Sunday, October 11, 2009

Spent the morning shooting part of the TV show "Three Men in a Boat" with the BBC. This particular episode will be shown on New Year's Day. Last year at Christmas time their program was the most watched on television, so everyone involved in today's production is quite excited.

All the "craziness" of the past week has been leading to today's filming. The late nights, lack of sleep, little food, no time off . . . . ALL of it, was worth it! To see the results of everyone's efforts, and have them appreciated, was tremendous.

The Limosine Draisine lives ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! And Kevin and Renee helped bring it to life.

Final test run, early morning, day of the filming at Ballyhandy (secret-until-now location). Renee is taking the photo. Louis is on one bicycle, Greg and Kevin are checking tire alignment.


















The Limosine Draisine (what we named this rail bike) was a "secret project." Everything involvied in the building of this rail bike was done by a small circle of people, on the hush-hush, in preparation of this filming. Politics were involved, the details of which I cannot reveal, that thankfully failed to hamper production. There was so much involved in this project that I am not at liberty to discuss. Please just enjoy the fruits of our labor in the photos and video. (Gentle reminder: double click on the photo and it gets huge.) It was a grrrrrrreat day!

A beautiful draisine! Renee applied four coats of mahogany stain to all the wood.

Even the bells work on these eighteen speed bicycles, which power the Limosine Draisine.
















This is a video:

Will try and upload later - cannot now.

The arrival of the Three Men in a Boat film crew.


















A "fun run" for the cameramen, sound man, and director before filming. They loved it!!!! They were like little kids - look at those smiles!


















A fun run for the director and soundman.


















Kevin with one of the 3 men crew, and Louis.


















That's me in the safari hat, watching the preparation.














































Renee trying to quiet children and keep their phones turned OFF.


















Actual filming:
































For more information on Three Men In A Boat, BBC, copy and paste this web address, sorry it won't connect directly:

http://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/news/roundup/articles/2009/10/08/391802

Last run of the day, for neighbor children who had gathered during the morning. This train track has been abandoned for more than ten years and when they heard the Limosine Draisine they came to investigate, and word spread quickly.

Hello out there loyal readers and friends. We miss you but we are really having a great time here.

We'd love to hear from you, but we haven't had any "comments" in a while.

So PLEASE send us a regular e-mail to kevsrq@gmail.com

or renee_p_c@msn.com

Looking forward to your replies.

Kevin and Renee

Saturday, October 10, 2009

We're still here! It's just been a crazy busy week, plus we had three days of no Internet access.

No time now to write (8:30 am), we're STILL going strong into this weekend of more continued craziness.

All will reveal itself in time. Wait until you see . . . . it has been worth all the effort, we're helping to make history . . . .

More later, just a quick update.

Monday, October 5, 2009

Beautiful sunny day ALL DAY today. It never got too windy and it never rained. Plus tonight there is a beautiful full moon in the night sky that we just observed from the "cat stone" at Uisneach.

Kevin and I were invited to join Greg and Sonja, who were taking Tomas, on the spur of the moment, for the short drive. We had learned about Uisneach (pronounced Ooosh-knock or Ishknock) before moving here from America, much to people's surprise.

When we left the lodge about 7:45 pm the sun had not yet set, nor the moon risen.

It was quite a vigorous walk uphill through the open fields, over gates in fences and around the cow patties, then down more hills and across more fields . . . . and well worth the effort. There are many points of interest at Uisneach but we were there for the cat stone and the palace site - the highest point of land. What a place! I can see why the kings chose to live here. For more information please visit: www.festivalofthefires.com














Gentle reminder . . . .
Click on any of our blog photos and they get BIGGER.

Luckily there was a huge full moon because we needed the light as it quickly became dark.

Our walk back to the jeep was by the light of the silvery moon and we actually lost our way momentarily.

The five of us were having such a great time. One time my knees became so weak from laughter I was afraid I was going to roll backwards down the hill we were climbing up!

Walking back in the dark took its toll though. My body sure felt the effects of all the jarring as we stepped blindly over rough terrain. By the time we reached home around 9:30 pm. it was Tylenol time. But what a beautiful, adventuresome evening.

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Big day today. Since we learned about them last week, Kevin and I have been looking forward to the Point to Point horse races in Castletown Geoghan, about three miles from here.














They take place in a farmer’s field, around an impromptu, one mile course of jumps and hills and straight aways. Sonja took us. Ten euro apiece (not per car) to enter. Quite an operation and very popular, you just drive through the gate, pay your fee then find a place to park anywhere you can. These point to point races take place all over Ireland. The purses are 800 - 1,000 euro for 1st place, with payoffs for 2nd, and to place.














Many bookies were set up under red umbrellas ready to take bets. Concession stands were scattered around the field, and races taking place elsewhere were being televised on a monitor.




























The first race began at 1:00 pm, the sixth and final race at 3:00 pm.










































We all watch the paddock of horses before each race, place a bet (or not), then trek up the hill for a good vantage point to watch the race as the horses run off into the distance, then circle around and over hurdles, before rounding a huge bale of hay and heading back towards the point where they began. Hence the name of the event, point to point.














