Byddi Lee's Blog, page 17
September 21, 2016
Something a little fishy at the California Academy of Sciences
The California Academy of Sciences has been on my to-do list for about 8 years now and recently I was able to transfer that item to my to-done list. My fellow science nerd and great friend, Christal (of the Alcatraz swim) accompanied me up to San Francisco for the day's outing. She was keen to visit Claude the albino American Alligator.
The parking fairies favored me with free parking in a relatively close-by spot on John F Kennedy Drive between Music Concourse Drive and Conservatory Drive West.
A good spot to keep in mind if you are considering this science-nerd/child friendly excursion.
There's is a lot to see apart from biology/animal exhibits, but it was the animal exhibits that we enjoyed the most.
We had fun in the "Rain Forest" peering into glass boxes to spot the reptile or amphibian camouflaged against vegetation. The tiny orange "jelly bean" frogs went a long way towards curing me of my frog phobia. I could actually bear to watch them and would even go so far as to describe them as cute. Other bigger, greener frogs...not so much - they still made my skin crawl (sorry Kermit!)
We admired how well selected and put together the vegetation was too. That must be a fun job.
There were a couple of cocky parrots that spoke saying, "Hi there!" I thought it might be funny to teach them some swear words but thought better of it!
But it was the aquariums that stole the show.
Having done a fair bit of scuba diving in the past, I still love to watch coral communities, and their array of color never fails to amaze me!
The interactions and diversity is a real treat - we need to take care of these habitats and the California Academy of Sciences does a great job of raising awareness among the public.
Part of me wished I were in a wet-suit, listening to the hypnotic draw and gush of my breath through a regulator, suspended with perfect buoyancy control over this reef...just watching...
And yet another part of me was delighted to be standing in comfy clothes in a perfectly climate controlled room watching this through glass!
How adorable is this little hermit crab in his funky tri-colored shell? And these guys....
One thing to watch out for is the signs that ask you not to take pictures.
I'll admit that I missed a few, but thought it okay because I made sure to have my flash turned off.
The colors were great anyways.
But I was a little confused when some signs said you couldn't take any pictures at all. Surely if the flash is off it's fine, right? So I asked a member of staff about it, and her answer was extremely enlightening.
Apparently many cameras, and even those on phones, use infra-red to detect light levels and focal distance to the object. Many of the deeper ocean species have sensors (like eyes) that are sensitive to and which can be damaged by infra-red. Many people don't know how to turn that feature off on their camera, some camera's you can't disable it, in fact, many even forget to turn off their flash, so for more sensitive creatures they ban photographs altogether.
At this point I was a bit worried. I confessed to her that I had only noticed some of the signs after I'd taken a picture (without flash but probably with infra-red), and apologized, feeling awful about it. Her attitude was that a small amount is probably fine, but if the creatures are exposed to lots of infra-red and flashes it will be a issue. This gorgeous Leafy Sea Dragon is one case where I think I'd noticed a sign after I'd done the dastardly deed!
I will be much more careful in the future. Since I'd taken the photos, I think I should share them but urge you not to do what I did. I'm still not sure which photos were okay to take and which weren't. Yes, there are signs but with all attention being drawn to the sea creatures, they can be hard to miss. Did I already mention - I feel terrible at putting the wee critters in harms way?
Maybe a blanket ban on photographs is what's needed. But at the touch tanks I asked permission from the staff present. This was before I'd even learned about the infrared, so I was trying to be careful! They said it was okay to take photos here as I petted the starfish - they feel kind of crusty, and not one bit slimy, as I'd imagined. I never touch anything when I'm scuba diving - you just never know when you'll harm or be harmed!
Garden eels are one of my favorites from my scuba days, to such an extent that I've even got a scene in my new book that features them. So I was thrilled to see them.
When diving you need to keep really still. Any little movement makes them disappear into their holes. If you hang around they'll come back out in a few minutes.
These guys were much less skittish and despite all the movement outside the tank they didn't disappear once.
I sure hope it's not because they've gone blind from all the photography!
Byddi Lee
The parking fairies favored me with free parking in a relatively close-by spot on John F Kennedy Drive between Music Concourse Drive and Conservatory Drive West.
A good spot to keep in mind if you are considering this science-nerd/child friendly excursion.There's is a lot to see apart from biology/animal exhibits, but it was the animal exhibits that we enjoyed the most.
We had fun in the "Rain Forest" peering into glass boxes to spot the reptile or amphibian camouflaged against vegetation. The tiny orange "jelly bean" frogs went a long way towards curing me of my frog phobia. I could actually bear to watch them and would even go so far as to describe them as cute. Other bigger, greener frogs...not so much - they still made my skin crawl (sorry Kermit!)
We admired how well selected and put together the vegetation was too. That must be a fun job.
There were a couple of cocky parrots that spoke saying, "Hi there!" I thought it might be funny to teach them some swear words but thought better of it!
But it was the aquariums that stole the show.
Having done a fair bit of scuba diving in the past, I still love to watch coral communities, and their array of color never fails to amaze me!
The interactions and diversity is a real treat - we need to take care of these habitats and the California Academy of Sciences does a great job of raising awareness among the public.
Part of me wished I were in a wet-suit, listening to the hypnotic draw and gush of my breath through a regulator, suspended with perfect buoyancy control over this reef...just watching...
And yet another part of me was delighted to be standing in comfy clothes in a perfectly climate controlled room watching this through glass!
How adorable is this little hermit crab in his funky tri-colored shell? And these guys....
One thing to watch out for is the signs that ask you not to take pictures.
I'll admit that I missed a few, but thought it okay because I made sure to have my flash turned off.
The colors were great anyways.
But I was a little confused when some signs said you couldn't take any pictures at all. Surely if the flash is off it's fine, right? So I asked a member of staff about it, and her answer was extremely enlightening.Apparently many cameras, and even those on phones, use infra-red to detect light levels and focal distance to the object. Many of the deeper ocean species have sensors (like eyes) that are sensitive to and which can be damaged by infra-red. Many people don't know how to turn that feature off on their camera, some camera's you can't disable it, in fact, many even forget to turn off their flash, so for more sensitive creatures they ban photographs altogether.
At this point I was a bit worried. I confessed to her that I had only noticed some of the signs after I'd taken a picture (without flash but probably with infra-red), and apologized, feeling awful about it. Her attitude was that a small amount is probably fine, but if the creatures are exposed to lots of infra-red and flashes it will be a issue. This gorgeous Leafy Sea Dragon is one case where I think I'd noticed a sign after I'd done the dastardly deed!
I will be much more careful in the future. Since I'd taken the photos, I think I should share them but urge you not to do what I did. I'm still not sure which photos were okay to take and which weren't. Yes, there are signs but with all attention being drawn to the sea creatures, they can be hard to miss. Did I already mention - I feel terrible at putting the wee critters in harms way?Maybe a blanket ban on photographs is what's needed. But at the touch tanks I asked permission from the staff present. This was before I'd even learned about the infrared, so I was trying to be careful! They said it was okay to take photos here as I petted the starfish - they feel kind of crusty, and not one bit slimy, as I'd imagined. I never touch anything when I'm scuba diving - you just never know when you'll harm or be harmed!
Garden eels are one of my favorites from my scuba days, to such an extent that I've even got a scene in my new book that features them. So I was thrilled to see them.
