tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78034674707033671802024-03-04T22:08:25.813-08:00Buckeye Star AlpacasA city girl becomes an alpaca farmer.Buckeye Star Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08209464169671044632noreply@blogger.comBlogger181125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7803467470703367180.post-38845895958394650852021-02-18T03:17:00.000-08:002021-02-18T03:17:43.926-08:00Meditation on Meditation<p> For more years than I can recall I have awakened very early each morning whether I have to or not. When I say <i>very </i>early I mean between four and five a.m. My own daughters and grandkids make fun of me for getting up at the "butt crack of dawn," as my granddaughter, Olivia, is fond of saying. Other people gasp in disbelief when I tell them what time I get up each day and just shake their heads at my craziness. What others don't realize is, that for me, those quiet early morning hours help me get on the right footing for the day. </p><p>The first action of the day is turning on the Keurig and then letting the dogs, DeeDee and Izzy, out because when either Rich or I get out of bed they think it's time to hit the ground running. I make that first blessed cup of coffee since my brain needs both the ritual and the caffeine before I can fully feel awake and coherent. Just ask Rich about what kind of bear I am without it. Then I just sit quietly in the early morning darkness and let my mind wander. Sort of a form of waking up meditation. </p><p>After I finish the coffee it's time for serious meditation. Because I have old bones I don't sit on a floor cushion. I allow myself the luxury of sitting, cross legged on my cushy sofa with a warm, furry, throw over my lap, the dogs asleep nearby and for the next ten minutes I try to focus my mind solely on my breath. Have I ever fully succeeded in erasing all thought from my mind? In achieving the ultimate nirvana? Ha! Never. But what I have done is what meditation coaches advise. When my mind wanders, I become aware that I'm thinking and then I consciously pull my thoughts back to my breath. That's the best any ordinary human with a busy life can hope for. </p><p>Some people who have tried and failed to completely blank out their brain, give up the practice after a session or two and wail, "I just can't meditate!" I was sorely tempted to do that many times through the years. Even now I don't practice with the regularity that I believe would be most beneficial. That's why they call meditation a practice. But here's the thing, on those days when I do practice, for the most part, I feel so much more able to face anything the day throws at me by taking a deep breath, or two, or three, before I react. </p><p>Is this infallible? Am I able to take a breath every time before responding? Absolutely not. Just ask Rich since he's the one who has had to live in even closer proximity to me than we ever imagined for the past year. But this quiet start to the morning has helped me survive the past four tumultuous years, to not give up on my fellow man, and to take joy in the many blessings in my life, large and small. </p><p><br /></p>Buckeye Star Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08209464169671044632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7803467470703367180.post-9794528267786794142020-09-13T03:25:00.003-07:002020-09-13T03:30:56.722-07:00"Just" an Older Person<p> Before I begin let me warn you that this is going to be a rant. Ever since we first heard the terms Corona Virus and Novel Covid-19 and the media, social and otherwise, have been filled with information and misinformation about this scourge, I keep hearing the phrase "just older people" crop up in conversation. As in: "the virus only seems to be adversely affecting older people; or "just" older people have complications from this virus, or "just" older people are dying from Covid. </p><p>I heard it again last night in casual conversation with a long-time friend out on my own porch (social-distancing, of course). And each time I hear a younger person insensitively toss about that phrase I'm sure that steam begins surging out of my ears as I sit quietly fuming. </p><p>Lately, I have been speaking up instead of biting my tongue and feeling my shoulders tense up, because, people, I am one of those old people and I refuse to believe that my life and the lives of many of my friends are expendable. I'm here to tell you now that most of us, though retired from the daily grind of a job, are, never the less, still valuable, contributing and even necessary members of this world! Even my oldest friend, at 84, still volunteers regularly at the local hospital during times when there is no pandemic threat. </p><p>We old people do more than just spoil our grandchildren, bake cookies and sit around and crochet cute toilet tissue covers. </p><p>Speaking for myself, in addition to running the business side of our small alpaca farm, I do all of my own laundry and house cleaning. I paint any of the rooms in my home that are in need of a more long term clean up. Although retired from teaching for the past seven years, I am still teaching in a different capacity when I am able to see people in person. I teach people about our animals during in person farm tours, which we still are able to do in nice weather because the large area of our pastures allow for social distancing. I teach young people how to spin alpaca fiber into yarn and how to hand dye and then knit that yarn into soft, warm garments. Because I am fortunate to have been on this planet for quite a number of years, some of them pretty rough and many more quite happy, I am able to offer advice to many young people who seek me out for that purpose. I like to think that young people whom I have taught in the classroom and have become friends long after they were out of school have stayed in touch with me both on social media and in person visits are still learning from our conversations. I have offered support, both financial and emotional, to many younger people that I call friends. I may even have saved a valuable young life or two along the way. Or just given hope to those in despair by telling bits of my own story and encouraging them to hang on because it does get better. </p><p>None of this is heroic. It's just what older folks do. These simple, natural actions that we older people never think twice about doing, add so much to the lives of younger people and to the world. I have so many fond memories of my grandparents and the unconditional love they gave me and the gentle lessons that they taught me just be spending time with me. It would be difficult to imagine what my life would have been like without that precious time that I spent with them. </p><p>So, please, the next time you're having that casual conversation about Covid, stop and think before you carelessly utter the phrase, "JUST older people." Think for a second about what you're actually saying. Do you really mean that this world would be better off without older people?</p><p>I say, proudly, that I am "JUST" an older person and my life is not only, not expendable, but adds considerable value to this world.</p><p>Post Script: Wearing a mask is a minor inconvenience. That small scrap of material, worn properly over the mouth and nose, protects other people. It's not a loss of personal freedom to be considerate of others. It's a thoughtful and polite thing to do. RESPECT!</p><p><br /></p>Buckeye Star Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08209464169671044632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7803467470703367180.post-78204949541540696782020-08-31T12:54:00.002-07:002020-09-01T05:08:45.569-07:00Blogging and Covid-19 and Ireland - Installment IX - The Last<p> It's the last day of August and school has been in session for a week already. The pandemic is still going strong, although they report that the numbers in Ohio are going down. I don't mind saying that I have been stalled, unable to get much of anything productive done much less blogging. When I realized that this time last year we were getting excited to depart for Ireland, I decided that it was time to finish the blog about the trip (and the pair of socks I began on the trip). Finally the streak of super hot and humid weather has broken and it is pleasant enough to turn off the air conditioning and open some windows. The sound of crickets and the slight breeze and sunny skies are beginning to hint of autumn.</p><p>The Last Leg of Our Ireland Trip</p><p>After leaving Kinsale we headed to Kilkenny with a stop along the way at the famous Medieval Rock of Cashel in the town of Cashel in Tipperary County. <a href="https://heritageireland.ie/visit/places-to-visit/rock-of-cashel/" target="_blank">The Rock of Cashel</a> is known as the seat of the high kings of Munster. It is said that St. Patrick came here to convert King Aengus. It is here that the legendary Brian Boru was crowned king. It's a majestic ruin, parts of which are under reconstruction and preservation work. The famous high cross of St. Patrick is also located here. The Rock of Cashel stands high above the small town overlooking miles and miles of green fields where sheep and cows graze. We were lucky to see it on one of Ireland's sunny and unusually warm days. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqC9j-uWvowEbj6yzBdd4sLlup-LVMzVkQBL1I9GWWTy1g75umdsib9lrj6ObOzNdQzXT2TiHcg1fnxb153wqqk4YQePueMa1ODW1fhk5hUlA7_W6onpbChj_TiW5BT-o0B2fAd062YFE/s640/Rock+of+Cashel.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqC9j-uWvowEbj6yzBdd4sLlup-LVMzVkQBL1I9GWWTy1g75umdsib9lrj6ObOzNdQzXT2TiHcg1fnxb153wqqk4YQePueMa1ODW1fhk5hUlA7_W6onpbChj_TiW5BT-o0B2fAd062YFE/s0/Rock+of+Cashel.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Rock of Cashel above the town<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmgJiKEJHR2pCYnU7Nctxtrrjeo9C_633W_Hj1XaWrc2yYqvgySHA0CxLANZFrvAz-_GUqZGzcG-Pgc5284Me0vMdEj6yBtka3s9kebQYqLkNGMLJIRZTnlUTQ8baSCCfuQHIZ9nYn1NE/s640/Rock+of+Cashel+view.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmgJiKEJHR2pCYnU7Nctxtrrjeo9C_633W_Hj1XaWrc2yYqvgySHA0CxLANZFrvAz-_GUqZGzcG-Pgc5284Me0vMdEj6yBtka3s9kebQYqLkNGMLJIRZTnlUTQ8baSCCfuQHIZ9nYn1NE/s0/Rock+of+Cashel+view.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from the Rock of Cashel</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVSQiSc_tE4nQC6U_5k63Qw50Js6CY1QMz-AOBcccvtzrcsBkMPj7DxhFb8CSd_FB8VMQwhFin0aESOQTDcmxzSPO5a3L-z9i4LRIxLoxPf5Klt2J8r1oW-lHTW6rhF7sox9qJHzoAxe8/s640/Rock+of+Cashel2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVSQiSc_tE4nQC6U_5k63Qw50Js6CY1QMz-AOBcccvtzrcsBkMPj7DxhFb8CSd_FB8VMQwhFin0aESOQTDcmxzSPO5a3L-z9i4LRIxLoxPf5Klt2J8r1oW-lHTW6rhF7sox9qJHzoAxe8/s0/Rock+of+Cashel2.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Rock of Cashel graveyard</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivdA86ZEEFXAnMjT0XCOuUFSLqEhBYUuh5N3fOpx_7QNr_KpqyAsPMXegwVbraPiIm3Ni8lhDclYuW3J5XgDUBaabPv73b1ul2b5rEs2ROFx1DPScfY6Npk6zJJcrBaGn-g_-lkZixkOs/s640/Cross+of+StPatrick.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivdA86ZEEFXAnMjT0XCOuUFSLqEhBYUuh5N3fOpx_7QNr_KpqyAsPMXegwVbraPiIm3Ni8lhDclYuW3J5XgDUBaabPv73b1ul2b5rEs2ROFx1DPScfY6Npk6zJJcrBaGn-g_-lkZixkOs/s0/Cross+of+StPatrick.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Cross of St. Patrick<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><p>From here we drove on to Kilkenny where we stayed two nights at the <a href="http://www.bridgeviewbedandbreakfast.com/index.asp" target="_blank">Bridgeview B&B.</a> True to it's name the B&B was located directly across from a footbridge that crosses the River Nore. We could watch the local sculling team practicing on the river. From the front of the inn we could see Kilkenny Castle and the old town of Kilkenny. The original<a href="http://www.mattthemillers.com/" target="_blank"> Matt the Miller's Pub</a> was just at the other end of the block within easy walking distance from us. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-_s7DTQ9CSQZUAP5RsbBUzsS4t4GmKZB7Hob6tH0fgXz3ysVjGNn0h9T_T1cRYvgY96vsmHCNS3eIaI4WE9xwrU2ee64jw1GqgCmT7Uhi4bOCJ0qtXiB9q0oRXW8acC1SduvA-NvVpdA/s640/BridgeviewB%2526B.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-_s7DTQ9CSQZUAP5RsbBUzsS4t4GmKZB7Hob6tH0fgXz3ysVjGNn0h9T_T1cRYvgY96vsmHCNS3eIaI4WE9xwrU2ee64jw1GqgCmT7Uhi4bOCJ0qtXiB9q0oRXW8acC1SduvA-NvVpdA/s0/BridgeviewB%2526B.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bridgeview B&B<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0s1jTkLRj5_vcVpVn6P0JTs1dTPcFdypG6IEbOHIh3r1ObiOoWzIhyphenhyphenD1WUTXDidApqNZaT7m-gtSCkYWyosfqb8W_4x8Kf3xQy1y3Ngn4I3pbhp9kZNaQs7IA1fzJTE5dcagAH3gCLo0/s640/RiverNoreRow.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0s1jTkLRj5_vcVpVn6P0JTs1dTPcFdypG6IEbOHIh3r1ObiOoWzIhyphenhyphenD1WUTXDidApqNZaT7m-gtSCkYWyosfqb8W_4x8Kf3xQy1y3Ngn4I3pbhp9kZNaQs7IA1fzJTE5dcagAH3gCLo0/s0/RiverNoreRow.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Across from the B&B - Rowing on the River Nore</td></tr></tbody></table><p>This little detail was important for Rich because this was one of the pubs on his must see list ever since he had seen a picture of it in it's namesake pub, <a href="https://mtmtavern.com/" target="_blank">Matt The Miller's</a>, in Dublin, Ohio, one of our favorite places to eat! Of course, the first evening we had to walk down to the corner pub and tip a Guinness or two and dine on fish and chips. As we sat in a little window snug drinking in the atmosphere, we were taken by a portrait of John Smithwick of Smithwick's ale fame. It was a very modern portrait of an historical figure and as we sipped, my peripheral vision fooled me into thinking that <a href="https://www.smithwicksexperience.com/images/large_frame@2x.png" target="_blank">John Smithwick</a> winked at me! Closer inspection revealed that the portrait was, in fact, a digital image and the subject periodically changed position and with an ornery looking smile did indeed wink. This was almost as fascinating as the old pub itself.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ6KFxtIbhw8VwgLZeL3qMkAKbIfNEfxgTT5Ek7SAKK4OozFJ_vUOiQa2XCsUDGr_KVeQ7Hk-aLpunyPLvwcejS6Mqy8dK-UisdSGvtM9_if-sseclQHpabw02kshK6WnenxHP1AS1It4/s640/MTMnight.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ6KFxtIbhw8VwgLZeL3qMkAKbIfNEfxgTT5Ek7SAKK4OozFJ_vUOiQa2XCsUDGr_KVeQ7Hk-aLpunyPLvwcejS6Mqy8dK-UisdSGvtM9_if-sseclQHpabw02kshK6WnenxHP1AS1It4/s0/MTMnight.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Original Matt the Miller's at Night</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg56CkcgPNWp3xNnVncPfjawVNq-B4NOCybRa-f-ZXCZlx1NzrX-7g5MyYuMd1s6POle1bj1zzdKJ1cTRBqzzgSRAxaQqMktcyqmk9zSSQt-pTWJcLsZYETIM_DZH-gKZfKxgxoNDUUV4Y/s640/MattTheMiller%2527s.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg56CkcgPNWp3xNnVncPfjawVNq-B4NOCybRa-f-ZXCZlx1NzrX-7g5MyYuMd1s6POle1bj1zzdKJ1cTRBqzzgSRAxaQqMktcyqmk9zSSQt-pTWJcLsZYETIM_DZH-gKZfKxgxoNDUUV4Y/s0/MattTheMiller%2527s.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rich sipping a cider at Matt The Miller's</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCLPsBxcQCh1jCoPMdnxtn3Fx_khKm9bfAEJwe6p0iUcDEBCUKrJzjnesTSh3P-XBSKwXVHWcWhlQOi85Ys422AwuIjjfGDGm14shkQL4qrVW2rqCnam9sQpB_UBymPLVHzH9UGLKcwng/s640/MTMsnug.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCLPsBxcQCh1jCoPMdnxtn3Fx_khKm9bfAEJwe6p0iUcDEBCUKrJzjnesTSh3P-XBSKwXVHWcWhlQOi85Ys422AwuIjjfGDGm14shkQL4qrVW2rqCnam9sQpB_UBymPLVHzH9UGLKcwng/s0/MTMsnug.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the snug at Matt the Miller's</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCLPsBxcQCh1jCoPMdnxtn3Fx_khKm9bfAEJwe6p0iUcDEBCUKrJzjnesTSh3P-XBSKwXVHWcWhlQOi85Ys422AwuIjjfGDGm14shkQL4qrVW2rqCnam9sQpB_UBymPLVHzH9UGLKcwng/s640/MTMsnug.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We awoke the next morning in our sunny, blue bedroom in the front of the house. We could see moms walking their children across the bridge to the school on the block behind the b&b and hear their happy chatter. Emer, the owner and cook made me a lovely breakfast of Irish porridge and good strong coffee. Thus fortified we headed over to the Kilkenny Castle in order to be there as soon as it opened and beat the crowds. Kilkenny Castle is over 800 years old although due to renovations and remodels by the various occupants through the years, what you see today is mostly a Victorian version inside. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKl_J13wAhzJl7yYoNMb_P-ubzAN8XnOi2Y-Mb4AypY6AC1MV_dXwgnwOP7wm7ZPD1boVXqnkLw-v_asnGSKyNjxsf6dEGZThyphenhyphenqJjLhcsbbApglxLNpLx9Pm-6vqhNCBq7JkWvJYzxsZQ/s640/KilkennyCastle.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKl_J13wAhzJl7yYoNMb_P-ubzAN8XnOi2Y-Mb4AypY6AC1MV_dXwgnwOP7wm7ZPD1boVXqnkLw-v_asnGSKyNjxsf6dEGZThyphenhyphenqJjLhcsbbApglxLNpLx9Pm-6vqhNCBq7JkWvJYzxsZQ/s0/KilkennyCastle.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kilkenny Castle gate<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTBE0qBAXflDMNtyOjMa1sk3v8YocN28iCh8dGAQZtRp-VOrttxiEyN6rEbDSq67bUVVrO_oQNwy7iQHE1SLrThOEngu8RDfDZ5aQomIvs5t0IY6l76zUYj1L7RrgbLog3b0eHv8zufhA/s640/KilkennyFlowers.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTBE0qBAXflDMNtyOjMa1sk3v8YocN28iCh8dGAQZtRp-VOrttxiEyN6rEbDSq67bUVVrO_oQNwy7iQHE1SLrThOEngu8RDfDZ5aQomIvs5t0IY6l76zUYj1L7RrgbLog3b0eHv8zufhA/s0/KilkennyFlowers.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flowers from the Castle garden<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgexQXDuMPDTZeKNqGYi_9k7vPH983yDX3-TbVajUAeBxnW32hfMvJgNvdxO6GavyGsaFV1vQlig0FtYWhIUhIypYHJ-wb41EZ2grbPtWwR6dcXlaM9ruT2goAl84agTM32jv8JJcMqWGk/s640/KKCastle.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgexQXDuMPDTZeKNqGYi_9k7vPH983yDX3-TbVajUAeBxnW32hfMvJgNvdxO6GavyGsaFV1vQlig0FtYWhIUhIypYHJ-wb41EZ2grbPtWwR6dcXlaM9ruT2goAl84agTM32jv8JJcMqWGk/s0/KKCastle.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kilkenny Castle side entrance</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I strongly recommend that you wear study walking shoes since the tour takes you through what seems like miles of hard stone corridors. Rich was feeling the long walk in his back and I in my knees by the end of the hike. It was well worth it and quite impressive in its opulence. My favorite room was the great portrait hall that held portraits of all the important past occupants of the castle.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6bAxi7LTPUjoYaN52yRyKnEGzfCJdK8iUImAaCbJSc-L0cSuDpdvJikMJ_jYvjLbLVwHq2xhDpt1rexiVqZotOWSU-wmYmqhYxiJpH1D2od9qwbp5pLThpsKObsrJoHZToxVxFNV3M_w/s1024/KCastlePortrait.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="577" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6bAxi7LTPUjoYaN52yRyKnEGzfCJdK8iUImAaCbJSc-L0cSuDpdvJikMJ_jYvjLbLVwHq2xhDpt1rexiVqZotOWSU-wmYmqhYxiJpH1D2od9qwbp5pLThpsKObsrJoHZToxVxFNV3M_w/s640/KCastlePortrait.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Portrait gallery</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>At 3:00 we had an appointment to tour<a href="https://cushendale.ie/" target="_blank"> Cushendale Woolen Mill</a> in Graiguenamanagh, Co. Kilkenny. I had made this appointment months before our trip and was really eager to see the operations. The original mill had been established in 1204 by Cistercian monks and the Cushen family has operated a mill on the site since 1778. Philip Cushen, a descendant of the original Cushons is the current owner and he gave us a personally guided tour of the mill operations. Using only fiber from Irish sheep they create some of the lovliest yarns and fabrics. They are still using a spinning "mule" from the 1800s.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7F7x6jtWe-BwfY88rFkw_CPiJW0D-bYLYUvnLzh4L9Wz5o7waSe3bwDB3n94kyj014yM3MvJibx0lAAFyj73bJMgw916noTAUhxiDyUJbNEs_jwFjj4NyV-67z73pReK5nqzjUPCly0Y/s640/CushWool.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7F7x6jtWe-BwfY88rFkw_CPiJW0D-bYLYUvnLzh4L9Wz5o7waSe3bwDB3n94kyj014yM3MvJibx0lAAFyj73bJMgw916noTAUhxiDyUJbNEs_jwFjj4NyV-67z73pReK5nqzjUPCly0Y/s0/CushWool.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>After a quick lunch in Graiguenamanagh we headed back to Kilkenny and wandered around town, stumbling on The Smithwick's Experience. Although they actually brew their ales at a much larger location, the informative tour takes place at the original brewing site. </div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSP2JOifr1xT-2ScWrhvXqw2Obb_ffkWxcd64FSQoN4CH0xULsx_KTlTxWxx6GhEnTIo_Xxg0Z0pG_hHNSlcXmWffUFg3WAcjXj7UZ9HPj2Ds8Ttf9l7cYnCxJOivPfk8Nm8Dkyyle6kU/s640/Smithwicks.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSP2JOifr1xT-2ScWrhvXqw2Obb_ffkWxcd64FSQoN4CH0xULsx_KTlTxWxx6GhEnTIo_Xxg0Z0pG_hHNSlcXmWffUFg3WAcjXj7UZ9HPj2Ds8Ttf9l7cYnCxJOivPfk8Nm8Dkyyle6kU/s0/Smithwicks.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiue06cBRFS-9VeyhZI_X54uqKLWSXZiDuDABUCdxjw5hLynHN-Vu_eDsDfCjutmNuOafwSTzOaP9b_HGODOb7NFMWj_JtIclShLt1jA_g4lrjczOsO1Ahh4xZKSwoc3xYrWR80UCfDI6k/s640/SmithwicksExp.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiue06cBRFS-9VeyhZI_X54uqKLWSXZiDuDABUCdxjw5hLynHN-Vu_eDsDfCjutmNuOafwSTzOaP9b_HGODOb7NFMWj_JtIclShLt1jA_g4lrjczOsO1Ahh4xZKSwoc3xYrWR80UCfDI6k/s0/SmithwicksExp.