the anatomical touches on the couple!!

During this freeze we kept tabs on the "Jude Rose". On December 1, 2009 our beautiful 16 1/2 year old English Setter, Jude, died. This rose bloomed on that day and stayed beautiful through heavy rain, gale force winds, and the above mentioned sleet and snow. It was absolutely frozen solid for much of the time. The main picture, above, is by Dana on Christmas Day (it was already more than 3 weeks in bloom!). The other 2 are by MFE on the left in early January and on the right on January 11, when the rose was almost gone, but it stood up to one more dollop of snow.

Happy Christmas 2009

2009-12-27T11:37:00.008+01:00

Christmas Day we went to Gerard and Dominique's. First we had mulled wine (an Irish tradition) with them, Clare and Eddie and their 2 daughters Kathy and AnnMarie. Left: MFE, Yann, AnnMarie; Right: Kathy, Yann, AnnMarie. Below: Clare and Eddie

Later, after the O'Doherty's left, we had an American/French Christmas dinner:

Starter: Crab claws and oysters

Main: Turkey, stuffing, potatoes and gravy, broad beans and carrots, sweet potato biscuits

1st after: salad and cheeses

2nd after: Oranges in cognac

3rd after: Chocolate Christmas roll (a cake similar to Boston Creme Pie)

All in all a very nice day. St.Stephen's Day we relaxed all day - Dana needed this after working 9 straight days, having a bad cold, and cooking 1/2 (or more) of the dinner). Carina, William, Abbey and Lir came to visit.

Below is what we call the "Jude Rose". It bloomed right about the time she died - December 1. It has been gorgeous, and has persevered through rain, sleet, wind and heavy ice. At one point it was rock solid with ice. This is how beautiful it still was on Christmas Day!

Thanksgiving 2009, Church of Ireland, Tralee

2009-12-04T09:31:00.004+01:00

My church periodically has social events based on a different culture. This year they chose to have an American Thanksgiving Dinner, which was wonderful for us. Above: Dana, Joe (his co-worker and an American), and Yvonne (Joe's wife, from Germany)

Below, on left, Peter (the wine master) and Michael - 2 members of the planning committee. On right, Gill and David in front of the American Indian display made by our elementary school children.

This is the stellar kitchen crew: Mona, guest chef from Grand Hotel, Rhona, Mary, Shirley.

Table shots to show the decorations and many of the guests. If you look really closely, you will see little cut-out pilgrim figures - my contribution!

Evelyn, Trevor, Godfrey, ?, Sue Olive on left; across Alice, Mae , Phyllis

Above, our table: Joe, Kay (American), Gene, ?,? , MFE, Yvonne

Below: Desire, Samuel, Michael, Armond

Celebrate Together - Church of Ireland, St. Mary's Cathedral, Limerick

2009-11-19T19:02:00.000+01:00

On Sunday, November 15 I had the great experience of going to a gathering of my entire diocese in Limerick. This was in the beautiful and historical cathedral there, and was a great day of worship and fellowship. Above: Eric (friend we made from Tipperary), MFE, Maraketa and Godfrey (sister and brother, my ride to Limerick).

Samuel and Michael Mary, Monica, Rhona, Lorna at winetasting

Brian (from Dublin, mom in Tralee),Eric, and Desire

Jan and Gerry's visit - October/November 2009

2009-11-19T15:53:00.004+01:00

Jan and Gerry flew in to Dublin. Dana and I drove up Sunday morning and met them at the Shelbourne Hotel, where we all spent the night, courtesy of Jan's frequent flyer miles - a real treat. On Sunday afternoon we had lunch nearby, then took the Hop On Hop Off tour bus, hopping off only at Kilmanheim Jail - a good tour. We ate dinner in Temple Bar. The picture was taken by the waitress at the lunch pub.

Monday was a bank holiday so we had a leisurely morning, then went to Dún Laoghaire, the port city just south of Dublin, where the ferry from Wales comes in. Jan took this panoramic picture - it was a gorgeous day and a very enjoyable walk around the harbor. (One reason we went this direction was to avoid the route of the Dublin Marathon which was being run that day. We saw many of the runnners walking by in the morning, as it started very near our hotel).

(Most of the pictures on this post are by Jan, except where it is specifically noted that Dana took them - he wasn't with us all the time, and she got some great shots, including the above using the panoramic setting on her camera.)