When diving you need to keep really still. Any little movement makes them disappear into their holes. If you hang around they'll come back out in a few minutes. These guys were much less skittish and despite all the movement outside the tank they didn't disappear once.
I sure hope it's not because they've gone blind from all the photography!
Byddi Lee
September 2, 2016
California Wildfires Up-close and Personal!
It's been a brutal summer for fire-fighters in California. Huge wildfires up and down the state have wrecked havoc on people's lives and without the brave folk who fight and manage those fires there's no doubt that many more lives would have been lost and much more property destroyed.
Air quality in the San Francisco Bay Area has been the worst I've experienced in the eight years we've been here. The massive Soberanes Fire, just south of Carmel and 70 miles to the south of San Jose pumped out tonnes of smoke that were blown north getting trapped in the Santa Clara Valley. Even Hearst Castle was at risk at one stage when the fast moving Chimney Fire's flames licked to within 2 miles of the tourist attraction.
Meanwhile in Louisiana, massive flooding devastated the state this summer. Like all things in nature - enough water is valuable but too much is a disaster.
Surprisingly, the same can be said about wildfires. Not all wildfires are as destructive as those mentioned above. Wild fires are a natural phenomena in California that even aids native plant growth.
For the past few years, I've been very lucky to have been employed on a seasonal basis by Creekside Science, a conservation agency. One of the projects I help out with is population monitoring of the endangered Bay Checkerspot Butterfly in the hills east of San Jose. This is private land, and I consider it a privilege to get to go up there with the Creekside Staff, not to mention just how much fun they are and what a joy it is to work with them.
So I was concerned about my friends when I learned that here was a wildfire on that land. Upon checking in with my friend, she mentioned that she needed to go up have a look at it and I jumped at the opportunity to go with her.
It did look bleak with so much blackened vegetation.
The wildlife seemed very discombobulated. I nearly stood on a jack rabbit that had blended into the soil such that my foot was right over him when he decided to bolt, making me yelp and my buddy jump as a result of my yelp. Too fast for me to get photos off it, he wasn't the first animal we spotted, but unfortunately I didn't get pictures of those guys either.
Down in the valley, below a huge black boar/wild pig raced for non-existent cover. Not that he needed it, as his dark brown coloring helped him blend into the background.
We nearly took flight ourselves when a sharp hiss followed by an unearthly menacing rattle warned us to stay away from a very pissed off rattle snake. We didn't need to be asked twice as we took off at breakneck speed in the opposite direction from the two foot long reptile. I haven't have such a big dose of adrenaline in a very long time.
My feeble suggestion to go back, get a picture, was met with a raised eyebrow. I decided no.
On closer inspection, it was interesting to see how the fire had skipped over some places leaving patches of vegetation in swaths of blackened grass.
This is where the fire can benefit the California natives. It clears out all the (mostly non-native) plants such as grass. The natives, dormant and in seed at this time of year have more room to grow when the rains come and germinate the seeds. In fact, the fire even helps certain seeds to germinate.
In the pictures above and below you can see some native flower seed-heads that have escaped the burn. In the background of the photos below the green of the golf course looks so vibrant, yet ironically it is more harmful to the Bay Checkerspot Butterfly than the fire, because it disrupts their habitat and doesn't support the plants the Bay Checkerspot needs to feed on.
At first glance the fire seemed all consuming, but up close you could see that while the vegetation was scorched and burned, the soil wasn't. Here is where the caterpillars are hiding until the rainy season... waiting for their food sources to germinate and grow.
Monitoring the population next year will give us a better indication of the impact this fire may have had on the butterfly population up here.
Sadly, fire is understandably frightening for us humans. We stop it and in doing so that can actually cause more problems further down the line. In the case if this grassland fire, the methods needed to stop the fire are destructive for the local flora. Fire beaks, where the land is plowed up, destroy delicate habitat and mash up endangered species.
Fire retardant (red chemical dropped from the air) on serpentine rock provides the soil with high levels of phosphates which encourage the growth of non-native, often invasive, plants that choke out the native species, leaving the butterflies without food. You can see the reddened areas in the picture outside the fire zone.
By preventing fires in the past we've actually caused more problems for ourselves. A build up of undergrowth and unburned forest material means that the next time a fire hits its much fiercer that it might be naturally, so it burns hotter and damages more. Many of the recent big fires were caused by humans, but lightening can also start fires.
In California, fires will happen. Should we let them burn or not? Is it possible to manage them in a way that promotes harmony between us and the natural order? There are no simple straightforward answers to this. We humans need to live too. Figuring out how to do that, inflicting the least harm on our environment is one of our biggest challenges, but one we must address.
Even a grassland fire is scary to watch. A ferocious forest fire gobbling up mountainsides is terrifying. My heart goes out to the people in fires like the Rocky Fire in Clear Lake who have lost everything. My accolades go out to fire fighters everywhere for their courage and altruism and for showing us the best that humanity can be.
Byddi Lee
Air quality in the San Francisco Bay Area has been the worst I've experienced in the eight years we've been here. The massive Soberanes Fire, just south of Carmel and 70 miles to the south of San Jose pumped out tonnes of smoke that were blown north getting trapped in the Santa Clara Valley. Even Hearst Castle was at risk at one stage when the fast moving Chimney Fire's flames licked to within 2 miles of the tourist attraction.
Meanwhile in Louisiana, massive flooding devastated the state this summer. Like all things in nature - enough water is valuable but too much is a disaster.
Surprisingly, the same can be said about wildfires. Not all wildfires are as destructive as those mentioned above. Wild fires are a natural phenomena in California that even aids native plant growth.
For the past few years, I've been very lucky to have been employed on a seasonal basis by Creekside Science, a conservation agency. One of the projects I help out with is population monitoring of the endangered Bay Checkerspot Butterfly in the hills east of San Jose. This is private land, and I consider it a privilege to get to go up there with the Creekside Staff, not to mention just how much fun they are and what a joy it is to work with them.
So I was concerned about my friends when I learned that here was a wildfire on that land. Upon checking in with my friend, she mentioned that she needed to go up have a look at it and I jumped at the opportunity to go with her.
It did look bleak with so much blackened vegetation.
The wildlife seemed very discombobulated. I nearly stood on a jack rabbit that had blended into the soil such that my foot was right over him when he decided to bolt, making me yelp and my buddy jump as a result of my yelp. Too fast for me to get photos off it, he wasn't the first animal we spotted, but unfortunately I didn't get pictures of those guys either.
Down in the valley, below a huge black boar/wild pig raced for non-existent cover. Not that he needed it, as his dark brown coloring helped him blend into the background.
We nearly took flight ourselves when a sharp hiss followed by an unearthly menacing rattle warned us to stay away from a very pissed off rattle snake. We didn't need to be asked twice as we took off at breakneck speed in the opposite direction from the two foot long reptile. I haven't have such a big dose of adrenaline in a very long time.My feeble suggestion to go back, get a picture, was met with a raised eyebrow. I decided no.
On closer inspection, it was interesting to see how the fire had skipped over some places leaving patches of vegetation in swaths of blackened grass.
This is where the fire can benefit the California natives. It clears out all the (mostly non-native) plants such as grass. The natives, dormant and in seed at this time of year have more room to grow when the rains come and germinate the seeds. In fact, the fire even helps certain seeds to germinate.
