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Today’s photos are from May 17, 2019. Please click here for more details.
During the lockdown, most of us are looking for special programs to stream. We stumbled across a show entitled “Spy in the Wild” that requires a subscription to the documentary service on Amazon, “Curiosity Stream.”
They are offering a free one-month trial which, after a month, the credit card on file at Amazon will be charged INR 227, US $2.99 a month until canceled. We’ll finish watching the series “Spy in the Wild” before the free trial ends, never needing to pay the monthly fee.
After reviewing other series they offered on this channel, we didn’t see any others we longed to see and canceled it already. However, when canceling one of these streaming services, you will be allowed to continue streaming until the end of the free trial period.
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| From this site: “In 1842, a German writer and geographer called Johann Georg Kohl traveled around Ireland, publishing an account of his journey the following year. “Of all the countries in the world,” he observed, “Ireland is the country for ruins. Here you have ruins of every period of history, from the time of the Phoenicians down to the present day… each century has marked its progress by the ruins it has left. Nay, every decade, one might almost say, has set its sign up on Ireland, for in all directions, you see several dilapidated buildings, ruins of yesterday’s erection.” |
As for this series, it is absolutely “over the top,” inducing laughter and smiles. Great for kids and adults, it offers a wealth of information from man-made cameras in the form of the actual animals they are spying on, such as Spy Mongoose, Spy Warthog, Spy Meerkat, etc., which looks almost exactly like the animal it’s representing.
This is hysterical, as the automated animal replicas provide an up-close view of animals’ emotions, behaviors, and actions in a way we’ve never seen before. We couldn’t recommend this series more, keeping you and your family entertained for hours.
If you are outside the USA, you’ll have to use a VPN to get into Amazon USA, which you can upload for free at some locations on the web. Once you have the VPN working, it’s necessary to set it at a USA location, or you’ll receive a message stating you cannot stream outside the USA.
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| A Belted Galloway cow. From this site: “Belted Galloway cattle originated from western Scotland, a region whose weather is strikingly similar to Ireland’s damp climate! This makes Belted Galloways perfectly suitable for the wet, cold winters and the soft boggy terrain of Irish farms. Their long, curly outer coat is ideal for rainy weather, as its coarseness deflects moisture from the animal’s skin. They also have a soft undercoat to keep them warm in colder temperatures. The head of the Belted Galloway has long hair around its ears, preventing frostbite in a case of an extreme Irish freeze. Common nicknames for these cattle are ‘Belties’ or even ‘Oreo Cows’ due to their peculiar resemblance to the popular treat!” |
Also, you can sign up for their free trial at Curiosity Stream’s site, for which you won’t need to use Amazon.
We use ExpressVPN, but there is an annual charge which you’ll have to check based on your location and operating system. Their customer service is exemplary, and they will walk you through the easy installation process. Right now, they are offering a free 90-day trial. Click here for the link.
So what’s new in our Covid-19 lockdown world today? I know I promised not to get into much Covid-19 information, but I have a safety suggestion to offer if you plan to fly on an airplane.
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| We spotted several Belted Galloway cattle in the country. The last time we’d seen this breed of cattle was while living in New Zealand in March 2016. See our link here. |
The airlines that are operational in the world claim they are providing social distancing on flights. I am reading this is typically not the case on total flights. Please do your research, and you’ll see this is the case.
Many require masks, but now it’s been discovered that in a confined space such as an airplane, train, bus, or public venue, one may acquire the virus through their eyes. It may not be widespread, but it is happening. How easy it would be to have droplets get into our eyes from coughing, sneezing, or even talking to passengers within proximity.
Also, have you ever noticed how often we might rub or touch our eyes daily, as well as our faces? After reading this on various reputable sites, I decided we need to “up the ante” and wear clear goggles along with masks and gloves when we finally get to fly out of India or on any flights in the future.
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| As we drove through the countryside in Connemara, we were amazed by the number of ruins. |
Yesterday at Amazon India, I purchased a few pairs of re-usable clear goggles for a low price. Also, the fog-free goggles help prevent eyeglasses from steaming up while wearing the masks.
Now, my challenge is getting Tom to agree to wear the goggles during the flights and while at the airport. There’s no point in me taking extra precautions if he, too, doesn’t follow suit since the virus is so easily passed among household family members.
I don’t care one iota how it “looks” to be walking around an airport and on a plane wearing a face mask, goggles, and gloves. Who cares what others may think or say? We’re trying to save our lives. It’s our business.
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| From this site: “In Ireland, large-scale domestic and industrial peat usage is widespread. In the Republic of Ireland, a state-owned company called Bord na Móna is responsible for managing peat extraction. It processes the extracted peat into milled peat used in power stations and sells processed peat fuel in peat briquettes used for domestic heating. These are oblong bars of densely compressed, dried, and shredded peat. Peat moss is a manufactured product for use in garden cultivation. Turf (dried out peat sods) is also commonly used in rural areas.” |
Is this extreme? Possibly. But I urge all of our family members/readers/friends to exercise the same caution while in crowded spaces. Until we have a better handle on the path of this virus in the future, extreme caution makes a lot of sense.
Otherwise, nothing much is new here. As of tomorrow, India’s lockdown is continuing for another two weeks, but we anticipate this will continue for many weeks, if not months, to come. Like many of you, we stay in a holding pattern.
Stay healthy.
Photo from one year ago today, May 17, 2019:
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| A handsome horse at a pasture with other horses a few doors from our holiday home in Connemara, Ireland. For more photos, please click here. |