We drove back to Tralee and welcomed them to our house. Tuesday morning was rainy so we took it easy and went to nearby places - Fenit Harbor, which we like in any weather, and Ardfert Cathedral. This picture (by Jan) is enactng what I always say when I go in the largest cathedral - "I want to get married here" - so Dana and I posed!

On Wednesday Dana and I both had to work, so they went with me to Listowel. Fortunately I had a short day, so they walked around the town until I picked them up. Then we drove to Ballybunion - here's the traditional Virgin Rock picture (by MFE)- and then to Carrigafoyle Castle. On the way back to Tralee we went to the Ratoo Round Tower at Ballyduff and had an hysterical experience. I think it's a "you had to be there" type of thing, but the 3 of us were hysterically laughing as a very large herd of cows came up the little lane right at us, "bifurcated" (as Jan said) and passed by on both sides of the car. Jan made a short video which would give you a little flavor of this - and of our hysteria, but I can't get it to download - I'll keep trying!

On Thursday, Dana was off so we did the Cahersiveen/Valentia tour. We had fair weather to begin but it worsened as the day went on so we did not get a good mountain view on Valentia - but we had a good time and ended the day with Irish coffee in a pub in Port Magee. (The ferry doesn't run after Sept.30, so we take the long way around through PM, giving us a new place to explore!). Above, if you look closely you can see Jan and Gerry on Ballycarbery Castle. The other picture is our picnic lunch in the ring fort.

On Friday, Jan, Gerry, and mfe went to Killarney - the last day for Ross Castle tours.

We also went to Torc Falls which was amazing - because of all the rain, it is much bigger and more violent than usual. We ate lunch at Molly Darcy's pub, which I've wanted to do, and had tea at the Deenagh Lodge - on their next to last day of the season!

Saturday morning we drove to Dingle over the Conor Pass - weather not too bad. We at lunch at Muphy's (as usual) then drove the Slea Head Drive. We stopped at most of the scenic and historical sites. This picture is of me playing teacher with the Ogham stone which they think was used to teach children the Ogham alphabet - it's not my favorite pic, but Jan likes it so it's on here for her! The weather was dry and Dana got some good scenery shots - here are a couple of them.

We stayed at a beautiful B&B (more of a Guest House/Inn) and had a wonderful dinner at the Half Door Restaurant which lived up to it's high recommendations. Here is my fantastic lobster bisque! We then did a pub crawl listening to music - a very nice evening. Sunday we had a leisurely morning, then strolled through the shops of Dingle before eating lunch and heading home. A very nice "mini break".

Monday Dana and I both worked so J&G took a bus to Cork and had a nice, though rainy time. Here is Jan in Cork City looking pretty cute with her new Irish umbrella!

Tuesday we set out for Killarney again - all 4 of us this time - and went to Muckross House. The grounds looked pretty beautiful despite the weather, so Dana took these shots:

We then drove up to Ladies View. At first it was very rainy and overcast and not much of a view. Then the fog lifted and we had a nice view.... and then the rainbow came and we had our most spectacular view yet. Both Jan and Dana got great shots - I think the first 2 are Dana's and the bottom one is Jan's.

We then drove on on the Ring of Kerry to view Moll's Gap. We had lunch at the semi-famous Avoca Cafe and enjoyed that and the gift shop. We had another rainbow while eating, but couldn't get good pics of that one.

After a few purchases in the gift shop, we drove on to Kenmare and enjoyed that town for an hour or so. We then drove home through Kilgarvan - our normal route.

Amazingly we were now near the end of their trip - on Wednesday they took the bus to Limerick and toured King John's Castle and the Hunt Museum. We had a farewell dinner at our "local" across the street.

On Thursday we toured town centre Tralee and ate lunch there before putting them on the bus to Limerick to catch the train to Dublin to be ready for their Friday morning flight. We really had a lot of fun. A great trip for us, and for them, I think!

London

2009-09-29T22:34:00.001+02:00

On Wednesday we took the train from Winchester to London. We arrived at Waterloo Station around noon and didn't have to be at the airport until 4, so we did a little more sight-seeing, this time from the other side of the Thames.

Waterloo Station and the staute right outside. The statue is in honor of the British people who helped so many European children travel to safety during the early days of WWII.

These 3 pictures are the scene outside Waterloo Station. The taxi queue, a special taxi that we liked because of its Brazil theme, and the horseback bobbies with all the bikes.

From Waterloo we walked past the London Eye (the giant ferris wheel which is pictured in our first posting of this trip) and in front of the Movieseum. There we saw several Dali statues and had another beautiful view of Parliament across the Thames.