In the pictures above and below you can see some native flower seed-heads that have escaped the burn. In the background of the photos below the green of the golf course looks so vibrant, yet ironically it is more harmful to the Bay Checkerspot Butterfly than the fire, because it disrupts their habitat and doesn't support the plants the Bay Checkerspot needs to feed on.
At first glance the fire seemed all consuming, but up close you could see that while the vegetation was scorched and burned, the soil wasn't. Here is where the caterpillars are hiding until the rainy season... waiting for their food sources to germinate and grow.
Monitoring the population next year will give us a better indication of the impact this fire may have had on the butterfly population up here.Sadly, fire is understandably frightening for us humans. We stop it and in doing so that can actually cause more problems further down the line. In the case if this grassland fire, the methods needed to stop the fire are destructive for the local flora. Fire beaks, where the land is plowed up, destroy delicate habitat and mash up endangered species.
Fire retardant (red chemical dropped from the air) on serpentine rock provides the soil with high levels of phosphates which encourage the growth of non-native, often invasive, plants that choke out the native species, leaving the butterflies without food. You can see the reddened areas in the picture outside the fire zone.
By preventing fires in the past we've actually caused more problems for ourselves. A build up of undergrowth and unburned forest material means that the next time a fire hits its much fiercer that it might be naturally, so it burns hotter and damages more. Many of the recent big fires were caused by humans, but lightening can also start fires.
In California, fires will happen. Should we let them burn or not? Is it possible to manage them in a way that promotes harmony between us and the natural order? There are no simple straightforward answers to this. We humans need to live too. Figuring out how to do that, inflicting the least harm on our environment is one of our biggest challenges, but one we must address.
Even a grassland fire is scary to watch. A ferocious forest fire gobbling up mountainsides is terrifying. My heart goes out to the people in fires like the Rocky Fire in Clear Lake who have lost everything. My accolades go out to fire fighters everywhere for their courage and altruism and for showing us the best that humanity can be. Byddi Lee
August 27, 2016
Bay Area Garden Railway Society and South County Railroaders Garden Railroad Tour
As a kid, I'd always fancied a train set. I asked Santa for one many times, but he never delivered. I guessed it was because I was a girl. I once broached the subject with My Father who told me that I'd been taken in by the ads on TV which showed the trains chuffing through cute little miniature villages.
"You're not interested in the trains," he said. "But the houses, and you don't actually get those with the train set -that's all extra."
As was often the case, my father had figured me out even before I'd figured me out!
I've always been enthralled by stories of miniature people such as The Borrowers by Mary Norton, Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift and The Carpet People by Terry Pratchett. I've previously blogged about visiting a Miniatures museum in Taipei during our Taiwan trip.
So when I saw the Bay Area Garden Railway Society and South County Railroaders inviting folk to their Garden Railroad Tour to benefit the St Joseph's Center and Community Pantry, I talked My Husband into going - not that it took much effort - this appealed to both our nerdy selves!
This, I explained to him on the way down to Morgan Hill in the car, was something I had considered putting in our garden when I took out the lawn.
"Thank God, you didn't," he muttered. I thought the idea of the work and expense turned him off.
"Well, after the miniature murderer on CSI, " he admitted, "I think it would have been too creepy to have in our own yard."
Seems I'd lost that garden-design battle before I'd even tried! Still, he was happy to have a look at other folk's gardens and we were not disappointed.
We visited three different gardens - each one amazing, and different in it's own unique way. In all cases the attention to detail was amazing.
This one looked like a real town with everything to scale.
Of course, there was the trains - but My Father had been right - it was more about the scale than the locomotives for me.
My imagination plunged into this little town, making up scenarios and lives. Who ran the car lot? Was it a greasy salesman or the soul of the community?
Good job they had a good fire department on hand.
And was it hot for the man driving this cart as he waited to cross the railroad tracks? Was there a fold in the space-time continuum or simply a buggy enthusiast? Or a nearby Amish community?
I'd like to live in this wee house.
The "real" house in the background shows the contrast in scale.
"My" house was on the banks of an actual flowing (miniature) creek. I thought that this was incredibly cute.
And nearby the dramas of life (and death) unfolded.
Who was grieving for this person? How did they die?
Or maybe they'd been trampled to death by a random herd of bison!
Oh yes... the trains...nearly forgot! Maybe that how what had happened the deceased. Perhaps they too had forgotten while taking a stroll along the tracks and had been knocked down by a runaway train?
What ever it was this RVer waited patiently for the train to pass. Maybe he'd heard the news...
In only very rare occasions was the scale a little out of whack - wouldn't want to come this close to a skunk this big if I were camping! Yikes!
Better to stick with the town and all its mod cons!
Each garden had a different feel. In this next one, the owner had spent time actually building structures to scale from scratch as opposed to buying scale model kits.
He explained how he had cut out each tile by hand before tiling the roof of the station.
To My Husbands great excitement, these trains were all actual steam engines, although some had run out of steam by the time we'd arrived.
I felt like I had traveled back to the Wild West...
This beautiful bridge reminded me of the Tassagh Viaducts near Armagh.
It was amazing how excited you could feel as the train chugged over the bridges...
... Or approached through the "forest!"
I enjoyed how he'd landscaped the natural vegetation to scale. This Rosemary looks like a huge sprawling oak tree!
At the third garden we visited, the steam engines were still vigorously clacking along the tracks.
The emphasis here seemed to focus on the engineering of tunnels and bridges. A couple of "full time station masters" had a busy time making sure trains didn't collide or get stuck in one of the tunnels that was too small for most of the engines.
There were canyons...
And farms...
And under bridges too...
It was ridiculous how long I waited to get this shot of the train coming over the bridge and how pleased with myself I was when I got the exact shot I wanted!
I waited here for a while too but gave up before the train came back! Patience is not my strength.
And soon I was drifting back to the town...
Admiring the vintage cars...
When I heard the train in the tunnel and raced to get the money shot!
Oh what joy... but isn't great to take such pleasure in innocent pursuits!
Then I risked life and limb on the tracks, as this steam train bore down on me for the final shot!
Well done to the designers of all these gardens, and thank you for not only opening them up for us to have a fun day out, but in doing so to raise funds and hold a food drive for a very deserving cause - St Joseph's Center and Community Pantry.
As we drove home, I realized I no longer yearned for my own train set - that itch had been scratched and Dad had been right - I just wanted the cutesty villages. Now, I just create my own towns, when I write, and fill them with my own "living breathing" characters.
Byddi Lee
"You're not interested in the trains," he said. "But the houses, and you don't actually get those with the train set -that's all extra."
As was often the case, my father had figured me out even before I'd figured me out!
I've always been enthralled by stories of miniature people such as The Borrowers by Mary Norton, Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift and The Carpet People by Terry Pratchett. I've previously blogged about visiting a Miniatures museum in Taipei during our Taiwan trip.
So when I saw the Bay Area Garden Railway Society and South County Railroaders inviting folk to their Garden Railroad Tour to benefit the St Joseph's Center and Community Pantry, I talked My Husband into going - not that it took much effort - this appealed to both our nerdy selves!