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Monks had been brewing ale in this area for 300 years before the reformation. At that time they were forced to close their doors in 1537 when Henry VIII came into power. John Smithwick moved to Kilkenny in the early 1700s and went into the brewing business with Richard Cole. Because of the penal codes Catholics couldn't own property so Smithwick 's name couldn't be on the business. In the late 1700s the Smithwick family could finally add their name to the enterprise. In 1827, Edmund Smithwick finally put the family name proudly over the doorway. At the time of the great famine, Edmund Smithwick joined forces with another brewer, Richard Sullivan, to put rivalry aside and jointly opened a soup kitchen to feed the poor and hungry. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There were several digital portraits in the gallery, each "telling" the story of a segment of Smithwick history. Rich and I found this to be a unique and engaging way to tell the story. I couldn't help but think about current circumstances in education and wonder if this might not be a great way to teach history and other subject matter to school children. Imagine how neat it would be for an English teacher to have an author actually reading her own stories or poems!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We ate that evening in Lanigan's Pub where there was a guitar player playing traditional Irish tunes. The food, as I remember it, was good but the guitar player was wonderful. There weren't many people in there at the time as it was early on a Thursday evening so it seemed like it was entertainment just for us.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-6cjq9iufBF00LFQ5DrA0mHv46jJkaZusWN86iUWdiSTE1HU7gysoxWCjU9UAzor8s23aWw3NqYancrPNNea-BYlt0h0n-ROGyu21NMBSHMS7jRY6MAQLpH8I2FIBs-pGa_-joVEeByw/s640/FairyTree.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-6cjq9iufBF00LFQ5DrA0mHv46jJkaZusWN86iUWdiSTE1HU7gysoxWCjU9UAzor8s23aWw3NqYancrPNNea-BYlt0h0n-ROGyu21NMBSHMS7jRY6MAQLpH8I2FIBs-pGa_-joVEeByw/s0/FairyTree.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The fairy door in the tree beside the B&B<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After another hearty breakfast be bade Emer goodbye and headed to another fascinating local site before heading on to Bunratty near Shannon where we would stay the night before heading home. St. <a href="http://www.stcanicescathedral.ie/" target="_blank">Canice's Cathedral</a> is an amazing church that has been operational for over 800 years and still holds regular services today. As we wandered through the sanctuary on a self guided tour we marveled at the number of knights, lords and ladies entombed within it. The round tower is the oldest standing structure in Kilkenny city. Rich braved the climb and went to the top of the tower. I chickened out!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9on-KMeFnDQE1q2T3oHV6c5h0ptT1pB_AAKNwBSDdmqgN69V4pW_BZAqRenrfnY27zx-QqQLYRN2d0NHjOBniLbnnPJOCOEkhXkjcPFYyG-1WrziMHKu1eVDUOOGc-_GM0JldiCC3qpk/s640/StCanice.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9on-KMeFnDQE1q2T3oHV6c5h0ptT1pB_AAKNwBSDdmqgN69V4pW_BZAqRenrfnY27zx-QqQLYRN2d0NHjOBniLbnnPJOCOEkhXkjcPFYyG-1WrziMHKu1eVDUOOGc-_GM0JldiCC3qpk/s0/StCanice.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Canice Cathedral<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVn1BqF7leo4Q66ZD5Os7_ddBn2GgUedjauMO9K7jpDM33bA7QLN1Kqit8XQ2OzI1RGtLk2Yjwdr_AOEA4z2tHIAsex0wFbqSX8kZE8YNxtdQe0CSXhQj5OBHcXKZxG_twW4qLq6UHX78/s640/StCaniceTower2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVn1BqF7leo4Q66ZD5Os7_ddBn2GgUedjauMO9K7jpDM33bA7QLN1Kqit8XQ2OzI1RGtLk2Yjwdr_AOEA4z2tHIAsex0wFbqSX8kZE8YNxtdQe0CSXhQj5OBHcXKZxG_twW4qLq6UHX78/s0/StCaniceTower2.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Round Tower, St. Canice Cathedral<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxHQT8VfBEYvewE2zWl936LcSDFksK7WthtEeLIINlSKJxFSXNpBhQNahIFRLUaMPoonFALUvLKdq4rRkZpBIgeE262c8z2rjpo6uAM8vqrG1wvpqL7LDZn5MuBwNri6brEV03rotmysg/s640/StCaniceTower.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxHQT8VfBEYvewE2zWl936LcSDFksK7WthtEeLIINlSKJxFSXNpBhQNahIFRLUaMPoonFALUvLKdq4rRkZpBIgeE262c8z2rjpo6uAM8vqrG1wvpqL7LDZn5MuBwNri6brEV03rotmysg/s0/StCaniceTower.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Round Tower</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqj9n4nAmzOWTAU4U9R2A3D2o_mrfrClLsG_Nb451b2mjV4uqW9R9e8iLpPFq6qcfuL2qB0q4ogazoZr1sCwKTdzlE2BKf-g-l1U4BJEPLamOvmzqDZrwuWTgvfYemJhU0D2nQA5R5GuY/s640/StCaniceTowerRich.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqj9n4nAmzOWTAU4U9R2A3D2o_mrfrClLsG_Nb451b2mjV4uqW9R9e8iLpPFq6qcfuL2qB0q4ogazoZr1sCwKTdzlE2BKf-g-l1U4BJEPLamOvmzqDZrwuWTgvfYemJhU0D2nQA5R5GuY/s0/StCaniceTowerRich.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rich Climbed the Round Tower</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The narrow lane beside the cathedral, called Church Lane, is lined with charming doorways that open right onto the lane. Pots of colorful flowers stand outside nearly every painted door, making this one of the unexpected delights found throughout Ireland.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQgA2K4XJvgzF6MDZJaa8W8PU-C1v152xRThZF3t8O4PlcbaZLFK40UlhmVcbAmHg9HgnSlnpGxUdI2wydOREMa3_sT2EvJ49y48CLsEtpy0ZEPKD9v-pQiCrhz-915fQGSMeS2ly50t8/s640/CathedralLaneDoor.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQgA2K4XJvgzF6MDZJaa8W8PU-C1v152xRThZF3t8O4PlcbaZLFK40UlhmVcbAmHg9HgnSlnpGxUdI2wydOREMa3_sT2EvJ49y48CLsEtpy0ZEPKD9v-pQiCrhz-915fQGSMeS2ly50t8/s0/CathedralLaneDoor.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doorway on Church Lane<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYmxb7hIqw2wIVQoq4BT9Lg4IiweZryJxUYPA2zdmhbimyzdZKNVaggGK2dbAVZabBLS948z5YDwjsaQj9zG03q3dH7LOX5hyphenhypheniv0hwnoB0AlOSitcb9Qp-8S-aBdzT3beqMO6pDD3NNH8/s640/CathLane.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYmxb7hIqw2wIVQoq4BT9Lg4IiweZryJxUYPA2zdmhbimyzdZKNVaggGK2dbAVZabBLS948z5YDwjsaQj9zG03q3dH7LOX5hyphenhypheniv0hwnoB0AlOSitcb9Qp-8S-aBdzT3beqMO6pDD3NNH8/s0/CathLane.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Church Lane</td></tr></tbody></table><br />From here we took a meandering drive to Bunratty, located near Shannon. We had decided to spend the night a bit closer to the airport to lessen the chance that we would miss our flight home the next day. We had booked a room in the <a href="https://www.bunrattycastlehotel.com/" target="_blank">Bunratty Castle Hotel,</a> a modern hotel across from Bunratty Castle. The original plan had been to tour the castle while there but, alas, it was not open on that day. No problem, there was a Blarney Woolen Mill store and two pubs within walking distance of the hotel. We had planned on lunch at the famous Durty Nelly's pub but it was so crowded that the wait for a table was too long for a couple of hungry travelers. So we had lunch at <a href="http://creamerybar.com/" target="_blank">The Creamery Bar</a> just across the street and conveniently located near the small shopping area containing <a href="https://www.blarney.com/" target="_blank">The Blarney Woolen Mill</a> store! After a quick lunch, it was time for shopping. I had already purchased a sweater for Amy along our way, Christmas gifts for members of the family at Cushendale Woolen Mill, and skeins of yarn at several different places, but I did find a lovely soft sweater for Susie's birthday and a couple more skeins of yarn! Ireland is a great place to find lovely woolen items and yarn. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWvdLINepTDXzWREMkcFQWu4RI470v6wnRYDrodVM3VB6eIBNYb8DNqCao8AipqSLI7s52jJ4hUMx4aI1HdL4hylld6CS9Iw5z1uvWTRpaISEkwLpRzr7YlU47Yff7S-lJYuqCAFGFIxY/s640/BunrattyBar.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWvdLINepTDXzWREMkcFQWu4RI470v6wnRYDrodVM3VB6eIBNYb8DNqCao8AipqSLI7s52jJ4hUMx4aI1HdL4hylld6CS9Iw5z1uvWTRpaISEkwLpRzr7YlU47Yff7S-lJYuqCAFGFIxY/s0/BunrattyBar.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Creamery Bar</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Z1upbon5TDWLAHlZIQDLfNse0epOgrm5BoMbn-oc42jtBqKr6UNQ1CwUmVEDMcfbCey-RX45xTdKCpdfXfjE84fN1wqG_BIm3mh-TrWeqK7T2g8eQBQ-VOpcKhAHB1PlJy7BAqV1nDo/s640/BunrattyCastle.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Z1upbon5TDWLAHlZIQDLfNse0epOgrm5BoMbn-oc42jtBqKr6UNQ1CwUmVEDMcfbCey-RX45xTdKCpdfXfjE84fN1wqG_BIm3mh-TrWeqK7T2g8eQBQ-VOpcKhAHB1PlJy7BAqV1nDo/s0/BunrattyCastle.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bunratty Castle<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>After shopping we popped up the hill to the hotel to check in. In preparation for our flight the next morning I condensed most of our clothing into a single bag and all of our (my) purchases into the larger bag. I had to quite literally sit on the bag so that Rich could get it closed. I held my breath and crossed my fingers that it would make it home without breaking the zipper. (It didn't, but I didn't lose anything because some thoughtful baggage handler along the way taped it shut before it could come completely unzipped.) After a short nap we strolled down through the lovely hotel grounds to The Creamery Bar for dinner at the pub. All during our meal I kept noticing a gentleman at the bar that looked vaguely familiar. When I pointed him out to Rich, he recognized him right away as Dave, whom he had met at a pub in Kenmare. Dave drives tourists who don't wish to attempt navigation of Irish roads themselves. He is a jovial man who recognized us right away and we were able to get further acquainted with him before we said goodbye to Ireland. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOiWVvka-29Q4pSj2XiesPYCpYoz_ubY8Tf4ZPf0QeWk68WAkn7WvvD_7FgwFrAO1q2yZwnE5_b1t8mChKoDaqdFUr8-uCgJF1ntSDkNNKhyphenhyphenoUMqx0cOnywsefV90s5UyybyrZYXWZmVg/s640/BunrattyDessertPub.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOiWVvka-29Q4pSj2XiesPYCpYoz_ubY8Tf4ZPf0QeWk68WAkn7WvvD_7FgwFrAO1q2yZwnE5_b1t8mChKoDaqdFUr8-uCgJF1ntSDkNNKhyphenhyphenoUMqx0cOnywsefV90s5UyybyrZYXWZmVg/s0/BunrattyDessertPub.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dessert at the Creamery, Irish Coffee and Sticky Toffee Pudding<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div>We rose early the next morning and had breakfast at the hotel's elegant buffet before we reluctantly headed to the airport. As the plane took off we could see Ireland and the outer islands disappearing below and both of us agreed that, unlike other vacations where we are eager to get home, this was the first vacation that we really hated to see end. We vowed to return someday.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyyQOjx_pUVCguFeRN8ISCn9FQGe5PULmiwyZfVkP5lg3eNmn2_0FlBWpV4yrRWCUUumnpmxdyyKBZfJMGCmEOYf8GjnG2uhj1fByzQOCMVmulxPgPzyfxXyNmFlH5ClUhdgqU1R7cBc0/s640/IrishSouveniers.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyyQOjx_pUVCguFeRN8ISCn9FQGe5PULmiwyZfVkP5lg3eNmn2_0FlBWpV4yrRWCUUumnpmxdyyKBZfJMGCmEOYf8GjnG2uhj1fByzQOCMVmulxPgPzyfxXyNmFlH5ClUhdgqU1R7cBc0/s0/IrishSouveniers.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of my "loot" spread out on the kitchen table.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Buckeye Star Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08209464169671044632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7803467470703367180.post-56415716533007427392020-07-09T07:31:00.001-07:002020-07-09T07:31:52.213-07:00Ireland - Installment VIII: Isolation Lessons Learned and Kinsale ContinuedI have been reflecting upon the current pandemic isolation thinking about what I've learned so far. Most of all I miss my family; my daughters and grandkids. That goes without saying. But maybe the biggest takeaway I've discovered is that I really miss my friends. I have always fancied myself as a bit of a loner. I really enjoy my "alone" time so that life out here in the sticks has been no real hardship. But when something like a pandemic takes away all of my socializing options I become a bit down like so many other people. Who am I kidding? I got really depressed and angry for a while until I realized what was happening. Poor Rich! <div><br /></div><div>I miss my lunch bunch girlfriends; the retired teacher group of friends that I have known for years. We haven't seen each other since February. We call, text and email each other to keep in touch but it's just not the same as sitting down to a meal to discuss our kids and grandkids, books that we've read and just plain gossip. I miss my two knitting groups, a bunch of ladies from different backgrounds who have our crafting in common. It's so much more fun to knit something when I can look forward to sharing my progress with those ladies who appreciate it because they are occupied with their own creative skills, too. I miss my international women's club meetings. This group of women from across a range of age groups and very diverse ethnic and national backgrounds who come together in joy just to share a meal and laugh together has added so much enrichment to my life. </div><div><br /></div><div>We have been able to have meals on the deck with some of our couples friends because we are able to remain six feet apart outside. Our double dates are restricted somewhat by the high heat and weather conditions but we're adapting and it has been lovely to see each other in person even though we cannot meet at restaurants. </div><div><br /></div><div>No one is sure when these conditions will end. I feel the most sorry for children who can't play with their friends and teachers who cannot be face-to-face with their students; young athletes who cannot practice with their teams and face the probable cancellation of their 2020-21 seasons. For most of them this is the first serious hardship that they have had to face in their young lives and explaining that there are worse things that can happen to them is no consolation. It's difficult to counsel patience for others when patience has never been one of my own strongest qualities. </div><div><br /></div><div>Maybe that's another lesson we've all had to learn from this. Be patient. From the news reports it seems that many are still needing to do some work on this lesson.</div><div><br /></div><div>Back to Kinsale, Ireland:</div><div><br /></div><div>Another unplanned sightseeing stop that we found so moving and very much worth the out of the way drive was the Lusitania Monument on the Old Head of Kinsale. We drove out to the seaside and parked precariously on the edge of the road then made the short hike up to the Old Head Signal Tower that was built over 200 years ago during the Napoleonic Wars as a lookout for French invasion forces. It has become the site of a monument to the sinking of the Lusitania by a German submarine on May 17, 1915. Within 20 minutes of being hit the ship had sunk killing 1,198 people. The names of the passengers and crew are engraved on the monument listing both victims and survivors. Many of the rescuers were Irish fishermen who sailed their boats eleven miles from shore to aid in the rescue operation.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUjVmBvlbVVjkXDSyK0WiJwvAZd8tn-YDz8fiSlFe4yRNuYRj0JvolWpSAZRuaDBArJkmVyqyQ-PSls7UjW-dR-tujx3fiRd3uMmDeKU3V701vq6U6Dqa6TrOp3R_Heza2HoptK8OxayU/s640/Lusitania+Monument.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUjVmBvlbVVjkXDSyK0WiJwvAZd8tn-YDz8fiSlFe4yRNuYRj0JvolWpSAZRuaDBArJkmVyqyQ-PSls7UjW-dR-tujx3fiRd3uMmDeKU3V701vq6U6Dqa6TrOp3R_Heza2HoptK8OxayU/w300-h400/Lusitania+Monument.jpg" title="Parking on a cliff" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Parking on a cliff, Old Head of Kinsale<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhTwjtLPvbd_7r_r-Bzrwj4zR682SDPOjsFQtbSbDx-9S13-1MhmdmtF2ff5nLl-oQXIxB3wINxNLQ5Mw3fzvuFhfSJaR-o8JrJ2u3IDTwSzdJjXSNYXD-EdQDfhGpwh7NnJiT5COhNQE/s800/old-head-museum-web-image-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhTwjtLPvbd_7r_r-Bzrwj4zR682SDPOjsFQtbSbDx-9S13-1MhmdmtF2ff5nLl-oQXIxB3wINxNLQ5Mw3fzvuFhfSJaR-o8JrJ2u3IDTwSzdJjXSNYXD-EdQDfhGpwh7NnJiT5COhNQE/w500-h333/old-head-museum-web-image-1.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lusitania Memorial<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>From here we headed back through Kinsale and on to Killkenny. The road led us to the infamous Kinsale round-about just 3 miles south of Cork center. We had been through there on one of our earlier excursions around that area of the country. We didn't find the five road intersection so intimidating to navigate this time around. We also didn't find out until we had returned home that this was quite well known by both locals and visitors for it's complex traffic patterns! Another piece of advice for travelers new to driving in Ireland: look up this route in advance and memorize which road will get you to your destination because coming upon the signage in this intersection without prior knowledge will surely confuse those who are concentrating on driving on the left! You've had fair warning.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Buckeye Star Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08209464169671044632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7803467470703367180.post-54841352076510671012020-06-01T08:57:00.000-07:002020-06-01T08:57:05.627-07:00Reflections On a Mourning DoveYesterday I woke up to cheery sight of the bright sun shining into my window and the sound of a mourning dove cooing somewhere nearby. At first I smiled thinking that we were going to have another beautiful day at the farm. As I lay there listening to the mourning dove, its cooing brought me back to the reality of the current conditions in our country. Most people don't realize that the spelling of that soft gray bird's name is not spelled m-o-r-n-i-n-g for the early morning hours, but is spelled m-o-u-r-n-i-n-g dove because of the sadness in the sound. To me it suddenly felt like the dove was sending a message of mourning for the turmoil happening in our country. Mourning for the over 100,000 deaths from the novel Covid-19 virus and simultaneously the death of George Floyd and so many other black and brown people at the hands of police officers who use unnecessary force first and ask questions later (if at all.) <div><br /></div><div>As a woman who came of age in the 1960s and thought that the Civil Rights Movement had really changed things in this country, I never thought I would see rioting like this in the streets again. And before you assume that I am naive about racial inequality let me assure you that I am painfully aware that racial inequality is alive and well and that we as a country have a lot of work still to do. After the election of Barack Obama I felt that there was a definite change in the air and that attitudes were changing. That all changed when the current person was elected. </div><div><br /></div><div>I'm not writing to preach or pontificate. I'm not qualified to preach to anyone. Even though I live on a farm in the middle of the cornfields of northwest Ohio, far away from the turmoil in the streets, this issue is so very personal for my family and me. All you need is to read my daughter's facebook post the other day to understand. </div><div><br /></div><div><span> </span><span> "</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">day 75: white privilege is not having to teach your white teenager how to not get killed when they’re pulled over by a cop. it was the first part of driver’s education in our house."</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">My beautiful fifteen-and-a-half granddaughter, adopted by our whole family at the age of one month and so very loved by her parents, Yia Yia, grandpa, aunts and cousins, is bi-racial. </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">I wanted to stop there. I cannot. I am worried for her. I have worried for all three of my grandchildren when they learned to drive so it's natural that I worry for her. But more than that I am afraid for her and I am angry, too. For me and the rest of our family we have only ever thought of this girl as the funny, intelligent, beautiful and loving person that she is. This has forced me to look at the racial aspect of my own grandchild, something that never occurred to me as I held that curious, month-old baby in my arms. </span></div>Buckeye Star Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08209464169671044632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7803467470703367180.post-7230060181905824042020-05-07T07:45:00.000-07:002020-06-01T08:24:14.984-07:00Ireland - Installment VIIThe Rocklands House in Kinsale was aptly named. Perched high atop Compass Hill above the village of Kinsale, we were gifted with such beautiful views of the town and the port on the River Bandon. Kinsale, much like Dingle, was a very tourist oriented town. It was full of gift shops, both budget and upscale types, and restaurants of every variety. The first evening after John drove us around the main part of town and dropped us off, we strolled a bit and then settled on a pub called The White House.<br />
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The White House proved to be your average pub with congenial company. We were seated at a booth across from another American couple with whom we shared experiences of our travels in this lovely country. After a Guinness or two it seems that everyone in the pub is an old friend. This held true for all the stops we made on our trip with both tourists and locals. <a href="https://www.whitehouse-kinsale.ie/" target="_blank">The White House</a> was decorated with art work and oddities, one of which impressed Rich so much that he came home and recreated it with odds and ends that he had around the farm. He originally placed it in a prominent place just inside the front door of our store where it sat all winter. When he finished his winter project, carving out space in his wood shop and building an office for himself, I insisted that he move "the Thing" into his new man cave!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It has no function other than as a conversation piece!</td></tr>
