COBH, IRELAND – Maritime History, a Cathedral and a Little Red Haired Girl

01 Oct 2016 Leave a comment

by jeannieadams in Uncategorized Tags: , , ,

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Sept 29, 2016

A  30 minute  train ride from Cork  to  the maritime town of Cobh proved to be  an interesting and  entertaining  morning.   I was especially lucky to  also have  sunny,  60 degree weather for the  adventure.

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The Cobh Harbor at low tide.

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Flowers are still in bloom everywhere in Ireland.

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The Cobh Heritage Center tells detailed  history of the  the harbor, such as :  the Lusitania  sunk off  Cobh  harbor after being hit by a torpedo from a German U-Boat on May 7, 1915  during the  WWI .  It sunk in 18 minutes.  Cobh was also the last port of call for the Titanic before it hit an iceberg and sunk off the coast of Newfoundland.  In addition, from 1848 to 1950, over 6 million adults and children emigrated from Ireland, with 2.5 million departing  from  Cobh.

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St. Coleman’s Cathedral towers over this hilly town.  It took 47 years to complete the Cathedral and finally  opened in  1911.

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The inside is beautiful but maybe on  the brink of sensory overload.

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A different twist is the 12 stations of the cross is located  on the side  of the property behind this fences.

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These row houses  give you a clue as to the steepness of the hills in this town.

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This darling little Irish girl is just an example of the beautiful children  in this country.

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Lastly, the bird of the day is the Pied White Wagtail, who I spotted searching for bugs on a  moored fishing boat.

“Once the travel bug bites, there is no known antidote and  I know I  shall be happily   infected  until the end of my life.”  ( Michael Palin)

Thanks for reading!

KILLARNEY, IRELAND – a quick stop

30 Sep 2016 1 Comment

by jeannieadams in Uncategorized Tags: ,

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Sept. 29, 2016

Another stop on the Paddywagon Day Tour of the Dingle Peninsula was the town of  Killarney.

Just a quick stop ( a pit stop actually ) but I still got a few shots of the town with its’s traditional lively colors.

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By the way there is a store in  Killarney that  has  free shipping for sheep.

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socks

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Thanks for reading!

DINGLE, IRELAND – The Fishing Village

30 Sep 2016 1 Comment

by jeannieadams in Uncategorized Tags: ,

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Sept. 29, 2016

While on the  Paddywagon Day Tour of the Dingle Peninsula, we also made a stop at the little fishing village of Dingle.    This was a quick stop  but long enough to take some photos of this colorful  picturesque town and grab a snack.   Hope you enjoy……

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“Nothing makes a fish bigger than almost being caught” ( unknown)

Thanks for reading!

 

 

 

DINGLE PENINSULA DAY TOUR, day 2 in Ireland

29 Sep 2016 5 Comments

by jeannieadams in Uncategorized Tags: , ,

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Paddywagon Tours in Cork, Ireland,  where  leprechauns always  get front row seating in the bus.

Sept. 28, 2016

My  day tour with Paddywagon Tours, in Cork, was wonderful!!!  Very relaxing way to see the Irish scenery — well most of the time relaxing…..

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It was not easy adjusting  to the Irish driving on “the other” side of the road…

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especially when on the narrow hilly roads,  in the rain and fog and limited visibility.

Though I have to admit our driver, Jerry, was an excellent navigator  and  was never  rattled in the least.

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One of our first sights was the highest mountain in Ireland, Carrauntoohil,  which is rarely seen due to  clouds, fog and rain.  But the clouds hanging low over the mountains was an incredible sight!

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Believed to be 4000 years old, these  Bee Hive Huts  were interesting to see how well  and secure they were constructed, inside and out.  Though the history of these Bee Hive Huts is not well known.

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During  the Bee Hive  Huts visit  I made a  new friend who  greeted me with a friendly ” baa haa haa”.  Sheep can be seen  everywhere  in the Irish fields.  Most are colorfully  branded  with different shades  of dye for identification or……

Also, during the mating season, a ram will be wear  a bag of dye around its neck and chest.  When the ram mounts the ewe, some of the  dye spreads to the ewe’s back.  Then the farmer knows which ewe is pregnant and moves it on to another field.

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Much of the hill sides  look like the photo above, though many “sections” also have sheep or cattle grazing. Hedge rows, instead of fences,  separate the sections and effectively keep the herds on the property.

These hills are a perfect  example of the “40 shades of Irish green”.

