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General Travel

POTD 249/365 – Crossroads Shack

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Many friends surprised me for my 40th birthday, brought together by Kath.

See pulled the same trick on my 30th in Wilmington, NC.

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General Travel

POTD 247/365 – What Not to Do with Your Friend’s Motorcycle

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I almost ended up in this stream when I slipped while crossing a short bridge, rode sideways for a bit, and somehow hung the bike over the edge, balanced on its shifter. All in the pouring rain. Alone.

Eventually, Wisch and Dave rode to my rescue, but by then, the bike was already in the water.

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General

POTD 246/365 – Praying Mantis

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Upside down, in our porch light.

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General

POTD 245/365 – Overton Park Figure 2

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Another of the figures as you enter the park.

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General

POTD 244/365 – Overton Park Figure 1

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This figure is kinda hidden as you enter the park.

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General

POTD 243/365 – Ghost Bike

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This is part of a Ghost Bike protest in Memphis, for a bicycle rider that got hit by a car and killed recently.

The city is trying to decide whether to add bike lanes to a long stretch of Madison Avenue.

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General

POTD 242/365 – Sunflower Head

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End of the line, after all the seeds are gone.

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General

POTD 241/365 – Porch Ceiling

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Sitting in the hammock, enjoying the thunderstorm.

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General

POTD 240/365 – Sandals

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From Lucky and his mom, Christina. Thanks to the Hansons for a lovely, fun evening!

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General Travel

POTD 238/365 – Dublin Cathedrals

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After a crosstown bus from Dun Laoghaire to Phoenix Park, we spent our waning hours in Ireland basking under a cool, dripping sky and staring up with wonder at two of Dublin’s most historic churches, St. Patrick’s and Christ Church Cathedral.

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General Travel

POTD 237/365 – Dun Laoghaire

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Kath and I took the DART lightrail down to the seaside suburb of Dun Laoghaire (pronounced dun-LEERY).

It was a beautiful afternoon, and we walked the harbor wall and climbed a hill to see some of the old churches, one of which has been turned into a mariner’s museum.

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General Travel

POTD 236/365 – Trinity College

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This is a tower in the Commons area.

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General Travel

POTD 235/365 – Ireland’s National Museum

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This free exhibit was fascinating and a great bookend on many of the things we saw circling the island.

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General Travel

POTD 239/365 – Dublin Bikes

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These stands with bikes available for easy and cheap rent are spread throughout Dublin.

Many cities have them now, but I hadn’t seen an easy hire system like this up close.

We saw these bikes being used all over, by tourists and Dubliners alike.

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General Travel

POTD 234/365 – Dinner in Dublin

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Kath and I enjoyed a tasty dinner at the historic Bewley’s.

Yeah, I hadn’t heard of it before, either, until I got to Dublin. Apparently, it is Joyce’s Ulysses, as apparently about half the town.

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General Travel

POTD 233/365 – Grafton Street, Dublin

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This is the main shopping district in the Irish capital city, a great place for people-watching on a cloudy, drizzly Saturday.

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General Travel

POTD 232/365 – Millifont Abby

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This site, only 35 miles north of Dublin, was constructed in the mid-12th century as the first Cistercian structure in Ireland, and it heralded the beginning of Continental architecture on the island.

Now, little remains other then this lavabo, an octagonal building where the monks washed up.

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General Travel

POTD 231/365 – Belfast

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We had a fun time exploring Belfast this afternoon, from a drink at the historic Crown Bar, to strolling through the Botanic Gardens and Queens University, and then seeing a parade for Irish Special Olympians at Victoria Market.

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General Travel

POTD 230/365 – The Troubles in Derry

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Kath and I went on a Bogtown walking tour in Derry, given by a member of the IRA. Very interesting.

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General Travel

POTD 229/365 – Dunluce Castle

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The Count of Anytime lived in this castle, perched on a crumbling ledge overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, until a stormy night in 1639, when the kitchen and several servant collapsed into the sea.