SW: Glengarriff Woods; Riverwalk, tested out for wheelchair access.

Sarah, Elana and I went to check out the Riverwalk in Glengarriff Woods, last week, checking out the wheelchair access for you, the readers of Wildlife and Birding On Wheels.


From the picnic area on the left, set in a large clearing, we followed the sign, pictured above. (and Sarah)
Almost immediately there was a path on your right-hand side, but we kept going until a little footbridge. Wide and strong enough to let me and wheels pass,


(with Sarah dreaming over the river)

Soon I stopped and enjoyed the view over the river, and thus far I had been able to follow the path, here and there avoiding the roots, sticking up from the ground.


Here we also spotted the strange growth around the Birch tree, which I posted yesterday

The next bend in the path, was looking ominously at me,

and I was not sure if I would make it over those embedded stones on the left side of the path.
As you can probably see, the uneven-ness of those stones mean that your wheels hobble so much that you do not only risk your back, but also the life of your wheels. Especially when you are using power wheels, like I am. My wheels are having to endure a lot of bumps already on these Irish roads, and I cannot risk getting stuck somewhere or at home. I'd chance it on a scooter, I think.

The other problem we had, was that even if I did go past this bend; how would I get back? There was no room to turn, neither here nor further on the path, which got very narrow. On the return these stones would get my wheel embedded, for sure.
(and believe me, I've done some crazy paths, (including one the day before, again with Sarah, and Elana. And Sean, also. )
So instead we turned back to the picnic spot, to eat our picnic salads. As the girls did so, we spotted a late Red Admiral, Vanessa atalanta, and took a dozen or so pictures.




This WoodSorrel, Oxalis acetosella, looked rather sweet, when I'd left the girls feeding on greens.


Note: The National Parks and Wildlife Service, who manages the reserve, has just raised the level of the speedramps.
These are very high for cars as well as wheelchairs. Be careful and go slow!


Also: The quality of the thumnails are not as these used to be; I'm trying out to work with Photobucket thumnails.
Bear with me, I'm still trying to nail these thumbs, and things may go wrong now and then!

My assesment on Riverwalk; unsitable from where I turned around. It is however a wonderful place to go and have a picnic, and enter the woods just a bit, and feel the atmosphere. You can then go for a drive through the area of the reserve and beyond.

The Disabled Photographers,

At 10am or so, I was told that the go-ahead had been given to Panasonic to do the repair of my poor and lonely camera. (doubt she'll be lonely though., LOL, with handsome men bent down over her inards)
Jim, from Halls Cameras, also gave the prices to the tele converterlens, adapter and polerartic filter. ( € 189.-- €27.50, € 29.95)

Having asked another birder with a Lumix FZ18, if he had the lens, so that I could find out the weight. Although Allan did not have the lens himself yet, he was able to tell me the weight. And at 454gram, it is hefty. Not as heavy as most ordinary DSLR lenses, but still, with 360gram of the camera, it will be a lot harder already whenyou are having only the use of the one arm plus a dodgy hand on top.

While googling about, I found a very useful lot, where I will learn more I hope. Such as if the screwing on/off will be difficult, or rather "how awkward when you are having your camera on your lap in a bag. If I get the lens I think I will make a bag myself. I have a good sturdy denim bag, which I can line with very thick padding (the bag is big enough to hold camera and the equipment. And I can hang it around my neck and place it on my lap, making sure it doesn't pull at my neck.

The website I found is that of the Disabled Photographers Society and having looked at their forum, there seemed to be all kind of topics raised here, so perhaps we can find a Lumix FZ18 owner with a similar disability to mine. (I absolutely hate using the word Disabled, which is why I readlly try to avoid it, if I can at all. Simply because I am not disabled at all. I might have lost the use of my left side, use wheels to go from A-B, but my mind is in perfect order, despite 2 brain operations.
Even so, when you want to reach people or use a term to describe a large group of people with very different disabilities, it is the best word to use.
Which is why I used Disabled Birding Ireland as a byline for my other blog, Birding on Wheels. which is much more geared at providing information on accessible reserves and National Parks.

Wings, wheels and Long Legs

Leaving my birds in the capable wings of Junior, I left for Rehabcare again for a chat and lunch.
Rehabcare is a kind of day-centre for people with physical, sensory disabilities, and it also has a wing for people with intelectual disabilities. {a big word for some lovely people though! }However it is not your ordinary day centre where users hang about, waiting for tea, coffee or lunch. Here, people come who still have an active mind, Work on exercise machines, do crosswords, take part in cooking, gardening, PC, writing or painting classes, etc.
The main reason I go is to talk to people with the use of one hand, after stroke, for my One Handed Booklet.

The garden of the centre is where wheelies and other users get into gardening and therefore has raised flower and veggie beds and the main vegetable garden is divided into small plots. The garden is mostly tended to by the users of the section for those with mental disabilities, where each can grow his or her favourite vegetable. It is not often that Lumix and I venture into the main veggie bit.
At first I went Bee and Butterfly hunting among the beds near the building, a Large White soon got my attention, as it was flying above the large Nasturtiums in one of the raised beds. It let me come very close while it was still flying about and once it had landed. Then it took off around the corner and as I followed it I drifted a wee bit off course and sank into the mud. Getting onto the path again was one of those typical no-hopers on your own, but luckily I got help from two of the girls, working here.

Needless to say, I had to stay on the path! Hence my visit to the vegetable garden. {I have bit of trouble staying indoors} The Butterflies here were all at the other side of the fruit trees, too far off. The Artichokes did catch my eye as did a handsome and very ordinary Spider. You know how architectural plants and Grasses are in vogue these days {while I always liked them, without the need of plants men/women telling me of their uses, like Artichokes and Grasses.} Well, this Spider struck me because of its structure and its shadow, faint as it maybe. I’d really love to have a Macro lens, one day.

Then you get back home and notice that the Jackdaws had done another disappearing act with my peanut cake tub again.


DunnockJunior in the rain, yesterdayHouse Spider above my tableArtichokesLarge White ButterflyHouse Spider in the SunWild Fuchsia