Sunday, January 20, 2013

Views of New York....



Looking into my photo file I have put together a collection of not your usual angles on views of New York.   You might have fun working out some of the locations where the photos were taken.






























This is Rosa.
Rosa is a WONDERFUL New York Story.  For over 30 years she has been a street vendor on 32st Street, across from Madison Square Garden.  - She is also a great adviser on head wear!
But more.  Her two children would join her after school and do their home work under the table. Clearing a good spot for learning; her son is now a doctor and her daughter a lawyer.... Is that a true New York story or what!









And last but NOT least,  Tyke my ´former` cat.  Now 14 1/2 and still thriving and bossing every one around in the Long Island City Vets - his home since 2008.

Sunday, January 13, 2013

The Fine Sport of Wellie Racing finally comes to the Heart of Europe!



Well folks there you have it.  Yes, a momentous start to 2013 indeed, because --- wait for it... YES.... wellie racing can now be experienced right bang in the middle of Europe! YES YES YES!  

Read on for the exciting details...

A Report on the First Ever Wellie Race in the Middle of Europe.  Posted from St. Gallen, Switzerland. 

As President Michael D. himself said, if ye can´t get to the Gathering, bring the Gathering to you!  So on January 1st. 2013, simultaneous and at the same time as the wellie race in Castlecomer, a wellie event took place under the Santis Mountain in Switzerland,  only a Kazensprung  - not a stone´s throw as ye non-German speakers might say, from St. Gallen  in Switzerland. 

 Now we all know de lads in Powley Vale are very high cultured well read sort of chaps, so they would know all about St. Gallen.  But a lot of the rest you might need to be reminded that St. Gallen was founded by a friend of St. Columbanus way back in 612 A.D.  So it was felt, naturally, a wellie race was the most fitting way to end the year long celebrations of the1400 anniversary of the founding of this UNESCO designated world cultural site.

There was a lot of ´wanna be´participants  in this the First Ever Wellie Race in the Middle of Europe who were automatically eliminated from the race, because their footwear did not comprise of what would be described as the  dictionary definition of a ´wellie`.  For example there were a few who insisted on wearing warm leather boots, but it was made very clear to them if they and their feet were not going to be freezing in wellies like the rest of us, then they could not participate.  Likewise a few smart a-ses wore what appeared to be wellies, but on closer inspection, their footwear was found to comprise of runners and leggings.  A few more turned up with wellies alright, but they wanted to race with their skis on too.  And one boyo had wellies tied onto his snowmobile and caused a great rumpus when he was told he could not participate.  Fortunately a Swiss Ban Garda took him in hand in no time. 

So even if due to the aforementioned ´logistical´ issues the number of participants in the First Ever Wellie Race in the Middle of Europe, in St. Gallen, Switzerland was ´a tad´ lower than the numbers participating in the Castlecomer race, Germany, Switzerland, the county of Clare and the townland of Coolgrange were well represented none the less.  

The winner in the under 50s age group was 5 yr old Martina Kretz age (she of Swiss-Co.Clare origins), closely followed by her sister Mary age 6.  Interestingly the over 50s prize went to their father Guido, mother Ann - who is responsible for the Clare connection in the Kretz-Broggy  family came in not too far behind.   So the Kretz family left their mark indeed on the St. Gallen Wellie Race at  Moos, 9116 Wolfertswil.  The winners all received a bag of Taytos, flown in from Ireland especially for the big event*.  It was felt Guido Kretz looked far too young for a man over 50, so he had to produce his birth cert to prove he was before he got his bag of Taytos. 

 The prizes were presented by Herbert Ehinger of Germany, who it must be acknowledged, took great care to ensure that no harm came to the bags of Taytos before the big prize giving event.




(*Regarding the Taytos; what with Switzerland´s stringent rules on importing foods and all,  nobody knows nothin´ and can´t remember anything either,  about how the bags of Taytos got flown from Ireland and got smuggled into Switzerland).

Roisin Hausfrau January 2, 2013