Landfill = Rubbish

As usual, I'm sleepy. I must be getting used to it now though, because at least I'm trying to write. I want to tell you about Emily, and since I've already told my story to my mamma, I thought I could be cheap and copy/paste the chunk about her.

It was another crappy day at the landfill (which is where some of my research at work is done - or was done. I never have to do it again!!). I went for a wander to calm myself down after nearly telling the guy in charge that he was a fucking dickhead (which i informed him of at a later date).

On my wander around the landfill i saw a garden in the distance. Intrigued - I approached this wee oasis and noticed there was a small one room building looking over it and a low garden fence. As i rounded the corner to see the garden in full view i nearly took myself out on the gravel. There was a two foot tall owl with yellow eyes the size of shot glasses, there were three falcons and two eagles, all harnessed with leather straps around their feet on giant perches. Took me a while to realise that they use the birds to catch and scare pests in the sky and on the ground around the landfill.

They were just sitting quietly out there in the open, 3 feet from where i was standing. Cheesy (I know), but the first thing i saw was the owls eyes, only a couple of feet away. I literally got lost in them, he terrified me. He stared straight at me and hooted a wee bit, before his eyes started to droop one by one. Poor nocturnal birdy, could barely stay awake at midday. The other birds just watched and skipped around, occasionally acted as though they were gonna rip their straps and gouge my eyes out. Just as i turned to leave, their caretaker pulled up in her ute. unable to resist, i accosted her and asked about her babies.

Turned out Mr two-foot owl was just two and a half months old. He was a shitty bastard too, refused to bond with her as he hadnt been hand reared, but reared by an irreplaceable (probably equally as shitty) mother. Birdlady aka Sam illustrated this by leaning forward to stroke him, chuckling as he did his best to sink his beak into her fist. He was beautiful though and i am terribly curious to see if he will bond with Sam - Im sure he will, as the others seem to have a very affectionate relationship with her. The falcons were particularly affectionate, and Sam invited me in to meet Emily, the biggest there, but her favourite baby. Emily climbed gingerly onto Sams bare arm to get close for a cuddle, which was no mean feat with inch long claws. She was so incredibly careful to not hurt Sam that she forced me to rethink my disinterest (often distaste) for birds. Emily stroked and combed Sams hair with her beak (babies groom the elders in their natural hunting teams) and bowed low everytime Sam turned to pay attention to her (a sign of deep respect in the wild).

Sam told me that I could touch her and pick her up if i want to, that i should just knell alongside so that Emily could see that Sam and I were friends. So i knelt, and made Sam promise that Emily wouldnt bite. She shrugged. Usually i wouldnt go near things that bite, but its not often you are sitting so close to a giant falcon who is eyeing you curiously (thats her in the picture). So I reached out my hand slowly. Emily leaned forward and climbed onto my wrist (which couldnt hold her weight, so i had to rest it on the perch), she jammed her beak under Nans ring (the one i wear on my thumb) and tried to edge it off. Giving up on that she had a very gentle nibble on my hand before giving my hair a bit of a comb. Her feathers were really soft and lovely, she let me stoke her and reacted with almost catlike beak snuggles. I spent nearly an hour and a half with Sam and the birds. Sadly they didnt get to fly because the weather was so crap. But still, it was an awesome AWESOME experience.

Sucked I had to go back to the rubbish. But still, i could blame my absence on a furthered education.

Seriously dude. Falcons are the bommmbbbb. I've been welcomed back with whomever might like the bird to check on the 'bonding'. I cant wait to meet them again!

Nom Nom

Cove, Queenstown, Cobh

So after a ridiculous Saturday spent doing far too little for people who still have the function of their legs (thanks Ireland weather... again!), plans were made on Sunday morning to make an effort and head out of the City. Cobh was one of the nearby attractions that has been hanging out on our list of things to do for ages. The weather was looking pretty so-so in the morning so there was pretty low expectations that we'd get away without spending most of the time inside.
First stop, the Cork Coffee Company for a morning cuppa on the way to the train station. The mid-day train was pack-o-rama with tourists and day-trippers like ourselves but we still managed to get a seat, and plenty of the travellers were heading to Fota wildlife park. The train trip was fun, quick and fairly cheap compared to taking the Bus to nearby towns, quite a breath of fresh air to be able to travel without feeling gouged for once.

Spilling out into Cobh with the rest of the travellers we wandered blindly into the main street which was suprisingly lively with a street market in full swing. It didnt take us long to wander too far into the dead-zone of town though, so we turned back and made a bee-line for St Colmans' Cathedral.

A fairly average Church by Europe standards, but impressive none the less purched on the top of a steep cliff overlooking the town and the harbour. Back to the Mainstreet and we stopped for lunch and a pint at The Quay's. Sarah had the Salmon, I had the Battered Cod. It was fairly soggy for what was described as 'crispy batter' but filled a hole none the less.

