Bramble Time

We are back and it is already April!! I hope you did a great April's fool on someone. Sadly I forgot or Leo could tell you of how he totally fell for my awesome prank >:) Jeez, I can't even remember what was going on last time I wrote one of these things. One moment while I use my Tardis...right! On with the show!

St. Patrick's day was a good time. Last year we went down to Dublin so this year we thought it would be fitting if we went to Belfast. It was a smaller crowd I thought and the parade wasn't as long but I thought the parade was better than Dublin's. Theirs was way too long! Another difference was that there were actually Irish people at this parade. Most of the people at the parade were families that live here out for a family day rather than the rowdy crowd of foreigners in Dublin. It was like being in an international airport that has stops from all over the world. All you could hear around you were people yelling in different languages. There were also a lot more people wearing or decorated in the tricolor flag(the Irish flag) in Dublin. In Belfast they were handing out green flags with shamrocks on them. Flags cause problems in Belfast. In fact after the parade some hooligans burned the English flag and it started trouble. 33 people ended up arrested and one girl had to be taken to the hospital. We were long gone by then so don't worry about us :) My Leo is good at keeping us safe :)

After the parade we watched the little concert thing they put on. They had some Irish and Scottish dancing as well as some traditional music. A video of it can be seen here. It was a swell time. I liked this St. Patrick's Day better than last years :) Irish people don't usually do much to celebrate St. Patrick's day because it's the day that their patron saint died. It use to be a dry holiday but I doubt it is now. Also, I think I mentioned this last year but Irish people don't eat corned beef and cabbage, wear green, or pinch each other if they aren't wearing green. You mention any of these things to an Irish person and they will just look at you like the three eyed, purple American that you are. 

A REAL St. Patty's Meal

Sad days happened shortly afterwords and Mick's grandmother passed away. After her very lovely service Mick, Lou, Leo and I went for a walk around Mount Stewart. It is a very pretty place and I'm sure it is even more amazing in the summer. One thing you will find out when you are around trees with a lumberjack is that they really do know their stuff about trees. They also know a lot about bushes. I wouldn't be surprised if they knew a thing or two about grass as well. Eh, eh! ;D

One thing I have never really understood completely is that Leo calls Subarus Scoobys. I think it is because Subaru sounds like Scooby Doo but I don't really know. It's one of life's Irish mysteries.

Mount Stewart - A Day out with a Lumberjack

That same day we got a letter in the mail saying that while the Home Office is processing my application I am legal to get a job. Wahoo! I might think I'm crazy later for saying this but I am so excited to work again!! :D Last week we went to a job fair at Newcastle down by the Mourne Mountains. It was great and both of us found jobs to apply for. Hopefully we will have plenty of this "irish luck" and get jobs soon. Leo would love a new job. 

We hope all of you had a fantastic Easter. We didn't do a lot but we had a great time together. Everyone was getting in the Easter spirit, except Lilja. She seemed to be obsessed with foxes. Have a look and see for your self just click here. As much as I know Leo would like to take credit, he has admitted that he has nothing to do with her obsession with foxes.

Also I got my hairs cut! Horray!! They gather in groups, encircling one another with long tendrils and razors, as if to claw their way to the top. Where they sit does not really matter, not when they have teeth jutting out extending in every direction. Unsuspecting pray come, drawn by the sweet scents of the dark juices. Coming too close allows them latch onto their pray. Where they sit does not matter at all because they all get the chance to stick their sharp spines into the flesh of the latest catch. Struggling and quick movements cause slicing of skin and deep piercing into limbs. Pray never escape unharmed and most take with them small broken fractures of the razor sharp claws. These beasts of old never loose, and that is why you do not fight a Bramble.

Stupid iPad died a horrible death so I’m writing on a freaking phone... 