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After a very restful night in one of our host's comfortable rooms we ambled down to breakfast a few minutes early when the smell of fresh coffee wafted up the stairs. John told us to pick a table and he would pour us a coffee. Then while we waited we took our coffee to the dining room windows to enjoy the breathtaking view once again. Our second cup of aromatic coffee was served with breakfast where I couldn't get enough of John's delicious, warm, homemade scones. When I asked for the recipe he told me that I could find it on Mary Berry's website (The Great British Baking Show judge). I have tried it but mine were just ok. They must need the atmosphere of Ireland and someone else to bake them for me in order to come out so tasty.<br />
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After breakfast that first morning in Kinsale, we drove out to <a href="http://www.heritageireland.ie/en/south-west/charlesfort/" target="_blank">Charles Fort</a> which also overlooks the River Bandon. Charles Fort is a 17th century bastion star fort. It was constructed in 1682 by the British and was in continual use until 1922. It housed British troops in the Williamite War, WWI, and through the Irish Civil War. Rich and I wandered up and down through the massive stone walls of the fort and through the Officers' quarters, Governor's house, soldiers' quarters and the stables. It was a beautiful and peaceful site in spite of it's original use. We stopped here for our late morning snack, deciding to forego lunch and have an early dinner instead.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charles Fort Governor's Quarters</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Officers' Quarters</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outer Defense Wall</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coffee Break</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Governor's Quarters from battlement (soldiers quarters are below)</td></tr>
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<br />Buckeye Star Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08209464169671044632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7803467470703367180.post-68034029768119039822020-05-07T06:40:00.000-07:002020-05-07T06:52:00.601-07:00Ireland - Installment VI (Writing in the time of Covid 19)Shortly after my last post on March 11, Governor DeWine issued the stay at home order. So from March 23 onward (and a little before that for me) I have been doing just that. Staying at home. With so much time on my hands you would think that I would have finished my account of our Irish trip by now but that's not the case. The first thing I did after the order was to go through all of the drawers and closets on the second floor and do a massive clean out. Gone are all of the unworn clothing that I had intended for months (years) to donate. Gone are over 20 years worth of craft and sewing supplies that I knew I would never revisit. I have culled all of those items from the second floor that I had intended to get rid of for years.<br />
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I had figured that this would be the opportunity I had been waiting for and making excuses for not doing. My intention was to finish knitting the pair of socks that I had begun in Ireland and to complete writing the tale of our Irish trip. You know what they say about the road to hell being paved with good intentions. I just burned brightly for the first couple of weeks and then suddenly fizzled out in a shower of ennui. I lost the energy to do much of anything productive and buried myself in the comfort of reading books all day and the escapism of baking and watching Netflix, Prime and Acorn TV.<br />
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When I shook myself awake from this daze I realized that what they say about moving your physical body is also true about writing. If you don't use it you lose it. So here I am, wide awake now and back into the routine of exercise, riding the stationary bike and doing yoga since the weather is so awful still, and now back on track with my writing.<br />
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On Monday, September 16th we left the luxury of the Shelburn Lodge in Kenmare and headed around the Ring of Kerry and then on to Kinsale for our next evening.On the way we drove through narrow winding roads that ran through the Killarney National Park. The sylvan landscape held surprises for us at every turning. Typical of the ruins was an abandoned church that we glimpsed through the windshield. I couldn't help wondering what kind of stories this old church could tell if it could talk.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ID on my phone says Muckross - Incheens for this ruin</td></tr>
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A little farther on in the drive through the Killarney forest we were met with another surprise. Their expressions made me feel like I was the intruder in their home. Can you see the wild goats in the second picture? The big guy was in the center of the road staring disdainfully at us and took his time crossing over.<br />
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On the way we made an unplanned stop at a place called<a href="http://www.muckross-house.ie/house-garden.html" target="_blank"> Muckross House</a> in Killarney. The beauty of an independent driving trip is that we could take time for spontaneous stops along the way. This one did not disappoint. We had been noticing signs for a place called <a href="http://www.muckross-house.ie/house-garden.html" target="_blank">Muckross House</a>. Curious, I did a quick Google search and found out that this was a Victorian mansion and estate that was open to the public. On the spur of the moment we made the decision to stop at the site. May I say here that we were not disappointed. This was probably one of the most interesting and beautiful sites that we visited in a country that is full of beautiful sites of all variety.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Muckross House</td></tr>
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Muckross House was built by Henry Arthur Herbert and his wife, Mary Balfour Herbert. Construction was begun in 1839 and completed in 1843. Apparently the original plans called for a larger, grander structure, although I don't know how it could be grander without becoming a palace. In the 1850s they began an extensive and elaborate garden renovation in preparation for Queen Victoria's visit in 1861. In September the gardens were filled with blooming things and were certainly as beautiful as any other time of year. </div>
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Also on the Muckross estate grounds was a reconstruction of farm houses and outbuildings typical of the era. Instead of waiting for the tram we trudged uphill to the display of large, medium and small farm houses that showed how the commoners would have lived at that time. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Large farmhouse</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Schoolhouse (note: I got rid of this unflattering top after I saw the picture!)</td></tr>
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The farm displays were liberally populated with the animals that would have been on pretty much every small farm of the era. My favorite were the donkeys.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mama and baby donkeys outside the small farm house</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chickens and other assorted fowl</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sheep alongside the walk to the farms</td></tr>
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As we meandered in, out and around the farm houses and buildings you could hear the donkeys loudly braying at the intruding tourists. They were actually very friendly when approached and seemed to enjoy a nose rub.</div>
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We lunched in the very modern and well stocked cafeteria at Muckross, shopped in the Muckross Weavers gift shop and then headed out for Kinsale where we would be spending the next two nights at the <a href="http://kinsaletown.com/" target="_blank">Rocklands House B&B</a>. Let me pause here to recommend that if you ever decide to travel Ireland by car it's wise to plan on at least two or three nights in any one place. Because the country is so much smaller the distances between sites is usually under a couple of hours drive. We used each b&b as a sort of hub for traveling out in different directions each day. This meant that we were not constantly unloading and reloading luggage into the "boot" of the car.</div>
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We arrived in Kinsale just before suppertime and wound our way up a steep and narrow road to the Rocklands House where our host, John, met us and showed us to our room. As we were pretty much tired out from the drive and a bit hesitant to drive back down to town, John offered to drive us down and point out the restaurants that he would recommend for our supper. He also showed us where the local taxi service was located so we could pick up a cab for the drive back up the hill. Later, we found out that John was pretty much a one-man-band when it came to operating the B&B. But more on that in the next post.</div>
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Buckeye Star Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08209464169671044632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7803467470703367180.post-55443117533849826362020-03-11T12:24:00.000-07:002020-03-11T12:24:11.117-07:00Ireland - Installment VSaturday evening, September 14, in Kenmare was the evening of the big All Ireland Senior Football Championship 2019 - Kerry vs Dublin that we had been hearing so much about all along our trip so far. Due to all of the flags, bunting and banners in Kerry's colors, green and orange, that we had been seeing everywhere as we drove the highways and byways, we knew that we were in Kerry territory. Rich and I were also careful to pick a pub for dinner where we were pretty sure the game would be on all of the TVs. PF <a href="https://www.pfskenmare.com/food" target="_blank">McCarthy'</a>s was our choice based solely upon it's appearance and it was a great one.<br />
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The Guinness stew was to die for and the Fish and Chips that Rich picked was one of the best of our trip. But the best part of the evening was the conversation we had with the two young German women at the table next to us. Neither they nor we knew the first thing about the game going on which made the talk at our tables even funnier. One of the young ladies was furiously trying to Google the rules each time a referee held up a different colored penalty card. In the end all four of us chose to just cheer along with the crowd when Kerry did something positive, or groan when they committed a mistake. I did notice though, that the actual Irish fans in the pub were much better mannered when Kerry received a bad call than the Ohio State fans here at home when our team was in a similar situation! Hmmm? Ultimately Kerry lost and everyone in the pub when on drinking congenially.</div>
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Sunday morning, after a lovely breakfast in the dining room of Shelburn Lodge where I had the delicious porridge with whisky sauce, we decided to stroll around town a bit to check out the shops. I didn't really expect for any of them to be open on Sunday but since Kenmare is such a tourist town there were a few open. Of course I found a woolen shop with yarn in it and couldn't resist another purchase.</div>
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We also noticed a long line outside a lovely French bakery so of course we had to stop for mid-morning coffee and a pastry. We were not disappointed as we sat at a table on the sidewalk and watched the crowds.</div>
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After our delicious break we decided to go in search of the Kenmare stone circle that we had seen on an episode of Rick Steves PBS travel show. Tucked away in a grassy, out of the way corner of Kenmare, we found an actual stone circle. This was another one of my favorite places to see in Ireland. I'm beginning to think that in another life I may have been an ancient Celt, or maybe a Druid Goddess. Who knows?</div>
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Rich dared to lay a hand on the center stone (sacrificial altar?) Luckily he didn't disappear into another time and place and we were able to continue on our trip the next day.</div>
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Later that same day we drove aimlessly around the country roads surrounding Kenmare. One of our discoveries was a small gourmet chocolate shop, <a href="http://lorge.ie/" target="_blank">Lorge Chocolatier</a>. With a full showcase of chocolates to choose from we made a modest purchase of a variety of chocolates. They didn't even make it out of Kenmare as we began tasting after dinner and, well, one thing led to another! I suggest you check out the link that I provided so you can enjoy a feast for the eyes if not the palate. Lorge also offers classes in chocolate making and if I lived nearby I would certainly love to make myself sick in one of those classes!</div>
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That evening we had our supper in a small pizza shop in town and decided to turn in early because we had quite a few sites to see on our way to Kinsale, our next stop.</div>
Buckeye Star Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08209464169671044632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7803467470703367180.post-30898948345729500242020-02-12T07:13:00.000-08:002020-02-12T07:13:17.880-08:00Ireland - Installment IVWe spent September 14th and 15th in Kenmare in County Kerry where we would later watch the "Big Match" between Kerry and Dublin in the Irish Football playoff on Saturday night. More on that later. The drive to Kenmare along the narrow, twisty roads was absolutely lovely. Most of the roads were lined with hedges of fuschia shrubs. These plants that we buy in hanging baskets in the spring to grace our porches and patios, grow wild and woody in Ireland's temperate climate. So to label the autumn colorful in Ireland means an entirely different thing than the earthy colors of fall at home.<br />
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We drove along the picturesque coastal roads for a little way before heading inland towards Kenmare and the vistas did not disappoint. The famous Ring of Kerry drive is so rife with breathtaking views that I have to recheck my iphone camera on each one to be sure just where I snapped the pictures!<br />
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We passed through the small town of Killorglin at about coffee break time and discovered a small coffee shop in the center of town where we decided to pause. Rich wanted to explore the map, (Yes, he's still a paper map kind of person!) and to check out the sites between Killorglin and Kenmare in case there might be something we didn't want to miss. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Coffee-Shop/Bobs-Coffee-Shop-Killorglin-243507906261324/" target="_blank">Bob's Coffee Shop</a> is just a little hole-in-the-wall kind of local shop that we love to patronize over larger chain shops. I had my first authentic, Irish scone there with an excellent cup of latte. Rich had a yummy, jam filled pastry with his coffee. I must say the coffees were excellent and the scone, served with jam and "clotted cream" was to die for!<br />
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(I set this post aside for a bit and when I came back to it a week later I had discovered that Bob's, which I followed on Facebook, will be closing down. It makes me sad when any small business that had an excellent product and atmosphere closes.)<br />
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From here we took the N70 down the coast, passing through towns with such lilting names as Cahershiveen, Ballinskelligs, Portmagee, and Caherdaniel, stopping along the way to snap pictures of the picturesque Wild Atlantic Way. Valentia Island just off the coast was just one of the breathtaking views of the North Atlantic.<br />
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There were sunny yellow flowers nestled among the coastal rocks in places where it didn't seem that anything should be growing.</div>
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By late afternoon we arrived in Kenmare. Rich drove around a bit before we checked in to our B&B, something he does just to get an idea of the layout of the town. It gives us an idea of where to park if we drive or if we even need to drive into the business area. Mostly we try to get accommodations that are centrally located so we can walk everywhere. We did stop at Holy Cross Catholic Church, an old stone church that is at a pivotal point in the town. Holy Cross has a simplicity that makes it serenely beautiful and a perfect place to gather one's wits at the end of a day of traveling.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Holy Cross Catholic Church, Kenmare, Ireland</td></tr>
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From here we drove to our B&B, <a href="http://www.shelburnelodge.com/" target="_blank">The Shelburn Lodge</a> to check in and rest up a bit before supper. Shelburn Lodge was built in the mid-18th Century and was the home of William Petty Fitzmaurice, Lord Shelburn. He loved this area so much that after building his home he commissioned the building of Kenmare town which was completed in 1775. After the American Revolution he became friendly to some of our founding fathers and Adams even named a town in Pennsylvania after him. Shelburn, PA (not Fitzmaurice!).</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shelburn Lodge<br /><div style="text-align: left;">
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This was one of my favorite places to stay. Liz and Moira, the two lovely ladies who so smoothly ran the inn, greeted us warmly. The room was spacious and so lovely, with a very posh and cushy bed and a huge bathroom. The breakfast was delicious and the porridge with whiskey sauce has hooked me on McCann's Irish steel cut oatmeal to this day. And I can get it at my local Kroger store!<div>
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This is why I so loved this place and will definitely book a stay if (when) I go back:</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entrance hall of Shelburn Lodge<br /><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our room with a deep window ledge and a view of the lawn.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A teeny little snail on the windowsill outside our room</td></tr>
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More on Kenmare and the Kerry vs Dublin football match in my next installment. </div>
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Buckeye Star Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08209464169671044632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7803467470703367180.post-6561565787047619682019-12-31T03:37:00.000-08:002020-01-28T07:17:21.218-08:00Ireland - Installment III4:30 a.m. New Year's Eve 2019<br />
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It's very blustery outside and the temperature has sunk overnight from a steady three days in the mid 50s to a present 32 degrees and headed down into the twenties tonight. The past two days have been rainy and rather miserable for late December in Ohio when we usually have snow. I've worn my raincoat with the lining buttoned in more this month than I did in Ireland where all the travel literature told me that I should be prepared for rain in September! I wore that raincoat once to dash from our B&B in Doolin across the street to the pub for supper. The rest of the time it was just taking up baggage space that could have been used to bring home more lovely Irish woolens.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Murphy's Pub and B&B, Dingle</td></tr>
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On our second leg of the trip we drove around the Dingle peninsula towards Dingle Town where we would be staying three nights. Rich had been really looking forward to this because we would be staying at Murphy's Pub B&B where our room would be over the actual pub. We all know what was on his mind here, I'm sure. Three nights of imbibing in Irish beer and cider, sampling the fish and chips and then being able to stumble up the stairs to our room. No worrying about driving after the party.<br />
