Removing Snow from the Car WHITE CHRISTMAS cleaning Snow Ice Frost

Removing Snow from the Car...


Whew! Finally the snow is melting away. What a time we had while it snowed. It was fun but at the same time it was also a problem for motorists and travellers because not only was the snow very thick but some secondary roads were ignored while primary roads were being gritted with salt. For the school kids, I guess it was holiday time for them as some schools had to be shut down. Anyway, our car was entirely covered in snow and we had to clear it up before driving. I removed the snow with an ice scraper. But you can also remove it with a window cleaner brush which has a flat and wide cleaning end. But after the snow was removed, there was still frost on the windscreen which would take some more time to clear up. So I sprayed de-icer and it became easier to scrape away the frost. While removing the snow, it’s better to start from one end and clean in one motion from front to back. This will ensure that the snow which is being removed from the front till the back will fall down and not get mixed with the rest of the snow on top of the car. Otherwise, if it gets mixed up, you end up taking more effort than what is required and it’s double effort and double time you lose. So start from one end and clear that side and then move to the next side. Enjoy cleaning up all the snow, ice and frost and enjoy your drive in the snow!
Here's the video of me removing all the snow from the car...

A few hours walk in Carlow Town

A few hours walk in Carlow Town

While my bro was with us for a few days, we made some plans but nothing worked out mainly because of the weather playing spoilsport- frost, snow, freezing temperatures and early sunsets. We did walk around Baltinglass Town and Baltinglass Community Park but wasn’t able to go any further though. The roads in Baltinglass Town were yet to be gritted with salt and mud. One day it was a bit sunny and we visited Carlow. Our first stop was Tesco Supermarket at Fairgreen Shopping Centre. We had a look around and bought batteries for my bro’s cam. Then we shopped at a few clothing shops. We went to a gift shop and got some gifts for his friends. There wasn’t much time to spend in Heatons. So after that we had a look at Halfords, Woodies and Byrnes. Took few snaps near Pizza Hut and KFC as well. We then visited Carlow Shopping Centre inside the town. There were statues of Santa Claus, Snow White, the Three Wise Men and some deers. We took snaps standing next to them. Finally we went back to KFC, bought some fast food and returned home.

ATTACKED BY SNOWBALLS IN PARKMORE BALTINGLASS, IRELAND :) SNOWFUN- Enjoying and Throwing Snowballs...

ATTACKED BY SNOWBALLS IN PARKMORE BALTINGLASS, IRELAND :) SNOWFUN- Enjoying and Throwing Snowballs...

SNOWBALLING NEIGHBOURS!

Ha!Ha!....It was fun....We literally got snowballed by our neighbours’ kids. There were laughter, shouts and screams all over the place. Our next door neighbour who is a bit elderly, but fun-loving, was the main person who started the attack on those kids. While we were outside trying to get some shots of the wonderful snow, the attack took place- without a warning! It all happened so quickly. Heh, it was real fun though. My wife was hiding by the side of the car, so she was safe. My mom was scared to come out in the snow as this is her first time in the snow too. So she was happily watching and smiling during the whole show. There were snowballs thrown everywhere- on my head, my face, our car, our neighbour and her daughter, on the doors and walls. You had no chance to escape. You really could not stop it or save yourself because they were coming at you one after another and that too from all sides. Dressed up with multi layers of clothes, I was wondering what was happening there at everything happening so fast.

CUTE AND WONDERFUL KIDS OF PARKMORE, BALTINGLASS :)

"There was one particular kid who was cleverly hiding behind the gate wall and snowballing everyone, you could only see his head popping out, as though he was recruited for some kind of world war and his mission was to engage himself in ensuring maximum damage to the enemy by strategically throwing grenades without being seen"

Heh, the cute and wonderful kids of Parkmore, Baltinglass :) There was one particular kid who was cleverly hiding behind the gate wall and snowballing everyone, you could only see his head popping out, as though he was recruited for some kind of world war and his mission was to engage himself in ensuring maximum damage to the enemy by strategically throwing grenades without being seen. Sheesh man, this was too good! Finally I thought I will run right up to him at the wall and throw a huge ball of snow directly at him. Ha! Ha! Unfortunately I slipped near the gate and had a great Humpty Dumpty Fall! But thankfully it was on the thick layer of snow, so you could say it was just like falling on a soft cotton mattress. Heh! Well, the fall actually reminded me that no matter how big we grow up, we will always be outsmarted by kids when we enter their territory while they’re on a roll....heh heh....I like that. Those smart snowballing kids :)

NO SNOWMAN YET...

