Fairies

When I was sixteen, I received a book which to this day, I still have. It was "Fairies" by Edward L.Gardner. The book was about two young English girls in their teens who were best friends in the village of Cottingley in Yorkshire during the summer of 1920. To while away the time that summer, the two girls set out to capture the fairies they claimed they saw with their camera. At that time, no one could prove the authenticity of the photos and thus they caused quite a stir throughout the countryside. I remember being in awe of the photos I was seeing on the pages of the book during my sixteenth summer. I still find them to be somewhat intriguing and enjoy the book each time I pick it up and browse through it. Here are a few of the pictures that had so many people questioning the existence of fairies.

IRELAND!

Thinking of my trip to Ireland last summer. My father took the whole family, 9 of us, for a coast to coast tour. We were met by an Irish guide at Shannon airport where we boarded a mini-bus that would take us all over the Emerald Isle. We started on the West coast and made our way through the southern part of the country. We stayed a couple of nights on the Aran Islands which were exceptionally primitive and pristine. They didn't have electricity on the islands until 1973! Onto Galway, Killarney, The Ring of Kerry and the Dingle Peninsula. Such lush, green land with either a fine mist or a beautiful rainbow. County Cork with a stop for a quick visit to the site where Michael Collins was gunned down. Kilkenny was a town where I'd like to spend more time the next time I visit. The trip ended in Dublin where I spend time visiting the city parks and museums. I was so impressed with the Irish. They are such a lovely bunch. And, the economy throughout the whole country is vibrant. The picture of the old chap above is one I took of an ordinary, older man who comes to town everyday all dressed up just to be part of the social scene. I saw many characters while visiting. I'm looking forward to spending more time in Ireland. It was so much fun!

2006!