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Murphy's is right on the strand across from the harbour at Dingle and in the midst of all the tourist shops and Dingle Bay cruise ports. As with all of the pubs we encountered along the way there is music every night of the week. Dingle Town itself is very much geared to tourists and the streets are crowded every day. Parking at Murphy's is in the back and a bit tricky with the twists and turns to maneuver into (see Installment I about not getting a larger car). And you have to climb a flight of steps with your luggage.<br />
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The really big attraction for Dingle is Fungi, the local Dolphin, who has been living in Dingle Bay since 1983 and puts on such a show that several short cruise lines have sprung up centered solely on viewing him. He is so reliable in his appearances that they offer a money-back "guarantee" if you don't spot Fungi while you're out in the bay on the boat.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fungi statue, Dingle Town center</td></tr>
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We couldn't go to Dingle without taking one of the hour long cruises and I will admit, it was impressive. On the way out to the rocky, cavernous area where Fungi lives we passed some colorful kayakers and several other cruise boats creating a festive atmosphere.<br />
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Fungi did not disappoint. Our boat idled just offshore along with the kayakers and other cruise boats and after just a short while the dolphin surfaced and began swimming around amongst the various watercraft. He never jumped full out of the water that day but put on a show for us by keeping us guessing where he would surface next, spurting water and air from his blow hole. I took very few photos and videos, caught up as was everyone else, with trying to guess where he would appear next.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fungi</td></tr>
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In Dingle we also met a man with a donkey and a dog, quite a colorful trio, who set up each morning the main square. On the second day in Dingle, Rich went out for his early morning walk while leaving me to prepare for the day ahead. He arrived back in the room, excited to show me what he had discovered in the square. I must admit it was a delightful surprise to find a small gypsy wagon and a gentle donkey just outside the pub. </div>
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The fish and chips that Rich ordered most often were delicious because of the proximity to the sea and freshness of the seafood. I usually ordered some traditional Irish dish for supper but stuck with the seafood chowder for lunch. I think that we both agreed that Dingle had by far the best fish and chips. Two of our favorites were <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SheehysAnchorDownRestaurant/" target="_blank">Sheehy's Anchor Down</a> for both seafood chowder and fish and chips and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Harringtons/511942932534780" target="_blank">Harrington's</a> for fish and chips. Harrington's came in ahead of Sheehy's but only by a nose.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Harrington's fish and chips</td></tr>
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Although there are quite a few pubs in Dingle Town, I think our best experience was at <a href="http://www.dinglebayhotel.com/the-best-hotel-in-dingle/paudies-bar-dingle-bay-hotel/" target="_blank">Paudie's Bar</a> in the Dingle Bay Hotel. The "Blowin' Ins," a trad(itional) duo were playing that night and are apparently popular in the area. Along with a pub full of tourists and locals, we enjoyed their music and maybe a half-pint or two of Guinness. I discovered that their superb Irish coffee paired well with the sticky toffee pudding as an after dinner treat.<br />
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During our wandering around the hilly streets of Dingle we also discovered <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Foxy-Johns-162255635562/" target="_blank">Foxy John's Pub</a>, a hardware store/pub combination, and <a href="https://www.dickmackspub.com/" target="_blank">Dick Mack's Pub</a> where we had a beer in the "snug," a cozy little area that was partitioned off from the crowd. Many of the older pubs had snugs where tradition has it that the local women sat to chat, business was conducted in private or couples had some privacy while courting.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "snug" at Dick Mack's Pub</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: left;">We had originally planned to stay at Murphy's for three nights but being someone who needs her sleep in order to fully enjoy the next day's activities (see paragraph 3 above, i.e. music all night) we decided to move on a bit along the Ring of Kerry and stay the third night in a different B&B in Ventry. The drive from Dingle to Ventry took us along the Ring of Kerry where we had a couple of unplanned stops along the way. We arrived early in Ventry and decided to travel up to Slea Head which we had been told was even more scenic than the Ring of Kerry. Slea Head did not disappoint. Running along the bay with a steep drop off on the left (my side, remember) I was breathless for most of the route and not just in awe of the view! </span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">Traveling on our own as opposed to an organized tour allowed us to make impromptu stops along the way. One of them was the site of the ruins of a famine house, built in the mid 1800s. The house and its history brought home to us the tragedy of the potato famine and the horrible conditions that sparked the great Irish migration to other parts of the world. We were also able to stop at the ruins of a ring fort and beehive homes believed to have been built in the 11th century at about the time of the Norman Invasion. (don't quote me on this one as I found different sources all saying something different.)</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Chochan (beehive home) within a ring fort at Fahan</td></tr>
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I will say that the hike up the hill is not for the faint of heart. At first I wasn't sure that I was going to tackle it as I stared up the steep, rocky and winding path. I let Rich go ahead of me while I pondered my dilemma. In the end, given that there was a handrail on the path, I haltingly made my way up each hill and wasn't sorry that I did. Each location was fascinating in it's own right. The people who lived and worked up those hills earned my respect as they were much heartier than I. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view and Rich's new friend at the Famine House</td></tr>
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At the end of each day I had been consulting my Fitbit, proud that I had been racking up at least 10,000-11,000 steps each day. At the end of this day I was dismayed to find only 5,000+ steps. I was positive that it had been more. Upon checking the number of staircases that I had climbed (a stairway is both up and down to be counted as one) I found that my Fitbit had been calculating those hills as stairways!</div>
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The Plough in Ventry is located high atop a rocky hill on the Dingle Peninsula overlooking Dingle Bay. The lawn area was charming and the view spectacular! In the house itself the decor was in a word, crowded, and the hostess was less than welcoming. I'll leave my review for TripAdvisor.</div>
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The next day we would be headed to Kenmare and a stay at The Shelburn Lodge.</div>
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<br />Buckeye Star Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08209464169671044632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7803467470703367180.post-8588529937523810372019-11-26T04:31:00.000-08:002019-11-26T04:31:15.758-08:00Ireland - Installment II<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Doolin, a small, mostly tourist, village near the Cliffs of Moher and about an hour's drive from Shannon Airport was our first scheduled stop over in Ireland. We arrived there well before check in time at our b&b so we drove around the area a bit just to check things out. Since we traveled in September the tourist trade was very light and the streets not very crowded so our first impression was of a charming, picturesque Irish village. Rich, still becoming accustomed to the differences in driving, decided to venture out of town for a look around the countryside. We decided to stop for a mid-afternoon snack at a charming looking little tea room, <a href="https://stonecutterskitchen.ie/" target="_blank">The Stone Cutter's Kitchen</a>, where I had my first taste of tea and scones, and the famous Irish hospitality. The somewhat rickety, mismatched tables and chairs only added to the authenticity of the little cafe. Our server was a lovely young woman who spent quite a bit of time chatting with us. She seemed surprised when we remarked on the narrow road and informed us that it was one of the larger highways in Ireland!<br />
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Fortified, we drove back to Doolin for check in at our b&b, <a href="http://www.bandbdoolin.com/" target="_blank">Cois na hAbhann </a>(Cush nah Own, by the river) where were met by a friendly, blue eyed husky named Mishka. Our host, Brian, came out to the parking lot to greet us and help carry in our bags. He led us down a short hall way to our room at the back of the house. We found it to be a comfortable, light and airy room with views of the hilltop where contented cows were grazing and a small, stone wall encircled lot at the side. Brian showed us the breakfast room and pointed out the tea and coffee station that was available 24-7 and Dimpna, his wife, came out from the kitchen to welcome us. After a few minutes of easy conversation they both felt like old friends that we hadn't seen for a bit.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from our window at Cois n hAbhann</td></tr>
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Since it was a beautiful, sunny day and we had time before dinner, Brian advised us to go see the nearby Cliffs of Moher. So our first real touristy excursion was to the famous Cliffs of Moher and as I mentioned earlier, as we traveled in the off-season, it wasn't at all crowded. It was, however, an exceptionally windy day and we chose to walk up the more civilized paved stairway on the shoreline facing the cliffs instead of hiking the path over the cliffs themselves. We had heard so many stories of tourists who got blown off the cliffs by strong gusts on windy days. It was a wise choice. Rich, who is more firmly anchored to this earth than I, walked all the way to the top. I chose to stop half way, sheltered by a shoulder-high stone wall, since some of the gusts had caught me by surprise and sent me off balance. The Cliffs of Moher were still an awesome sight from afar.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Atlantic Ocean over my shoulder</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Cliffs of Moher</td></tr>
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Once again, overlooking the cliffs, cows appeared to be clinging to the rocky hills!<br />
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Once again, overlooking the cliffs, cows appeared to be clinging to the rocky hills!<br />
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After our long flight, drive from the airport and hike up to the cliffs, we settled in for a short snooze before dinner, pulling the curtains on the daylight. When we woke up very hungry two hours later to the sound of gentle rain on our window and pulled back the curtains we found that the "vacant" lot outside our window wasn't as empty as it had been upon our arrival. The cows had began coming down off the hill and into the small pasture for the evening and this is what I saw when I pulled back the curtain.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Same view two hours later!<br />
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Brian had recommended <a href="https://www.hoteldoolin.ie/fitzs-pub-and-eatery.html#welcome-area" target="_blank">Fitzpatrick'</a>s pub which was a short walk next door across an intersection on the corner. Like most of the pubs we found that there was music every night from about 6 or 7 pm. This first night a musician named Jimmy, played traditional Irish music on the guitar with an occasional classic rock, i.e. James Taylor, thrown in. Fitz's, as Brian affectionately called it, was cozy, dark wood paneled bar with an open fireplace. The first evening we sat at a table for delicious dinner of traditional Irish fish and chips. Rich ordered this quite often on our trip with the aim of rating the "Best Fish and Chips" in Ireland. I, on the other hand, decided right away to order a variety of seafood and other traditional Irish dishes. The seafood all along The Wild Atlantic Way was, of course, fresh and very delicious. I had my first full pint of Guinness that evening and decided that I would take the half-pint option from then on. Maybe it was the fact that I was hungry and still jet-lagged tired or maybe it was the unaccustomed alcohol content, but the Guinness went straight to my head and made me quite giggly!<br />
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After a welcome and very comfortable night's sleep we woke up to a sunny morning and this critter staring in the window! All of the cows had wandered down to the pasture and quite a few of them were nursing their calves. Brian told me at breakfast that he had, "paid a premium" for that feature! Dymna prepared a traditional Irish breakfast for us, eggs, bacon, sausages, grilled tomato and blood sausage. Very delicious except for the blood sausage for which neither Rich nor I developed the palate.<br />
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We headed out to The Burren, 96 to 135 square miles, depending upon your sources, of glacial karst, exposed limestone. While 96 miles of limestone doesn't sound very exciting it was absolutely fascinating and probably one of my favorite places to visit in Ireland. This area borders the Wild Atlantic Way and is designated a national park of sorts. The first stop along the way was on my list of absolute must sees.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scene from The Burren</td></tr>
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<a href="https://www.burrengeopark.ie/discover-and-experience/geosites-discovery-points/poulnabrone/" target="_blank">Poulnabrone</a> dolman, portal tomb, is the oldest recorded megalithic burial site in Ireland and the second largest of its kind. It's so difficult to describe the feeling that came over me as I stood before a man-made object that had been built over 6,000 years ago in such a desolate looking area. Mystical, magic, awed, speechless. I stood before it marveling first that humans could have eked out an existence on this rocky landscape let alone dig a grave where over 33 remains were found, one an infant, along with the everyday items for use in the afterlife that were buried with them. I could have stayed all day pondering the resilience of these ancient human beings.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poulnabrone and a non-megalathic, Rich</td></tr>
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At breakfast Brian had recommended that we stop at <a href="https://burrenperfumery.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAt_PuBRDcARIsAMNlBdr1kl_p2xGltzE5nlrFyd7MasK8PEiZtBIRRn5sZFxZzqdraLMk1IMaAkq8EALw_wcB" target="_blank">The Burren Perfumery,</a> a small perfume and cosmetic shop located deep in the Burren. So we headed that direction from the portal tomb. Following the directions on the SatNav since we would never have found it by chance, we wound our way through multiple unmarked by-ways, each one narrower than the next, until we arrived at this amazing fairy tale shop.<br />
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I found The Burren Perfurmery to be such a fascinating place with the neat little sales room, the tea shop and the actual work room/lab, that I could have stayed there all day; lived there even. The women of the Perfumery create organic cosmetics and scents using the naturally occurring flora and fauna of The Burren added to organic base materials like anise seed oil, glycerin and macadamia oil. Visitors could actually peek into the lab and watch the creation of these wonderful products. I purchased several soaps and lotions while there and when I got home I ordered more online. Rich enjoyed the products of the bakery and tea room more so than the shop!<br />
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As our day on The Burren came to an end we headed back into Doolin. On the drive back we discovered this ruin of an old manor house with no signs or markings at all. But for the locator on our iPhones we would never have known that it was Leahmanah Castle, a 17th century mansion with a 15th century tower house near Kilfenora. All over Ireland we saw so many unmarked ruins that were obviously as old or older than this one. Had we stopped to snap pictures and research each one we would still be in Ireland. Not such a bad thought, really.<br />
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From here we drove back to Cois n hAbhann and a short rest before dinner at <a href="https://www.theivycottage.ie/" target="_blank">Ivy Cottage</a> in Doolin and more "trad" music and drinks and conversation at the bar in "Fitzy's." After a second night at the delightful Cois n hAbhann we would be heading on to Dingle where Funghi awaited.<br />
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Buckeye Star Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08209464169671044632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7803467470703367180.post-11771929581420390122019-11-24T06:42:00.002-08:002019-11-24T06:42:35.263-08:00Ireland - Installment I<br />
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I can't believe that it's been over two months since Rich and I took our big vacation to Ireland. And yet, here we are preparing for the holidays. It took me the whole first month, working an hour here and an hour or two there, to transfer and organize all of our photographs. Rich and I each took so many on our phones that I had to sort and delete and sort some more. The picture of the thatched cottage by the shore is one that seems iconic to me. Even though most of the small homes along the coastline are newer versions, this one looked to me like something one sees in those old movies like The Quiet Man. Everywhere we went was so picturesque and lovely that it was deserving of our photography.<br />
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We flew into Shannon airport, much smaller than Dublin, where we'd been advised by our AAA agent that it would be easier to drive out of and get to our first destination, Doolin in County Clare near the cliffs of Moher. Considering that in Ireland they drive on the left we decided that might be the more prudent option. I do have one or two bits of advice for anyone looking to plan a trip to Ireland. After the long flight from Newark airport we were understandably tired and just wanted to get the smaller car that we had reserved and get on the road to our destination an hour or so away. When Rich queued up to get the car he told the agent that we had reserved a mid-sized, standard shift car with GPS (SatNav in Ireland), $12/day extra. "For just $25 per day more we could have a BMW that came equipped with SatNav and automatic steering." Without a second thought Rich agreed. (Keep in mind, we were both exhausted and excited to be on the road.)<br />
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Coming out of the airport and on to the main highway was fairly easy as the main highway was four lanes wide and well marked albeit a bit narrower than our four lane roads. It was startling to see large semis and tour buses coming towards us on the "wrong" side of the road but Rich, who did the driving, quickly got used to it. Great! Then the SatNav told us to exit at an upcoming route. No problem finding that, but here's where the rude awakening occurred. What was a regional highway there was more like the country road we live on! Except, and this is a big exception, there were no berms or easements on either side of the road. There were tall, dense hedges sometimes with very solid stone walls embedded in them creating a maze-like effect. But, because it was considered a main route there were still tour buses and semis coming at us, as well as cars.<br />
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The back roads that often led to some of our destinations were often only one lane with the same hedges and stone walls on either side. On those roads we encountered the same traffic but with the addition of farm vehicles hauling wagon loads of hay and such. On those roads someone had to back up to the nearest driveway or intersection in order the oncoming traffic to pass. As far as we could tell there is no set etiquette rule for who should back up but those tour bus drivers are pretty aggressive and that huge bus windshield means that the driver's expression and gestures are highly visible. I'll give you one guess as to who was going to back up.<br />
