Jan and Harold Pfeifer (EPD, 1993) recently returned from a trip (Sept. 2007) to the Republic of Ireland. Briefly, the weather was sunny, temperatures in the low seventies, scenic country sides, and friendly Irish people. They journeyed to Eire to search for a leprechaun with his pot of gold.

They were on a Collette bus tour which started in Limerick. A Castle highlight was an evening medieval banquet with food, music, and entertainment. Then they went on to Galway with a visit to a working dairy farm and then through the rugged and scenic countryside. After a city tour of Galway, they returned to Killarney. They traveled to Blarney Castle and to the city of Waterford. In route, they were treated to spectacular ocean scenery and passed through small, colorful villages. They toured the Waterford Crystal Factory to see many beautiful objects and how they are made. Then it was on to Kingscourt, a short distance (18 miles) from Northern Ireland. They stayed at Cabra Castle that had been renovated with many new furnishings. They truly enjoyed the surroundings, visiting with other travelers, and the food. On to Dublin where the action is; i.e., churches, castles, forts, museums, pubs, shopping and more. They stayed at Castleknock, not a castle but a very nice hotel. Their accommodations, tours, Irish coffee, Guinness ales, and sightseeing were superb. They highly recommend a trip to Ireland. Oh yes. They didn’t see any leprechauns. Maybe next time?

Ann Parker (Technical Information Department 2007) received the 2007 Colorado Book Award for Popular Fiction for her novel IRON TIES, the second in her Silver Rush historical mystery series. The Colorado Book Awards are presented by the Colorado Center for the Book program of the Colorado Humanities. Ann's series is set in Leadville, Colorado, during the silver rush of the late 1870s and early 1880s. For information about her books, Leadville history and more, visit her website at www.annparker.net.

Don't forget to send in the Retirees Assn. application and ballot, which should have arrived in the mail of existing members and can be looked up on line for future members.  The first '08 luncheon will be January 16, topic TBD. And mark your calendars for the dinner dance on February 9th.  

Margy O’Dell is looking for people to share their travel experiences with the Travel Group. Contact her via e-mail at: TravelTrips@LLNLRetirees.org.

Arlene and Stephen Chin will kick off the year for the Travel Group with a program entitled "Circling Iceland."  It will be held January 22 at 2 p.m. in the Livermore Police Department Community Room, 1110 South Livermore Avenue.

Please send any news or input (please include the date and department from which you retired) to Jane or Gus Olson. E-Mail: Jane@LLNLRetirees.org or Gus@LLNLRetirees.org.