Unexpectedly while we enjoying our post-lunch pint the largest Passenger Cruise ship in the world, The Independance of the Seas arrived at the Cobh wharf (an occurance that a little prophetic considering that Cobh was the last port of call for the Titanic). The entire town stopped to watch it swinging into harbour, take photos etc. I wouldn't be suprised if a good number of the people in town that day were there purely to see the big pretty ship in town (certainly the street market was hoping to cash in).

We made a quick dash back to the train station to try and escape the rush of the potential thousands of passengers suddenly swamping the town, but, like amateurs, missed the 2pm Train and had to wait another 2 1/2 hours for the next. We resigned to the fact that we should make an effort to visit the Cobh museam and read their fairly mundane poster-boards on the historic events of Cobh (The Titanic, The Lusitania and the last port of call for emmigrants during the famine). After a bit of wandering and staring with envy at the cabins on the side of the ship with balcony spa-baths, we decided that heading back to the pub for another pint while we wait was the best option to pass the time.

Some facts on the Independance of the Seas: 4300 passengers, 1360 staff, 15 decks, climbing wall, water park, ice rink, shopping street, etc etc. Looks like lots of fun but its a mystery why all the people on it were paying a minimum of 700 pounds to sail from Southampton to Cobh and back when they could pay a little extra for a 11-14 day cruise around the Med, each to their own I guess.
We took the train back, had some eats and went round to Andrea and Barbie's to watch Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. All in all a much more productive and satisfying effort than Saturday. Next weekend Londominium!
Che' Bro
Simon

Castle Palooza

So its been longer than just a while since I've blogged. Its work. I promise. Its not you. Its me. Im not used to working and as lame in length as my working days are compared to Annas, they knacker me big time. Anyhow, Im working through the pain. Time for an update.


The first weekend of August was a long-weekend and true to Si and I's lack of planning skills, come friday we still had not decided what to do. There was much discussion via email between Si, Andrea and Barby (when we all should have been working) as to what festivals were on, where we could road trip and what the weather was going to be like (the latter is easy to discuss - if you say 'raining' you have a 99% chance of being right).

Friends at work were all suggesting ideas for my weekend. People always have suggestions when you are foreign and need to get a bit of 'craic up yer'. Aisling was planning on heading up to Offaly to attend the Castle Palooza festival-
which was pricy but sounded just like the kinda irish craig simon and I liked to get up to. So, tickets were booked and plans were made. After a little research, we got the dig on stuff. The festival was held on the grounds of Charlesville Castle, and the Black Seeds from back home were booked in to play. YEaaahhhhh. Sounded GOOD!


Of course we had to buy tents, pretty gumboots, airbed pumps and the whole sha bang, which was entertaining (oh, how i love to spend money), and on Saturday morning (ish-afternoon-ish) we made the four hour trek through look-alike NZ country (only minus the McDonalds - much to my hungover disappointment) to Offaly. Which sounds digusting. I never did figure out if its connected in any way to Offal.


The journey there was exhausting, long, hot (sans rain - surprisingly) and once we arrived and parked in a dodgy and very muddy paddock, we waited in a queue of drinkers for the shuttle to take us through to the castle. Finally, through all the admin, we entered the property, past the towering gates and drove through the ten minutes of ancient oak forest. It was plently enough to take my breath away, but then I always do love foreign woods. They are so different everywhere you go, particularly when you are used to NZ forest which is dense and nearly impossible to even see through, let alone walk through.


The woods here were Robin Hood, vines the size of your arm and trunks the size of your car. The giant Oak at the gates lent out branches as long and thick as its trunk and looked like something that had grown out of Alice in Wonderland. It is reputedly the oldest Oak tree in the World at 700 years old. The castle and its grounds are supposed to be some of the most haunted in the world. The Oak was the Sacred Tree of the Druids and the castle boasts its own Druid's Initiation Circle and was a sacred ritual site.

The surroundings certainly fit the claims. If anywhere were to be haunted, it would be the Charleville Castle. Luckily, crowds make anything palatable and I dont remember being too afraid at any given time (though I might have had liquid courage in my favour).

The festival was much like any other, two days and two nights of booooooooooozy boogying and camp cooking. We had a great time and the castle forever made me draw my breath. For sure the coolest thing ever was the massive haunting castle looming over the crowds and stages. It was also cool that they lit the enormous oversized fireplaces inside the castle in the evenings and people were free to toast marshmallows and drink the night away if they werent in the mood for music.

Sadly, the Black Seeds didnt make it due to one of the guys' wife going into premature labour. Typical.


Anyhow, It was definately GAS CRAIC. I'd go again, perhaps next time with a bigger group of people- which would of
course mean planning.
Whos keen??

Nom Nom