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Don't even get me started on the round-a-bouts, confusing enough in the states but more so when you have to remember to "look right and go left," a phrase Rich heard all too often from the passenger seat! I also learned that the "Traffic Calming" signs did not mean that drivers were very chill. No, far from it. It only meant that traffic was slowing down ahead, usually for a school zone or something similar. After the first two days of driving, Rich politely informed my that my constant loud gasping wasn't helping much. Good news though, we're not planning a divorce any time in the future.<br />
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So my bits of advice for car rental and driving in Ireland:<br />
1. Don't let the car rental agency talk you into a larger car!!!!!<br />
2. Be sure to get a GPS (SatNav) and automatic steering if possible<br />
3. Speed limit signs are big white disks with a red border and are in KPH; the speedometer on the car was in both KPH and MPH so be sure to look at the right one or you'll be going too fast!<br />
4. Save change for tolls.<br />
5. At the Round-abouts look right, go left.<br />
6. Driving in Kinsale is not for the faint of heart. More about that in a later post.Buckeye Star Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08209464169671044632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7803467470703367180.post-39836410648548669412019-06-14T23:35:00.002-07:002019-06-14T23:35:43.838-07:00Do The Right Thing!After lying awake for the past hour pondering a disturbing event that occurred in the field adjacent to our yard (and partly from a nagging pain from a surgical procedure that I had Thursday. Not to worry, nothing serious.) I decided that my blog was the appropriate place to write about something upsetting that ended up making me very proud of Rich.<br />
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I had donned my jammies and robe shortly after dinner because of the minor discomfort I was feeling so soon after surgery when I heard a gunshot nearby, followed by a squealing so loud and continuous that I had to get up and check the source. I looked out of the north and east windows in the living room and saw nothing. Our alpacas were screeching their warnings and all facing toward the west as they do when there is something going on that they don't like. This prompted me to step out on the front porch where I witnessed a group of three young men standing around the edge of the field chatting.<br />
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I followed their gaze about 10 feet or so into the field where I saw a large hog on its side writhing and squealing in pain. One of the young men stood in the group holding his rifle at rest by his side. It was clear that a hog had escaped from the local pig farm about a quarter of a mile down the road and across the corner and their solution had been to kill it. Only it wasn't dead. It was suffering while these young men looked on and a young lady sat in the truck waiting.<br />
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As I stood there on the front porch, my husband, Rich, strode across the lawn with the meanest scowl on his face. If you know Rich, you know that he is a kind and gentle man who rarely gets angry, but he was Angry. He marched up to the group of boys and said, steadily, "Aren't you going to finish it off and put it out of its misery?"<br />
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To which the youth with the rifle replied, callously, "It will eventually bleed out."<br />
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Standing his ground, Rich asked, "Don't you have another bullet in that thing?"<br />
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"Yeah," the kid replied dully.<br />
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"Well use it!" Rich stood there glaring into the young man's face. The kid glared back for a fraction of a second until realizing that Rich meant what he said before he plodded back out to the hog muttering obscenities under his breath, and put a second bullet through his head, finally killing it.<br />
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The young men got into their noisy truck and sped off back down the road to the hog farm. A short while later they drove the noisy truck back, gunning the engine as they passed our house. This is the same truck that often passes by way too fast in an attempt to break some sort of speed record from the stop sign on the corner on their way to the hog farm. Rich came into the house to calm down.<br />
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A short while later the young girl who lives at the hog farm came down in a front-end-loading tractor to collect the dead hog and take it to (I assume) the lime pit that every hog farm is required to have in order to dispose of hogs that die in their care. Those young men didn't even have the guts to stay and clean up.<br />
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Now we have grandchildren about the same age as those young men so I know better than to paint "all" young people with the same brush. And I know that those piglets that are shipped in to the farm down the road on a regular basis and shipped out as full grown hogs, are not pets but are destined to become the bacon that I occasionally enjoy on my breakfast table. But I also know that these animals deserve to be treated and killed humanely when it is necessary to do so, and what I witnessed out in that field was anything but humane. It was very disturbing to watch three young men standing around watching that hog suffer needlessly when they had the power to end that suffering.<br />
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Maybe some of my readers will have a different take on this incident. I don't know and don't much care. But I do know that I was never more proud of my husband when he, steely eyed, stared down that rifle toting young man and told him in no uncertain terms to do the right thing.Buckeye Star Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08209464169671044632noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7803467470703367180.post-53202909774047976022019-03-23T08:02:00.003-07:002019-03-23T08:02:54.801-07:00Signs of the Season AheadIs it because you live in the country that you become so attuned to the subtle changes in the weather? I've never been a "real" farmer like so many friends around us, but after eighteen years living deep in northern Ohio farmland, I've begun to notice the subtle changes in the air long before each new season is officially upon us. For example, one day in late February the temperature reached a high of 35 degrees from 21 in early morning. Still a bit chilly for one to call it Spring. But the daylight, expanding in length at that time, was different, somehow.<br />
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Soon after that, around the first week of March, I saw my first buzzard, a sure sign of spring, and the birds actually began to sing loudly in the morning as the still chilly sunlight appeared over the fields and woods. Over a week ago I spotted my favorite red winged black bird on our way over to Tiffin. For me, that means spring is here. Last week Rich found the beginnings of a nest in the wisteria vine over the deck. He gets rid of those quickly because to let it be completed means a constant battle with bird poo on the deck all summer long.<br />
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Large farm machinery has occasionally been cruising down the road past our country cottage, some on their way to be serviced and a few shiny new ones headed to their new homes. This is a busy time for Deere, Case and other machinery dealers as farmers need to get their equipment ready for planting. Down the road the farmer was shelling a field of last year's corn harvest while the ground was still frozen and dry.<br />
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Two weeks ago we spent some time with our friends, Dan and Karen, in Washington D.C. where they have a winter home near their grandkids. The daffodils were blooming in Arlington National Cemetery and hardy pansies were already planted around many of the public buildings. Although we were a week or two two soon for the cherry blossoms it was lovely to see other blooming things. Out in front near the picket fence our daffodils are still only sprouted a couple of inches. They seem a bit late this year. I've been stuck inside with a nasty case of bronchitis for the past couple of weeks so Rich brought home some lovely pink tulips to cheer me up. I'm much better now thanks to modern medicine.<br />
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I have no new pictures of the "kids" since I've been stuck inside so I'll leave you with this January picture of Asteri. She's one of our 2018 crias and of the two is the most curious and people friendly, always approaching the gate or window with her curious little hum. Come on out to the farm and see for yourself how much is going on this spring.<br /><br />
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Buckeye Star Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08209464169671044632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7803467470703367180.post-47517992970705864542019-02-01T09:42:00.000-08:002019-02-01T09:42:03.462-08:00Thermal Whiplash And Other Related Weather Terms<br />
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I read in the paper the other day that the Polar Vortex is separating. Apparently the Moroccan heat has come between and separated the parts of the Vortex somehow. According to the article this forced the Moroccan heat north over the Arctic. Although I don't completely understand this colorful explanation I do understand that excessive heat in the Arctic means icebergs begin melting and this is what global warming really means. So although we have had subzero temperatures and fierce wind (more on that later), somewhere very far to the north of us there is ice melting and contributing to the rise of sea levels and displacement of polar bears and other creatures. It's bad for us and really bad for them.<br />
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One thing that I quickly learned when I moved to lived in the country eighteen years ago is that out here, chatting about the weather is not merely "small talk." As a city girl, I knew that when the conversation lagged one could always turn to talk about the weather to keep things going. In Ohio, after all, the weather is constantly surprising us. But out here in the country one can see the immediate and direct effect weather has on our economy and our life every day. So when farmers get together the weather is always a topic of conversation. The amounts of precipitation in the winter, snow, rain or whatever form it takes, has a direct effect on the crops that will be planted in the spring.<br />
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Closer to home, our alpacas, indigenous to the high planes of the Peruvian Andes, are able to withstand and even enjoy most winter weather. We provide shelter, whether it be our small barn or three sided "condos" (sheds). The animals always have the option to go inside or stay outside and under normal winter circumstances males and females stay outside within sight of each other. Because of their extremely long and dense fleece we have found them kushing in the barnyard with a couple of inches of snow on their backs after sleeping out all night. No problem.<br />
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On Saturday night, January 19th we had overnight temperatures sinking to near zero and high winds out of the north, making the wind chill factor well below zero. Our three geldings stayed snug and warm huddled in their condo and all the mamas and babies stayed in the back of the barn, snuggled down in the straw that Rich had spread for all of the animals. Our beautiful black herd sire, Mocha, because he is an intact male, has a pasture and shelter of his own up against the barn. He stayed huddled inside but unfortunately, instead of placing his well fleeced backside to the wind, he faced outward, toward the nearby barn door, where he knew the girls were huddled. It's purely instinct for the herd sire to protect his harem. When Rich came out early Sunday he found Mocha, still kushed and facing the barn door, head encrusted with icy snow, shivering, still guarding his girls.<br />
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We had worried about him being alone but felt that his survival instinct would make him sleep facing the barn, rear to the storm. Unfortunately his protective instinct was stronger and he had been looking out for his girls. Of course, Rich, immediately moved the poor guy into a makeshift stall in the barn and hung a heat lamp to help him warm up. His stall was adjacent to the girls' area where he could see them and yet couldn't get in to "pester" them, if you get my drift. Everyone was happy.<br />
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Today the weather channel reports that the temperatures are warming and that we are in for a "thermal whiplash" whatever that is. Mocha has been returned to his own area of the barnyard. The girls have been set free from the barn and the geldings are happily watching them from their adjoining pasture. Everyone is enjoying the great outdoors and the lovely new covering of snow that fell last night.<br />
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You may notice that our Leezza has fully recovered from her pre-Christmas bout with anemia and is gaining weight and growing fleece. She has been wearing her red coat to help her retain warmth throughout this cold snap and within the next few days we will be removing it when the temperature rises high enough. He fleece is shorter than usual this year and very brittle as a result of her illness. That means that it will only be useful for felted insoles and not knitting yarn. But we are so glad that she and her little Artemis are thriving after such a close brush with death.<br />
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<span id="goog_1388389057"></span><span id="goog_1388389058"></span>I certainly hope the parts of the Polar Vortex can resolve their differences and get back together, letting the Moroccan heat travel southward to warm us up a bit. I don't know about you all but I am hoping for a cloudy day tomorrow so that old Buckeye Chuck stays outside to play in the snow and maybe spring will arrive a bit sooner than usual!<br />
<br />Buckeye Star Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08209464169671044632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7803467470703367180.post-37441906157494721712019-01-19T07:59:00.000-08:002019-01-19T07:59:52.204-08:00Snow Day DreamingThe snow began as a light flurry around eight o'clock this morning and has continued to build in density and wind velocity for the past hour and a half. It is slowly adding a new coat of white to Thursday's snow and accumulating on the pavement. The weather experts have been telling us for several days now that this storm, that was originally tracked in the Pacific Ocean, is going to be a doozy for us. They have stopped short of using the "B" word. No. Not that one. The other one, blizzard. I don't know about you but when I hear 6-8" of snow with 30 mile an hour gusts of wind that sounds like a blizzard to me. The falling snow is already obscuring the view of the woods across the road and is supposed to continue like this until the wee hours of Sunday morning.<br />
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Rich bungee-ed the porch glider to the railing a few weeks back and put straw into the barns and animal "condos" the other day in preparation for more severe weather than the mild winter we've had so far. Wednesday we stocked up on the few fresh food items we needed. So the pantry and fridge are fully stocked; we have coffee and alcohol; and I have a few good books and sufficient yarn to see me through the storm. We're all set here!<br />
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Early this morning I baked oatmeal scones with cranberries and walnuts and a maple glaze for breakfast and right now I have an Italian wedding soup with those tiny sausage meatballs in it, simmering on the stove for lunch. Doesn't this weather just makes you feel like cooking and baking comfort foods?<br />
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So much has happened since my last post in September. We fulfilled one of Rich's travel wishes when we went to Springfield, Illinois for a long weekend. Springfield is a charming small city known for being the place where President Lincoln lived. His house feels like a home where kids were allowed to play alongside important statesmen who visited and were entertained there. A visit to Lincoln's tomb made me pause to think about his life and was most inspiring.<br />
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We fulfilled one of my longstanding travel wishes by going on a Viking River Cruise down the Danube River with our good friends, Dan and Karen. My favorite stops were Regensburg and Passau, Germany. These medieval towns are well preserved and mostly escaped the WWII bombing. I found it amazing to stroll up and down cobblestone streets amongst buildings that had been in existence for hundreds of years.<br />
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We dined on excellent foods, saw scenery that was simply amazing and, of course, drank German beer! Another highlight of our trip was a carriage ride with Dan and Karen through the streets of Vienna, Austria. My head swiveling from side to side in awe and wonder, I kept pinching myself in disbelief!<br />
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It goes without saying that Rich and I both took so many pictures that it will take a valiant effort on my part to sort and categorize them all. We so enjoyed traveling with Karen and Dan and have made so many happy memories. The Viking crew from the captain, cruise director and chef, down the ranks to the waitstaff and janitorial staff and dock hands, all contributed to making each passenger feel so pampered. It was such a wonderful experience that the four of us have booked trip down the Rhine from Basel, Switzerland to Amsterdam, Netherlands for June of 2020!</div>
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It took Karen, Dan and I months to persuade Rich to go on this trip. I think he had reservations about overseas travel. But with a few minor glitches we navigated the airports and transfers very well on our own and left to the rest to the Viking staff's capable hands. We did so well, in fact, that we decided to visit southern Ireland on our own in September, 2019 and Rich has done all of the itinerary planning and bookings on his own! </div>
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With that to look forward to on this snowy, Ohio, winter day, I'm planning on settling in, surfing the net and doing some itinerary planning of my own. Did you know that most every town in Ireland where Rich has booked a B&B, there's a local yarn shop or woolen mill located nearby?</div>
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Buckeye Star Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08209464169671044632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7803467470703367180.post-6465426410788525952018-09-06T12:58:00.002-07:002018-09-06T12:58:50.526-07:00And Then There Were TwoIf you read last month's blog then you were introduced to Asteria, Mango's little girl who was born while we were working at the Farmer's Market. Surprise! She has grown so much in the past month and has been very entertaining for us as we've been watching her discover and develop her talents for running and pronking, which is an action closely resembling the bouncing gait of the cartoon creature, Pepe LePew, a skunk! Rich likes to go out into the pasture after evening feeding and sit in an old rickety chair watching her play. She has become very friendly with him, sniffing his hands and legs up close while she makes her little curious humming sound.<br />
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During this past month while we've been observing the antics of Asteria we have also been on baby watch with our lovely brown Leezza. She had been bred to Arte, the herdsire of our neighbors, the Wurm family, at Windfall Farm. Since Artie was a newbie at this breeding thing we weren't sure if it actually "took" the first time so we had to rebreed Leezza to him a few weeks later. So we had two separate due dates a couple of weeks apart. Leezza seemed to be getting bigger and more miserable each week since Mango delivered Asteria. On several different days I was sure that it was going to be "The Day" only to be disappointed. Then on August 28th when I went into the barn shortly after 7 a.m. I didn't see Leezza waiting with the others for her morning grain supplement. A quick peek into the barnyard revealed Leezza laying down humming and clicking. At first I didn't see the new cria hidden behind her heaving body. Then I stepped out to see a perfect little baby struggling to sit up with the membrane still clinging to her.<br />
