We had a Border Collie whose name was Lucy. She was the ‘dog’ of my husband’s life! When we drove through England we stopped when we saw a man and his Collies playing ball in the front yard of the farm. Border Collies everywhere, it seems, love to play ball. Next while in Scotland, we saw a Border Collie trials, doing their work and herding the sheep. The dog with the most faithful discipline and listening skill was the winner. We also went to a farm that raised Border Collies and saw the training of these incredible animals. The young pups were introduced to herding with ducks and geese. Then we saw the older trained dogs work, herding. I tell you this in case, you too might be in the British Isles and also love these dogs. It is not in the guide book, and David was most persistent, asking most everywhere we went if anyone knew of where we could visit working dogs . His persistence was rewarded.
Just a little background. . . . Border Collies are continually named the “Smartest Dogs” on the planet. Well you might wonder, how are dogs tested for IQ? Great question and I have an answer! I dark blanket is put over the dog and time is counted until the dog escapes! Border Collies are always first, German Shepherds are second and Standard Poodles are third. Lucy, we estimated, had the vocabulary of a 2-3 year old child. She didn’t speak obviously , but she understood and she demanded both a huge amount of exercise and having her mind challenged . We would hide the ball upstairs and she would “find it !”
So this post is for Lucy , who enriched our life and is long gone to doggy heaven. I also found this lovely Irish farmer with his wit and stories to show you these incredible dogs. . . . . working!
Where has our dream gone of a country governed for and by the people? Why has our vision disappeared? It is just accepted now that we can’t do anything to change Washington or the politicians.
There is an election in just two weeks and the interest is minimal according to the pollsters. Just this year we have seen that India had an unprecedented 65% of eligible voters vote, standing in line for hours to participate in the greatest duty of a citizen living in a democracy. The people rose up and elected “their” candidate and ousted the Congress party that had been in power since the late 40’s when India became independent. That was May 2014.
In September , 2014 there was a referendum for an independent Scotland. There was 85% eligible voter turnout! Promises for additional devolved powers were made by the English Prime Minister if Scotland would vote “No” for Independence. The vote was 45% Yes and 55% No. Guess what? The politicians that “Promised” more autonomy to Scotland are now back pedaling and giving all sorts of reasons to be unable to fulfill their promises. What are the Scots doing? Are they just accepting that this is politics and their dream is unfulfillable ? No, there are rallies, court cases, and strong leaders stepping up to be the drivers of the dream. All possiblites of irregularities in voting and even outright cheating is being investigated. They accept they have hit a road bump, but they are speeding ahead after recovering from the disappointment of the vote.
Now to the United States. . . . what % of eligible voters participate here ? According to Pew Research the voting in an off year election when the president is not up for election or reelection is 37% (2010). On the last year of presidential election (2012) , a mere 54% of voters participated.
People need to be informed and educated voters and then vote, tell your politicians of your needs, get involved or we may wake up one morning and this “grand experiment” of democracy in the United States of America will be over !
The Giant’s Causeway is considered by many as the 8th natural wonder of the world! It lies on the north eastern tip of Ireland on the Irish Sea. And it is the most popular tourist attraction in Northern Ireland. It is an official UNESCO site of World Heritage. When you see it, you will instantly understand. There are 40,000 interlocking basalt hexagonal columns all natural in composition and placement.
We climbed and walked rather gingerly over the stones. Such a contrast to say the Parthenon in Athens with the tape keeping visitors out of the ruins that have lasted thousands of years. The Irish invite adventure!
Scientists explain the causeway as intense volcanic rock that is 50 million years old. But the local legend is that it was built by a giant, Finn McCool! I much prefer the Irish magician giant story. And after all there is proof with one formation a giant’s boot, no less. Finn built the causeway so he could walk across the sea to Scotland without getting his feet wet. The Scottish giant is Benandonner. There are similar rock formations 75 miles away at Fingal’s Cave in Scotland. This video is a clip from the myth of Finn McCool. I bought a copy to share with the kids in Arizona. . . . expanding their education of other cultures. It is is just minutes and I think it is great, but that is the opinion of an elementary teacher, after all!
A clip from the Legend of Finn McCool
And there is more to the Causeway . . . over the hills with a moderate walk there is a simple suspension bridge called Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge.
Is that not amazing? The history is that salmon fisherman started building bridges 350 years ago to get over to that rock because the best salmon were caught from there.
No one has ever fallen from the bridge, but some people have to be rescued by a boat after they cross once but are frozen by fear to return. I walked both ways but most admit to crossing both ways with my eyes shut tightly! Crazy, I know. Heard that before!