Also, during the attack, our neighbour was also cleaning up their entrance door step brushing away all those snow, after each snowball was thrown at them. Ha! Ha! that was a real funny sight because after some time she gave it up. Each time she was snowballed, she would clean it up. But again someone would snowball her. Real funny sight. Well, in the end the snowball attack stopped and the kids went over to the, now white, green lawn by the roadside opposite to our houses and began to make a snowman. They rolled up a huge ball of snow but suddenly decided against it and ran off. I think they found a another place with thicker snow and probably went there to make their snowman. Well, this really was a great time for all of us. A happy moment when we got attacked by snowballs from our neighbours’ kids...

Here's the Snowball Video:

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2010!... When our family visited us...FAMILY TIME!

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2010!... When our family visited us...FAMILY TIME!

Safe journey from Trivandrum to Abu Dhabi, Dublin by Etihad Airways

By God’s grace my mom n eldest brother reached Ireland safely and on time. They had a safe and comfortable journey in Etihad Airways, from Trivandrum to Abu Dhabi and from Abu Dhabi to Dublin. The last week of December was the start of severe snowfall and that was one concern we had regarding the journey, but everything was sound and calm. Well, it was great to have them over here. My second bro and family could’t make it because of leave restrictions. Our friends in Bray, GDM, drove us from the Airport to their house where we had relaxed and ate some good food which they prepared for us. And they then dropped us at Blessington where our car was parked so we could return back to Baltinglass.

New Year with Mom n Eldest Bro...

So we stepped into the New Year 2010. Praise God! We took snaps standing next to the Christmas Tree and for lunch we had Chicken Biriyani, the popular and special Indian Rice and Chicken dish prepared with spices. We could not go out much because of the heavy snowfall and frost. Also, it would get real dark and even colder by 5pm. I and my bro visited Carlow once and apart from that all we could do was just drive around the town. Yes, the timing was bad but atleast they were happy to be here as we could spend some time together and they also got an opportunity to see how beautiful Ireland looks like even though it was winter time. While my mom will be with us for 2 months, my bro only had a few days leave and is back in Dubai now. Don’t think his employer will give him leave for another 6 months now. Anyway, it was a nice time and we are looking forward to meet up with everyone together once again. A Happy New Year 2010!

DREADED DENTIST DRILL to be replaced by futuristic space-age device “PLASMA JET”!!!

DREADED DENTIST DRILL to be replaced by futuristic space-age device “PLASMA JET”!!!

My first visit to the Dentist for cleaning and filling up – HE USED THE DRILL!!!

"I felt my veins vibrating from head to foot. Or I can even say from my toe nails to my skull and brain!!!"

I still remember my visit to the Dentist back in Cochin. A small dental clinic in Vytilla Junction, Ernakulam, it had a Dental Surgeon and a junior lady Dentist. There was some cleaning up and filling to do. And the sound of that drill still lingers in me. I felt my veins vibrating from head to foot. Or I can even say from my toe nails to my skull and brain!!! Such was the impact! Many children and adults avoid Dental Clinics because of their phobia on drills. They fear drilling!

Got my Wisdom Tooth pulled out!

I also remember when one of my wisdom tooth had to be pulled out. This time it was in Plamoodu, Trivandrum. But here, the impact was a lot better. The Doctor was really cool and he made me feel really comfortable. A true professional. He did use all the required tools in order to remove my tooth, but I didn’t feel any pain because he applied that gel and injected my mouth before the surgery. Yes, the dental works had to be done for the good of my teeth. So I can’t really say that they were bad. It’s the initial cleaning and drilling experience that I still can’t forget. Of course, I’m happy I got them done though.

Traditional Dentist’s Drill being replaced by ‘Plasma Jet’...