This, I explained to him on the way down to Morgan Hill in the car, was something I had considered putting in our garden when I took out the lawn.
"Thank God, you didn't," he muttered. I thought the idea of the work and expense turned him off.
"Well, after the miniature murderer on CSI, " he admitted, "I think it would have been too creepy to have in our own yard."
Seems I'd lost that garden-design battle before I'd even tried! Still, he was happy to have a look at other folk's gardens and we were not disappointed.
We visited three different gardens - each one amazing, and different in it's own unique way. In all cases the attention to detail was amazing.
This one looked like a real town with everything to scale.
Of course, there was the trains - but My Father had been right - it was more about the scale than the locomotives for me. 
My imagination plunged into this little town, making up scenarios and lives. Who ran the car lot? Was it a greasy salesman or the soul of the community?
Good job they had a good fire department on hand.
And was it hot for the man driving this cart as he waited to cross the railroad tracks? Was there a fold in the space-time continuum or simply a buggy enthusiast? Or a nearby Amish community?
I'd like to live in this wee house.
The "real" house in the background shows the contrast in scale.
"My" house was on the banks of an actual flowing (miniature) creek. I thought that this was incredibly cute.
And nearby the dramas of life (and death) unfolded.
Who was grieving for this person? How did they die? 
Or maybe they'd been trampled to death by a random herd of bison!
Oh yes... the trains...nearly forgot! Maybe that how what had happened the deceased. Perhaps they too had forgotten while taking a stroll along the tracks and had been knocked down by a runaway train?
What ever it was this RVer waited patiently for the train to pass. Maybe he'd heard the news...
In only very rare occasions was the scale a little out of whack - wouldn't want to come this close to a skunk this big if I were camping! Yikes!
Better to stick with the town and all its mod cons!
Each garden had a different feel. In this next one, the owner had spent time actually building structures to scale from scratch as opposed to buying scale model kits.
He explained how he had cut out each tile by hand before tiling the roof of the station.
To My Husbands great excitement, these trains were all actual steam engines, although some had run out of steam by the time we'd arrived.
I felt like I had traveled back to the Wild West... 
This beautiful bridge reminded me of the Tassagh Viaducts near Armagh.
It was amazing how excited you could feel as the train chugged over the bridges...
... Or approached through the "forest!" 
I enjoyed how he'd landscaped the natural vegetation to scale. This Rosemary looks like a huge sprawling oak tree!
At the third garden we visited, the steam engines were still vigorously clacking along the tracks. 
The emphasis here seemed to focus on the engineering of tunnels and bridges. A couple of "full time station masters" had a busy time making sure trains didn't collide or get stuck in one of the tunnels that was too small for most of the engines.
There were canyons... 
And farms... 
And under bridges too...
It was ridiculous how long I waited to get this shot of the train coming over the bridge and how pleased with myself I was when I got the exact shot I wanted! 
I waited here for a while too but gave up before the train came back! Patience is not my strength.
And soon I was drifting back to the town... 
Admiring the vintage cars...
When I heard the train in the tunnel and raced to get the money shot!
Oh what joy... but isn't great to take such pleasure in innocent pursuits!Then I risked life and limb on the tracks, as this steam train bore down on me for the final shot!
Well done to the designers of all these gardens, and thank you for not only opening them up for us to have a fun day out, but in doing so to raise funds and hold a food drive for a very deserving cause - St Joseph's Center and Community Pantry.
As we drove home, I realized I no longer yearned for my own train set - that itch had been scratched and Dad had been right - I just wanted the cutesty villages. Now, I just create my own towns, when I write, and fill them with my own "living breathing" characters.
Byddi Lee
August 19, 2016
Flash Fiction Forum - The Heart of The San Jose Writing Scene
When my book, March to November was launched almost two years ago, I was discussing possible ways to promote my book, and my writing in general, with a writing buddy of mine - she writes fairy tales and so I'll call her The Fairy Queen. Those who know her will agree the nickname suits her well.
The Fairy Queen suggested that I submit something to Flash Fiction Forum - a fairly new enterprise in San Jose, run by a dynamic, trench-coat clad duo called Lita and Tania. The idea was to bring writers and readers/listeners together every second month to listen to local writers read a curated selection of Flash Fiction pieces. My initial reaction was that it was the wrong platform for me. I'd just published a 115,000 word novel - it was as far from flash fiction as you could get.
However, The Fairy Queen persuaded me to accompany her to check it out. What harm would it do? At the very least a night out with her was always going to be a treat.
The Flash Fiction Gals work to create an inclusive, welcoming atmosphere. They begin their evening with an optional "everyone's invited" dinner meeting in the nearby Cafe Stritch in downtown San Jose.
They pull the little tables together to make a crazy long higgly piggly stretch of diners - usually between 10 and 20 people show up for this part. That first evening I was struck by the strong atmosphere of friendship they generated. Everyone was introduced to each other by name amid laughter and gentle teasing if names were mixed up or forgotten. We soon realized we were all in the same boat and rowed in unison towards a common goal of mutual respect and support.
After dinner we ambled over, still in conversation, to the art gallery, Works San Jose, that generously hosts Flash Fiction Forum free of charge. We sat amongst the stunning and sometimes curious art exhibits as the writers took turns to read their work. Each piece is short, 5 - 10 minutes long, and all good, many excellent.
It set my brain whirring... Could I do it? Was I good enough? They did say we could read excerpts from our novels, but I had a little piece up my sleeve that I'd writing years ago. It was an anecdote about a farmer who tries to save a new born lamb that seems to have stopped breathing - based on a true story told to me by said farmer. Simply entitled "The Lamb," I submitted it and was excited when it was excepted for the next Flash Fiction.
I was nervous when the time came to perform "The Lamb," but the audience was generous and supportive. I got a huge kick out of their reactions as they gasped at the shocking parts, laughed at the funny parts and applauded at the end. I sold a few copies of March to November, but the best part was having strangers come up to me and tell me how much they'd enjoyed listening to my reading. To praised-starved writers, it's the best thing ever!
This week is Flash Fiction Forum's 3rd birthday. Over the last three years, Tania and Lita have given the arts community in San Jose a much needed intravenous drip-feed of culture that has helped take it out of intensive care to a stable condition that is rapidly improving all the time. They've had Literary Pub Crawls, taken part in Art Parties, been nominated for art awards and are now involved in the upcoming Los Gatos-Listowel Writers festival in October organized by Irish Culture Bay Area.
Lita runs a weekly workshop for local writers too. It is great value and very informative. She shares local events and contacts as well as giving us opportunities to explore beyond our comfort zones.
On one such occasion she had read a short piece of erotic fiction to us and we were exploring how the writer had achieved her goals. Lita gave us three writing prompts and 10 minutes to come up with our own piece of erotic flash fiction. The writers on either side of me set to writing furiously, but I was flummoxed. I didn't know what to write! I am an Irish Catholic - we don't do erotica - at least not out loud (or in writing) In a pure panic I froze... but I had to write something! Then I thought, what if I write about something else and make it sound sexy? Perhaps that would work!
I only had half the time left, but I scribbled something out. Lita called time, and when we shared our work sure enough mine got the laugh I was pitching for. In fact, Lita like it so much she told me verbally to submit it, then followed up with an email...
