Brackets for Walking

The brackets are two clips from the surveillance camera on our porch. Several months ago there was an incident in the neighborhood that caused almost everyone to get a camera. Since then, I’ve enjoyed it as a toy, often waving toward it as I go in and out. I remembered to look at the activity this day and saved the ones of our going out to walk and coming back home. Lise keeps me laughing throughout the day. You can imagine what the day was like with this as the beginning.

In the time between the bracket videos, we enjoyed seeing the sun come up to shine on top of the mountain. The photo doesn’t do it justice, but it’s the kind of thing we see often. At this point we were on our way to the stop sign.

England 40 Years Ago — May 3, 1981

Sunday (April 26 in Cornwall) The wind blew and whistled around the house till we were tempted to look out and see if the Big Bad Wolf were there. Before we got out of bed we heard peltings on the windows. Yep, rain, sleet, and snow. The weather wasn’t going to deter us – we set out for Exeter and drove through the most fantastic snow storm. It’s the deepest snow we’ve seen in England – 2 or 3 inches! What a winter wonderland! We can’t believe it happened a week after Easter in the southern part of England. We trudged through the sludge to Exeter Cathedral, a lovely, airy stone building.

After a lunch of hamburgers, we drove to Torquay and rode behind a steam engine along the coast, over some hills, and into a valley with a lovely harbour. This is a resort area noted for its warm weather. We saw palm trees defiantly standing up to the cold wind.

It’s the usual thing in this area to have wrought iron gates at driveways and front gardens. We were asked to keep the ones at this house shut because cows sometimes wander by. Even in the cities, most places have these gates. Nearly all are painted pastel colours – very few black.

We had trouble with the hot water when we got back to the cottage and asked a neighbour for a ladder. He, poor fellow, had just returned from his holiday, but came over to try to help. A plumber is due early in the morning. Just our luck to have to oversee repairs on vacation! The neighbour said we came to a lovely area of the country, but picked lousy weather.

Monday April 27 You might think waiting for a plumber to finish a three hour job would ruin the day. Didn’t! We enjoyed hearing the Cornish accent. Poor man had to dismantle all the pipes to the heater to find the trouble in the bottom of the tank – a wad of fiber glass insulation.

After he left, we had a quick lunch and set off. Went to Buckland Abbey which had been given by Henry VIII to a family who later sold it to Sir Frances Drake. We saw a model of the Golden Hind and some of the banners that Drake had had – among the finest in Europe they say. We had tea in the kitchen there, our first time to have tea in a restaurant. Very nice.

We drove around Plymouth and saw the waterfront where the Pilgrims set sail. In this area, Drake played a famous game of bowls while waiting for the Spanish Armada to come in close to shore.

So many restaurants are empty in this country, it’s no wonder the prices are so high because we pay for those empty seats. We tried a steak place in Plymouth and were pleasantly surprised by the food and service. They obviously don’t cater to children, having no special prices and no booster seats. $ sat on his car seat and had a grand time. As we were leaving, the waiter whisked $’s plastic bib away and cleaned it! That’s probably a first and last event!

Tuesday, April 28. Saw Dozmary Pool on the moor where legend says King Arthur’s sword was thrown and a ghostly arm rose up to catch it. It is a bleak, brooding place. Not far away is Jamaica Inn, the setting for the novel of that name by Daphne du Maurier.

Tintagel is the site on the coast where the remains of a castle overlook the rugged coast. It is reputedly King Arthur’s stronghold, but the buildings don’t date back quite far enough. It was surely impregnable, but what a wild place to live! (At right is Merlin’s Cave at Tintagel.)

Saw Cotehele House, built between 1485 and 1539. It was absolutely beautiful. The feature I particularly liked was the block installed about 1485. It has the earliest clock in England still working and in its original position! There is a big stone for a weight, but no pendulum – a funny balanced gadget swings back and forth. It doesn’t even have a face, just rings the hour.

There were many things to see behind the manor house.

We lunched on Cornish Pasties, a delicious hearty meal. This is the area where they originated, so had to try it. We understand most bakeries and many butcher shops sell them.

Wednesday, April 19 St. Michaels Mount was marvelous. At low tide there is a walkway to the island, but we arrived too late to walk over. Going over sand, up steps built into rocks, and down the other side brought us to a boat for the trip over. The climb up the steep, steep hill was an effort, but worth it to see the castle. Several hundred years ago there was a monastery; later the refectory became the dining room of the family who bought it. Now the present Lord St. Levan lives in the Victorian part not shown. The tide had come in more while we were on the island so that we rode back in the boat over the walkway and to a different landing since our departure point was now under water.