Good news for those of you who are still scared of the Dentist Drilling Machine and totally hates that drill! In few years time there will be a Plasma Jet, a pain-free device which will eradicate tooth decay even without any fillings. While drills are used to drill holes into your tooth, the Plasma Jet will be used to fire a plasma beam of oxygen atoms at low-temperature, which are electrically-charged, into your cavities at the dentine- the fibrous tooth structure below the enamel, thus reducing the bacteria which causes decay!

Plasma Jet Overcomes Dental Bugs!!

Dr Stefan Rupf, a Main Researcher from Saarland University in Homburg, said:
"The low temperature means they can kill the microbes while preserving the tooth. The dental pulp at the centre of the tooth, underneath the dentine, is linked to the blood supply and nerves and heat damage to it must be avoided at all costs."
German researchers have tested the use of Plasma Jet and were found to be successful on Streptococcus Mutans and Lactobacillus Casei which are common dental bugs. These bugs cause teeth enamel erosion and cavity causing dentines by leaving films on the teeth surface. So now you can all happily visit the Dentist without any Drill Phobia! :)

“I thank God for Another Blessed Year!!!” :)

“I thank God for another beautiful year!!!” :)

I Praise God for another new year!!! :)

Happy New Year! I thank God for another beautiful year that has passed by and for an even more beautiful year 2010! Yes, I have gone through my sad and bad moments but that doesn’t mean 2009 was all that bad. I also had my moments of joy and victories. But whether it was good or bad, I still thank God for all His Mercies and Blessings that He has showered upon everyone in this world. Jesus Christ as Personal Saviour & Living Redeemer, and Holy Spirit as Wonderful Counsellor are always the strongest of all Companions! I Praise God for another new year!!! :)

My Heavenly Father, My Pillar of Support and Comfort!!! :)

"But I thank God again for helping me to smile even when I didn’t win in anything and smile more gladly even whenever I lost something!!!"

From all the incidents that I went through which were not favourable for me, I once again understood that God has taught me some very very valuable lessons from them all. I lost in many areas, I cried when I was in pain, I didn’t have any earthly or heavenly help at certain times, I depended on people who I thought were appointed for guiding and advising but they never attempted to lend a helping hand or ear, and of course I smiled whenever I won. But I thank God again for helping me to smile even when I didn’t win in anything and smile more gladly even whenever I lost something. I thank God so much for giving me strength to endure during my painful moments and I love Him for being my Pillar of Support and Comfort while in my tears! And I will always cherish my Heavenly Father’s Blessings at all times!

Jesus speaks to you by the Power of the Holy Spirit!!!

"And you’ll surely know when He speaks to you, especially when He uses that small whisper inside you, the voice which you know is warm, still, quiet, peaceful and stands out on it’s own above all those doubtful thoughts inside you!"

When Jesus speaks to you, it is by the Power of the Holy Spirit that His Word is manifested in your life! And you’ll surely know when He speaks to you, especially when He uses that small whisper inside you, the voice which you know is warm, still, quiet, peaceful and stands out on it’s own above all those doubtful thoughts inside you! I still remember the Word that touched me way back in 2001. I always thank God for blessing me with His Anointed Servant. But it is Jesus, the Word Who is more important than Pastor or any Preacher of the Gospel- The Good News! The Pastor must have preached, but it was the Holy Spirit conveying to me what my Heavenly Father wanted to say to me. Pastor is only a Servant of God whom God anoints and uses to declare His Word to the people of the world either by word or by signs and wonders. It is not Pastor who saves or changes someone. It is the Love of Jesus Christ by His sacrificial blood on the Cross that has opened the way for Salvation to enter in our lives! However, we should also be humble and obedient to God by respecting, loving, helping and praying for all the Servants of God especially those whom God directly uses to touch us in our daily lives!

The Word that I still remember because God spoke to me to my heart!!