Each race was three times around the one mile circuit. A real marathon of endurance, ending with a hurdle near the finish line. We saw two horses go down over this jump, but they both walked away unhurt (to our eyes).




























I picked the winner of the second race but did not have a bet down. Kevin picked the winner of the fourth race and did have a bet placed. His ten euro bet won him 27.50 euro.

















Kevin's bookie was also taking bets for the race at the Arch de Triump in France, comparable to the last leg of our Triple Crown. We heard later it was won by the favorite, See the Stars, a champion of champions racehorse!























We heard the crowd was not as large as expected (bad economy and all) and many trainers scratched their horses because the field was too hard. The weather was great until the end when it cooled off and became windy.

We actually left the races with more euro than when we arrived.
It was a fun afternoon.

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Today is a full day at the lodge for the gathering of people from South Africa. They will have the entire facility for the day with two tents of people staying overnight. Kevin and I will assist Greg in overseeing things "from a distance." This is also a birthday party for two adult women in the group.

The men of each family will be slow cooking their meals in a cast iron pot, over an open wood fire. So around 10:00 am we build our own fire pit to act as a community fire from which the men can take live, hot coals to "quick start" their own fires.

Kevin and Greg go off to the workshop to fashion a handle for Greg's cast iron pot and I meet, and greet the first arrival. Then I attend to the fire in the upstairs room of the lodge, fix myself a cuppa tea and read some books about deer farming and gardening.

I hear the jeep come roaring up with Greg and Kevin. The emu was out of the pasture, on the loose. Oh my! Kevin handed me the cell phone and took off in the jeep while Gregg hopped on the quad, and the chase was on . . . . Five minutes later I'm tending to our campfire when guest Bernard asks me, "Is that big bird over by the chicken coop is an emu?"

I quickly call Gregg, alert him, he returns, hands me slices of bread and instructs me to run up the trail, open the gate and coax the emu inside. As I'm jogging up the incline I'm remembering warnings about an emu's feet. I open the gate and notice other animals far off in the distance. I start calling to the emu and waving the bread. Amazingly, the emu begins to walk towards me and I reward him/her with a few slices then close the gate. TaDa!

Kev and Greg return with a pot full of venison, (with a beautiful new handle) and a need for potatoes. So, Kevin and I walk out to the garden and harvest some! Beautiful, little, new red potatoes. This was a new experience for Kevin, while it brought back fond memories for me of Bonnie Brae Farm. These potatoes, plus a few onions, were added to the now simmering pot of venison.










































Today was especially windy so we strung tarps around the barbecue area for added protection. We were hoping it wouldn't rain.

As more guests arrive, we inflate the bouncy pillows for the children. One American woman we meet has in-laws who live in Kensington Park, Sarasota, Fl. The world really is getting smaller.

The lodge soon becomes abuzz with activity and our Hunter's Stew is smelling delicious. I can't wait to try some. We pull a few bones out to see if the meat is falling away. It won't be long now.














The plan is to take the group out on Safari at 5:00 pm, so around 4:00 we eat. It was sure worth the wait. I filled my cup four times. The heat warmed my hands and the stew warmed my innards. Mmmmmmm good!

Brendan arrived to drive the tractor and then "All aboard." Kevin got to ride for the first time.














When we returned, Sonja had arrived and we discussed plans for tomorrow before excusing ourselves for the night. It was almost 7:00 pm when I hit the shower. Another long, fun day.

Dinner and a movie, then sweet dreams.

Friday, October 2, 2009














Misty weather this morning. Fed the Mommy hen and her baby chicks as I went out our door. Let Bonnie and Clyde (the dogs) out of their cave inside the courtyard and fed them breakfast. Fed Stripes, the barn cat. Walked into the pasture with one bucket of feed for the weanling deer, tapped on the side of it a few times until I got their attention, then walked into their barn and poured the feed into the trough for them. They are getting used to this procedure but are still too skittish to let me near them, or even in the same area, yet.

After a quick cup of tea and a bowl of Frosties, Kevin and I drive down to the lodge to feed the other critters.

First, Kevin feeds the two pot belly pigs, while I hop the fence to turn on the water for the heifers. Second, it's to the chicken corral. Biscuit meal in the trough while we open the gate to let the three geese walk out to spend the day in the grass. Kevin has them so well trained now, they no longer need wrangling, just an open gate. Thirdly, we take two buckets of feed to another pasture to feed other deer. Finally, hop the heifer fence and shut off their water, which is now full.

We drive back home where I take another bucket of feed out to the little deer. I try to do this several times a day, giving them just enough feed to taste, but not fill them up. I want them to associate my calling them with food in their barn. Hopefully, they will soon become calm with my presence.

Our recycling project beckoned us, then a quick lunch break. Now time to head to the lodge to finish preparations for the birthday party at 3:30 pm. Eleven nine year old boys and girls, what fun goin' be! Kevin and Sonja will cook while Greg, Brendan, and I take them on safari.














Waiting on the Safari train for guests to use the loo.














Kevin closing the gate behind us.














Llamas, jitneys, retired circus ponies and more.




























Red deer stag and hind.









































Celtic ogham stone, make a wish.














After their fish and chips, it's cake time.
We're all going to sleep well tonight.