We then walked to a really pretty pub and had Fish and Chips - appropriate for our "last meal".

Then we again negotiated the tube successfully and made it to Stansted in plenty of time for our flight. It was a great trip!

Savage and Inich visit

2009-09-29T18:23:00.003+02:00

We returned to Kerry on Wednesday night. On Thursday I made a quick visit to Killarney for tea and conversation with Karen Nichols Haas. She is the sister of Janet Nichols Stuart, who was here last summer, and the niece of Frances (Nicki) Butler, for whom I'm named. We hadn't seen each other in about 50 years, but had always sort of known about each other and what was going on in our lives, so it was really fun to meet her and the 3 friends with whom she was traveling.

On Friday, Sue Savage Inich and husband Bob arrived in the "people carrier" they rented at Shannon. We had a leisurely afternoon walking around Tralee, then Dana and I went to Shannon to pick up Tom and Margot Savage, who arrived about 8:30. It was after 10 when we got back, but Tom and Dana still went over to our "local" and had a pint just to get Tom initiated. Saturday was cloudy but dry, so we set off for Dingle and made our usual stops - Conor Pass, Murphy's Pub, and sites along the Slea Head Drive.This posting will be pictures from Sue and Tom - I will post Dana's on the next posting.

This is the nun's graveyard in the churchyard across from Dick Mack's pub (Where's the church? Across from Dick Mack's pub. Where's Dick Mack's? Across from the church. - a Dingle joke).

Tom and Margot at what we call "Ryan's Daughter" Beach - because there's a rock memorial about that film which was made on the Dingle peninsula.

Sunday S,B,T, and M went with me to church. They took these pictures later in the week, but I'll put them here so you can enjoy the good shots of St. John's Church of Ireland, Tralee.

It was a pretty windy, rainy day, but we didn't let that stop us - we went out to Fenit and then to Ardfert Cathedral. This picture is taken up by the statue of St. Brendan; it was really windy up there!

Then we did a very good rainy day activity - adjourned to the pub to watch the All-Ireland Hurling Final on TV. Margot was hoping for rowdy fans, but that doesn't happen in Kerry for hurling - just for Gaelic Football!

Monday Dana and I both worked so they went to Killarney and had some fun and lots of rain. Tom got a couple of purloined inside shots of the Muckross House - which we are glad to have!

Sue and Bob at Torc Falls.

Tuesday we all went back to Killarney. They toured Ross Castle - another questionably legal photo, but appreicated! We ate and shopped and finished this rainy day with tea at the Deenagh Lodge. Ann Marie, the manager, took this picture for us so we are all in it for a change!

Wednesday they were again on their own and went to Blarney and then Cork City - they toured the jail there, which we have not done. The weather was partly sunny - much improved, but just wait..... on Thursday we awoke to bright sunshine and cloudless blue skies. What a joy! We went to Glenbeigh, Cahersiveen, and Valentia Island and had a wonderful time. It was the sunniest day that Dana and I have had for that trip in a long time and it was really beautiful! We had our usual salmon feast that night.

All 6 of us on top of Ballycarberry Castle. Tom was setting up up on timer when a couple came along and offered to take it. This was probably good, as we were a little worried about his making the climb up before the timer went off - and without killing himself! Click on this to make it bigger and you'll see that we really are all there! Note the blue skies - this was real!

At the ring fort, and enjoying our picnic there.

The feast at home - 2 shots so you can see all of us, and see more of our house. Also note the beautiful Muckross pottery pieces.

Friday we went to Kenmare, without Dana, who had to work. Once again, bright and sunny! We enjoyed lunch in a nice pub and had an interesting interaction with a local who was a little the worse for wear and very partisan about Kerry v. Cork! Sue and Margot shopped while Tom, Bob and I went to the stone circle, then enjoyed the sunshine in the town park - along with these 2 gentlemen! We drove back over Moll's Gap and Ladies View - they had seen the latter earlier in the week, but enjoyed seeing it again in sunshine! We stopped at Muckross House because though they had toured the house it had been too rainy to enjoy the gardens- and the grounds were very beautiful on that bright day.

At Ladies View - 2nd time, more sun!
As we drove down the mountain on the Ring of Kerry, this scene evolved in front of us - and gives you an idea of the width of the road.

Muckross House and lawns in the sunshine.

Friday night they treated us to an
excellent dinner at the Tankard in Fenit.