From St. Michaels Mount – walkway under water

Lands End was windy, but since the sun was shining we didn’t mind. We drove through Penzance and Truro, stopped to see the Cornish steam engines that moved men and tin in the extremely deep shafts and ate at a lovely restaurant. John $ has been an angel – we didn’t get back until 9 p.m. and he hardly cried all day long. (At right is a Cornish steam engine.)

Since we’ve been here, we have wondered why the roads seem to be sunken, yet the fields are on a level with the road. It’s like driving in a maze because you can see ahead only, the sides slope up higher than the car. Finally figured it out by seeing a new fence. Stones, slate, or shale are piled up, often with a herring bone design near the top, and sod put on top. A slightly older fence had sod on top and vegetation growing out. The older the fence, the more vegetation until years later there is only a grassy mound with flowers!

Thursday, April 30 We walked on the moor today to see an ancient ring of stones built about the time Stonehenge was. The wind blew continually, the rain spit, and we could identify with characters in old novels who seem often to battle adverse weather on the moor. Eerie!

The next ancient monument was right beside a cottage. There were some huge stones balanced together that is thought to be a burial chamber which was then covered with earth.

This area is famous for china clay and pottery, so we visited a local pottery. The showroom was rough, but we enjoyed seeing the various things they make.

Spent half the afternoon at a train park riding behind the little live steam engines. The layout was huge and had won some prizes in competition.

The latter part of the day we roamed about a huge mansion, Victorian in style, though parts are 17^th century. I was amused at a saucer bath the last lord preferred until his death in 1930. Kate at first thought it was for a baby to play in. It was a low circular shallow tub with no running water or drain. In the huge bathroom was a stone hot water bottle! The man showing the room said he remembered his parents having one before rubber ones came along. The large tub was on feet and so high you’d have to use steps to get in. The rim was made of mahogany! That’s class!

Friday, May 1 John $ wrote his name for the first time! He did it by having his push chair spell the name in the sand on the beach.

In the Tudor manor house we toured, a lady showed us all the secret drawers in a desk. Reminded me of Woodside in NC. The barn has been converted into a restaurant with lots of home made goodies.

Besides tin mining, this area has many china clay works. We found an outdoor museum that showed the old method of separating the china clay from sand and dirt. Did you know that this powder is used in making paper and medicines? Of course, china and pottery also use it. We were mesmerized by two working water wheels and a paddle wheel. One of the water wheels was 90- years old and still working beautifully.

We ate a marvelous dinner in a lovely little place over looking the harbour in Fowey (pronounced Foy). The streets are the most narrow I have ever seen — winding and steep. During the tourist laden summer, the town is closed to vehicular traffic. The streets are a few inches wider than our car; pedestrians flatten themselves to the sides of buildings at the sound of a car.

Saturday we all pitched in to pack and clean the house. Drove across Exmoor which has some very different vegetation from Bodwin Moor. We squeezed in one more touristy thing by going through Arlington Court, the ancestral home of the Chichesters. Then we settled back for the long drive home, accomplished easily. John $ has been so good – unbelievable to those who have traveled with him when he was otherwise. And so home where the dirt hasn’t moved in our absence. Do you know how to tell someone to go across the street? It’s “go over the way.”

Sunday — Found out our doctor friends, Penny and Andy had an 8 pound 13 ounce boy while we were away. They have two girls and lost a boy a year ago. Tuesday the girls return to school after a month’s holiday. It’s been great fun. Town names we liked best in Cornwall: Harrowbarrow and Catchall.

Walking Sadie in the Rain

It was John $’s first day on a new job, and Sadie sensed something was different, though she didn’t know what. She ran to the front door and waited, hoping Lise and I would take her for a walk.

I’ve done fairly well getting clothes out of my room when I need them. I am determined not to walk in there while David is sleeping. Three of us have shifted where we sleep so that Lise can use David’s room as her office. She begins work between 2 and 4 am, matching her hours to Danish time. This day I forgot to get socks.

“John! Do you have a pair of socks I can borrow for walking?” I pleaded. Bless him, he let me have the pair he was about to put on.