Ok, so that time of year has come again. Circuit of Ireland Rally!! Woop woop! As you probably all know that this country is famed for booze and motorsport. There's not much else I think this country does. Well if you think of any let me know. Oh oh! I forgot natural beauty. Apart from the people by irish women faired high in poles that were conducted, but Irish men on the other hand faired poorly on the same pole. So all that said kai got her first taste of a rally stage on the circuit, but I guess she didn't like it as she said she liked watching aircraft better. But what's better than standing a few feet from a drifting, farting, popping, 500 bhp rally car?! Sometimes we were a few feet too uncomfortable to said rally cars as they came round the hairpin bend as we were literally standing in a line if they failed the turn we would be wiped out by said 500bhp rally beast. I think she also finally understands I call Subaru scoobys too, but she also said the cars were far two loud. Goodness me! The sound is like bliss peace and quiet :-) the smell is quite nice too with petrol, and the odd tyre burning smell that's quite the opposite, but all that said its an experience for Kai as most people in the world wont ever get that close to a drifting 500bhp rally car from the international stage, and even national stage. I could just imagine karcie being the co-driver navigator - oh sh*t sh*t stop the car , 30 right over crest oh crap, that id pay to see :-) oh I forgot to mention if you want to see newtownards well a good portion of it with rally cars and even me and Kai check out this link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8MDirMfGDw  Circuit of Ireland TT/power stage and also my pics below which coulda done with a tad faster shutter speed. It’s a little sad to say but this is probably the last time I’ll see a rally before moving off to America and getting stuck with boring America football. On another note, if they keep up the live streaming like they did this year or with eurosport tv channel I’ll still get to see it, but sadly not in person :-) 

I would also like to congratulate Mick as he won a tree surgeon modeling competition and got himself published worldwide see the pic below in the magazine. Congrats mick I wish you well in your future endeavors in your modeling career.

We have also been to Mount Stewart estate. Probably one of the richest family’s in Ards, they pretty much own Ards lol. Their estate is managed by a charity called the National Trust. They have these famous formal gardens, big ass house, a lake, lots of woodlands, and pretty stuff overlooking Strangford lough. I think there formal gardens have won lots of awards but I’d have to check with Mick as he use to be a volunteer there and a place he began his journey into tree surgery and tree loving. I really do think this place has a wee special place in his heart. He is also a self confessed tree hugging hippy but hopefully you all think this place is as beautiful as me, Kai, Micky bo and his wifey think it is. It defiantly deserves a visit! If your ever in the area!                

Iv seen the new canon 5d mark 3 goodness me I wish I had a better paying job. It costs almost 3k Its so much nicer than my grainy 600d. I was looking at also getting external square type filters for my camera. Especially for long exposure work and gradual filter the light, as to be honest most of my pics have been taking without any filters. I’ve been looking at lee filters 100mm system as it seems to have a better grow with the person with the camera more upgradable and the likes and for what it is can be considered pretty expensive too but I think its a worthy investment.    

We did go to a job fair in a town called Newcastle at the foot of the Mourne mountains, which was in this pretty spectacular hotel called donard hotel or some shit named after the highest peak of the mournes. Anyway, kai got to meet people from Norbrook labs and randox labs and has since applied to both and plenty of other jobs, but hope to here something back soon. Tho getting a job here is pretty much about luck its not an easy task to get a job here at all in any work sectors and most people these days are getting put on stupid 0 hour contracts which literally disregards employment rules legally. On a good note, all minimum wages go up this October again to near 7 quid an hour probably 11-12 dollars but I’m not sure.  

Then I’ve also applied for another job. The company is looking trainee software developer. I also talked to them at the jobs fair and the guy said I sound like someone they are looking for tho they are looking for people that have completed hnc/hnd in software dev, but I do get my cert hopefully this summer :-) but what I think is going for me is that I am also doing a degree, but we will see as apparently there's lots of applicants I should find out by the 10th if I have even been called for an interview.

The other day I was talking with an owner of an animal charity/registered zoo mainly for birds of prey who were looking for a desktop pc to be donated to them still no joy for that, but I have donated an old macbook pro for there traveling displays across schools and various other things for education. Turns out I might end up being one of there volunteer staff tho the place is just staffed by volunteers. Talking with the guy, he is looking for someone with my particular skill set with software development and even web design. Mostly just updating the site and developing wee add ons and things, but they also said they would put me through certain academic training to get certified with birds of prey and such so that's pretty cool with plenty of photo opportunity’s. It is pretty nice to get offered that kinda thing only for a semi-regular basis like once every two weeks but it does add more certs to my CV, and a little experience too which I do lack in as I’m still training but I do think it is a wonderful chance to gain experience and to help such a wonderful place I’ll keep use updated with this one to see how it all pans out when I speak with the guy in person over the coming week. The only downfall is its situated, 30 mins from Belfast but I do have a wee motor so it should be too bad :-)