“ It is not your circumstances that determine your relationship with God, but it is your heart that determines your relationship with God!!!”
One part of the powerful Word that I still remember is this:

“...you ask your dad to buy you a bike and he says ‘No!’.... will you hate your dad because he refused to buy you a bike? Will you love your father only if he buys you a bike? Whether he buys you a bike or not, he is still your dad and you should always love your dad.....It is the same with your Heavenly Father....will you love God only if he gives you what you pray for? Whether He answers your prayers or not, you should always love God.....Just bcos you asked for something and He doesn’t give it to you, it doesn’t mean He doesn’t love you...it’s bcos He’s got something better for you....Will you love your Husband only if he gifts you a diamond ring everyday???.....Even if you feel you haven’t received any blessings you should still love God, because He is your God and your love for Him should not be based on blessings, it should come directly from your heart!.... It is not your circumstances that determine your relationship with God, but it is your heart that determines your relationship with God!!!...”

“HAVE A BLESSED NEW YEAR!!!” :)

"You can also pray quietly in your heart whether you’re alone in your room, or in your office, while among your friends, while having your food and in fact you can pray at all times whether or not you have your eyes closed and hands joined!"

I pray that God blesses you and your family. May He bless your health, career, ministry, and every other area of your lives! Remember to pray before you do anything. To pray doesn’t mean you can only pray if you are in a loud prayer meeting, or alone in a room where you cry out loud, or seated in a church, or kneeling before an image or crying before a lighted candle. You can also pray quietly in your heart whether you’re alone in your room, or in your office, while among your friends, while having your food and in fact you can pray at all times whether or not you have your eyes closed and hands joined. God will hear your prayer in any circumstance as long as it’s from your heart! So be happy, be cheerful in all situations, ask God to bless your plans and to guide you in all your ways. Keep your heart opened for the Lord and He will save you and bless you. It’s His Word! You can trust Him because He alone is Trustworthy...Have a Blessed New Year!! God bless you all!

Here is God’s promise for Your Life this New Year:

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths."

(Proverbs 3:5-6; Bible, New King James Version)

“Snow in Baltinglass, Ireland!” “It’s snowing in New Houses, Parkmore...!” :)

“Snow in Baltinglass, Ireland!” “It’s snowing in New Houses, Parkmore...!” :)

Beautiful Baltinglass!!! It’s white all over... the Baltinglass Hills... :)

"So you can imagine what it is like when the whole place is covered in snow. Of course too much snow does have it’s toil on us- we can’t walk without slipping, cant drive without skidding and can’t get out of our home due to Snow Block!"

Now I have seen what snow looks like! Beautiful Snow! When I came to Ireland, I was already mesmerized by the beauty of Ireland. Ireland’s Natural Beauty- especially County Wicklow where I stay in Baltinglass, is simply fascinating! And my first meeting with Ireland was in the Summer. So you can imagine what it is like when the whole place is covered in snow. Of course too much snow does have it’s toil on us- we can’t walk without slipping, cant drive without skidding and can’t get out of our home due to Snow Block! But when you keep all that aside, stand in front of your window and stare out to the Baltinglass Hills and nearby mountains, you just can’t stop admiring how beautifully white the entire place has become in just a matter of a few hours! The hills, trees and roads...it’s everywhere. It’s white all over! Beautiful Snow Beautiful Baltinglass!!!

Beautiful Baltinglass and Glorious Glendalough!!!

And if Beautiful Baltinglass still looks good despite being under all this snow, then I can imagine how much of the beautiful scenic views I am missing of Glorious Glendalough at this moment which must be under a huge paste of snow by now!!!

Our family friends invited me to join them for a trip to a bit faraway place, Glendalough, back in the summer of 2009 just few weeks after I arrived in Ireland. It was my first vist to Glendalough as well. It was wonderful! I couldn't stop clicking snaps in my camera from the time I reached there. A real good memory. And though Baltinglass isn’t as big as Glendalough, the beauty is the same! My admiration for Baltinglass is almost the same as how I’d be admired by Glorious Glendalough! And if Beautiful Baltinglass still looks good despite being under all this snow, then I can imagine how much of the beautiful scenic views I am missing of Glorious Glendalough at this moment which must be under a huge paste of snow by now!!!

Wicklow – The Garden of Ireland : Snow in Parkmore, Baltinglass Town...

I do believe that the entire universe is an art work of God but Co Wicklow – The Garden of Ireland is a class apart! I captured some images and videos of New Houses Parkmore, Baltinglass and got few pretty good shots which are really superb. Watch the video and let me know what you think...

