Send Out the Clowns

Thought for the day:  Life is a ticket to the greatest show on earth. [Martin H. Fischer]

[image: morguefiles]

The world is full of more beauty and wonders than any circus tent could ever dream of holding, but some days it sure feels like the clowns have escaped and are trying to run the world, doesn't it? Tell ya what, let's not worry about the clowns today. Instead, let's consider some other attractions worthy of attention and capable of making us go ooooh and ahhhh. (Sorry... no lion tamers or tightrope walkers.)

[image: wikipedia]

The first attraction we're gonna visit on our virtual tour is located in Bermuda. See that bridge? It's the Somerset Bridge, and that's what we're here to see. In a world that seems to be becoming more divided by walls, both real and virtual, I thought a remarkable bridge was a good place to start. This bridge, built in 1620, is the smallest drawbridge in the world.

[image: wikimedia commons]

The two sides don't raise like in a traditional drawbridge, but a loose wooden plank covers a 56 cm gap, just wide enough to allow the mast of a sailboat to pass through. An overseer removes the plank, helps guide the sailor through, and then replaces the board. Still treasured by local residents today, this unique bridge, in spite of its diminutive size, is one of the island's biggest tourist attractions and was designated as a historical monument in 2015.

See? Bridges do make a difference... even small ones.


Our next stop is Canada... not to see a place, but to see a person. Why? Because watching octogenarian and champion kite-flyer Ray Bethel simply makes me feel good. I hope he puts a smile on your face, too.

[image: wikipedia]

Let's zip over to Lancashire, England now, shall we? This unusual-looking sculpture, three meters tall and made of galvanized steel pipes, is called the Singing Ringing Tree. Meant to resemble the shape of a tree bent in the wind, the near-constant wind that blows around it atop its perch on Crown Points produces an eerie melodious hum.

Wanta hear it?

Cool, huh? Okay, while we're over in this part of the world, let's head on over to Dublin to see an amazing house that was built in 1798 by a Welsh immigrant with a very keen imagination.

How'd you like to live in a house with a dragon gate?

This 9700 square foot home contains seven bedrooms, and its interior is filled with religious and fairy tale motifs throughout. For me, nothing is more captivating than the gates.

Can't see the dragon very well?

Is this better? Here's a closer shot of his face.

If you'd like to see some more pictures of this house (which is currently for sale, by the way...) please go HERE







Okay, back to the Caribbean. This time, to the Bahamas. Actually, take a deep breath, because we're going underwater...

to see a... statue.

Ocean Atlas is the world's largest underwater sculpture. What? You said you didn't know there were any underwater sculptures? (Me, neither!) But there are, and they're all marvelous! British sculptor Jason Taylor created the world's first underwater sculpture park off the west coast of Grenada in 2006, but his sculptures aren't just works of art. This artist is also a conservationist and scuba instructor, so the talented Mr. Taylor designs his sculptures to serve as artificial reefs to promote coral growth.  His 18-foot Ocean Atlas was set in place in 2014. Ready to see it? (A quick Internet search will reveal images of some of his other undersea sculptures.)

Our last stop will be in Australia, where we're going to meet a very optimistic little fella. A spider, actually. A very beautiful Peacock Spider. He's only about as big as a pencil eraser, but that doesn't stop him from doing his thing. And his thing... is dancing. Dancing for his life, you might say. See, these male spiders, which come in a range of vivid colors, perform a very animated mating dance to attract a lady spider. She watches, too, verrrry closely. Like from a few millimeters away.  Not only does the male dance his little heart out, but he does Ringo Starr-like drum solos, too. On the ground... and on the lady spider's head. If she's adequately impressed with his skills, all is good. If not? She, um, has him for dinner. Want to see one of these Ed Sullivan-worthy performances?

So while we're dancing as fast as we can to forget about the craziness in the world, take heart! At least no one is drumming on your head, and if someone invites you to dinner, chances are pretty good you aren't going to be the main course.

Keep smiling, don't let the clowns get to you, and keep looking for the amazing things in life. There's plenty of them out there. What is this life, if full of care, we have no time to stand and stare? [W.H. Davies]

                              Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.