As we ate our proper Irish breakfast in the small dining room of our B&B, I struck up a conversation with the woman who had come and cooked for us. While I am always happy to share my story, I love talking to people , learning their life as well. She started telling us rather tenuously about her family’s life during “The Troubles.” She recalled the Sunday morning of “Bloody Sunday” when she was a wee girl. Her older brother had set out for the center of town and he never came home again. Tears filled her eyes as she remember that adored older brother. She was careful not to say negative things about the English and always to call the history of Derry using “The Troubles” She remembered the pain and tears of her mum at losing her oldest son. This was our introduction to the life of the Irish Catholics in Derry.
As we prepared to go back into town , she strongly suggested that we take the bus tour to hear more history and visit a special place outside the wall. David, who shuns those tours usually , was curious and agreed.
We learned about the Tower Museum and the beautiful Guild Hall, but it was when we headed to the Bogside that the powerful story of Derry began for us. Here was the ghetto where the poor and disenfranchised Catholics had live at the time “The Trouble” began.
The guide, who was recounting Derry’s history, was a proper Irish storyteller. His words and stories quickly brought tears to my eyes. We were sitting on the top of the double decker bus and he could see my emotion. He told of the beginning of “The Troubles” in August 1969 when there was a multi-day riot in the Bogside , the cramped Catholic housing project, that lead to 3 years of autonomous rule called “Free Derry” which is shown in the opening sketch.
Then on January 30,1972 the Bogside Massacre or Bloody Sunday took place. Twenty-six bystanders were shot and killed by the soldiers of the British Army who by now had to called to get the situation in Derry under control. The guide told us we were on our way to see the murals that had been painted on the side of the projects to “always remember” that tragic day. One is the picture is of a 14 year old girl who had stepped into her back garden and was gunned down with a shot to her forehead. You will see her in the video below. By now, I was very emotional and asked my husband why we didn’t know about all this in America? He said, “Well Anne, there was lots we were dealing with in the US during the 60s and early 70s.”
Arriving in Free Derry. the bus slowly drove through so the passengers could see the history in the murals.
Today, the Bogside, low income housing project has been redeveloped, the original murals have been cleaned and restored, and some new murals with the “peace” theme rather than the struggles through fighting and death are pictured. But this is still a place for Civil Rights pilgrims to visit, remember,and be inspired.
What did those long ago Catholic residents want that forced them to lay down their lives? Sadly, the list is familiar: they wanted one vote for one man and not the forced groups the English had formed. England was afraid of losing Derry because there were many more Irish Catholics in Derry than Irish Protestants. The majority wanted better housing and better jobs. Sound familiar? England didn’t want to lose power. That too sounds familiar today !
That night as we were walking back to our B&B, one of the friendly Irishmen stopped us. He thanked us for visiting and wanted to know if we had enjoyed his city! We enthusiastically answered in the affirmative. He asked one favor. He wanted us to encourage other travelers to visit and learn in Derry about her history and thus the history of us all . . . . the desire and need by people everywhere for self-determination.
I have told people who have planned a trip to Ireland but today I feel I am truly fulfilling this promise .
A visit to Derry will change your life!
Here is the song and video where U2 has commemorated “Bloody Sunday” . This Irish band known for its deep faith and love of Ireland has many political songs, but this is at the top of their list as most political.
I would love to hear your reaction to the history of the Bogside in Derry !
Derry or Londonderry was to be a night stopover on our way to the Giant’s Causeway when we were in Ireland in the summer of 2010. What a surprise to have it worm its way into our hearts. David plans our trips as to not waste a moment. I whine that I am tired and he says, “Anne, you can rest and sleep at home!” Later, remembering the amazing sites we visit , I am glad.
We stayed almost exclusively in B&B during our time in Ireland. David booked them on line and there were no bad experiences. I love talking to people who live where we are visiting, having them recommend places to see and experience and to have at least a home cooked breakfast in the morning.
We stayed in a simple home row house on the outside of the walled entrance to Derry. I don’t have a picture or even the name of the sweet woman who was our hostess. Our room was on the third floor , only accessible by very old and windy stairs. There was no fire escape! After, washing up and heading out for the city, the hostess asked us our plans. The architect said, first we were going to walk the top of the wall around the city. Derry is very special and quite famous as one of the only intact medieval walled cities in all of Europe.
We set out to head for the nearest of the four gate entrances to the city.
The ancient medieval walls cradle and protect the center city.
This image shows the hills in the center of the city.
Here is a map of the walled city of Derry.
Because this is an old drawing, you can’t see the new city which today surrounds the walls from the other side. The 17th century wall is intact, and the height, thickness and age of it are remarkable. Construction was begun in 1613 an completed in 1618.
