Happy St. Patrick’s Day, y’all! 

And to celebrate this day of green, and luck, and four-leaf clovers, we (GR, Phoo, Big H, and I) are going to a hockey game tonight.  Played on green ice!  Hmm…I didn’t even know that the Irish played hockey.  We’ll also be drinking a wee pint of green beer, me friends! 

And I am scared.  According to Sophie, apparently there are flying pucks at hockey games.  I know!  Sometimes a puck will just sporadically fly into the stands and knock some unsuspecting, drunkard unconscious.  (Note to self:  must bring helmet for GR).  And why didn’t anyone bother to clue me in on that before I bought tickets?  Thanks, Soph.  I’ll be ducking, running, and spilling my green beer all over the place.

Oh..an old Irish proverb says, “A drink precedes a story.”  And there will be a story, people.  Trust me.

Moving right along…you all must know that it’s not only St. Patrick’s Day today, right?  It’s also Saturday Photo Hunters Day!  And today’s theme, appropriately enough, is Drink.  As in, green beer.  But because I could not find a picture that I have ever taken of green beer, I did find this snazzy little photo that involves the color green, Perrier, and a leprechaun-like figure.  Take a look, and then I will explain the little guy in just a moment…

This picture was taken when I was in Paris last February at a cafe on a small street beside Notre Dame.  If you look through the windows, you can actually see the side of the cathedral.  And you might see snowflakes.  It was bitterly cold that day!  But the light snow that was falling made the city even more beautiful, if that’s possible.  I’m a big photographer of food and drink when I travel, which explains this photo.  I do this mainly because it reminds me of places like this little cafe where we had lunch that I might would have otherwise forgotten.

Okay, remember I told you that I’m a nerd?  Well, the little guy?  He’s my traveling gnome.  Quit laughing.  If you look through some of my more current travel pictures, you might notice him from time to time.  He’s had his picture made in front of Notre Dame, on the steps to Sacre Coeur, in front of the Eiffel Tower, several places in London, the beach, Charleston, and just about anywhere else that I have recently traveled.  A friend of mine even took him to Colorado skiing.  He’s a traveling gnome, y’all!  That’s what he’s supposed to do.  And, I swear I don’t have any kind of crazy issues (I don’t think).  I just think he’s fun.  In a nerdy kind of way.

And, if you’ve ever seen the French movie, Amelie, you will know where I got my inspiration.  If you’ve never seen the movie–I highly recommend it!  It’s such a sweet, quirky little film, and it really is one of my all-time favorites.  It makes me want to move to Paris every time I watch it.

So, that’s it for today!  If you would like to view other bloggers photos, click here for a blogroll of participants.  Otherwise, I’ll meet you back here on Monday.  Or maybe Tuesday.  That is, as long as I don’t get knocked unconscious by a rogue hockey puck. 

OH!  WAIT A MINUTE!  I almost forgot.  I just want to leave you with this picture of little Abby who happens to be of Irish descent herself!  Here she is paralyzed with fear (something…on…my…back), sporting her Irish bandana.