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This tiny little thing was struggling to her feet within a few minutes of my towel drying her and very shortly was zeroing in on her breakfast. None of the usual fumbling around under mommy looking for the tap. She was ravenous and knew exactly what she was after and where to find it. A patient Leezza stood there until the little one was through even though I suspect she was hungry for her own breakfast that was waiting in the barn.</div>
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Rich is now outnumbered by all of the females on the farm. We have our dog, DeeDee, five female alpacas and me. Rich only has four male alpacas on his team, but he seems to be a happy man!<br />
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In keeping with our Greek mythology theme, we have named the new little one Artemis. Artemis is the goddess of the hunt and wild creatures, and nocturnal beings. That's fitting since Asteria, her month older cousin, was named for the goddess of shooting stars and celestial beings. </div>
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It's only been a little over a week since Artemis entered the world and the two girls are fast becoming besties. They both love to speed around the pasture in a merry chase and quite often it is the little one who is in the lead! She seems to enjoy starting the chase and Asteria always takes the bait and takes off after her smaller cousin. On these balmy evenings we love to sit on the deck sipping wine and watching their joyful antics. These are some of my favorite times on the farm; pure serenity and happiness.</div>
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That should be the end of my blog but I couldn't resist this bonus picture of the doggie female in the family. DeeDee is almost two years old now and you would think she would have left her puppy habits behind. We thought so, too. The other evening when we went to the store we left Dee inside because it was so hot outside. One of the pillows that we use when laying on the floor was left out instead of being propped up against the wall out of the way, like we usually do. When we returned from the grocery store an hour and a half later this is what we found:</div>
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DeeDee wasn't the least bit ashamed of what she had done. In fact she just continued to lay there in the fluff gazing innocently at us as if to say, "I didn't do it!"Buckeye Star Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08209464169671044632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7803467470703367180.post-37935875835042424332018-07-29T11:28:00.001-07:002018-09-06T12:11:02.142-07:00A Blue Ribbon WeekI was reading an article the other day by a psychologist who posited the theory that social media may be responsible for the rise in depression and suicide. This psychologist wasn't talking about bullying, which we already know to have been ruled responsible in courts for several teen suicides. I'm talking about the myth of the perfect life that many of us are perceived to have based upon our posts on Instagram, Facebook and other sites. Let me first say that my own life is no more perfect than anyone else's. The reason that it may look that way on social media is that I was raised in an era when parents taught us that we should not "air our dirty laundry in public." That is, if one is having problems at home, personal, financial, or otherwise, one doesn't go around telling everybody one knows about it and one certainly doesn't publish it in the news media for strangers to read about or watch! In fact, I was told about the Victorian social norm that a "lady" should only have her name in the paper for three events: her birth, her marriage and her death. Anything more than that is a scandal. Imagine applying those standards to today's social media outlets.<br />
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That early training possibly explains why I have mostly posted short, positive bits on Instagram and Facebook for the past few months. Not that anything serious was wrong or that I was depressed or anything like that. Between the demise and death of my father-in-law, Ed, in January and minor health mysteries of my own, I just haven't felt inspired to write on my blog. So, sorry to those who actually enjoy reading my musings on farm life and occasionally life in general. Mysteries solved, I'm fine and the past week has left me with so many sunny events to write about since, lucky me, my life has a lot to be thankful for.<br />
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We have been so lucky to have been discovered by a lovely young woman, Cate, who had a strong desire to show alpacas at the Seneca County Fair for one of her many 4-H projects this year. She called sometime last winter and asked to talk with us. We got together with Cate and her mom, Joni, and discussed everything that would be involved in the project so she would fully understand the commitment. Then in April, Cate began coming out to the farm to learn about and work with the alpacas. It's been a long process that I will talk about in future blog posts but this week it came to it's final end and she was the alpaca show at the fair.<br />
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Last Sunday Rich and I loaded up Aristotle, who would actually be shown in the ring, and Dionysus, who was to be his companion. Dio was a necessity since they have such strong herd instincts and they would be the only alpacas at the fair. That's right, when I said that Cate was "the alpaca show" at the fair it wasn't a typo. She was the only one showing alpacas so I guess you know the outcome of the judging. She walked away with all the prizes!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYJdCMg9SAbbal7asKORaBcZqlQ92nvzDMIyoEi0jVK1vpx0K6u1lL1J-HYh0OFJWBjYg2lnnGhU_CL2uAICO1qZvOG_fB00epFhp58cFos5Ze6bzLw2i59jIHYal2kCT1TkQIj6sYA5Q/s1600/IMG_20180726_184034_699.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="360" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYJdCMg9SAbbal7asKORaBcZqlQ92nvzDMIyoEi0jVK1vpx0K6u1lL1J-HYh0OFJWBjYg2lnnGhU_CL2uAICO1qZvOG_fB00epFhp58cFos5Ze6bzLw2i59jIHYal2kCT1TkQIj6sYA5Q/s400/IMG_20180726_184034_699.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cate and Aristotle doing the obstacle course</td></tr>
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Seriously though, she earned every trophy and ribbon she won. Cate came out at least 4 times a week during the first three months to work with the animals. That meant a drive of 1/2 hour over and 1/2 hour home and a workout of at least an hour. In addition to this she was showing sheep and rabbits and babysitting. She came out on April 21 and spent the entire day helping us shear the animals. She was also a graduating senior with plans to attend the pre-veterinary course at Findlay University this fall. In addition to all of this she was last year's Seneca County Fair Queen and had many duties to carry out that were connected to that honor. We have so enjoyed working with Cate this season and are hopeful that this will result in having a few more 4-H kids come out to work with the animals next year, too.<br />
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In my next blog I'll talk more about Aristotle's and Dio's experiences at the fair but I want to end this blog with an even bigger event for the week. I know, it's hard to believe that there can be anything bigger than this for the alpacas, right? But yesterday early afternoon, after selling our products at the farmers' market in Tiffin in the morning, we came home to this lovely sight:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg62qjKHeTKjQpcJ9jyBZ8vwr6uGQGA6jV6_LC9KYGYTCFHR388_hzZrI6dDeJ7yZi7RNekCOLNy6FpfS1smN7_CvZH2it_pqzJ3FHpSJnkrtZa6zuH7-PaC4qtdZy6NfMJziil2EYxF4k/s1600/20180728_133420.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg62qjKHeTKjQpcJ9jyBZ8vwr6uGQGA6jV6_LC9KYGYTCFHR388_hzZrI6dDeJ7yZi7RNekCOLNy6FpfS1smN7_CvZH2it_pqzJ3FHpSJnkrtZa6zuH7-PaC4qtdZy6NfMJziil2EYxF4k/s400/20180728_133420.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Surprise!</td></tr>
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Mango had not only delivered her cria a week early (like she has her other two boys) but she gave us a girl this time! If that's not deserving of a blue ribbon I don't know what else is. After having six males in succession born on the farm we finally got lucky on the seventh one and got a lovely little fawn colored female. She was already up and nursing when we got home and was mostly dry. From this we estimated that she was born somewhere between 10:30 and 11:30 a.m. Mango, that wonderful mama, was standing patiently while horseflies swarmed all over her and let the little one nurse contentedly. Rich and I discussed names and decided to keep with the Greek mythology theme. Her name is Asteria which means star a name that features in several Greek legends. We didn't go back to the fair last night like we had originally planned. We just sat on the deck watching Asteria get her land legs as she explored the her new pasture world.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZCPliA9BbnKWk4LQwmXkJC10bMSykDSyq_AvNJ1K-ZHABOF6MkuugMw6X-m2tB0b7y2zGyJjYq0J4qXJdtoodt4QhJLinS3DGVzxD45euJI5CVDBjyakzBUHxpc3gToS3O1pm1liPNgI/s1600/20180728_172909.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZCPliA9BbnKWk4LQwmXkJC10bMSykDSyq_AvNJ1K-ZHABOF6MkuugMw6X-m2tB0b7y2zGyJjYq0J4qXJdtoodt4QhJLinS3DGVzxD45euJI5CVDBjyakzBUHxpc3gToS3O1pm1liPNgI/s400/20180728_172909.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Asteria</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoI-hFEcFhpczlMN3dytF1FMfIt8K8vwq8Inu76QQEtHPpaGoi10ZSO5n_b3SSOx914NC0UPfvwsm0RMzbzZ2UmdHGhBEgonN90npF96nb2czvhSay9Kg12Z2RXHOyhTw34CkA52hCWmU/s1600/20180729_102101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoI-hFEcFhpczlMN3dytF1FMfIt8K8vwq8Inu76QQEtHPpaGoi10ZSO5n_b3SSOx914NC0UPfvwsm0RMzbzZ2UmdHGhBEgonN90npF96nb2czvhSay9Kg12Z2RXHOyhTw34CkA52hCWmU/s400/20180729_102101.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rich's new little girl.</td></tr>
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<br />Buckeye Star Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08209464169671044632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7803467470703367180.post-79774924155973367982017-12-13T06:51:00.003-08:002017-12-13T06:51:55.583-08:00Right Around the Corner!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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With Christmas fast approaching and Hanukkah already underway, I have been struggling to balance making new creations and meeting mailing deadlines. Just yesterday I spent several hours either traveling into town to our local post office or on the phone to a USPS branch in Orlando trying to track down an order that had been lost between here and there. I finally gave up and sent out another four skeins of our black baby alpaca fingering weight yarn. You know the one that I had blended with pearl infused rose fiber. It's a lovely yarn and the order was to be a Hanukkah gift. My customer was understandably miffed with the postal service (not with me, thank heavens) and I felt obligated to make it right and deal with the claims department of the USPS later. Sometimes running a small business here on the farm can be a bit stressful.<br />
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Speaking of stress, I only have about 2/3 of my shopping done. Since we are splitting our time between here and Florida this year I think that the last 1/3 of my shopping will be gift cards. There was no time to make any of my own gifts this year because much of my knitting was being sold in the shop. These fingerless mitts have been a popular gift.<br />
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One day in early October, as I was idly surfing through Etsy, I discovered these cute little felted pumpkins. Thinking that they would make a great tablescape for my girls luncheon I decided to teach myself how to needle felt. One thing led to another and I found and became enamored of felted Swedish Tomten or Christmas gnomes. I have made them in sizes ranging from 3" to 10." I have table decoration size and tree ornaments and all of them seem to sell out quickly. I'll be creating some more smaller ones this afternoon after I finish the chunky eternity scarf that I started yesterday. Me thinks that I have too many irons in the fire at one time and maybe that is contributing to my stress levels;-)<br />
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There's one other item on my plate right now, too. A really big one. One cold, cold day last January when Rich went out in the pre-dawn to feed the alpacas, he noticed that one of the girls was missing. Puzzled, he went out closer to the fence dividing the boy pastures from the girls where he saw a splotch of white in the field where our very black Mocha resided. Somehow, old Took, technically Mocha's grandmother, had gotten into his pasture overnight. She was ready to return to the girl side of the fence and he was contentedly grazing with a very smug look on his face. We had her tested a few months later and the pregnancy test was positive. So now 11 1/2 months later we are on the lookout for the arrival of a new cria. </div>
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For the past week, Tookie has been showing all of the signs of imminent delivery. She spends an awful lot of her time laying around the barn and the pasture. Our biggest worry is that she will deliver when there is no one around to dry off the baby. In this cold weather it could cause the little one to suffer from hypothermia and die. Rich has hung partitions in the barn to eliminate drafts and we have heat lamps in position to switch on when it arrives. He also dug out cria coats in three different sizes.</div>
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I am checking the pasture every hour or so and each time I need to leave to go to the store or for an appointment I worry until I am home again. But with alpacas being pregnant for so long it is not unusual for them to deliver two weeks early or two weeks late. Took has a history of being on time and delivering a bit late in the day. They almost always deliver during daylight hours. This is an adaptation to the fact that they are indigenous to the high mountain planes of Peru. If they delivered after dark the cria would almost certainly die because they don't lick their babies dry. The baby is up and walking around and nursing within minutes of birth. </div>
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So out here on the farm more than just Christmas is right around the corner and we are more than excited about all of it!</div>
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Buckeye Star Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08209464169671044632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7803467470703367180.post-72747251634949838012017-12-08T02:05:00.002-08:002017-12-08T02:05:25.207-08:00Way Back in OctoberI wrote this one after our annual family reunion and just haven't published it until now. Here it is:<br />
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<b><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">LAKE
HOPE CHRONICLES 2017</span></u></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
weather in Nelsonville, Ohio couldn't
have been more cooperative for our annual family reunion at Lake Hope State
Park this year. It was sunny, with high temperatures in the 70s each day and
lows at night that were cool enough to be comfortable around the roaring
campfire. Rich and I arrived Thursday afternoon with our pup, DeeDee, and a
truck load of necessary gear and firewood. Pam and Jim were there to greet us,
having arrived earlier in the day. Amy had only just pulled in ahead of us with
Barbie and Riley in tow. Anne, Drew and
Laurie were there sporting their Florida tans, along with Steve Schieser who
rode up from Columbus with them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Thursday
evening we enjoyed catching up over tapas and wine at Amy's cabin where she was
assisted by Olivia and Laurie presenting us with a tasty spread. After tapas,
Rich and Steve started the campfire that was to last all weekend. The early
bird group sat around chatting and waiting to greet Matt and Jen who brought
along niece, Addie, and nephew, Jackson. They were a late arrival because they had
stayed to watch Mason's football game. Mason and Emmy, who is away at college,
were unable to attend this year and we missed them. Olivia had to drive back to
Ohio University late that evening because she had a morning class on Friday,
after which she would be rejoining us at Lake Hope. Yay!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Early
in the day on Friday, a couple of Jim's bike riding friends came up and went on
an extended bike ride with Jim. Friday
afternoon after classes at Ohio State University, Kammie and one of her
roommates, Lina, joined us for the rest of the weekend. It was great to see
Kammie and be witness to all of the teasing that her dad was able to heap on
her to make up for lost time. Matt is an expert at getting her goat and Kammie
is such a cutie in her responses. I'm afraid that poor Lina has never seen
quite as crazy a family as ours. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Amy
made a short trip to the Lodge in the morning to try to get on their wi-fi to do a little business. Later in the
day, Laurie drove Amy, Jen, Kammi, Lina,
Riley and Barbie down to the Lodge just to look around in the gift shop
and use the wi-fi once more. It seems that it is a bit of a tradition just
to check out the lodge and see if anything has changed in our absence. The old
lodge was destroyed by fire a few years ago and the one rebuilt in its place is
beautifully rustic, reflecting the environment of the Zaleski national forest
area. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Also
arriving Friday was Ian and his long time buddy, Jesse. Although low key, Ian
is always fun to have around the campfire. If you listen carefully, taciturn
Ian has some great one-liners to add to the conversation and Jesse is the kind
of guy who has never met a stranger. He can hold his own in our crowd! Once
Drew and Rich get started with their "voices" we laugh until our
sides hurt, or groan in disgust depending upon the nature of their comments!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Friday
night was the annual food preparation competition; this year the category
appetizers. Those of us who wished could prepare something to be judged by
impartial judges. I forgot my elaborate puff pastry appetizer and so had to compete with an improvised
loaded tater-tot recipe. Amy had a great loaded baked potato dish. Ian and Drew
each had a differently delicious Buffalo Chicken dip preparation. Jen made
sausage pinwheels and Laurie entered a mini taco dish. Rich had a scrumptious,
bacon wrapped spam chunks with honey-mustard drizzle recipe. Jen won with her
pinwheels and Amy came in second with the potato skins. Rich got honorable
mention with the bacon wrapped spam. Jim's friends were the impartial judges
and did a great job. After the competition we celebrated Barbie's 40th birthday
in our cabin where Annie and I had done a stealth job of decorating and Laurie
had herded people one-by-one into the cabin evading Barbie's notice. We were
able to surprise her with music and a huge chocolate cake! Afterward we all
returned to the fire where we laughed heartily until late in the evening.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">On
Saturday morning, Ian and Jesse wandered off down to the lake to go kyaking and
hiking for a couple of hours. Drew took a group down to the iron furnace area
for the annual Lake Hope Fall Nature walk and bean soup lunch. Amy, Olivia, Jen
and a few others that I can't remember took the dogs down to the lake for a
swim. (the dogs, not the people!) Jen took Tybee, Amy walked Chili. Olivia took
our DeeDee and she had the opportunity for her first ever swim. Olivia has the
cutest videos of Dee leaping like one of our alpacas in the shallow water. Rich
and I are going to have to take her down to our friend's house often for a swim
in their pond. Before this weekend, DeeDee had suffering doggy anxiety since
she had witnessed Callie being killed by a car. The vet had prescribed more
socialization for her - with both people and other dogs. I think that the
running and romping with her buddy, Chili, and the other dogs this weekend has
been a great cure for her. Just about everyone in our group is a dog lover and
so Dee got a lot of positive attention from humans and dogs alike. After we
stopped in Nelsonville for breakfast, where we gave her a birthday sausage
patty, (today is her first birthday) she slept all the way home. After running
around and sniffing the grounds to make sure that nothing had changed in her
absence, she came inside and curled up
on her pillow in the living room where she is still snoozing almost four hours
later!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">While
everyone was strung out in different directions, Rich and I went into
