'Pa Joe's Place' Reviews

1 July 2019 - CLANCY TUCKER PHOTOGRAPHY


CLANCY TUCKER
PHOTOGRAPHY

G'day folks,

Although my recent holiday to South East Asia turned out to be the holiday from hell, I did manage to take some photographs, but a mere 500 compared to the normal 5,000. Here is a sample. Sadly, due to an erupted appendix, I had to cancel many planned trips to swamplands, and a special whale watching trip. Such is life, eh? Anyway, enjoy ...










































Clancy's comment: As you probably noticed, I look for something out of the box. The squirrels are one of my favourite creatures to snap, but they are so quick. Fortunately, I managed to go to three big festivals. All of them were sensational, especially the music festival on the beach.

I'm ...















30 June 2019 - A HEAP OF INSPIRING QUOTES


A HEAP OF 
INSPIRING QUOTES

G'day folks,

Yep, it's time to be inspired by the wisdom of others.






























Clancy's comment: All good, eh? Pass them on.

I'm ...









29 June 2019 - BALANCING ROCK GARDEN IN COSTA RICA


BALANCING ROCK 
GARDEN IN COSTA RICA

G'day folks,

Here is a great memorial dedicated to a murdered conservationist and his pioneer wife. 

Years ago, a man named Jake made a daily pilgrimage to the Piedra Colorada area of the Southern Nicoya Peninsula to build balanced rock statues along the shore. He would rebuild the sculptures that were knocked over by the tide and create new statues to add to the remaining collection every day. 




 When he moved away, travelers continued the tradition to ensure the beach would be continually marked with the delicate and often perplexing balanced rock statues called cairns. The quietude of the cairns surrounds the final resting place for Nicolas Wessberg. With his wife, Karen Mogensen, Wessberg convinced the Costa Rican government to create its first protected nature reserve. They established the nearby Cabo Blanco in the early 1970s, and today, the two trails that travel through the preserve are called the Swede’s path and Dane’s trail, after their respective home countries. 




Many environmentalists from around the world followed their lead, buying acres of Costa Rican land to ensure that no development would mar the complex ecosystem that is Costa Rica. Today, its the home of two UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Conservation was not a popular idea just a few decades, ago, though.  In 1975, Mogensen found her husband’s bones near Corcovado, where he was focusing his last protective efforts. While never proven, the commonly held belief is that he was assassinated by those that wished to exploit that land. A plaque honoring the duo’s efforts, perseverance, and vision now stands amidst the fitting tribute of the cairns.





 

 Clancy's comment: Well, good for them. I love these balancing rocks.

I'm ...












28 June 2019 - PONDEROSA SALOON IN NEVADA


 PONDEROSA SALOON
 IN NEVADA

G'day folks,

Here is a bar with a difference. Beneath a Virginia City bar is the entrance to an abandoned gold mine. 

A fully-functional saloon in Virginia City, Nevada contains an 1860’s bank vault and underground mine. The beloved watering hole has been offering tours of the mine shaft since the 1900s.




Virginia City, Nevada used to be a heavy mining town, and was pocked with tunnels dug by voracious miners hunting for silver and gold. The Best & Belcher mine was not profitable in the gold rush of the 1800s, but became profitable 100 years later in an entirely different way. The owners of the Ponderosa Saloon realized that the mine shaft of the Best & Belcher mine was only a short way away from their bar, so they dug a tunnel to the abandoned mine shaft and began offering tours.




The saloon also features an old walk-in bank vault, and the now 150-year-old establishment offers up tours of both the vault and the mine. The 25-minute tour of the mine guides you through the shaft and the more than 300 pieces of vintage mining equipment on display. 

After the tour, you can grab a cold drink and a hot dog from the restaurant above.


Clancy's comment: Sounds interesting.

I'm ...