Lise got $’s permission to take Sadie. He hugged the dog first, and we set out, knowing rain was in the forecast. John suggested we turn around half way to the stop sign. When we got to that point, we both agreed the rain was not imminent and went on. The rain clouds were watching, and they began to tease us at the stop sign. We hurried home in a steady drizzle. The wind lifted my hood, and I pulled it back over my head. Soon it was stuck there, plastered by rain that had permeated the flimsy material. It was water-repellent, not waterproof. It didn’t really matter, because I was a bit too warm, anyway.

We waved at the red car going by, and I realized it was $ on his way to work. Sadie had been trotting along with the leash taut. In an instant she stopped, lifted her head, and sniffed intently after the car went by. She knew John had passed us!

When we reached the front porch, we asked John for a towel to dry Sadie. I don’t know how Lise’s jacket fared, but mine had soaked up the rain and was not dripping.

I took a quick shower in the family bathroom, taking John’s suggestion of using a fresh towel because mine was in the other bathroom. I borrowed someone’s soap, washed, and realized I had not gotten the towel out first. Luckily, the bathmat was of towel material and could be scooted. Step. Shlump. Step. Shlump. I side-stepped, keeping the mat under my feet, until I reached the towels. Having no clean clothes available, I put nightclothes back on and downloaded photos.

Lise soon wandered in, taking a break for a second breakfast. I prepared croissants, bacon, and an egg for John and Lise. Halfway through my granola, I paused to get David’s meal on a plate. We all ended about the same time, and David rushed off to work. Things are quietly hectic here, but we are managing to get most things done reasonably well.

At the Creek

Jonathan Creek is adjacent to the fire station, so we pass it every time we walk to the creek. This day the men had pulled out one of the smaller trucks. Lise wanted a photo to send a friend, hence the pose. I was amazed at how huge it felt close up. It wasn’t long, but look at the tires and that front grill!

We liked our shadows on the water. This photo is deceptive, because it appears we are standing on a high bank. It’s probably no taller than an average man.

While dancing with our shadows, Lise noticed a stick caught by a rock and wanted to set it free. She was delighted to find a fairly easy way down the bank.

Substitutions

We are having a great time visiting with daughter Lise in the afternoon, when she isn’t working. It has been easy to accommodate everyone’s needs so far. Behind the scenes are unforeseen adjustments. I had ground beef that needed to be used, and David suggested Beef in a Blanket. I don’t think you can tell by looking at it that anything was amiss.

The pastry has three types of flour in it. We looked for all-purpose flour in Aldi’s, and the shelf was bare. I did not remember to put it on the Ingle’s list. An almost-empty bin looked back at me from the shelf, and I surveyed the cabinet for a reasonable alternative. Whole wheat flour volunteered, but I said it had to bring a friend. You don’t want too much of a good thing. White Lily flour, the best for Southern biscuits, was the final filler.

There is no substitute for Rose, who is now in Washington State with her two daughters and grandson. No one could take her place in Sadie’s heart. Sadie does what many of us do not. She lives in the moment. When Lise invited her onto her lap, Sadie jumped at the chance. They were the best of friends that day.

Albert’s Date

We have a mini neighborhood reunion when Albert is groomed in Waynesville. Albert is former neighbor Marla’s dog, and Connie brings him for his appointment every eight weeks. Shawn crosses our street to join us for lunch. We have to talk fairly fast, because Connie has to leave when Albert is ready, and Shawn often has to pick up Logan from school.

Daughter Lise was happy the date fell while she was here. She was through working by the time they came and could relax and enjoy being with them. Son John $ was back from a job interview, and John returned from a church meeting in Asheville. David enjoyed the food fallout seven hours later. This time I remembered to take a photo.

Japanese Steakhouse

Three of us met John for lunch in Asheville after church. Daughter Lise drove, grandson David pumped gas, and I paid for it. That was easy teamwork for all of us.

In Copenhagen, Lise has a wide choice of restaurants, but a Japanese steakhouse is not one of them. Lise took a selfie as we waited for the chef to roll in a cart with the food.

The chef twirled his utensils before making a flashy fire on the grill, a real attention-getter.

As we watched, the chef prepared fried rice and vegetables before cooking the steak and chicken. His work done, he bowed and left us to eat the mountain of food on our plates.

We enjoyed our dinner and went home to restorative naps.

England 40 Years Ago — April 26, 1981

We arrived in Cornwall this afternoon (April 25). The drive down was peaceful thanks to John’s good driving and $’s lack of crying. When $ looked tired, we put him in the front seat and he almost instantly fell asleep. After resting, he contentedly played with his trucks and stood balancing on the hump in the back. [As I remember it, there were no seat belts in the back seat.]