I polished it up and submitted it. It was accepted, but then I realized I had to read it, out loud, in front of strangers! The Fairy Queen, ever loving and supportive videoed it for me. And so here you can all see my attempt at erotic fiction...
For the record - I like mine boiled and fluffy and slathered in butter, with salt and a with a dab of brown sauce!
To find out why it's my last Flash Fiction Forum, keep tuned - all will be revealed shortly in future postings.
Byddi Lee
The Fairy Queen suggested that I submit something to Flash Fiction Forum - a fairly new enterprise in San Jose, run by a dynamic, trench-coat clad duo called Lita and Tania. The idea was to bring writers and readers/listeners together every second month to listen to local writers read a curated selection of Flash Fiction pieces. My initial reaction was that it was the wrong platform for me. I'd just published a 115,000 word novel - it was as far from flash fiction as you could get.
However, The Fairy Queen persuaded me to accompany her to check it out. What harm would it do? At the very least a night out with her was always going to be a treat.
The Flash Fiction Gals work to create an inclusive, welcoming atmosphere. They begin their evening with an optional "everyone's invited" dinner meeting in the nearby Cafe Stritch in downtown San Jose.
They pull the little tables together to make a crazy long higgly piggly stretch of diners - usually between 10 and 20 people show up for this part. That first evening I was struck by the strong atmosphere of friendship they generated. Everyone was introduced to each other by name amid laughter and gentle teasing if names were mixed up or forgotten. We soon realized we were all in the same boat and rowed in unison towards a common goal of mutual respect and support.
After dinner we ambled over, still in conversation, to the art gallery, Works San Jose, that generously hosts Flash Fiction Forum free of charge. We sat amongst the stunning and sometimes curious art exhibits as the writers took turns to read their work. Each piece is short, 5 - 10 minutes long, and all good, many excellent.
It set my brain whirring... Could I do it? Was I good enough? They did say we could read excerpts from our novels, but I had a little piece up my sleeve that I'd writing years ago. It was an anecdote about a farmer who tries to save a new born lamb that seems to have stopped breathing - based on a true story told to me by said farmer. Simply entitled "The Lamb," I submitted it and was excited when it was excepted for the next Flash Fiction.
I was nervous when the time came to perform "The Lamb," but the audience was generous and supportive. I got a huge kick out of their reactions as they gasped at the shocking parts, laughed at the funny parts and applauded at the end. I sold a few copies of March to November, but the best part was having strangers come up to me and tell me how much they'd enjoyed listening to my reading. To praised-starved writers, it's the best thing ever!
This week is Flash Fiction Forum's 3rd birthday. Over the last three years, Tania and Lita have given the arts community in San Jose a much needed intravenous drip-feed of culture that has helped take it out of intensive care to a stable condition that is rapidly improving all the time. They've had Literary Pub Crawls, taken part in Art Parties, been nominated for art awards and are now involved in the upcoming Los Gatos-Listowel Writers festival in October organized by Irish Culture Bay Area.
Lita runs a weekly workshop for local writers too. It is great value and very informative. She shares local events and contacts as well as giving us opportunities to explore beyond our comfort zones.
On one such occasion she had read a short piece of erotic fiction to us and we were exploring how the writer had achieved her goals. Lita gave us three writing prompts and 10 minutes to come up with our own piece of erotic flash fiction. The writers on either side of me set to writing furiously, but I was flummoxed. I didn't know what to write! I am an Irish Catholic - we don't do erotica - at least not out loud (or in writing) In a pure panic I froze... but I had to write something! Then I thought, what if I write about something else and make it sound sexy? Perhaps that would work!
I only had half the time left, but I scribbled something out. Lita called time, and when we shared our work sure enough mine got the laugh I was pitching for. In fact, Lita like it so much she told me verbally to submit it, then followed up with an email...
I polished it up and submitted it. It was accepted, but then I realized I had to read it, out loud, in front of strangers! The Fairy Queen, ever loving and supportive videoed it for me. And so here you can all see my attempt at erotic fiction...
For the record - I like mine boiled and fluffy and slathered in butter, with salt and a with a dab of brown sauce!
To find out why it's my last Flash Fiction Forum, keep tuned - all will be revealed shortly in future postings.
Byddi Lee
August 13, 2016
Tassagh, County Armagh - A Pretty Fine Day
I've heard Tassagh Road, in County Armagh described as the prettiest road in Ireland.
It was an easy claim to believe with it's rich green fields...
burbling steams...
and majestic Viaduct.
My friend took us there for the day. She's the friend I've known longest in my life - we met on the first day of primary school, sat beside each other and became best friends. You could say she is my First Best Friend Forever - FBFF! She married a Hairdresser From Keady (HFK!) and was one of the first of our gang to walk down the aisle. I love hanging with them - they are the poster children for getting married. Three kids and a lifetime later they are still sweet and funny with each other. When we get a chance to meet up nowadays the years in-between melt away. Or perhaps they've been using the DeLorean to time travel...
This DeLorean drove past as as were were taking pictures of the Viaduct. HFK was yelling at My Husband to turn around and look at it. My Husband didn't hear us and missed the whole thing!
HFK grew up in this neighborhood and FBFF "immigrated" here when they got married. Us Ballymacnab girls had a "friendly" rivalry with Keady back in the day! Not quite Sharks and Jets, but not far off it! But even though it's Keady, I have to hand it to HFK, he has every reason to be proud. Tassagh is very beautiful. It was a great place to be tourists for the day!
They're still a bit old fashioned in this neck of the woods - you might still find a few shillings tucked away in a person's "Holy Communion Money," so this fine could still be paid!
The highlight was lunch at Basil Sheils.
This restaurant/bar/inn is simply an adorable setting for great food...
...or a nights craic.
I love the detail in the charming decor.
And the feeling that you were having lunch in a cosy home!
It would be an idyllic weekend retreat (I'm thinking "writers retreat"?) The owner allowed us to view the overnight accommodation they provide. There's a self-catering option. I mean, seriously, how cute can a kitchen be?
And the bedrooms were gorgeous...
... and so cosy!
Outside you could sit by the river and take in the creative flower displays!
We were lucky to get a beautiful day too top it all off.
Afterwards FBFF and I took My Husband and HFK on a tour of our old stomping ground - the beautiful Segahan Dam. My writing group will recognize this scene from my next (written but as yet unpublished) book. FBFF and I spent many's a Sunday afternoon up here... no Pokemon Go or Shopping Mall's for us back in the day!
Funny how it looks smaller than I remember it - but then I suppose since those days I've seen other larger Dams like Shasta and Hoover Dams... They may be more impressive but certainly not as pretty!
And the water, clean, tasty, and above all, plentiful.
Byddi Lee
It was an easy claim to believe with it's rich green fields...
burbling steams...
and majestic Viaduct.
My friend took us there for the day. She's the friend I've known longest in my life - we met on the first day of primary school, sat beside each other and became best friends. You could say she is my First Best Friend Forever - FBFF! She married a Hairdresser From Keady (HFK!) and was one of the first of our gang to walk down the aisle. I love hanging with them - they are the poster children for getting married. Three kids and a lifetime later they are still sweet and funny with each other. When we get a chance to meet up nowadays the years in-between melt away. Or perhaps they've been using the DeLorean to time travel...