The stairs on the wall walk show you the change of incline as you circle the hills of the city.
You can see the width of the wall !
I found this video celebrating Derry the first cultural city of Britain. It gives some flavor of the city.
Tomorrow , I plan to post about Bogside and the heart of the matter of “Bloody Sunday” in the history of Derry.
19 Offbeat Signboards That You’ll Find Only In India
OCTOBER 11 , 2014
Signboards are usually a very dull affair. “Don’t do this.” “Please do that.” “Go Slow/Go Fast.” But of course, this is India. The signboards have to be as crazy, weird and awesome as the country itself. Here are just a few. 1. “CAUTION! All Girls high School Ahead. Walk really freaking slowly.”
2. “Spend freely. You’ll learn how to earn automatically.”
3. “Please don’t turn the monkeys into beggars. It is illegal to feed the monkeys.”
4. “Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. Please use Gubbara (Condom).”
5. Here’s an Indian telling it how it is.
6. “Timings for kissing in the park are as follows:
Morning: 5 a.m. to 8 a.m.
Evening: 5 a.m. to 8 p.m.”
7. “Getting your dog to poop in front of your neighbor’s house is strictly prohibited. – RWA”
8. Looks like someone trolled the Hyderabad Police.
9. “No parking. Or else, penchar.”
10. “Emraan Haraami.”
11. “This place is being monitored by CCTV cameras. Those who spit here will be beaten mercilessly. Then, they will be punished.”
12. “Peeing is prohibited here. If caught, the person will be insulted and disgraced.”
13. Classy…
14. “Pay 5 Rupees for address inquiries.”
15. “Please don’t make offerings/donations here. This is a private temple. God gives us money in the first place. So don’t try to bribe God.”
16. “Please wait after ringing the bell. The guy who’ll help you will come walking. He can’t really fly.”
17. Guess there will be no bargaining here.
18. “Drink Jagodhari, you will get bravery.”
19. Okay. There is no way I can translate this without taking the fun out. But there could be no better sign off than this.
This post is specially for teachers, retired or current, parents and grandparents of children in the United States. The documentary is 39 minutes long, but worth the clear presentation of this new education initiative in the US. These questions are answered:
1. Why was it kept secret in its formation and implementation?
2. What was Bill Gates’ part ?
3. What is the difference of state/local standards verses national standard?
4. Who was involved in producing standards with the goal of making every child college or career level ready upon graduating of 12th grade?
5. What was Race to the Top? Why were states desperate for funds?
6. Goals of more charter schools, improved teacher evaluations, and higher standards are a good thing, right?
7. Who benefits financially from Common Core?
8. States and local communities had the control of local schools until the rise of Common Core? Is this better? Were teachers included in the the planning?
This is dedicated to my Onondaga family and the pride I have in their many contributions including peace, Lacrosse, and gentle leadership in both the Iroquois Nation, and their second home nation, the United States of America. (To read this great blog, just click on the link below, please. I have no doubt you, like me, will learn “the rest of the story” that we weren’t taught in school. )
Mraz is an American singer, songwriter who began his career in Coffee Houses in the San Diego area of southern California. His style is heavily influenced by Brazilian music.
Mraz explained the track, in a “track-by-track” commentary for Billboard:
“‘I Won’t Give Up’ was written selfishly. As many of my songs are, I write for the purpose of understanding what the hell’s going on in my life, my position in the world, processing that lesson and that miracle that I’m learning. Seeing it on the page, proving to myself that I understand the lesson, that I’m applying it to my life, and that I can move on. Ultimately it was about, you know, regardless of what happens in this relationship, I don’t have to give up on loving this person, or loving myself, or give up on whatever my dreams are. Even though its written through the filter of relationships, it’s not necessarily specific for relationships. For me, the true meaning exists in the bridge saying ‘I don’t want to be someone who walks away so easily, I’m here to stay and make a difference.’ That is for all of us. We all have something that we’re fighting for or that we’re striving for. Whether we want to coach our soccer team to victory or lose five pounds in a month, whatever it is, there’s nothing too small worth fighting for and there’s nothing too big worth going after.”[3] From Wikepedia
As I checked my folder for Music Monday selections, this brought tears through it’s haunting music and gentle words. Thank God for the gift of music that can say what is on our heart and also touch others in different places where they are.
This beautiful acoustic folk ballad encourages us to:
*not give up loving someone
* not give up on ourselves
* not give up on our dreams
There are people who think ballads sentimental nonsense, but to me the story and emotion speak inspiration.
TalesAlongTheWay 