Nelsonville to check out the annual Smoked Meat Festival and Steve stayed
behind to tend the fire. Intoxicated by the smell of smoking pork, beef and
chicken, we strolled through town stopping only at the Nelsonville Emporium
where they sell products from local artisans. I purchased another handmade mug
to match the one I got last year. It's by a local artist named Dale who does
lovely work. I like these mugs because they keep my coffee and tea hot and fit
comfortably into my hands, warming them on cold winter mornings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">When
we returned from Nelsonville, Rich prepped the pork loin and put it on the
tri-pod over the open fire where he tended it the rest of the afternoon. Amy had gone back to the Columbus area to
Max's cross country meet and brought him back with her. He's sporting a knee
high boot on his right food as he recovers from a stress fracture. He didn't
run but went to the meet on the team bus to support his team mates. I was lucky
to be able to sit between Olivia and Max at the fireside that evening. Since
Amy's cabin was packed, Max spent the night in our extra room. Rich and I always
enjoy spending time with our grandchildren.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">This
year Rich experimented with an apple upside-down cake cooked in a skillet over
the open fire, along with his pork, potatoes and corn spoon bread. There were
several positive comments on his experimental dessert but on the way home he
was already revising the recipe for next year! Once again, on Saturday night we
all gathered around the campfire to imbibe in our favorite beverages and
politely converse. We never exactly solve the problem of world peace; ok, maybe
we don't even try, but we do have fun.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">True
to form, Rich and I were the first to pack up and leave this morning. We awoke
later than usual, around 7:30, because DeeDee was so tired from running with
the pack this weekend, that she slept in, too! We tried to quietly take down
all of the Halloween decoration and pack up our food leftovers and the assorted
"comfort items" that I bring along, so that we wouldn't wake Max. I
think he barely noticed when I knocked gently on his door and kissed him
goodbye on his cheek. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Jim heard us and came out to assist in the loading up. Matt joined us shortly as did Amy who had to take
Chili out for his morning constitutional. Chili and DeeDee had one last tussle
before we left. Annie and Drew came out at the last minute to send us off and
say good bye until Christmas when we will see them in Florida. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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nine o'clock the truck pulled out, fully loaded, Dee in the back seat, Rich at
the wheel and me as the navigator (Who am I kidding? After I had my coffee I
slept most of the way home). The ride home was uneventful. We unloaded and I've
been doing laundry all afternoon. Rich went out to pick up a pizza for Sunday
dinner to close out the weekend, and that's the end of another successful
family reunion at Lake Hope State Park. Until next year, au revoir!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGoB5DHrEr2dJ0CNxUoWzEPdf_kofzAQcJnxYblDzCHI_1iPxP9wxYcNM3nmybckExUv-1aYuN8qRXKJJMYzdEEAv8gLGjkk3CKH8vbWUGRW_Out9pTNP3bOVkgnBFT0HtkK1TabNbXS8/s1600/IMG_20171001_075939_135.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGoB5DHrEr2dJ0CNxUoWzEPdf_kofzAQcJnxYblDzCHI_1iPxP9wxYcNM3nmybckExUv-1aYuN8qRXKJJMYzdEEAv8gLGjkk3CKH8vbWUGRW_Out9pTNP3bOVkgnBFT0HtkK1TabNbXS8/s400/IMG_20171001_075939_135.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">DeeDee and her buddy, Chili</td></tr>
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Sorry for the long dry spell. Writer's block. I'll try to do better.<br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal">
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Buckeye Star Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08209464169671044632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7803467470703367180.post-48360693507207210542017-08-22T08:08:00.003-07:002017-08-22T08:08:58.054-07:00A Return to Serenity<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
For the past several days the pipeline crews have been preparing the soil over the lines for replacement of the topsoil that had been removed at the beginning of the project last spring. Each day a different machine was out there going up and down the easement performing a different step of the operation. Each evening over the dinner table I would describe the machine and what it seemed to be doing and Rich would give the machines names and explain their functions. There were huge machines running on caterpillar tracks, pushing soil back and forth on large shovels. Other days there would be different huge machines with large barrel like structures rotating in front, using spiky prongs to break up the soil.</div>
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I have been snapping pictures with my phone each time something new is happening so that I can both keep a record and show Rich what I was trying to explain. I'm a city girl after all and he's a farm boy who knows about soil moving and conditioning. I have often wondered if the pipeline workers think I am some sort of environmentalist spy as I peer at them through my binoculars and snap pictures from our deck!</div>
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This morning there is no mistaking what they are doing now. The machines that appear to be what an urban girl would call bulldozers and diggers, are incrementally pushing the topsoil piles back into place over the work surface of the past summer. It looks like the frenzy of activity in our back field will soon be coming to an end and with the onset of fall we will begin to experience the natural serenity of our country life again. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4GAEjooTXleFOHVClJQX92P0ZjBQMPL4H604JKFPS48BOKBF3UnTMLo5YAXy5Eu0eaC2nUgYMxxxp05gJ2HOmuR67VUtqx3wXt24ynVzWU5CDUdKlIXnj083xZVe1I46X64K4SuoD1DE/s1600/20170822_094847.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4GAEjooTXleFOHVClJQX92P0ZjBQMPL4H604JKFPS48BOKBF3UnTMLo5YAXy5Eu0eaC2nUgYMxxxp05gJ2HOmuR67VUtqx3wXt24ynVzWU5CDUdKlIXnj083xZVe1I46X64K4SuoD1DE/s400/20170822_094847.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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All morning long the crews have been bringing in more and bigger machines. Diggers, pushers, things that I will have to ask Rich about this evening. In early spring when the work was just beginning I used to text pictures of the equipment and process to Rich and ask for him to clarify. After a while I felt guilty taking up so much of his time, although he was very patient. Now, said machines have become dinner table conversation. This morning they have already removed a large portion of the topsoil hills out back. If the rain holds off, the area should be smooth by evening and we will be able to see the woods and fields beyond. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc21Sx22LUo8xSFrObln0MPSKiTWOqy3dB9gTnKWttvhuTwbF4PlHvSKUzCti9ESyjKftBIHoipJLA2ETbm5Y0BTih7LTVukb6fiPEEojaGbW7p1xoIbuACTVQ8XaOLRZS6xRRss7H8fw/s1600/20170822_102505.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc21Sx22LUo8xSFrObln0MPSKiTWOqy3dB9gTnKWttvhuTwbF4PlHvSKUzCti9ESyjKftBIHoipJLA2ETbm5Y0BTih7LTVukb6fiPEEojaGbW7p1xoIbuACTVQ8XaOLRZS6xRRss7H8fw/s400/20170822_102505.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The alpacas have been curious at times about what was going on back there. Mostly they are unconcerned with anything going on outside of their pasture as they peacefully graze or lay around in the sunshine. They do, however, screech out a warning in their unique style, if they spot the deer coming out of the woods. With the topsoil hills obscuring the view of the woods we didn't hear that warning much since the deer didn't often venture over to our side of the "mountains." I expect that to change with the improved view and the increased deer activity with the onset of fall.</div>
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With autumn coming we are gearing up for our annual open house the third weekend of September. The shop will have a new look after this weekend. We have purchased some new display fixtures to better showcase our yarn and will be installing them this Saturday. The shop will be open as usual we just ask that people be prepared to wend their way around obstructions in the shop. The weather is predicted to be perfect for this sort of endeavor since we will have to move much of our more solid merchandise out onto the lawn.</div>
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Open house will be held as usual during the National Alpaca Farm Days on Saturday, September 23rd and Sunday, September 24th. We will be open from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. both days and this year we hope to have as least one baby. The Wurm family's Dora is expecting our Mocha's first little offspring sometime within the first couple of weeks in September. We are as excited as they are for this event. </div>
Lisa and I figure this makes our families in-laws somehow!<br />
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4-dBXOHRET2FGome-x8qZaP3Q0x6yTXv1wwiHKYw1NGUK3G3BC0OtWbdp629aGGrE1fiF3tQMjd8lVV4jjq8IBVjjTxa3-C9lhrRdscVpy546bUsyf_08EhPH7quB-mii7AKexRyL89Q/s1600/20170817_154512.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4-dBXOHRET2FGome-x8qZaP3Q0x6yTXv1wwiHKYw1NGUK3G3BC0OtWbdp629aGGrE1fiF3tQMjd8lVV4jjq8IBVjjTxa3-C9lhrRdscVpy546bUsyf_08EhPH7quB-mii7AKexRyL89Q/s400/20170817_154512.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I recently completed this pair of fingerless mitt out of our brown Leezza's 3-ply DK weight yarn. Her fleece is so fine and soft. I made these for display in the store to show how defined the stitches are with this yarn, and how soft and warm alpaca feels against the skin. I'd like to get a few more pieces done before open house and am trying to enlist some of my knitter friends to help. We also have a yarn sale going on right now on the Etsy store. We are offering 10% off on yarn sales over $50. It's a test run by Etsy and is available to a limited number of shoppers, however we will offer the same sale to in-store shoppers until the end of August. If you shop on <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/BuckeyeStarAlpacas?ref=seller-platform-mcnav&section_id=15168121#policies" target="_blank">Buckeye Star Alpacas</a>, Etsy store, the coupon code is YARN10.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIZv4Hy2yCM-eSK26Jvhn_bLYSDvogjaaBlBBX2TO63_t4WtsVNNpp2S_OR6p_ohq5Ax-iWXKB0AotbKGT3HbXXub692rRMrSTHZDL2ipk7filAJx6vbyMprdnxTHm-8p_F5oRWj8f0pc/s1600/20170527_090113.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIZv4Hy2yCM-eSK26Jvhn_bLYSDvogjaaBlBBX2TO63_t4WtsVNNpp2S_OR6p_ohq5Ax-iWXKB0AotbKGT3HbXXub692rRMrSTHZDL2ipk7filAJx6vbyMprdnxTHm-8p_F5oRWj8f0pc/s400/20170527_090113.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I have started to carry a limited number of finished alpaca items in the store, too. I have commercially produced socks and some handmade (by me) hats for sale now. There will be more items discounted during the open house, too.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl__8iX8EjmBdDFipd22c7MiF1pTspVOjzPPd0rOHc8Khy9EVekqbkVcNegTPJU-na1wesZBJgAGi-gBEDZnAlXhgSdQi-GbzxaOyntrCsJY0L4Ao8fffKt8-6h1bUCy4cLry2Mcm-KWs/s1600/20170715_121619.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl__8iX8EjmBdDFipd22c7MiF1pTspVOjzPPd0rOHc8Khy9EVekqbkVcNegTPJU-na1wesZBJgAGi-gBEDZnAlXhgSdQi-GbzxaOyntrCsJY0L4Ao8fffKt8-6h1bUCy4cLry2Mcm-KWs/s400/20170715_121619.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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More good news! I have contacted Carrie at <a href="http://www.americasnaturalfiberworks.com/" target="_blank">America's Natural Fiberworks</a> and she has promised to have our 2017 fleece processed and ready to ship before the open house. That means that I will have all of that lovely new yarn for sale in the shop, too!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidRu1lc7d6qZI2D2vXn1vSNel5B66ZcfL2kjpgwc2K33C4zu_LGcZW8TsjGn2SajrgsjaXDsLT1RehqML0B6Oy8BuMDXeRLuZY1Wv_4MhuZqIcRAbWY3pfZsja8yem7lBjNZabKS_k-oQ/s1600/20170503_092103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidRu1lc7d6qZI2D2vXn1vSNel5B66ZcfL2kjpgwc2K33C4zu_LGcZW8TsjGn2SajrgsjaXDsLT1RehqML0B6Oy8BuMDXeRLuZY1Wv_4MhuZqIcRAbWY3pfZsja8yem7lBjNZabKS_k-oQ/s400/20170503_092103.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />Buckeye Star Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08209464169671044632noreply@blogger.com0Bloomville, OH 44818, USA41.0520001 -83.01491290000001341.0280516 -83.055253400000012 41.075948600000004 -82.974572400000014tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7803467470703367180.post-40330618768547637992017-07-04T07:50:00.000-07:002017-07-04T07:50:53.223-07:00There Are Machines, and Then There Are MACHINESMachines. From the wheel, to the axle to the cog. The early invention of machines and the evolution and development of more sophisticated machines has both made our lives easier and more complicated.<br />
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The second row of pipes have been set on the timbers awaiting the welding and burying process for about a week now. Yesterday there was a very large machine digging on the pipeline site in our back field. This indicates to me that the final step in the pipeline building process is imminent and that the natural gas will be flowing under high pressure very soon. Not sure how all of this will impact life here on the farm when the construction equipment and workers are gone.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsBcE8fmr5I5uq99S0Ve7yACKLg18ES047XQsq-xWxPKfLKG8FEPrI5_CshPR2NMBFANSojhR3fQFRDaO3ujJeU8nW6juWkokkpyROIH8B63gYGDqlIc40dIyG_B4eEDocFAP7mvQhUPc/s1600/20170703_152750.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsBcE8fmr5I5uq99S0Ve7yACKLg18ES047XQsq-xWxPKfLKG8FEPrI5_CshPR2NMBFANSojhR3fQFRDaO3ujJeU8nW6juWkokkpyROIH8B63gYGDqlIc40dIyG_B4eEDocFAP7mvQhUPc/s400/20170703_152750.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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A couple of weeks ago I received a much smaller machine that has brought so much fun into my own life and sparked my creative juices. I ordered this little piece of German precision engineering to try my hand at making hats from our alpaca yarns to sell in our store.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuSCu6QRmNE_73TpwjKZFx_T-n01WUV8g5gybbU1QF8FIjyyruvhzbNwFATE-4uX6rKZKluHqA2T7VijUJw_jqWQi80f8NOEr2qXYQ_1MbIe8D8FrJYmmcdOAHAVj7Bru_wwfNJhUCmRY/s1600/Knitting+machine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="960" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuSCu6QRmNE_73TpwjKZFx_T-n01WUV8g5gybbU1QF8FIjyyruvhzbNwFATE-4uX6rKZKluHqA2T7VijUJw_jqWQi80f8NOEr2qXYQ_1MbIe8D8FrJYmmcdOAHAVj7Bru_wwfNJhUCmRY/s400/Knitting+machine.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I have been using up project leftovers from my stash basket as practice and the results have been pretty good. The hat knitting machine is also capable of knitting flat panels, something I am also going to experiment with. I'm enjoying this little machine so much that I may just order the smaller, baby, version just to see what I can do with it!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvmPlrJzicSwqd1lgaDwa6ODJyQtICJ_9dEl53K53_TkIZeawxhyHr6unzqTvlRZbz2gxS7rLcWjA42Th9xJlIo6iKnqo-uUjWJvaruXS875QQr5y41r-pJm6aVSLiUqRmxpeIg5j9LUQ/s1600/20170629_152535.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvmPlrJzicSwqd1lgaDwa6ODJyQtICJ_9dEl53K53_TkIZeawxhyHr6unzqTvlRZbz2gxS7rLcWjA42Th9xJlIo6iKnqo-uUjWJvaruXS875QQr5y41r-pJm6aVSLiUqRmxpeIg5j9LUQ/s400/20170629_152535.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBdkkKpAnytNSMU37JMNSY1ipThZf7w9bzf2xsi3XAr2NEf5BFpgJX0vQ_Jnu-QjqEepFbD483NU-nirIl6yPLO8zDIUdRhsJTNoMvs36ct2idGqbJdRETrg0Dn4VCXZ5A8N1Z2JWdQMs/s1600/20170704_101411.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBdkkKpAnytNSMU37JMNSY1ipThZf7w9bzf2xsi3XAr2NEf5BFpgJX0vQ_Jnu-QjqEepFbD483NU-nirIl6yPLO8zDIUdRhsJTNoMvs36ct2idGqbJdRETrg0Dn4VCXZ5A8N1Z2JWdQMs/s400/20170704_101411.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I have also been experimenting with some different dyeing techniques lately and have gotten such good results that I have plans to do some more yarns. I made a bold, multi-colored blue, green, yellow yarn that has garnered some very positive comments.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik5lE65LOSIBvyivmwAEJyz3Txw_A4E19HlqGVI8j9DFfcutukJ2wHR9PZ-VUh_NodIAa6c9v6wLrIgjhkIuw0OuG_7gWlk0x2EBtPCY0BYWZaQ1ZgSzGL21P4F5D3Q2dx-iQ8BcZVmNw/s1600/20170612_095018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik5lE65LOSIBvyivmwAEJyz3Txw_A4E19HlqGVI8j9DFfcutukJ2wHR9PZ-VUh_NodIAa6c9v6wLrIgjhkIuw0OuG_7gWlk0x2EBtPCY0BYWZaQ1ZgSzGL21P4F5D3Q2dx-iQ8BcZVmNw/s400/20170612_095018.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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My favorite technique is the confetti yarn, produced using eco-friendly dyes, Glad Wrap, plastic forks and the electric turkey roaster. I have two skeins for sale in the store and I am planning on making two more in a different colorway for myself. This yarn is calling to me and is saying, "Linda, you <i>need</i> to knit something with me!"</div>
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Right now, my husband is calling to me so I'll need to discuss dyeing techniques another day. Rich has a couple of the alpaca boys harnessed up and is ready to walk them around the lawn on this lovely, sunny, July 4th morning. Have a wonderful holiday everyone!</div>
Buckeye Star Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08209464169671044632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7803467470703367180.post-34393273702969105342017-06-01T06:33:00.001-07:002017-06-01T06:33:50.058-07:00Fleece Processing and PipelinesThe Rover pipeline, an interstate natural gas pipeline which will transport "3.25 billion cubic feet per day of domestically produced natural gas to markets in the Midwest, Northeast, East Coast, Gulf Coast, and Canada" (quoted phrase from their website) is virtually going through our back yard. For the past few months I have been observing the progress of its installation. After the company settled on a price for the right-of-way, all done through a Columbus law firm that specializes in representation of property owners in pipeline cases, Rover began the survey process. It seemed like only a matter of minutes after my father-in-law, who owns the fields, received the settlement check before the top soil was pushed aside into a series of mounds alongside the route.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Notice the mounds of topsoil in the background. Young boys and moms are unconcerned.</td></tr>
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Just a quick note here, it's pretty much inevitable that once the pipeline people decide on a route and get the approval from FERC the landowners have almost no chance of blocking it. Remember the Dakota Access pipeline that is going through the Native American burial grounds and the long drawn out protest through a very cold winter? So, although I personally am very uneasy with two 42" natural gas pipelines laying side by side just four feet below the surface of the field behind us, we have no choice but to accept it. The deliberations between the lawyers on our behalf and the Rover people went on for almost two years until they threatened to invoke eminent domain. Landowners who hadn't accepted previous offers were advised to sign the final best offer.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Giant electromagnets lifting pipe segments off of the truck beds.</td></tr>
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After the topsoil was cleared off the heavy grading equipment smoothed out the access area and very soon the semis brought the segments of pipe through and laid them out on timbers. It was interesting to see the giant electromagnetic cranes effortlessly lifting the pipe and laying it in place. One truck after another, each one carrying two pipe segments, drove through the field. Because of the recent rains there was one section of field out by the electrical towers where the trucks got bogged down and stuck. One driver tried to power through it before he finally gave up. A bulldozer came in from the opposite road, hooked up to and pulled the truck out. At one point the dozer pulled three trucks at once. Amazing!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting for the third empty semi.</td></tr>
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All the while, the alpacas grazed peacefully, only looking up occasionally in curiosity. It seems that as long as they have a fence between them and the noise they feel protected.<br />
