Workhouse burial pits

A new phone (not quite and upgrade) and GOT's

Of recent weekends I've been watching Game of Thrones on Youtube. And speaking as a history and classics grad I'll say I can't think of one culture and her sagas they haven't shamelessly ripped off. But I will say this, there hasn't been a darn thing made in the last 10 years for TV or cinema that comes within an asses roar of its quality.
Now I thought it would be back to back sex and killing. And there's not doubt there's both in abundance, but both fit the line of the story and only enough to tell the story. nothing like some cop drama.
Of all the interlocking characters, the one that's most three dimensional is that played by Peter Dinklage, Tyron Lannister. Almost Hamlet.
Now most of the rest of the older actors can act whatever is needed be it Hamlet's uncle, Othello or King Lir. The younger ones are a bit caught in a catch 22, between sex and violence. Or they've yet to get in their acting ability beyond their sexuality.
But all in all a darn good show.

Before Christmas 2016 I bought a phone and from the day I got it it wasn't correct. Well anyway it spend about 10 months going back and forth to Germany. Only for them to accept that enough was enough, I had a dud and they sent me a new one. It's a bit of an upgrade, but older than the one I had. It has a better camera, and a bigger memory. Now I'm kinda torn. I could really push for the legal requirement is for the same or better, not older, when replacing an item.
       

Irises.

Country Industry

Wild Cherry

Clematis Montana

Coffee; A confession.

I am fully committed to coffee. Indeed so much so that I've lordy alone knows how many ways I can get the stuff into myself.
One tool I lusted after was a burr grinder but I really couldn't spend the €70 about $100. Well that's not true. I could spend it what I couldn't do was justify it to myself.
The burr grinder crushes the bean slowly and so cold. Meaning you have a better result from the coffee. Now I've had the purchase in mind for the better part of 15 years and never pulled the trigger, and still haven't. But neither did I buy a normal spice coffee spinning thingy for €12 thinking as I did that since I was going to buy the Burr at some point and wouldn't it be a waste.
So, in one of the usual things with me when the €12 grinder was reduced to €8 I said I'll get it. And now I'm kicking myself that I didn't go earlier.

German update

Dear deers and a commentry on current disconnect.

Note I am well aware of the irony of what will follow.

After I went back to the car from the Royal Magazine Fort I spotted a herd of deer that live in the park.

 

 

 

Dublin and a terrible place

I was up in Dublin to collect my pictures from the RHA. Since I went before Jessy's walk I decided to bring her for a run in the Phoenix Park. Thinking also I might go to the Zoo as I was at it. The latter i nixed since there was no parking. But I did take her for a walk in the main park itself.
The Park was a royal enclosure and housed the houses of the main officers of the British administration in Ireland

The biggest was the viceroy's lodge, now housing the president of Ireland. The next in size was the chief secretary lodge, now the house of the US ambassador to Ireland.  But the point I'm making is the shading. These were designed to be interlocking killing ground blocking the western approach to Dublin. But should these be overcome the Magazine Fort was the place to retreat. The park is about 1800 acres, give or take a few.

It was down by the magazine Fort I took Jessy. Now I must say I've been to the PP a few times before. I was at the Zoo as a child and I've driven through. Still I'd never really explored. So it was with a some shock that I found a truly engineered landscape. So much so that I a trained landscaper was left wondering what was truly natural and what was made ground.
Usually when man/woman sculpts ground attempting a 'natural' enhancement they end up with something too curved or too angular. But there was little doubt in the area around the fort for every inch was a killing ground. And filled with traps and funnels.

 
  The people playing there had little idea that 100, 150, 200 years ago they were under the guns of the fort.

The profile you see from below is just the very top of the wall, the plastered bit. And for scale that is Jessy down in the Haha.

Sous Vide update

I suppose the hint was in the name. Without air might actually mean just that.
Anyway I thought I can't just leave another electrical appliance designed for cook to fester in some corner and then to end up after a few years of delusional thinking in the recycling at the what we used to call dump, now facility. So I bought a sealer and the cooking plastic. And while I'm never going to niks the BBQ or the grill, boiling in a vacuum bag will become a feature.
It works, but not as I thought with big joints, but with cuts less than an inch. Then the cooking time depends on how one likes it, you know rare, to well done. While with a joint the time expands with a square, or probably cubed in truth. But you can cut the joint into slices, seal the serving and cook the joint that way in an hour.  

In other news.
I'm a member of the local camera club, on the committee in fact. Anyway we were asked to photograph the cast of a play being put on in May. And I truly haven't met a group quite so unfriendly in a very long time. Since we were being asked to do this gratis by a member of the club and about 10 of the club turned up I don't get their attitude. I think I would describe it as un-engaged. Anywoo, it left a rather ugly taste in my mouth.

I didn't get into the RHA show this year either. Blast them :-). So I have to drive to Dublin on Saturday.

I'm holding an exhibition in July this year in the Main Guard. A better time I feel. And I can put the three from the RHA into it.

I have another blog opened at http://vincent-hannon-art.blogspot.ie/ for art stuff. I had a web page for a few years having followed the current trends to have a 'store online' but it was the greatest waste of money so I went back to blogger.

I can't get Sage/Jeff's work blog to nest on my page foe some reason.