Milestone

Just a quick note to say a quick 'thank you' to everyone who keeps coming to the site. Our little hit counter rolled past the 20,000 mark last night! WOW!



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Tradition!!!

(Warning: This post contains topless photos - of me)

;)

Christmas in Ireland wouldn't be Christmas in Ireland without a freezing dip in the ocean!!

I have to admit several things: It is a bit crazy and foolish... Stripping down to my shorts in front of my whole community isn't one of my favorite things to do... My toes will probably always be blue... and I will probably get sick (again)... But a memorable run into the freezing North Atlantic in the dead of winter with some friends is worth it!

I decided (for sure) to do it this year on Christmas Eve, while at a Christmas party. I don't know if it was male ego or party adrenaline that made me commit, but at the end of the evening myself and two of my friends had all publicly committed to run into the ocean. Now pride and self-respect were on the line... I couldn't back down. We all met at noon down at the beach - along with most of my neighbors and a good portion of the village. I was shocked, however, to discover that the tide was IN. Usually each Christmas swim falls when the tide is out, and we have a nice sandy beach to run across before we get to the water. This year, however, we only had the rocky top part of the beach and giant waves crashing into us as we entered the water!

There really is no way to describe the sheer pain of hitting freezing water in nothing but your swimsuit. The temps on land were just above freezing, and the water was a nice 11C (52F)... but the water didn't feel warmer (at all)! Once I entered into the surf there really wasn't enough time to do much of anything before I was pounded repeatedly by shoulder height waves. As the first wave hit, I decided to take the plunge and go under. The only problem was that I was so cold that I couldn't catch my breath. It was sheer panic washing over me as I took about a million small breaths just trying to fill my lungs. It was then that I realized that the wave hitting me had stolen my sandals (which I had foolishly worn into the water). So - as my friends ran for the shore - I was forced to endure a few extra moments as I dove for my shoes.

After I came out of the water there was about two minutes of pain and coldness which was followed by the strangest warm feeling that just swept over my whole body. As my body temperature fell the temperature outside began to feel warmer and warmer. For a few moments it actually felt like a summer's day, and I was content to be outside in just my wet swimsuit. Soon after this, Dee evacuated me to our home where a roaring fire, hot shower, and warm cup of tea were waiting on me.

I know that this does not sound like a lot of fun....... but standing on the beach with my friends... and being able to laugh together about it for the rest of the year makes the whole thing worth it!


Dee was kind enough to take pictures of the craziness. She said that it was so cold and windy out that her eyes were watering, and she couldn't really see what she was taking pictures of. I think that they turned out great! Here are just a few:



Me and the lads getting ready to go in!
( Notice that we were smiling BEFORE we got in...)




That is me on the right - about to get drowned by the big wave!




Still me on the right... Dee captured the moment that I jumped in...!






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Merry Christmas....

All of the presents have been unwrapped... all of the minced pies eaten... and Santa is already back at the North Pole getting ready for Christmas 2010. Dee and I had a great Christmas this year.


I love Christmas time... - don't get me wrong: I hate the shopping, the traffic, and the craziness associated with the Christmas rush - I really love the way things slow down... I love the time for reflection... I love stopping to remember my childhood (and how blessed I am)... I love spending time with my friends, and with Dee... This year has been full of all of this...... and it has been a great one!



Me & Dee






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The Darkest Day...

Monday was a day that I have been looking forward to for some time now... the darkest day of the year.

December 21st is the Winter Solstice. It marks the moment when the Northern Hemisphere is furthest from the Sun. This mid-winter point has been celebrated as long as mankind has been on this earth. I can understand why...... Don't get me wrong - I'm not out dancing around a stone circle on the Solstice, but just knowing that every day is getting longer... and that we are moving back towards spring is reason enough to smile. Ireland is really far north, and wintertime darkness here can often be depressing. Knowing that we have beaten the worst of it is always reason to celebrate.

I got out the other day to watch the sunrise... here are a few of the pics from that cold and crisp morning.
















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St. Nick...

Just a fun quick pic of yours truly with my good friend St. Nick... I bumped into him while I was out Christmas shopping this weekend... I guess he was also out picking up a few last things!

I was sure to tell him just how good my nieces and nephews have been this year!






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2010 Calendar (July)

This photo was taken back in Oct of this year in the Bunratty Folk Park County Clare. It is actually one of many thatched cottage pictures taken on the day... I just have not had time to post them all! The folk park is a really nice place to visit, but is normally always swamped with tourists. This day, however, the whole place seem abandoned... and best of all we were there right after a shower, and the sun came out. Needless to say, I was taking photos like a crazy person!









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2010 Calendar (June)

Connemara - In my opinion, few other places in Ireland capture the imagination like this wild area of the west. Connemara is a border-less area in the west of Ireland that is wild and beautiful. It is renowned for how traditions and the Irish language are still alive there, and there are few other places in Ireland with the pure rockiness of the Connemara lowlands, or the beauty of the Connemara mountains.

This photo was taken in the Connemara lowlands... Notice how generations of people have worked to clear the rocky fields by stacking the rocks into walls and thus are left with many small fields.






The calendar is available for purchase by clicking here
or
by going to this website:
http://www.lulu.com/content/lulustudio-calendar/ireland-2010/7908406



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2010 Calendar (May)

The photo I selected for the month of May was taken a few months ago when I was out in Connemara with a friend. We went together to County Mayo to climb Croagh Patrick (a holy mountain), and spent much of the day driving through the mountains and taking pictures together. This photo is probably my favorite picture from that day (if I had to pick just one!). I love the timeless and isolated feel of it.