Saturday we drove north to the Ratoo Tower in Ballyduff and then to Ballybunion. We took the cliff walk and got the traditional picture at Virgin Rock. The we parted ways - the 4 of them to Cliffs of Moher, Doolin, and then Shannon and flights home on Sunday. It was a good visit. This picture is the one on this post by Dana.

And to close, a couple of shots of the photographers which I think are cute. Tom and Dana are very compatible in discussions involving cameras, angles, colors, etc.

England - Isle of Portland

2009-09-29T18:22:00.004+02:00

On Sunday morning we took a train from Waterloo to Weymouth, on the south coast. We then took a taxi to the Isle of Portland (famous for Portland stone used in many buildings including Buckingham Palace). Our taxi driver was a real character - in the 15 minute ride we learned about his life - past, present, and future. This included his 6 Shih-Tzu dogs (thus the name of the taxi) and his disgust with the government in general and with his town in particular which has outlawed his letting his dogs ride with him. He handed us back stacks of reading material - about his RV, clippings of his good works, pictures of the dogs, etc.

We arrived at our B&B and settled in, then walked just a few steps to the pub

where Brenda and Michael were to play that afternoon.

We found a small diner for lunch, then went back to the pub and met Brenda and Michael. Brenda is our friend from Iowa City days and Michael is her husband,who grew up in England. They live in the Austin TX area and we have visited them.We also met Chris and Mary, their local friends who set up the gig; Paul and Nancy, a father and daughter from London; and several of the locals. There was a good crowd and the music was excellent and enjoyed by all. This was a great rainy Sunday afternoon activity!

After the gig, we all went to Chris and Mary's house for a wonderful Indian buffet - Chris had prepared it and he did a great job. We talked well into the night, then went back to the BandB

. The next day we did some sightseeing with Paul and Nancy

Above: Michael, MFE, Brenda, Nancy, Paul. Brenda doing Nancy's French braid. And, the same group having bit of refreshment - and in the background a local man who remembered Brenda from the first time she played there.then went sight-seeing around the island with Brenda and Michael (I'll put scenery pictures in the next post). In the late afternoon we went back to Chris and Mary's house to see the beautiful deck and vegetable garden they've built up the hill in their back garden.

On the deck with the beautiful view of the bay. In the 2 top ones - MFE, Chris, Michael Brenda; below - MFE and Chris.

That night we met at a local restaurant for a good seafood meal, then stayed up late again talking (and maybe a little drinking). Above: Chris (who joined us late as he was in rehearsals for a local play), MFE, Mary, Michael, Brenda.

Tuesday morning Michael and Brenda drove us to Winchester, where we bid them farewell - they continued on to Surrey, we found our B&B and started "doing" Winchester - another separate post.

England-Winchester

2009-09-29T18:22:00.003+02:00

On Tuesday morning Michael and Brenda dropped us at our B and B and left us with some pointers about the town, as Michael had been in school there as a teenager. It is a very picturesque town, with a pretty river, quaint buildings and many historical sites. Above is the bridge over the River Itchen in town centre. Below, King Alfred in town centre, and 2 nice buildings.

A building at Winchester College (which is where Michael attended). It is the oldest continually running school in England.

Here are scenes in and around the Great Hall. The passage to the maze of tunnels underneath the site where Winchester Castle stood.

The Wedding Gates in the Great Hall, dedicated to Charles and Diana.

A statue of Queen Victoria in the Great hall, and the Round Table.

Of course, the most famous landmark in Winchester is Winchester Cathedral. Parts of it are over 900 years old. I took a tour while Dana took pictures outside.

Jane Austen was a resident of Winchester. The house where she lived is outside of town and we did not visit it. However, here is the house where she lived her final week and died.

This is the remains of Wolvesey Castle which dates from 1110. Mary Queen of Scots and Phlllip II of Spain spent the night before their wedding in this castle.

England - Isle of Portland

2009-09-29T18:22:00.001+02:00

The Isle of Portland is very hilly. There is a beautiful bay between the Isle and Weymouth, which is where the sailing events of the 2012 Olympics will be held.

The beach is many miles long and has pebbles of increasing size. It actually connects to the mainland, so the Isle is not an island at all, but almost! The castle below is Portland Castle, a Tudor Fortess over 460 years old.

At one end of the "island" is Portland Bill - a point of land jutting out into the sea, with 2 lighthouses, lots of rocks, and lots of people enjoying the bright sunny day. We enjoyed this - and had scones and cream!