The weather has been weird. Yesterday there was lots of snow in the north, cutting off many villages. In Cornwall (very south of England) we saw snow on the ground, drove under a warm sun and then through a fierce storm of snow, rain and wind.

We were all eager to see the moor. At first we weren’t sure we were on the moor – didn’t know what to expect. The hills are fairly steep, no trees grow there, and it is bleak.

This slide was named Exmoor in Cornwall.

Many areas we saw are being upgraded – stones removed, tough grasses replaced with good grass, and drainage ditches dug. We were very surprised at the number of homes and farms there. We thought no one lived on the moor. Mostly there are sheep and cows grazing on the better lands.

This was not labeled Exmoor, but the scene has sheep and farms.

Last Monday (April 20) before leaving on vacation, Kate and I went for an exploratory drive while John and Lisa kept the sleeping $. We drove to Godstone on fast roads and came home on little tiny twisty roads, some only one car wide. Many were not marked at all, so we did get quite lost. I was having fun, but Kate wanted to hurry home. She said she had a headache and wanted to get home to take care of $. She said, “If we don’t hurry, John might starve to death!”

Catherine from next door, Lisa, Kate and I played a new game I made up – the churchyard game. You go armed with pencils and paper to look for various things. I liked the name “Violet Bashford” best of those we saw. We also played a new version of tag. “IT” had to hold to the old carriage with John $ in it while chasing the others in the confined boundaries of the back parking area behind Churchfield. The little boy loved all the noise and movement.

This week $ danced to music, with perhaps some coaching in disco technique from Lisa.

I was chatting to the owner of the village hardware store about his recent trip to Miami when he told me an American was approaching the shop. She is Mrs. Faulkner – has lived all over the US but was last in LA where their family owns a home. Don’t know what her husband does, but she says they may be in Walton several more years.

Philippa from next door spent a night with us. Both she and Kate had wanted company during their holidays, and this seemed to satisfy them. Philippa is a joy to have around – she’s adaptable, loves to play with $, can make peace between Lisa and Kate and has a face that can light up a room with a smile.

$ is beginning to talk. He can say “ ..isa” and “..ate” and often says a form of “thank you” when handed something. This is going to be a fun stage.

$ ran away from home for the first time. He was angry with me for preventing his throwing stones into the frog pond. He stumped off down the drive, broke into a run and disappeared down the footpath to the next street. Kate rode after him on her bike and I ran on foot. He’s leading us a merry chase, indeed!

Photo taken in September, but appropriate here. $ is peering into the frog pond. Mr. Clewes covered the pond with a screen to protect the toddler.

One day it looked as if $ were conducting a test for strength and durability of toilet paper. We found him dunking a whole unwound roll in the john. We would have loved to wipe the smile off his face, but felt the TP had been subjected to enough already.

Lisa continues to use her loving term for her brother – Beezoo. She decided she should be Beezette and Kate, Beezo. She asked what I should be, and I replied I would very soon be Beeserk!

Napping on the Mountain

Daughter Lise took her lunch break to walk to the creek with me. After she finished work for the day, she drove us on the Blue Ridge Parkway. She loves to drive, and I love to have her drive. The day was overcast, bordering on rain. At one of the first overlooks, I took her photo as the mountains posed silently.

We stopped again for a small stream that had a lovely sound. This little stream becomes a roaring waterfall, visible further down the parkway.

Lise was short of sleep and wanted to rest her eyes for a while. I was in favor of that for her comfort and our safety. It was peaceful for me to look at the mountains from an overlook and play a card game on my phone. She woke, refreshed by a nap, and we headed to the supermarket on the way home. She had a list of things to take back to Denmark. An American she works with wanted grits, something easy to find in any Southern grocery store. She bought peanut butter powder, which she gets every year, as well as dark chocolate peanut butter. A new find was honey powder. ??? Maybe we’ll have a report about that in a few weeks. Chocolate graham crackers were hard to find, because they were in a different section. Lise also bought several packages of marshmallows with unusual flavors, colors, and shapes for a Danish friend. We bought chocolate mallows filled with chocolate for ourselves. I delighted in looking at all sorts of things I never see when doing the weekly shopping.

While relaxing at home, I got a shot of Lise and John $ with Sadie. The dog is reveling in being surrounded by people who love to pet her. She gives as much love as she gets.