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It’s almost Friday!
GMan’s first high school soccer game
As we’d say in Ireland it was grand soft evening for GMan’s first (official) high school soccer game.
It was a good game by all. They tried their best but ended in a one all draw. Lots of slipping and falling on both sides.
Sunset over Lawrence Academy.
JMan winding the game away with a little surprise from Mother Nature behind him.
Game end huddle. GMan looking rather damp (3rd from the right).
Blast from the past! Found theses matches while cleaning out some boxes we never touched in well over 10 years.
First day of 4 grade for out little big man!
Random photos from DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park.
This is pure bull
Breaking News: Hot off the press folks, in Groton today a bull got loose and allegedly ran away. The bull in question was last spotted in the vicinity of route 119 and Jane's Drive. According to local sources the animal is big with horns but otherwise no identifiable marks. If you see the bull please call 911 and don't try to feed it.
According to reports, eye witnesses may be suffering from PTS as a result of hearing it snort. The chief said the following:
"This is a terrible terrible thing, folks….we are so upset by this event. We are going to look into it and get to the bottom of it. There are good and bad bulls everywhere, but trust me…..I'm going to fix this one….I'm going to make Groton great again"
Neighbors interviewed could not understand as he always seemed happy with the grass on his side of the fence and other than the occasional cow patty was not on any watch lists. However, sources close to the investigation said that a grand jury may to called up.
I first got wind of the story while standing….well downwind of the farm. Upon further investigation I found 3 cruisers from Littleton, 2 from Groton not including animal control, 1 helicopter, 2 news crews and various other officials looking characters milling about.
It's a good job we live in the stick and this is considered news!
My best wishes go out to the bulls family and I'm certain that they will eventually get over this horrible event.
As for the rest….pass the A1 sauce!
This am’s commute
My new gig….yes, I jumped ship again, is in Lexington right on the Minuteman Bikeway. I did a dry run last Sunday to work out the kinks. This am I drove to Concord, parked in public parking lot off main then took the Reformatory Branch Trail to Bedford, then pick up the Minuteman Bikeway into Lex.
The Reformatory trail is mostly all hard packed gravel or dirt with only one tricky spot, but it's not really tricky!
Minuteman is all blacktop and it's all up hill to Lexington. However, even on my 1 by I manage to stay in the high gears.
It's about 7.5 mile one way or about 30 minutes. Just enough to get the ticker pumping and a whole lot better than looking at the car in front of me while sitting in traffic!
Random Ireland photos – 8
No trip to Ireland is complete without a trip to Sean's and Murray's. We got to Sean's in the afternoon and I made Murray's tonight with my brother.
Gangs all here. Sean's bar is officially the oldest bar in the world and the first bar I (illegally) bought a pint in.
Pint of black for me and a glass of cider for my better 1/2.
One of my favorite spots in Sean's, just inside the front door on the left.
I really like this pint glass nook. My hat is off the the architect!
I didn't take any photos in Murray's, that was strictly a "have a few pints and go home" event.
Cheers all. It will be hard getting on the plane tomorrow, but we'll be back again.
Random Ireland photos – 7
My mom and I headed to Tuam to do some family tree research. We still have relations in the area and we hopefully of uncovering some new information. We took the back road to Tuam which has vastly improved since I was on it before, but still required me to climb the hedge row at 100km when meeting incoming trucks.
We stopped into Leufer's Jewelry store which my ancestors stated back in 1878. Unfortunately the gentleman we wanted to meet passed away but other distant family members were very happy to help out. Not only did I fill in a few gaps but I found a whole other generation. For years we all assumed that Aron Leufer was the first to arrive in Ireland from Germany, but was actually his father Joseph.
Above is the current location and below is the existing.
We also visited the local cemetery and found several family head stoned.
The above is the original settler Joseph Leufer and other family members headstone.
The story goes all three families came over together from Germany and decided to pick three towns to settle in. The Fallers went to Galway, Wherley's to Sligo and Leufers to Tuam. If my math works that's 139 years ago and all three businesses are still going. All of this make me a little less than 1/32 German with the assumption that all the spouse where full Irish. However since I'm longer stateside at this point I'm a bit of a mutt!
The story of when my mom picked out her engagement ring at Leufer's in 1959 is worth telling. My mom, dad (Jimmy) and his sister traveled to Tuam as you would always want to leave money in your own family where possible, when buying big ticket items. As Tuam was the closet store and Jimmy was familiar with the town from traveling to the cattle mart with his father it was an obvious choice. Upon arriving one of the shop assistant was dispatched by Joseph to help. Mom picked out a ring and Jimmy had a side bar conversation with the assistant over the price. Jimmy then asked mom to pick another ring from a second (less expensive) tray, the process occurred three times then the assistant informed Jimmy that mom had picked the same ring three times as the assistant had moved it from tray to tray while swapping the trays! Apparently neither mom or Jimmy copped it. He offered Jimmy a good discount as they were related to the owner and the deal was made. The ring cost 120 pound (old Irish money) in 1959, which was quite the small fortune.
Get up to Dublin and get a job. Last minute road trip to Dublin….driving time 1.25 hours. That's about 2 hours faster than when I left in 1986. Yes, the Irish roads have improved dramatically. We did the Hop On Hop Off bus tour and let's just say if this was stateside the driver would have lost his job before the second stop. Needless to say after 34 stops we were all in stitches.
Very modern architecture on and over the Liffey.
Trinity.
Selfie with a teenager.
The above two don't need a title.
JMan feeding the wildlife.
Temple Bar area.
Bottle cap anyone?
1/2 penny bridge.
Last time I saw the Liffey is was luminous green. It's looking pretty good these days.
O'Connell Street….busy as usual.
Quite moment in Easons comic section.
100 year old battle wounds in the GPO (General Post Office) column. I guess some wounds never heal.
Random Ireland photos – 6
It's a grand Irish summer day. Blue skies and a high of 56F. Here's a view out outlet hotel window. Yes, I stood on the furniture, reckon they own me for the lack of parking.
I call this one "Cork roofs".
Here's a shot of the massive parking lot. I stand corrected, it has 21 spots, that's for 101 rooms! Good ratio if you're a room, bad if you're a car.
Various photos of Cork City.
Yes, the coffee is exactly the same!
Oliver Plunkett Street is one on the main shopping places and it's pedestrian only.
We did a bit of shopping and headed north.
Along the way we went to the Devils Bit. Here's a link to read all about it. We were unprepared to hike so a photo will have to do.
Ireland is littered with stone towers. This one is down the road from the Devils Bit.
Here's a really odd flavored snack food. For those who don't know prawns are shrimps stateside…..and no, I did not sample them.
Back at our home away from home we made ice cream with the kids.