We also had a beautiful sunset.

London Sight Seeing

2009-09-29T18:21:00.001+02:00

On Saturday morning we took a bus to Victoria Station and bought tickets for the sightseeing tour which included a boat tour on the Thames. The sun was shining and we really had a good time. Since we had just the 1 full day, we mostly looked and enjoyed, and didn't really go in to museums and other buildings. As usual, we sought out the market, which we loved, and spent a good bit of time walking through Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park. Here are a few of the MANY pictures we have of the day!

To the left Waterloo Station; to the right a typical street scene with the iconic red double decker buses.

Above and below: Parliament - notice the gorgeous blue sky - not doctored! Below right - MFE with Big Ben striking noon.

Tower Bridge

We spent the rest of the afternoon on 2 of our favorite pasttimes - strolling through a market (Portabello Road in Notting Hill. And no, we didn't run in to Hugh Grant or Julia Roberts, though we kept our eyes peeled.) and walking through the beautiful parks - Kensington Park and Hyde Park.

Above: MFE at gates of Kensington Palace - this is where Diana and Charles lived, and we were there just after the anniversary of her death, so there were lots of flowers and tributes. Below, Kensington Palace with William of Orange Statue, and an interested fellow sitting outside the gates.

Kensington Park Lake - and all the Londoners enjoying the beautiful day.

Royal Albert Hall (which Dana and I both remember well from our first visits to London in the 70's) and 2 views of the Albert memorial statue in Kensington Park, just across from the Hall. There are more, and more elaborate, memorials to Albert than to most monarchs - she really loved him

Hyde Park and Marble Arch.

London

2009-09-29T18:21:00.000+02:00

We flew to London on August 28, and though our plane was 3 hours late, we still had time to get to our B and B in Fulham and then meet Pedro Sousa, who took the tube to Fulham. Pedro is the brother of Gustavo, our former exchange student and long time friend from Brazil. We had not met Pedro so this was a real treat. That first night we had dinner together at a Thai restaurant and then stopped off at a local pub.

The next night, after Dana and I did our sight-seeing day (and Pedro studied) we met again at The Chapel, a pub fairly near his house. We had a great dinner and lots of good conversation and became good friends. We are anxious to have him come visit us in Ireland. We learned that he cooks for himself and his housemates, and primarily cooks potatoes (won't he love Ireland!), so we bought him a potato cookbook in Notting Hill.

World Down Syndrome Conference

2009-08-25T21:05:00.008+02:00

The World Down Syndrome Conference is held every three years in a different country. This year it was in Dublin - very lucky for me! This was an incredible experience. I rode to Dublin with our friends Patricia and Kevin. I roomed with Diane (SLT from Co, Cork) in the dorms at Dublin City University, where the conference was held. The whole event was wonderful and astounding - I'll just note some highlights. (I am going to publish this post, but I will add more pictures later, when Diane sends me hers).

On Wednesday evening I attended a reception (I got to use Gerard's invitation because he was unfortunately sick and unable to come) at the Royal Hospital Kilmanheim. This is now an art museum. The main thing about this reception was the great presence of the ambassadors - 30 or 40 young adults with DS who had been working on their skills in meeting and greeting - and they did a wonderful job. They had spent that day in a Synod - only themselves and a very few facilitators discussing issues related to DS. They were so much fun - I really enjoyed getting to know them, and was especially proud of Janet, our ambassador from Co. Kerry.

Each day of the conference consisted of 6-8 keynote speeches in the main auditorium; breakout sessions with those same speakers; and then 1 1/2 hours of shorter simultaneous presentations on a multitude of subjects. Most of these were excellent and I learned a lot. I also enjoyed eating lunches and dinners with either the Kerry parents in attendance or with Diane and Anne (our SLT friend from New Zealand).

Diane and I presented 2 poster sessions and one oral presentation. These seemed to be very well thought of and we had great conversations with other attendees related to our subjects.The 2 highlights of the conference for me were
1. the opporunity to meet and talk to people from so many different countries (to name a few: Honk Kong, Kosovo, So. Africa, Holland, Sweden, Singapore, Turkey....). What an incredible opportunity this was for me - talk about being in the right place at the right time.
2. the amazing presence and numbers of the people with Down Syndrome - young and younger! The young adults introduced the speakers in the large auditorium. Other young adults performed amazing dance presentations. ( I'm putting 3 video below - I know the quality is poor, but at least you'll get an idea).