This DeLorean drove past as as were were taking pictures of the Viaduct. HFK was yelling at My Husband to turn around and look at it. My Husband didn't hear us and missed the whole thing!HFK grew up in this neighborhood and FBFF "immigrated" here when they got married. Us Ballymacnab girls had a "friendly" rivalry with Keady back in the day! Not quite Sharks and Jets, but not far off it! But even though it's Keady, I have to hand it to HFK, he has every reason to be proud. Tassagh is very beautiful. It was a great place to be tourists for the day!
They're still a bit old fashioned in this neck of the woods - you might still find a few shillings tucked away in a person's "Holy Communion Money," so this fine could still be paid!
The highlight was lunch at Basil Sheils.
This restaurant/bar/inn is simply an adorable setting for great food... 
...or a nights craic.
I love the detail in the charming decor.
And the feeling that you were having lunch in a cosy home!
It would be an idyllic weekend retreat (I'm thinking "writers retreat"?) The owner allowed us to view the overnight accommodation they provide. There's a self-catering option. I mean, seriously, how cute can a kitchen be?
And the bedrooms were gorgeous...
... and so cosy!
Outside you could sit by the river and take in the creative flower displays!
We were lucky to get a beautiful day too top it all off.Afterwards FBFF and I took My Husband and HFK on a tour of our old stomping ground - the beautiful Segahan Dam. My writing group will recognize this scene from my next (written but as yet unpublished) book. FBFF and I spent many's a Sunday afternoon up here... no Pokemon Go or Shopping Mall's for us back in the day!
Funny how it looks smaller than I remember it - but then I suppose since those days I've seen other larger Dams like Shasta and Hoover Dams... They may be more impressive but certainly not as pretty!
And the water, clean, tasty, and above all, plentiful.Byddi Lee
August 5, 2016
A "Deadly" Trip to Dublin
The Irish are obsessed with death! The culture of waking the dead is, I believe, a very healthy practice and even provides a social scene for those of a certain age in the community. Death, and references to it, are employed by everyday language. For example, if someone is "dead on" that means they are really cool. Sometimes the same word can mean two completely different things depending upon which part of the country you are in. In Belfast, if you described something, such as an event or a night out, as "deadly" that would mean it was very bad. However, 100 miles south, in Dublin, something described as "deadly" is excellent - and that is how I am utilizing the word in this post's title!
We booked a couple of nights in the Gresham Hotel on O Connell Street, Dublin's main street and one that holds fond memories of walking with my Dad on visits to Dublin as a child.
Once one of the poshest hotels in Dublin, it still conveys an air of grandeur, and the rooms are very comfortable too - not to mention - it serves a pretty decent pint of Guinness.
We met with My Cousin, and she brought us to a really great restaurant called The Church Restaurant, probably because it used to be a church.
Hot tip
- book a seat in the Gallery... this was the view from our table. I took this photo without even standing up!
It was fabulous. The setting, the food, the company, all top notch. As a bonus there was Irish traditional music while we ate. When Irish dancers appeared and proceeded to dance a treble jig, I got goose bumps as I always do when watching that kind of hard-shoe Irish dancing.
The following day we headed to the much acclaimed Glasnevin Cemetery tour. It's back to that whole fascination with the dead thing!
We took a cab as hailstones pelted down on us. The driver was great craic, keeping us entertained with stories. I asked him if they were still burying people at Glasnevin Cemetery (as in, is it still a working graveyard.)
Without missing a beat he replied, "If they're dead, yes!"
The hailstones stopped as the taxi pulled up at the graveyard and the sun shone for most of our tour. That's the Irish weather for you - especially in April!
The first item on the tour was Daniel O Connell's tomb.
A pretty impressive tribute - and rightly so. This plaque explains it all, but the point to note is that he won religious liberty for the Irish people.
This a view of the tower from inside looking up.
And here's his tomb...you can see his wooden coffin peeking through.
We didn't take any more pictures in the cemetery but the tour was brilliant. The guide was really knowledgeable and served the facts up objectively, without any bias. It was a walk through Irish history as we passed the graves of the men and women who had fought for the rights and freedom of their fellow and future citizens. We owe them so much.
We visited the graves of Michael Collins and Kitty Kiernan where someone asked (tongue in cheek) "Is that where Julia Roberts is buried?" We all laughed, knowing that they referred to the movie Michael Collins starring Liam Neeson and Julia Roberts. It's nice to think these Irish heroes are remembered and associated with such glamor!
Afterwards we stopped by the Ambassador Event Center to have a look at their exhibition commemorating the 1916 Rising, the ill fated rebellion that seemed to have been a failure, especially when the British executed the leaders soon after, yet it was undoubtedly the turning point for gaining independence for the Irish people
Notice below how women were to be included in the electoral process too - 4 years before women were allowed to vote across the USA!
The exhibition was really good. As you walked through, sounds of explosions and shooting got the heart racing. The staging was great and gave some insight as to how terrifying the whole thing must have been.
After the rebels surrendered, the leaders were taken to Kilmainham Gaol ("jail" in American English) where they were sentenced to death. Kilmainham Gaol is actually now a tourist destination - one we still have on our list. It was booked out when we wanted to go, but the Ambassador had a mock up of the jail.
A lonely and poignant scene, represented by this chair - James Connolly had to be strapped sitting up because he was too badly injured to stand in front of the firing squad.
As we took a peaceful stroll by the river that evening, I offered up a silent prayer for the sacrifices my forefathers made for the freedom of the Irish people. Some parts of the island still have work to do, but please God, we're nearly there. It's such a beautiful country and we owe it to ourselves to make it work.
Byddi Lee
We booked a couple of nights in the Gresham Hotel on O Connell Street, Dublin's main street and one that holds fond memories of walking with my Dad on visits to Dublin as a child.
Once one of the poshest hotels in Dublin, it still conveys an air of grandeur, and the rooms are very comfortable too - not to mention - it serves a pretty decent pint of Guinness.
We met with My Cousin, and she brought us to a really great restaurant called The Church Restaurant, probably because it used to be a church.
Hot tip
- book a seat in the Gallery... this was the view from our table. I took this photo without even standing up!
It was fabulous. The setting, the food, the company, all top notch. As a bonus there was Irish traditional music while we ate. When Irish dancers appeared and proceeded to dance a treble jig, I got goose bumps as I always do when watching that kind of hard-shoe Irish dancing.
The following day we headed to the much acclaimed Glasnevin Cemetery tour. It's back to that whole fascination with the dead thing!
We took a cab as hailstones pelted down on us. The driver was great craic, keeping us entertained with stories. I asked him if they were still burying people at Glasnevin Cemetery (as in, is it still a working graveyard.)
Without missing a beat he replied, "If they're dead, yes!"
The hailstones stopped as the taxi pulled up at the graveyard and the sun shone for most of our tour. That's the Irish weather for you - especially in April!
The first item on the tour was Daniel O Connell's tomb.
A pretty impressive tribute - and rightly so. This plaque explains it all, but the point to note is that he won religious liberty for the Irish people.
This a view of the tower from inside looking up.
And here's his tomb...you can see his wooden coffin peeking through.