The calendar is available for purchase by clicking here
or
by going to this website:
http://www.lulu.com/content/lulustudio-calendar/ireland-2010/7908406


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2010 Calendar (April)

This photo was taken last May at one of my favorite spots to watch the sun set. This is actually a fjord - or stretch of ocean that reaches like a giant finger deep into the Irish countryside. I have stopped here on the side of the hill many times and just sat in amazement as the sunlight dances on the water and then slowly disappears behind the mountain.





The calendar is available for purchase by clicking here
or
by going to this website:
http://www.lulu.com/content/lulustudio-calendar/ireland-2010/7908406


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2010 Calendar (March)

This photo was taken a few months ago at the 'Rock of Cashel' in county Tipperary. This rock is the ancient site where families and clans paid tribute to the king of Munster. It was from this rock that overlooks much of Munster that new kings where crowned, and reigned for over a thousand years.

It is on this site that St. Patrick preached, converted, and baptized the king of Munster, and thus converted all of the kingdom. There is a funny story that has been passed down about the baptism... it would seem that during the baptism Patrick took his large crosier (staff) and stabbed it into the ground. He without noticing had stabbed it into the foot of the king. The king, being a recent convert, thought that the stabbing was a part of the Christian Rite. So... He stood there... foot impaled... and baring the pain until Patrick noticed what had happened.


I have often wanted to go back to the Rock of Cashel... We visited here once several years ago, and although the weather was horrible, the place left a real impression on me. So - when I had the opportunity to take a day off by myself - I decided to visit this amazing site. So... I spent the day with my journal, books, and camera reflecting and retreating here.


I took a lot of photos on the day, and will be posting more soon. This photo (for March) is of an old monastery in the foreground, and the ruined cathedral upon the rock in the background.







The calendar is available for purchase by clicking here
or
by going to this website:
http://www.lulu.com/content/lulustudio-calendar/ireland-2010/7908406

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2010 Calendar (Feb)

The photo we selected for the month of February is actually a very old one. It was originally taken when my parents came to visit us back in August 2007. The picture was taken at a very special place for me... in fact........it is one of my favorite retreats in all of Ireland. I often go here when I need to be alone, or need a place to read, pray, and journal. Located high in the Connemara mountains somewhere in borderlands of county Galway or Mayo... it is a small lough (lake) that is completely surrounded by mountains. It is one of those special places where tourists don't go... where the animals look at you with confusion (because they rarely see outsiders)... and where I always feel closer to God. We discovered the spot on this particular day (that the photo was taken) as we drove through the mountains with my parents. It was a beautiful summers day, where the skies were blue, and the cares of the world seemed to be a million miles away. We found a beautiful red sand beach on which to have a picnic and to lay in the warm sun. Mom walked on the beach - as she loves to do, and Dad and I explored these two crooked trees that were a shelter for the sheep. The day was perfect........ and those moments will always be etched in my thoughts and heart.





The calendar is available for purchase by clicking here
or
by going to this website:
http://www.lulu.com/content/lulustudio-calendar/ireland-2010/7908406


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2010 Calendar

As you know - we have put together a 2010 calendar that is now available for order. We included several photos that have never been posted here (and a few that we have posted- but love so much we couldn't pass them up!). I thought that I would take the next few posts to share these photos with you, and to share a few of the back stories behind the photos.

January 2010



The January photo was taken out of the window of a commercial airliner back in August of this year. Every time that we fly I board the plane with my camera ready. There is always a hope that I will be able to snap a few pictures of something from the air. You would think that this wouldn't be too hard of a goal. Inevitably, however... rain, clouds, or fog (keep me disappointed and) hide the landscape below us. On this particular flight, however, the clouds parted at just the right moment... and the sun lit up the green fields below just long enough for me to frantically take a few shots. To say that I was excited was an understatement. I felt like a kid on Christmas morning! There really is something magical about these patchwork fields... and this might be one of my favorite pictures that I have ever taken...






The calendar is available for purchase by clicking here
or
by going to this website:
http://www.lulu.com/content/lulustudio-calendar/ireland-2010/7908406



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In the News...

A lot has been going on here over the last few weeks. I thought that I would take a few moments just to catch up on a few of the events in Ireland.


- Rain... rain.... rain... and then more rain. We have had an over abundance of rain the last few weeks. In fact - during a two week period - parts of Ireland received the average rainfall for four months. As you can imagine - that is a lot of rain! Much of the west and south are flooded and have been for weeks. Thankfully, however, it looks like the worst of it is over.

- Mary - Two self proclaimed visionaries predicted that Mary - the mother of Jesus - was going to appear in Knock, Co. Mayo this past weekend. The village of Knock became world famous for an apparition that took place there in the 1800's, and has been a place of pilgrimage ever since. The visionaries predicted Mary's apparition would take place three times. The second - which took place a couple of months ago - brought out thousands of people who stood at the sacred sight and stared into the skies hoping to see Mary. Although no sighting was confirmed, several people reported seeing the sun "dance in the sky". Authorities are now saying that the dancing was an effect of retina damage (caused by staring at the sun). There were no reported sightings over the weekend.
Read the full story here.


- Abuse - Several reports into child abuse have been released by the government over the last few months. These reports revealed that there was a systematic cover up of abuse, and even revealed the the current bishop of Limerick was involved in the cover up.
Read the full story here.



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Today's Random Pic...

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Life on the edge

Over the weekend we had the opportunity to take some of our friends who were visiting for Thanksgiving to one of the most beautiful spots in all of Ireland. The magnificent Cliffs of Moher in Co. Clare are renowned for their stark beauty... and they are never a disappointment. We have visited them a few times over the years, and I am always inspired and struck by their size and beauty. From time to time people do fall off the 800 foot tall cliffs (often to their death), and so the government has improved the walls on the walkway... put up warning signs... and even employed security guards... Despite all of this there are always people who are willing to jump over the memorial signs and wall in hopes of getting a better picture.







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