The first one is the opening ceremony, where they dance around the auditorium. I happened to sit right in front of the Kerry group - Ellen, Denise, an instructor, Carmel, Philip, and Timmy.
The second one is the main dance of the Kerry group,performed that night. The last one is the joint dance of the 6 county groups that had done individual dances. They practiced in their own counties all summer, then had one rehearsal with the whole group together.

These are pictures from Diane. These first 2 are the live presentation in mini-seminar format - topic was "Accomodations and Modifications in the Mainstream Classroom".

We also had 2 poster sessions (acutally Diane had a third one with another colleague).

And, here is a small group of the many Kerry parents who attended. Riestard, Mary, Patricia, Kevin, Denis, MFE, Jill.This is in the main auditorium where the morning sessions were held each day, and where the dancing took place.

Early August, 2009

2009-08-25T20:57:00.020+02:00

August was a very fun and busy month for us. We started off with a gathering of the 3 US Speech-Language Therapists - Tracy (Co. Kildare), Diane (Co. Cork), and me (pictured above in that order, in our front garden). We gathered at our house on a Friday evening - along with Diane's son Matt and Tracy's husband Scott and son Chandler. (T and C above, didn't get a picture of Scott!). Dana cooked us a feast and we had a great time talking and laughing - a very compatible group. The next day Diane and Matt went back to Cork and the rest of us toured the Dingle peninsula. We had a pretty nice day and enjoyed the familiar places and a new beach/cliff stop.

The following week, I took a 1 day trip to Dublin for the organizational meeting of the new IASLT Special Interest Group for Down Syndrome. While I was gone, Hal and Nancy's friends, Carol and Grimsley Graham arrived - they had dinner with Dana that night and I met them at breakfast on Saturday. We quickly discovered that Carol's sister Gillis is a friend of mine from my Early Childhood years - truly a small world. We enjoyed getting to know them, and had fun touring Dingle again, even more thoroughly - we even stayed in Dingle for dinner! Some of these pictures are from their camera or mine; Dana took the 3 Sisters Peaks, the Grahams and I, and the falls. Dana and I are by the Ryan's Daughter memorial rock above. The other pictures are at the falls and lake just before Conor Pass.

On Sunday we did the west side of the Ring of Kerry and Valentia Island - unfortunately a very rainy day, but still pretty. These pictures are by Dana with my little camera-if you click on them to enlarge, you will see the Grahams in the castle and at the top of the ring fort.

On Monday they toured Killarney on their own and on Tuesday Dana went with them to Killarney and went to Ladies View and Torc Falls. They then took the tour of the living history farm at Muckross House (no pictures). I met them for lunch after speech therapy, and then they left for Dublin, Wales and Scotland.

The next Sunday, we went to the Fenit Regatta. It was cold and blustery, but we enjoyed it and Dana got some nice shots of the boats, swimmers, and the wind surfers. Note the people in coats on the sidelines - it was chilly!

Birds and Flowers

2009-07-12T13:51:00.012+02:00

During the recent travels in west Cork and east Kerry Dana got many beautiful shots of flowers and plants, so we are just sharing a collection of them here.

West Cork

2009-07-12T11:26:00.008+02:00

Sunday morning we had breakfast at our hotel in Glengarriff and then set out to tour the Beara Peninsula. Unfortunately, we had finally lost our good weather, so it was a little overcast as we crossed the Healy Pass, but we still got some nice pictures. The top picture is the winding road we had driven up; next is a view at the crest, looking into beautiful Co. Kerry! The third one is an example of the contoured hills.

At the west end of the Healy pass we found and toured Derreen Gardens(actually this was in Kerry - part of the west side of the Beara is in Kerry), a vast woodland. We then continued down the peninsula, but the rain got the better of us and we decided to head back to Kerry. We stopped for lunch in a pub in Castletowne Bere - had a choice of 3 pubs and happened to choose this one. They had big signs about this book, and Mary and I had both read it - we thought it was the actual pub picture, but you'll notice the spelling is different. But it is definitely one of the pubs he included in his tour! It looks the same except we didn't have a dog or a nun.

As we drove back to Kerry (another pretty pass, the Caha, with great tunnels - but no pictures) we found a great heritage park with an ancient stone circle, a famine cottage, and other excavated ruins. Dana and Mary toured it (I rested!) and found it very interesting. As we left, we had a very friendly little donkey! We stopped briefly in Kenmare and headed home - a great 4 day trip!