We didn't take any more pictures in the cemetery but the tour was brilliant. The guide was really knowledgeable and served the facts up objectively, without any bias. It was a walk through Irish history as we passed the graves of the men and women who had fought for the rights and freedom of their fellow and future citizens. We owe them so much.We visited the graves of Michael Collins and Kitty Kiernan where someone asked (tongue in cheek) "Is that where Julia Roberts is buried?" We all laughed, knowing that they referred to the movie Michael Collins starring Liam Neeson and Julia Roberts. It's nice to think these Irish heroes are remembered and associated with such glamor!
Afterwards we stopped by the Ambassador Event Center to have a look at their exhibition commemorating the 1916 Rising, the ill fated rebellion that seemed to have been a failure, especially when the British executed the leaders soon after, yet it was undoubtedly the turning point for gaining independence for the Irish people
Notice below how women were to be included in the electoral process too - 4 years before women were allowed to vote across the USA!
The exhibition was really good. As you walked through, sounds of explosions and shooting got the heart racing. The staging was great and gave some insight as to how terrifying the whole thing must have been.
After the rebels surrendered, the leaders were taken to Kilmainham Gaol ("jail" in American English) where they were sentenced to death. Kilmainham Gaol is actually now a tourist destination - one we still have on our list. It was booked out when we wanted to go, but the Ambassador had a mock up of the jail. 
A lonely and poignant scene, represented by this chair - James Connolly had to be strapped sitting up because he was too badly injured to stand in front of the firing squad.
As we took a peaceful stroll by the river that evening, I offered up a silent prayer for the sacrifices my forefathers made for the freedom of the Irish people. Some parts of the island still have work to do, but please God, we're nearly there. It's such a beautiful country and we owe it to ourselves to make it work.
Byddi Lee
July 30, 2016
When is a Fjord Not a Fjord?
Well, first they told me Pluto was a planet, and then they told me it wasn't, and I was strangely saddened by this. It's not big enough to be a planet, so it is called a dwarf planet, though apparently a really massive dwarf planet!
Then I found out yesterday that Carlingford Lough wasn't a fjord!
I was thrilled when @CarlingfordIRE picked up, tweeted my blog post and complimented it saying, "Nice blog @Byddi"
To which I replied, thinking I was very witty - "Nice fjord!"
Now I'd learned about this in O level Geography. I love Geography. I got an A in O level Geography - admittedly that was back when Pluto was still a planet!
So it was a shock when @CarlingfordIRE very nicely informed me that actually, Carlingford Lough is not a fjord!
I am most grateful to them for setting the record straight for me and while I could have just edited my last post to take out the bit where I had said it was a fjord, I decided full acknowledgement of my misinformation and it's source was more appropriate.
So here's the science - this picture posted on twitter by @CarlingfordIRE.
And in case you can't make it out clearly, the final paragraph says, "So, Carlingford Lough is not actually a true fjord as it is not as deep as the Irish Sea into which it flows. But doesn't it make for a truly spectacular vista of land and sea?"
That last sentence - I couldn't agree more!
Now I have to go break it to Buffalo Bill that there are no (nor ever were any) buffalo in America...those big cow-like creatures? Bison!
Byddi Lee
Then I found out yesterday that Carlingford Lough wasn't a fjord!
I was thrilled when @CarlingfordIRE picked up, tweeted my blog post and complimented it saying, "Nice blog @Byddi"
To which I replied, thinking I was very witty - "Nice fjord!"
Now I'd learned about this in O level Geography. I love Geography. I got an A in O level Geography - admittedly that was back when Pluto was still a planet!
So it was a shock when @CarlingfordIRE very nicely informed me that actually, Carlingford Lough is not a fjord!
I am most grateful to them for setting the record straight for me and while I could have just edited my last post to take out the bit where I had said it was a fjord, I decided full acknowledgement of my misinformation and it's source was more appropriate.
So here's the science - this picture posted on twitter by @CarlingfordIRE.
And in case you can't make it out clearly, the final paragraph says, "So, Carlingford Lough is not actually a true fjord as it is not as deep as the Irish Sea into which it flows. But doesn't it make for a truly spectacular vista of land and sea?"
That last sentence - I couldn't agree more!
Now I have to go break it to Buffalo Bill that there are no (nor ever were any) buffalo in America...those big cow-like creatures? Bison!
Byddi Lee
July 29, 2016
Carlingford - County Louth's Very Own Pot of Gold
I remember a hen party in Carlingford I went to years ago. The theme for the party was fairy-tale characters, and one of our group dressed up as the Wolf from Red Riding Hood. Somehow she got separated from the rest of us and decided to take a shortcut across a field to the house we'd rented for the night. It was a full moon. When she arrived at the house, panting and (rightfully) pissed at us for leaving her behind, we attempted to comfort her even as we laughed ourselves sick at the prospect of a local looking out the window and seeing this wolf-girl running across the field by the light of the moon!However, it seems that sightings of mythical creatures are not an uncommon occurrence in Carlingford, County Louth. In PJ O Hare's gastropub, (that 's a fancy name for a pub that serves great grub and not necessarily one that gives you gas!) there's a reward for finding Sean Og, a naked leprechaun - perish the thought! His clothes and some of his possessions were discovered nearby and are now on display in the pub (so it must be true!).
The medieval town of Carlingford is simply gorgeous, encircled by it's ancient walls and on the shores of Carlingford Lough - Ireland's very own fjord.
It's picturesque setting and central location along the east coast, easily accessible to both Belfast and Dublin, makes it a popular destination for stag and hen parties on the weekends, and a peaceful getaway midweek.
My Friend Fiona got married here.(You remember, Fiona, from the New Zealand trip)
Ghan House We were home over her wedding anniversary, which also happens to be the same date that My Husband and I met. To celebrate we had a double-date day-trip to Carlingford and it's beautiful surrounds.
We popped in for a wee visit to Ghan House, where they'd had their wedding reception and the owner allowed us free range to take pictures.
This beautiful eighteenth century Georgian house allows modern day living to liaise with it's centuries old grandeur and style.
The views of the gardens could be perused right from the dining table. 
What a beautiful place to stay for a weekend! And so much to do while here.We took a hike up Black Mountain to see the deserted village. When I say "hike," I mean "Fiona Hiking" as in, wearing glamorous clothes, high heels and driving as far up the mountain as the road and car allows!
The views were well worth the ...em... exertion!
There are many abandoned villages in Ireland.The population before the famine was said to have been more than 10 million, pushing people to live in harsh, unforgiving (though beautiful) landscapes.
Scratching a living from this land was a tough job, and when the potato crops failed many starved and as many left. 170 years later, the population still has not recovered, hovering at about 6.5 million for the entire island. Compare that to the population of the Bay Area here in California - 8.7 million.So while this particular village may not have been vacated at the time of the famine, the knock-on effect resulted in the population moving to lower altitudes and more urban settings, abandoning these settlements high in the hills.
Life may have been easier in the lowlands, but the views up here remain spectacular! Byddi Lee
July 22, 2016
Coco Lane - A Pampering Session in Armagh
One of the most exciting things about going back to my home town is seeing how well it is doing.
Armagh is a very beautiful city with it's two cathedrals towering like protective sentinels over this ancient city. There is a lovely blend of old (buildings) and new(businesses) with a liberal splash of trendy (interior design and fashion).
Two types of businesses are flourishing here - hair salons and beauty parlors - so if you were in the mood for a weekend of personal pampering consider Armagh.