Dublin Port Tunnel : Journey from Dublin Airport to Castledermot in the 8:25 am J.J. Kavanagh bus - Video Clip

Dublin Port Tunnel : Journey from Dublin Airport to Castledermot in the 8:25 am J.J. Kavanagh bus - Video Clip



Dublin Airport to Castledermot J.J. Kavanagh Bus journey

On my journey from Dublin Airport to Castledermot, I got the chance to travel in the underground Dublin Port Tunnel. I was in the 8:25 am J.J. Kavanagh bus and captured the short tunnel episode in my cam. It was nice to be under the road for a change. There was a cute kid sitting in the seat in front of me busy playing on his portable computer game. You can see the reflection on the window of the side seat where I sat.

“This is Castledermot!”

The bus picked me and dropped me on time. I reached Castledermot at 10:25am just like what is shown on their website time table in the internet. Excellent Driver! When I boarded the bus I asked him to let me know when it’s Castledermot stop as I wasnt very familiar with the place. We only come to Castledermot to get onto the bus to Dublin as it’s not in Baltinglass at that time. Anyway, I was still relaxing and staring outside at the snow when the driver slowly got out from his seat, smiled and politely reminded me in front of all the other passengers that ‘This is Castledermot’. I smiled, thanked him and got out.

The Dublin Port Tunnel (Irish: Tollán Calafoirt Bhaile Átha Cliath)


One half of the Twin Underground Dual Carriageway Tunnels, this Underground Tunnel is the Dublin Port Tunnel (Tollán Calafoirt Bhaile Átha Cliath in Irish), constructed in Dublin, Ireland. The two-lane dual carriageway links the M50 Motorway Dublin Port, (located east of central Dublin), and the M1 Motorway (Dublin to Belfast) which is near to Dublin Airport. The tunnels measure 4.5 km (2.8 miles) in length. An important safety aspect is that there are Pedestrian Crossing Passages every 250 metres and Vehicle Crossing Passages every 1000 metres linked to the tunnels which are major exit routes in times of emergency. It was the major efforts of Dublin City Council on behalf of the National Roads Authority which resulted in the success of Dublin Port Tunnel.

Few Facts you didn’t know about the Dublin Port Tunnel (DPT):

1. After the Södra Länken in Stockholm, Sweden, the DPT is the second-longest urban motorway tunnel in Europe measuring 4.5 km (2.8 miles) in length.

2. Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) are toll- free.

3. Joint winner (with the recovery operation project for the World Trade Centre) in December 2003 of the British Geotechnical Association's international Fleming Award (BGA Fleming Award) for excellence in geotechnical design and construction.

4. The award was for the innovative 'observational approach' used in optimising the design of the tunnel launch shaft in Whitehall, and for the soil-nailed open-cut section of the works accommodating the northern cut and cover tunnel.


5. It was the major efforts of Dublin City Council on behalf of the National Roads Authority which resulted in the success of Dublin Port Tunnel.


Video clip of the bus journey through Dublin Port Tunnel:

Night drive from Carlow to Baltinglass just before it started snowing heavily!!

Night drive from Carlow to Baltinglass just before it started snowing heavily!!


Snow in the night time from Carlow to Baltinglass

We were returning back home from Carlow to Baltinglass in the night and few minutes before reaching Baltinglass Town, it began to snow lightly. At first we thought it was just sleat but within seconds it turned to snow and we were really excited. Though it was only the start, the tiny snowflakes were coming right at us and onto the windscreen. So we geared down and was cruising along slowly laughing happily at the falling snow. By the time we reached Baltinglass Bridge, it stopped and we stopped at Balto Town and parked in the free parking area behind Baltinglass Library and beside Fulvio’s Takeaway and Baltinglass Fire Station for a few minutes but quickly headed back for home as we realised that it was going to snow more heavily. Again, this is my first experience of snow and also the first time while driving in the night time. And the whole time we were listening to a song called 'I will rejoice' sung by one of our favourite Gospel singer Don Moen (who sang the wonderful song called 'God will make a way...where there seems to be no way'... :)... )

Here’s a short video clip I took at that time- Snow During Night Time Drive: