So, I got a call to take a family portrait at Popeyes Restaurant. Yup, the fast food fried chicken joint. This displaced New Orleans family craved a holiday portrait set at our local slice of Louisiana. At 8:30 AM {because we had to get there before it opened} and battling the direct sunlight, I shot this family’s gorgeous smiles. We had lots of fun despite the hour and the sun.
Enjoy. SPL
Go to this link to turn your photos into energy. GE will donate wind, solar or water power for every photo that you upload. It’s easy. I did it.
Here is an adorable brother/sister pair. They moved around A LOT, but probably due to the distraction of my son, who was lingering in the background (and sometime wandering into the shot.) I wouldn’t recommend dragging a four-year old out while you’re trying to get a three-year-old and 18 month old to focus. But this pair’s natural adorable-ness helped me get the photos that I wanted. You can decided which ones are posed and which are just for fun.
Enjoy. SPL
I can’t think of much worse than kissing a rock that millions of others have kissed before. Yuck! I am not germophobic; however, I didn’t see the charm in this tradition. And since I have been told that I already possess the gift o’ gab {your apparent reward for leaning over backwards and puckering up for the bacteria-ridden stone}, there really was no point. So, we skipped Blarney and went to Kilkenny and Cashel.
Kilkenny has held the hurling championship title for four years in a row. Hurling, you ask? Yes, it’s a sport in Ireland (and I am not talking about what happens after too many pints o’ Guinness.) The Irish are passionate about their Gaelic games, hurling being one of them. {Click the link for more on hurling.} The Kilkenny Cats were going for an unprecedented five-peat this year- in fact they played the final match against Co. Tipperary the day we left their isle. {I’ll tell you the outcome at the end o’ me post.} Kilkenny’s entire town was decked in their county’s colors. Look for the seemingly out-of-place blow-up cat in one of the photos below.
Did you see the cat? How can you miss it?
Kilkenny at night
Kilkenny in the morn
Cashel is an amazing monastic ruin {dating as far back at the 9th century} perched on a lovely rock. The ruins are well-preserved and larger than all the others we were to see in Ireland. We, unfortunately, had to suffer scaffolding erected for on-going preservation efforts. {I shot around it.} But, we were left with the truly spectacular view from atop the rock. Check it out for yourself.
Hurling results, as promised: Alas, it was not in the cards for Kilkenny to win the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final and break the four-win record. Tipperary edged them out with a 4-17 to 1-18 score. Yes, the scoring is a little weird, too.
I showed you the snaps I took of my friend and her little boy, but I didn’t show you all the fun ones of the lady on her own. She’s pretty good on the guitar as well, though I can’t capture the sound on my camera.
Enjoy the images despite their silence. SPL
On our third stop in Ireland, we were hit by a bus in our brand new rental car. Yes, that’s right, a tour bus backed into us and, since the roads are unnervingly narrow, we had nowhere to go. The driver disembarked from his enormous vehicle and started apologizing in what we found out later was Dutch. So, we’re American tourists in Ireland {the home of un-insurable driving: see my last post for details} who have just been hit by a Dutch tour bus. It’s a claims adjuster’s nightmare. Fortunately for us, we got the whole thing settled on the phone within 30 minutes. We’re still waiting for the check from the Netherlands though…
So we headed off to enjoy the beauty of Glendalough- the remains of the 6th century monastery founded by St. Kevin. The site is refreshingly simple with gorgeous lakes and small hiking trails woven around the monastic ruins and graveyard {which does not date to the 6th century- believe it or not, I saw a 2009 marker there.} And the whole thing is surrounded by the lovely Wicklow Mountains. If I had to be a monk, I guess, this place would be about as good as it could be.
Enjoy. SPL
Get used to round towers, they’re everywhere in Ireland. They had several uses: beacons to the pilgrims, grain storage, and even defense. The monks would climb up into the tower and knock down the ladder to escape any would-be invaders. The strategy didn’t always work though. Monasteries and religious communities were often hit by vandals and thieves.
Look at that cheesy, American couple; they don’t seem to want to be bothered by insurance woes, so they won’t be. It’s their anniversary.
Here is the second installment of my Ireland series, Powerscourt Gardens. Just south of Dublin, this house and gardens are one of the most famous in the country. To get there, we embarked on our first driving {on the left side of the road} adventure. I use “adventure” in all senses of that word. Did you know that most major credit cards will NOT insure your rental car in Ireland {as they do in all but three countries in the world}? And for good reason… it’s a crazy place to drive.
But once you get there, it’s beautiful. We loved this place. It was quiet, and green and just wonderful. We had unexpectedly gorgeous weather that day. See for yourself.
Enjoy. SPL
Me hubby and I took a trip to the Emerald Isle this summer to celebrate the fact that we’ve managed to stay married for 10 years. No small task, as anyone with at least 10 years of togetherness and two kids can attest to. The trip and our ten years have been memorable, exhausting, and unbelievable and have both gone by too fast.
Today, I am starting my Ireland series with Dublin. We liked Dublin. It is a nice city, with charming people who actually seemed to enjoy us as tourists. {A refreshing change to the temperament of at least one other European country that I’ve been to that didn’t suffer us “uncivilized” Americans as well, and even if I do speak their language fluently…} But alas, Brian and I are not shop-a-holics, nor do we crave big-city life on vacation, therefore, we looked forward to getting to the countryside.
Dublin is an enjoyable place, though. Some green clovers, but no blue diamonds or purple horseshoes. If you know me, you know that I wouldn’t touch a box o’ Lucky Charms if you paid me {well, maybe, if you paid me- everyone has a price, right?}
Enjoy me snaps. SPL
A pub singer, of course. Can you believe that they love John Denver over there? And this guy actually did a Britney Spears cover.
I thought the concept of “Street Surgery” was funny. {I know it’s Surgery on Suffolk St. though}
Merrion Square
St. Stephen’s Green
Grafton Street
Christchurch Cathedral
Phew, that was a lot o’ photos. You know, I took nearly 3000 in nine days. Don’t worry, I won’t post them all.
…and I sometimes do what I say I won’t do. Well, the story is that I was just tagging along for fun. I’m not a wedding photographer. The stress could kill me. Hats off to those brave souls out there who battle the wishes of brides and future mother-in-laws, etc. I am not stepping into that for any amount of money.
So, a friend of mine’s brother was marrying the most laid back bride in the world. And I agreed to trail along behind the “real” photographer, Franklin Fitzgerald. His mantra was, “Let’s just do this thing!” So we did it.
They were such a pleasant easy-going family and lots of fun. The ceremony was intimate, but invited anyone who happened to be on the beach that day. Nothing went wrong, because no one was too stressed about what was right. It was beautiful.
Enjoy my snaps. SPL