My most favorite hairdresser of all time is Colleen Mullan - the one person who "gets" my frizzy mop right every time owns her own salon, the cleverly named International Hairport Benburb, in a quaint village, about 15 minutes from Armagh City. Full disclosure here - Colleen is my cousin, and I love her to bits. So you'd be justified in accusing me of being biased, BUT my hair is not easy hair, and her work speaks for itself as far as I'm concerned!
She is one of many up and coming business-women in Armagh who are rapidly knocking on their own glass ceilings. Another great hair place doing Armagh proud is the award-winning Petra's House of Color in Thomas Street, Armagh. They won the Ulster Tatlers, Hairdressing Salon of The Year 2015. Petra was in my class at school. I have great respect for her achievements in this competitive industry, and I'm overjoyed to see her doing to well.
While I was home in April/May, My Sister and I treated ourselves to a day of pampering in Coco Lane Beauty Spa. From the moment we walked in through the door, I was bowled over by the gorgeous decor.
It was hard to believe were were still in little old Armagh! Ciara, the owner and another great example of girl-power in the Armagh business-woman's world, had paid attention to every last detail.
Even the W.C. done up in Marilyn Monroe 50's chic was delightful
Since we'd booked on a weekday morning, My Sister and I had the place pretty much to ourselves. We began with a blissfully warming soak in the hot-tub. We'd already used the towels by the time I thought to take a picture - Ciara'd had them beautifully arranged on our arrival. I'd not gone into the experience planning on writing this blog. I was so impressed with it that I decided before I left the premises that I would take some snaps so that I could blog about it.
After the tub we lounged in a "tikki" style area and had a delicious lunch, served up to us as we lolled about in our robes catching up on sister-time. Healthy sandwiches and salad and gallons of tea were brought in from "Doorsteps," sandwich place just up the street.
After lunch Ciara worked her magic on my jet-lagged body with a massage that felt like heaven had arrived!
We finished up with a mani-pedi and before we left Ciara gave us a little goody-bag of travel sized lotions and potions - perfect for the travel junkie that I am!
So I wasn't surprised to learn that Coco Lane has not only been nominated but also shortlisted as a finalist in the Ulster Tatler Awards 2016 for beauty salon/spa of the year.
This had certainly been the tonic I'd needed after my hectic travel schedule, and the perfect setting for us sisters to catch up. So if you feel like you need a pep up or are wondering what to do on a rainy day in Armagh, head to Coco Lane - you will come out feeling completly rejuvenated!
Best of luck in the awards, gals!
Byddi Lee
Armagh is a very beautiful city with it's two cathedrals towering like protective sentinels over this ancient city. There is a lovely blend of old (buildings) and new(businesses) with a liberal splash of trendy (interior design and fashion).
Two types of businesses are flourishing here - hair salons and beauty parlors - so if you were in the mood for a weekend of personal pampering consider Armagh.
My most favorite hairdresser of all time is Colleen Mullan - the one person who "gets" my frizzy mop right every time owns her own salon, the cleverly named International Hairport Benburb, in a quaint village, about 15 minutes from Armagh City. Full disclosure here - Colleen is my cousin, and I love her to bits. So you'd be justified in accusing me of being biased, BUT my hair is not easy hair, and her work speaks for itself as far as I'm concerned!
She is one of many up and coming business-women in Armagh who are rapidly knocking on their own glass ceilings. Another great hair place doing Armagh proud is the award-winning Petra's House of Color in Thomas Street, Armagh. They won the Ulster Tatlers, Hairdressing Salon of The Year 2015. Petra was in my class at school. I have great respect for her achievements in this competitive industry, and I'm overjoyed to see her doing to well.
While I was home in April/May, My Sister and I treated ourselves to a day of pampering in Coco Lane Beauty Spa. From the moment we walked in through the door, I was bowled over by the gorgeous decor.
It was hard to believe were were still in little old Armagh! Ciara, the owner and another great example of girl-power in the Armagh business-woman's world, had paid attention to every last detail.
Even the W.C. done up in Marilyn Monroe 50's chic was delightful
Since we'd booked on a weekday morning, My Sister and I had the place pretty much to ourselves. We began with a blissfully warming soak in the hot-tub. We'd already used the towels by the time I thought to take a picture - Ciara'd had them beautifully arranged on our arrival. I'd not gone into the experience planning on writing this blog. I was so impressed with it that I decided before I left the premises that I would take some snaps so that I could blog about it.
After the tub we lounged in a "tikki" style area and had a delicious lunch, served up to us as we lolled about in our robes catching up on sister-time. Healthy sandwiches and salad and gallons of tea were brought in from "Doorsteps," sandwich place just up the street.After lunch Ciara worked her magic on my jet-lagged body with a massage that felt like heaven had arrived!
We finished up with a mani-pedi and before we left Ciara gave us a little goody-bag of travel sized lotions and potions - perfect for the travel junkie that I am!
So I wasn't surprised to learn that Coco Lane has not only been nominated but also shortlisted as a finalist in the Ulster Tatler Awards 2016 for beauty salon/spa of the year.
This had certainly been the tonic I'd needed after my hectic travel schedule, and the perfect setting for us sisters to catch up. So if you feel like you need a pep up or are wondering what to do on a rainy day in Armagh, head to Coco Lane - you will come out feeling completly rejuvenated!
Best of luck in the awards, gals!
Byddi Lee
July 18, 2016
Do You Know the Way to San Jose?
We had a late-afternoon, direct flight out of Auckland back to California (into SFO not San Jose but close enough!) So we could do one thing in Auckland, just one thing...
Go see a volcano (of course-duh!)
From Mount Eden you get spectacular 360 degree views of Auckland.
It is the highest natural elevation in the city.
I would also recommend visiting the Sky Tower (I did that last time.)
From Mount Eden you feel like you can reach out and touch it!
It is taboo to actually go inside the crater of the volcano according to Maori culture. It was nice to see everyone respecting that.
We spent about an hour here. A much nicer way to pass the time than at the airport. I was sad to be saying goodbye to New Zealand.
It's so far away, and I've been so fortunate to visit twice that I know it is unlikely I will ever be back. That thought choked me up a little. But never say never - perhaps if they invent teleportation...
It had been an amazing trip. Even better this time round, sharing it with My Husband. Alas, it was time to go back to our home in San Jose where the garden was waiting impatiently for us, having been very busy during the rainy season while we were gone.
Byddi Lee
Go see a volcano (of course-duh!)
From Mount Eden you get spectacular 360 degree views of Auckland.
It is the highest natural elevation in the city.
I would also recommend visiting the Sky Tower (I did that last time.)
From Mount Eden you feel like you can reach out and touch it!
It is taboo to actually go inside the crater of the volcano according to Maori culture. It was nice to see everyone respecting that.
We spent about an hour here. A much nicer way to pass the time than at the airport. I was sad to be saying goodbye to New Zealand.
It's so far away, and I've been so fortunate to visit twice that I know it is unlikely I will ever be back. That thought choked me up a little. But never say never - perhaps if they invent teleportation...It had been an amazing trip. Even better this time round, sharing it with My Husband. Alas, it was time to go back to our home in San Jose where the garden was waiting impatiently for us, having been very busy during the rainy season while we were gone.
Byddi Lee
