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Happy Saint Patrick's Day everyone! I know it's not celebrated everywhere, but it's a big holiday here in the US, Ireland, UK, and several other countries. St Patrick is one of the most important patron saints of Ireland. Born in the 4th century, he was a priest that converted thousands of Irish pagans to Christianity. Not much is known about the man except the Declaration said to be written by St. Patrick himself. Although with any document that old one never knows. The holiday is very well known for revelry and drinking, in almost all countries where the holiday is celebrated. And it's traditional to wear green as well!
In Chicago, Illinois they even dye the Chicago River green every year as part of the celebration. Here's the view from last years river after the green dye! I've never been to Chicago for the holiday but it sure would be fun to see the green river in person. Sadly, Chicago has become one of the cities I would avoid due to the crime issues that they have developed over the last couple of decades. The last time I was there for a conference was about twenty years ago. Time sure does fly by!
darynqmaritsa.pages.dev
Chicago River dyed green in 2024
St Patrick's Day is often associated with leprechauns. And when you think of them you can't help but think of gold. The creatures are renowned for having a pot of gold, especially in the Leprechaun movies. The first Leprechaun movie starred a very young Jennifer Aniston, it a great movie for the holiday tonight if you haven't seen it. Today I'll share some gold too, but sadly is something I don't own. I found it while browsing St Patrick Day sales on APMEX.
Have a look at this gold and silver coin from the Cook Islands:
Pictures from APMEX.com
Talk about a cool coin, it's bimetallic with 1.5 Troy ounces of pure gold and 0.5 Troy ounces of pure silver. If you look at the silver it actually makes a dorsal fin on the coin itself. It was minted at the Perth Mint which is known for exceptional quality coins. And it even comes with a great white tooth, well, sort of... It's a replica, heaven forbid they use a real one, but they are a protected species. The price is a little steep for me at the moment at $4,624, since I'm not a rich man. They only minted 500 of these back in 2005, and this is the first time I've ever seen one, and since I'm a big diving fan, it's right up my alley. I love seeing sharks, as long as they keep their distance and aren't too curious about me! If that dynamic changes it's time to get out of the water...
Great White Shark
hakaimagazine.com
Ok, you got me. The great white has absolutely nothing to do with St Patrick's Day. I just like sharks, that about it! Plus, since the gold I shared had a shark on it you had to see this coming. I am an animal lover after all. These are the largest predatory sharks in the oceans alive today and grow up to 19 feet (5.8 meters) in length and can weigh up to 4,400 pounds (2,000 kg). Definitely not a light weight by any means. The females tend to be much bigger than the males and it's believed they can live up to 70 years of age. No one really knows for sure because they don't survive in captivity.
What's a little unnerving about them is they are relatively quick for their size, swimming up to 16 miles per hour (25 km/h.) I guarantee you aren't going to outswim one of these! Attacks on humans are incredibly rare and occur most often when mistaking humans for their preferred prey. But when they do bite their massive bite radius often results in fatality. Each year there are about ten attacks reported around the globe, so you are much more likely to get struck by lightning.
The movie Jaws featured a great white which has made many believe them to be man eaters. The shark attack that inspired the novel actually occurred in fresh water in a river in New York. The culprit was most likely a bull shark as they can tolerate fresh water and frequently live in rivers or lakes for years at a time. I have to admit that the great white looks more ferocious than a bull shark though!
For their great size they still get hunted by orcas. Orcas love to kill them and eat their large livers which are rich in nutrients and fats. Orcas are really the top predators of the ocean!
I've never seen a great white in person, although I had always hoped to see one. Most divers who have seen them report they were just passing through and show no interest in the divers. My experience with sharks while diving is the same, most of the time they are just passing through. I have had a couple times when they seemed to get too curious so I got out the water. But they are beautiful animals and I have always loved seeing them in the wild!
Cook Islands
Time to see some more green, not in the form of gold or leprechauns, but a tropical paradise in the South Pacific. The Cook Islands are a self ruling group of 15 main islands with close ties to New Zealand. Although they do still have the monarchy as you may have guessed from the former Queen on the coin. Their main source of income is from tourism as a tropical luxury destination. Fishing and serving as a tax haven are also large economic producers for the islands.
I personally have never made it to the South Pacific, but it's till on the bucket list. I love the tropics and they provide great diving, fishing, and water sports. What's not to love? And it's a beautiful place to live to boot. I wouldn't mind spending some quality time there in the Cook Islands.
paraisoisland.com
expedia.com
That will wrap up my post for this St Patrick's Day holiday. If you have any questions or comments please feel free to leave them below. Thank you so much for all of your support, it truly is appreciated! If you're celebrating tonight, have fun and stay safe.
Happy St Patrick's Day everyone!
References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Patrick's_Day
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cook_Islands
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_white_shark
https://www.apmex.com/product/75989/2005-cook-islands-gold-silver-150-great-white-shark-proof
Disclaimer:
I am not a financial planner and this isn't financial advice. Please always do your own research before investing your money. You worked hard enough to earn it!
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