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Dramatic cliffs and crashing Atlantic Ocean   can be seen along the Slea Drive portion of the Dingle Peninsula.

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Even the immerse rock on  the  road sides is an  intimidating sight.   If you can see  the person walking the road, it will give you an idea of the size.

Inch Beach was another stop, where the swell is a favorite for surfers.  The temperature was about 50 degrees  yesterday and it was pouring down rain , which kept me from taking photos.  But it did not stop the surfers  from taking to the swells!

We also visited  the fishing village of Dingle and the town voted “most popular”,  Killarney, during this day tour.  Stay tuned  for my  next blog of these picturesque  Irish towns.

. “If you think adventure is dangerous, try routine, it is lethal.”

– Paulo Coelho

Thanks for reading!

 

 

 

IRELAND, ARRIVAL DAY IN CORK

28 Sep 2016 3 Comments

by jeannieadams in Uncategorized Tags: , , ,

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Jet lag and  my DRDA 7R  in Cork, Ireland

Sept. 28, 2016

A theory  exists that  any where from 10 to 60 percent of the world’s population  possess the DRDA 7R Gene , also known as the wanderlust gene.    It’s that gene that  constantly feeds you  an insatiable  desire for new adventures, convinces you need to keep a suitcase packed with the essentials at all times  and leaving at a moments notice doesn’t rattle you in the least.  Thus……

Greetings from Cork, Ireland!…….. where  you can find me and  my DRDA 7R , ready for endless  adventures.

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On my initial  meandering  through Cork I stumbled upon the  English Market and   in my-then- jet lagged brain,  I found these pigs heads  an interesting photo, and wondering, how often do  the Irish need a pig’s head and for what occasion?   Upon more investigation, I learned that the ears can be deep fried, the eyes can be pickled and the rest can be used to make headcheese.  The education of travel.   : )

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Saint Fin-Barres church, built in 1870, was another interesting and beautiful  find.

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St. Fin’s  has many gargoyles to complete it’s French Gothic style.

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The pulpit is unique and  was beautifully painted  60 years  after it was built.

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In  all of the churches  I have  wandered  into during my travels, this was a first – little  needlepoint cushions hanging at each seat that says “kneel to pray”.

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Small row houses behind the church.

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Heading back to the hotel for a nap and in the true fashion of Ireland,  I discovered even the outside of the  launderette is decorated in style.

Stay tuned for more of Ireland  once my jet lap  subsides!

Thanks for reading!!

 

SUMMER BACK YARD BIRDING 2016

10 Sep 2016 3 Comments

by jeannieadams in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

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Mr. Hummingbird  has his winter scarf on this chilly morning.

September 10, 2013

With  fall quickly approaching,  I wanted to share some summer  moments of my fine feathered friends….

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Ms Hummingbird is all puffed in the chill.

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Black Capped Chickadee

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The Nuthatch loves those peanuts.

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Lucky  shot of  the Tifted Tit Mouse  with her snack.

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While picking tomatoes at my daughter’s house,  I spied this little Wren spying at me.

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Gold Finch

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Purple Finch

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Finch with a strange color?

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Sometimes, Downy Woodpeckers think they are Hummingbirds.

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Female Cardinal

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Sleepy Blue Jay

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Lastly, a Flicker Woodpecker.

 

“Those who wish to sing,  always find a song.”

Old Swedish Proverb

 

Thanks for reading !

 

 

CHICAGO WEEKEND BLITZ – DAY 2

21 Aug 2016 4 Comments

by jeannieadams in Uncategorized Tags: , , , ,

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July 2016

Day 2 in Chicago and what better way to start the day but to have found  Nimo!!!  If anyone wants  to see him in person, or in fish, he lives at Shedd Aquarium in Chicago.

The Aquarium was first on our agenda for the day.  Many verbs  are needed to describe  all of the creatures that live there.  We……

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Enjoyed  the “pretty fish”.

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In Awe of these blue fish as they swam around with it’s fluttering  fins.

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Entertained by the Garden Eels that live in the ocean sandbanks.

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Amazed by these colorful creatures, whatever they may be…

Anemones, maybe????

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Terrified by these moray eels.  The  moray’s rear-hooked teeth and  strong bite mechanism causes severe bites  on humans, as the eel cannot release its grip, even in death, and must be manually pried off.  Yicks!!!!

There were gross creatures  also, but they were not  photogenic.

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Outside the Aquarium were several Red Winged Blackbirds in the surrounding  bushes.  Warnings  were also posted that these birds were nesting and not welcoming to noisy humans.

I tried to keep my distance but could not resist his  Dracula  pose.

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A Water Taxi was the  cheapest  and quickest way to get a boat ride with  Navy Pier as the  logical destination.

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navy pier

Navy Pier, which originally opened in 1916,  has shops and entertainment to explore and more- than- you- can- imagine  unhealthy food  and drink choices to enjoy as you sit by the water watching the people,  the boats and the beautiful day .

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As we headed back to the hotel,  2 more  birds-of-the-day were easy  spotted.

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Thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed  Chicago !!

 

“I haven’t been everywhere yet, but it’s on my list.”   (Susan Sontag)

CHICAGO WEEKEND BLITZ – DAY 1

21 Aug 2016 2 Comments

by jeannieadams in Uncategorized Tags: , , , ,

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July 2016

Chicago – a wonderful mix of the new  with the old.

Recently my good friend, Donna, and I took a last minute weekend  trip to Chicago, determined to see as many  of the sights as we could.  We had a super time while logging in  A LOT  of  steps into my FitBit.

Donna and friends

First off, let me tell you, there are CROWDS  of people everywhere in Chicago, but we tried to fit in as much as we could.   That city  also  has….

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Dinosaurs !!!

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Walking to our 1st destination, we stopped to see Buckingham  Fountain in Grant Park .  Dedicated in 1927,  the fountain was  made with Georgian  pink marble and contains 1,500,00 gallons of water.  During a display,  more than 14000 gallons per minute, are being pushed through  193 jets.

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Two Sisters, by  Pierre Auguste Renoir, 1881

Our  1st official stop was  founded  in 1879 and is one of the oldest and largest in the US – the Chicago  Art Institute.  There were endless  works of art  I fell in love with, but  here are just a few favorites:

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Paris Street, Rainy Day,  by Gustave Gaillebotte, 1876

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Bust of Queen Luise of Prussia , by Johann Gottfield Schadow, 1819

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Art in all forms can be enjoyed at the Art Institute.

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As we strolled and navigated the streets, we  also saw many  beautiful old buildings…

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…..tucked in amongst the sky scrapers.

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The Old Water Tower, 1869, is a memorial  to the great Chicago Fire in 1871.  That fire burned for 2 days destroying more than 2000 acres, killing  300 people and made 100,00 people homeless.

It started in the O’Leary’s barn, and though, there were many speculations as to how the fire started, the exact cause was never determined.  But blame  quickly circulated  that  O’Leary’s cow  kicked  over an oil lamp, which Catherine O’Leary denied.   There was  anti-Irish sentiment in Chicago  at the time and Catherine O’Leary was the perfect scapegoat being poor and Irish.  The story spread and it was even  noted in the  Chicago Tribune’s first post-fire issue.  In 1893,  reporter Michael Ahern retracted the story, admitting it was fabricated, but even his confession  did not  put  an end to the legend.  The O’Learys were never officially charged with starting the fire,  but the story became so ingrained  that Chicago’s city council officially exonerated them—and the cow—in 1997.

A visit  to the Water Tower,  followed by  consuming a  sinful amount of Ghirardelli  ice cream, then standing in line for an hour at Garrett’s Popcorn Shop and waddling back to the hotel was the close of day one.  You can probably understand now why we chose to walk everywhere.     : )

Stay tuned to Day  Two !

 

 

 

BIRDS – THE CUTE, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY

19 Aug 2016 6 Comments

by jeannieadams in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , ,

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The Cute…. this is a mystery bird but he sure is cute

Friday, August 19, 2016

My backyard birding adventures continue…..

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Looks like a serious encounter between this female Cardinal and the mystery bird.

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More Cute… looking close you can see the last of those baby-downy feathers on this  fledgling Cardinal.

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Cute continued…..  I found this female Goldfinch resting on my back yard bench.  She sat still as I sprinkled seed at the end of the bench and watched ( at a distance)  as she came to eat it.

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Cute , but sadly, my parakeet visitor  made daily visits to my back yard for about a month and I have  not seen him since

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The Bad… this an adult  Cowbird – known for laying their eggs ( sometimes as many as 3 dozen per year) in other bird species’ nests.

Also happy to let the other bird  foster, feed and raise the baby cowbird.  Cowbirds hatch sooner, grow faster, are larger, hungrier and out-compete the host’s nestlings for food.

This  sometimes leads to the legitimate babies  demise.  Yet, somehow the  foster cowbird still develops their own song, social and breeding behavior.

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For example this female Cardinal is feeding a cowbird fledgling.   I thought I had captured a rare moment until I Googled  ” fostered cowbirds photos” and saw what a common occurrence it is.

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The Bad continues…..the Red Tailed Hawks that nested in my tree this summer still linger and several times have left me disgusting- looking  heaps of loose feathers, which I can only  conclude was a the remains of  dinner.

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The Ugly…..  bald or semi bald Cardinals and Blue Jays  are somewhat common sightings.   The Bird World experts  is not quite sure why this happens but assures us the hair evidently grows back.

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These last shots  of mealtime discussions between a  Red Bellied Woodpecker and Blue Jay with  another mystery bird.  Anyone  have a guess who the mystery birds are?

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The Bad? or  The Smart?  This fledgling cardinal is a step ahead of the rest and  has no need for  discussion – he just intends to  undo and steal the whole  feeder.

 

Burkett’s laws of birding

The First Law of Birding: The greater the time spent searching for a rarity, the greater the chances it will be sitting on your car when you return to the parking lot.

The Second Law of Birding: There are two sides of a tree; the side facing you and the side where the bird is.

The Third Law of Birding: When you see the bird that you have always wanted to see, it will be in the last spot you thought of looking for it.

The Fourth Law of Birding: The best bird seen during a trip is usually seen in bad light, isn’t calling or singing, is seen for less than a second, and is the last “trip bird”.

— by Cody Burkett, Phoenix, AZ

 

Thanks for reading!

Hope you enjoyed my back yard birding!

 

 

GALENA, ILLINOIS EXPLORATIONS, 2016

06 Jul 2016 2 Comments

by jeannieadams in Uncategorized Tags: , , , ,

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Galena’s Railway Station

July 5, 2016

Galena, Illinois became the destination of a girl’s getaway weekend this past May.  Other than hearing how old, picturesque and quaint the town was, we knew little about it and we were delightfully impressed.    Galena is rich in history and architectural beauty with  85 % of the buildings in a National Register Historic District.   Organized in 1826, the town of Galena quickly became  a hub for lead mining and shipping along the Mississippi River from the Galena River.   In 1845 Galena shipped a record 54,494,850 pounds of lead.    By the 1850’s Galena was the busiest port between St. Paul and St. Louis with sometimes  fifteen steamboats  docked along Water Street at one time.

As for the  political side of Galena’s  history, Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas both spoke from the balcony of the DeSoto House Hotel.   In  1860, Ulysses S. Grant came  from  St. Louis to work in his father’s leather goods store.   Grant  met  many politically influential  people and subsequently was  named  a General in the Civil War.   When Grant  triumphantly  returned  from the  War in 1865 , he was given a fine furnished  home on  as a token of the town’s gratitude.    Now an  historic site, it is  open to the public.

In 1848 at the start of the  California Gold Rush,  the lead mining industry  began to decline and  Galena  population began to decline also.   Today, Galena  is a tourist destination known for its history, architecture,  shopping and resorts.   The following photos are a mere sampling of what there is to do and see in Galena…

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Grant’s home stands behind the statue of Julia Dent Grant.

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A room full of Grant memorabilia  can be seen in the Galena Welcome Center.

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Grants Park sits overlooking the Galena River – an  inviting spot to sit-a-spell.

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Downtown is very  walkable and full of shops and restaurants.

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To see more of Galena,, the trolley tour is relaxing , interesting and entertaining all in one.  Also a terrific way to see the  town but avoid walking  the very  hilly terrain.

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Taken from the trolley window, this is a great example of hills and staircases.

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This Guest House is another example – imagine carrying your suitcase up those stairs….

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Along the banks of the Galena River, there are  beautiful , peaceful places to  enjoy the scenery and  nature .

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Or a great walking path to explore.

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Galena has one majestic  home after another – there was no end to the beautiful historic homes.

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of all sizes

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The Belvedere Home, built in 1857,  has 22 rooms and  is open to the public for tours.  Sadly, the day were there, it had not opened yet for the season.

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The condo we rented backed up  to some woods and had a convenient  patio railing where I could sprinkle the bird seed  I brought.   ( Yes, I do travel with bird seed – was there any doubt?)

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And look what I attracted…….

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an Eastern Bluebird…

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and an Oriole !!!!!

(There are many orioles –  I think this is a Scott’s Oriole)

Thanks for reading and safe travels !!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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