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Each day, even through light rain, there was some action going on out there. Then one Saturday when I had been in Columbus most of the day, I returned to find a series of white boxes surrounding some of the joined sections of pipe. Rich and I could only assume that there were welders working on the permanent joining of the pipe and the boxes were there to protect things until it was set. The pipeline workers keep strictly to themselves so there is little opportunity to ask questions of them. I have noticed that most of the workers arrive from the south somewhere and I have seen them on the road that leads up from Rt. 23 and Marion. Also, most of the license plates on the personal trucks parked on the corner construction site are from states very far west and south of here: Texas, Iowa, Nebraska, Oklahoma, etc. So much for the local unions claiming that the pipeline would provide local jobs!<br />
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The hole was finally dug and the pipes sunk into the ground in the past week. The ground has been smoothed over and much of the work has moved on to the northwest of us. This process will be repeated one more time for the second pipeline that is to lay beside this one. I'm not sure yet what the completion date will be. In the meantime, life goes on.<br />
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Last Friday, my friend, Liz, came out and we worked all afternoon dying four color batches of yarn. It was an experiment that produced some lovely spring like colors.<br />
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We have a shamrock green that my friend Gabi named "Bit 'O Luck,'"<br />
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a lovely soft lavender named "Lilac Clouds,"<br />
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a vibrant orangy-pink called "Sea Coral" by my friend, Marilyn,<br />
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and, finally, a variegated yarn that I call "Sonoran Sunset."<br />
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Yesterday I did a day trip with my friend, Lisa, and her son, Darren. We drove down to Somerville to deliver our fleece to <a href="http://www.americasnaturalfiberworks.com/" target="_blank">America's Natural Fiberworks</a> and pick out the blends and weights for this year's shearing. More about this in another post. Rich and I bought strawberries on Monday so today is jam day. One of my favorite times of the year.Buckeye Star Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08209464169671044632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7803467470703367180.post-53406155229527949252017-05-01T08:41:00.001-07:002017-05-01T08:41:36.137-07:00Shearing 2017<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Callie and DeeDee are exhausted!</td></tr>
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You would think that Callie and DeeDee were the ones who did the shearing or got shorn yesterday. Both of them got up early as usual this morning, went outside briefly, came inside and ate their breakfast then went back to sleep and have been like this ever since. It's now 11 a.m.! I wish I had that luxury and I'm sure Rich does, too. He had to go to work today as did all of the other actual shearing hands. The two dogs just ran around enjoying all of the company and attention.<br />
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The actual shearing began at two on Saturday, after lunch. Our shearer, Mary Jane, had to finish up at another farm an hour southeast of us first. Meanwhile, the Wurm family and Rich and I used the time to set up our potluck lunch and transport their animals from their farm down the road so that we would be ready to begin as soon as everyone ate.<br />
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As I mentioned earlier, we had so many wonderful workers helping out this year. Lisa, Brian and Darren Wurm brought their animals down along with two of their older sons, Evan and Jerrod, to help out. It was great to have three young men with brains and muscles to help out. Lisa's mom, Chris, came along, too, so we put her to work writing down animal weights as we called them out. Our good friend, Rhonda, from Grass Run Alpaca farm came up from Bucyrus. She wields a mean broom and helps Lisa and I bag up the freshly sheared fleece and label bags. Everyone worked like a well oiled machine to assist Mary Jane.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Evan, Lisa and Chris. The dusty process induces sneezes!</td></tr>
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The week before shearing, Rich removes any winter bedding from the barn and pasture condos (three-sided shelters) so there is a minimum of straw residue in the fleece. We also release them to the lush, green pastures to graze. This gives them a chance to roll in the grass which also removes straw and other "vegetation" that might have become entangled in their winter coats. We try to have the animals as clean and dry as possible to ease the process. Then the night before shearing day (or sooner if rain is scheduled) we lock the animals inside. Rich tries to keep this lock-in time as short as possible because the alpacas clearly prefer to be outside in most weather.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mango, Aristotle and his mom, Leezza look into the rain until it's their turn.</td></tr>
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If by chance, as happened this year, it rains on shearing day and some of the animals get a bit wet, we have a holding pen inside the large storage section of Rich's wood shop. It's almost inevitable that a few will get a bit wet when they have to be moved from barn to trailer to transport to the shearing site. We put the damp animals in the pen with large fans blowing on them to dry them out. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Addie, her mom, Dora, and Demitrirus (a gelding) relax in the holding pen.</td></tr>
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Mary Jane is quite impressive as she wrestles the 70-180 lb. animals onto her specially designed and constructed shearing table with very little assistance from her muscled assistants. After bungee-ing the animals legs to each end of the table, the first part of the actual shearing process is to vacuum any remaining dust and debris from the fleece. Brian, Evan, Darren and Rich took turns with this step throughout the two day operation. Mary Jane insists on this step and, in fact, brings along her own powerful shop vac as a component of her shearing kit. Not every shearer does this step, but it's very much worth the extra time when I take the fleece to the mill to be processed into the final products.<br />
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While the vacuuming is going on, Mary Jane trims toenails, files down uneven teeth and removes the males' fighting teeth if necessary.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfG7KxmngoG6DEbbvjj2yWmAChW24tqGU0vgfs-Il5guAzn8bcsTgY0RWk8L98Y1iZ0wkegTbNbQ5EDS-sG7lI1dRudbx842kkfTDt6snXJpzCCvjORG-wpyhVKZLUq_DA7njqiCKa1ho/s1600/20170430_133148.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfG7KxmngoG6DEbbvjj2yWmAChW24tqGU0vgfs-Il5guAzn8bcsTgY0RWk8L98Y1iZ0wkegTbNbQ5EDS-sG7lI1dRudbx842kkfTDt6snXJpzCCvjORG-wpyhVKZLUq_DA7njqiCKa1ho/s400/20170430_133148.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brian vacuums while Rich picks out debris.</td></tr>
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Mary Jane begins shearing the animal on the back to neck area first. This is the precious blanket of fleece that is used to make knitting yarn. The area across the back from the base of the neck to the tail is where the longest and softest staple fiber grows. While the shearer does her job, Lisa and I "noodle" the fiber as it comes off of the animal. This entails two people holding a plastic painting tarp under the opposite side of the alpaca from neck to tail, and gently catching the fleece in an unbroken sheet as it comes off.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The left side of Dio sheared of blanket fleece.</td></tr>
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After both side of the fleece are gathered in the same tarp, Lisa and I take it to a bare spot on the floor where we fold the long sides of the plastic in an overlapping manner across the fleece and then roll it like a sleeping bag from end to end. We tape it shut, label it, and go back to bag the second shears in trash bags. The seconds are used to make items that don't require prime fleece. I have this made into rug yarn, felt sheets and alpaca insoles.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daren stabilizes the alpaca's head.</td></tr>
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After removing the blanket and usable seconds, Mary Jane shears the legs and other really dirty fleece. Not much fleece is wasted. Some people save these dirty thirds for compost. Darren saves this to use as nesting box material for his hens and winter insulation for his bee hives. He is one talented high school junior and has a natural ability to handle the alpacas.<br />
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The final part of the alpaca spa day process is when Mary Jane holds the head and carefully trims the fleece around the eyes and ears. Each animal leaves the shearing barn with a very individual and well coiffed hairdo!<br />
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Each alpaca gets walked to the livestock scale for a weight check. Lisa and I keep accurate records of the animals' weights and the weight of the fleece removed from them. We check the strength and condition of the fleece and record these stats for each animal. These are important indicators of animal health and well being.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apollo gets a weight check before returning to the pasture.</td></tr>
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In two half-days' time Mary Jane sheared eleven animals. Each one was inoculated with a CDT booster vaccine and checked for weight and general health. We went through approximately five pounds of cheesy potatoes, three pounds of sloppy joe, four pounds of sloppy chicken, deviled eggs, one large bowl of fluffy fruit salad, breakfast casserole (a dozen eggs), three different types of cookies, two boxes of breakfast bars, one case of bottled water, dips and chips, chips, chips! This is the only time all year that I can eat like this for a whole weekend and experience a weight loss when I step on the scales!<br />
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At the end of the day after Mary Jane hit the road for home and before sending the last of the Wurm alpacas home, we attempted to set up a "date" with their two-year-old Artie, and our more experienced Leezza. Unfortunately they didn't hit it off this time. Artie's indifference indicated that he was clearly not interested. Maybe it was the trauma of the shearing experience, or the strange surroundings or maybe he needs to mature a bit. We'll try again later.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Artie in the foreground as Leezza looks on expectantly.</td></tr>
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I'll end my tale with a picture of our little Apollo before the weigh in at the end of his shearing. It's amazing how much of the animal is actually fleece.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apollo weighed in at just 80 lbs. after shearing.</td></tr>
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<br />Buckeye Star Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08209464169671044632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7803467470703367180.post-13018397075054331512017-04-09T08:53:00.002-07:002017-04-09T08:53:31.792-07:00Sunny Savannah, GeorgiaImagine the shock when we returned Friday from a week in Savannah, Georgia where it was 70 to 80 degrees each day! Northern Ohio still had traces of the snow that fell the day before and Rich and I had only taken light spring jackets on vacation. Our daffodils, which had bloomed while we were in the south, were drooping their blossoms in defeat from the cold.<br />
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Now, two days later, springtime is returning and it is sunny and supposed to rise to a warm 72 degrees. This morning the ever-hardy daffodils are perking up. The mere sight of these golden yellow beauties makes me smile each year when they bloom in the fence garden out in front of the house.<br />
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I transferred my vacation pictures from my cell phone this morning (does anyone use cameras much anymore?) and organized them on my computer. As I labeled each picture I was able to finally reflect on our vacation. Savannah is surely an example of how the modern age meets the "old" south. It is home to one of the largest art schools in the nation, Savannah College of Art and Design, SCAD, and many other industries. SCAD even has a well respected degree in urban restoration and it's students have restored many of the historic buildings in Savannah. SCAD students can be seen everywhere around town working in restaurants and toting their portfolios through the many squares.<br />
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The beautiful architecture throughout the historic district lives up to Savannah's reputation for being one of the most beautiful cities in America. It's easy to see why General Sherman, after conquering Savannah, spared it the destruction he wrought on Atlanta and other southern cities and presented it as a Christmas gift in his telegram to President Lincoln. "I beg to present you as a Christmas gift the city of Savannah with its 150 heavy guns and plenty of ammunition and also about 25,000 bales of cotton," Sherman wrote on December 22, 1864. Sherman himself chose one of the most beautiful homes as his headquarters, the Green-Meldrim House.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rich at the Green-Meldrim House</td></tr>
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We traveled by car to Savannah along with Rich's brother, Tom, and his wife, Julie, clowning around along the way at the visitor's center in West Virginia where they had the following picture board:<br />
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We arrived in Savannah midday last Sunday and drove around to get our bearings before checking into our B&B. After finding a parking spot on Bay street we stopped at the Moon River Brewery where I had a wonderful fried green tomato open faced sandwich smothered in melted cheese. Thus began a week of very fine eating. I will pay for my many indulgences now that I am back home! The brewery is named for one of the songs of Savannah's favorite son, Johnny Mercer. More about him later. After dining we strolled along Bay street and took the elevator down to River Street where we witnessed a couple of freighters and a river boat cruise leaving the harbor. As we strolled along River Street and its myriad of souvenir shops and dining establishments, I couldn't resist snapping a picture outside of one of the seedier establishments and sending it as a joke to my friend, Nancy, who had recommended a place to eat.<br />
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Our party strolled back up to Bay Street on one of the cobble stoned ramps that were constructed in the 18th and 19th centuries out of the ballast stones from the ships of the era. The old River Street Inn and other river front buildings have very solid bases of combined bricks and ballast stones. Using the ballast stones as building materials prevented them from being dumped into the harbor or piling up along the shore.<br />
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A few weeks before leaving for Savannah, I re-read John Berendt's <i>Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil</i>, the tale involving real life characters from Savannah's more recent history. In it, the Mercer-Williams house features prominently, so of course, we had to take the tour. This lovely home situated on the west side of Monterey Square was built for the Civil War General Hugh Mercer. The composer of Moon River and other famous songs, Johnny Mercer, never actually lived there. Nor did anyone from the Mercer family since it wasn't completed until 1869. After the war General Mercer was tried (and acquitted) for the murder of two deserters. The General decided that he didn't want to live in Savannah and decided to sell the house.<br />
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In 1961, Jim Williams, antique dealer and old home restorer, purchased the Mercer house where he lived until his death. In 1981, Danny Hansford, a restorer employed by Jim Williams was shot and killed by Williams in the house. Self defense or murder? Williams underwent four trials for murder before his fortunes were drained and he was finally acquitted. He died nearly penniless but left behind this beautiful home filled with priceless works of art and antiques which his sister occupies today. Berendt's <i>Midnight, </i> just called by Savannahans "the Book," is the fictionalized story of these events. There are so many beautiful paintings, statues and artifacts that the 30 minute tour was not nearly long enough to see them all.<br />
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We drove out to the Bonaventure Cemetery on the one steamy morning of our trip. It was too early in the day for a guided tour so we just drove slowly through the cemetery stopping wherever we saw something interesting. I found it interesting that about one-fourth of the cemetery was devoted to Jewish graves and was even marked by its own entrance flanked with stone pillars, each topped with a carved Star of David. We drove around this side first and then over to the other side. So many of the really old graves were marked by lovely statue type monuments and surrounded by iron fencing. Apparently in the 1800s one showed their wealth by the liberal use of iron in their decoration of earthly homes and final resting places. One of the most captivating monuments is of little six-year-old Gracie who died of pneumonia. The grave is surrounded by a lovely intricate ironwork fence and gate. I took this picture between the bars. You can find her sad story on the internet.<br />
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We dined elegantly one evening at the historic Pink House Restaurant. History says that the building was a white stucco over red brick home and that during one of Savannah's several fires, the red brick bled through the stucco turning the house pink. I had pan seared sea scallops and cheesy grits in the most elegant ballroom with Swarovski crystal chandeliers overhead softly lighting our table. Very romantic.<br />
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St. John the Baptist Cathedral was one of my favorite spots in Savannah. The Cathedral itself was impressive with the hand-carved Stations of the Cross running along each side of the sanctuary and the lofty ceilings overhead. I almost missed the mosaic interior of the baptismal font until I leaned over and peered into its depths as I was about to leave the church. The gilded Celtic knot in the bottom glowed out from the holy water as if it was lit by the holy spirit. Maybe my most favorite sight of the entire trip. My photo doesn't do it justice.<br />
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Our last evening meal was at the Six Pence Pub made famous in the Julia Roberts movie, <i>Something to Talk About. </i>It's in the scene where Julia Roberts peers into the window only to see her cheating husband with another woman. However, it is a charming place to dine in the traditional English pub atmosphere. I had crab,scallop and shrimp stuffed flounder and Rich had a Guinness braised pot roast. Both yummy.<br />
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Our party decided by mutual agreement to fore go breakfast at the B&B on our last morning. We had passed a charming looking little cafe around the corner several times during the week. Clary's was the type of place that looked like it was frequented mostly by local people. Rich decided to have dessert for breakfast when he saw the description of something called the Peach Blossom. We hadn't had anything with the traditional Georgia peaches on our trip so Tom ordered one, too. By the ornery look on our waitress's face we should have known that something was up. When the dish arrived at our table even Rich, who has a voracious appetite for sweets, was taken aback by the size of it. The waitress asked Tom, who was already tucking into the breakfast in front of him, if he still wanted his peach blossom. He didn't back down. After delivering a second dessert to our table the cook had to come out from the kitchen to see if the crazy tourists were actually finishing the food. The four of us couldn't finish the two desserts but it made for great conversation with all of the Clary staff!<br />
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A short walk back to our townhouse and we packed up and headed north for an uneventful but gradually colder ride home. Rich and I dropped Tom and Julie off in Dublin and sped up Rt. 23 towards home. Although I love traveling I always enjoy arriving back home. Our puppies are glad to be sleeping back in the house again instead of outside where they reside sometimes when we're gone. They missed us, can't you tell?<br />
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