Jeremiah Watt

DAY1- My son Pine, turned 16 in January right after the Denver Market Show which JWP always attends. And since Dad is almost always in Denver on his birthday, we decided to do something just a little different for the 16th birthday of this fine young man. At the invitation of a long time friend and guide out in New Mexico, we decided to take in a cow Elk hunt out on the plains of the Vermejo Ranch.

Right after we were done with the Denver Market Show, we tore down the display booth and once packed we were on the road south to Gene & Nancy Klein’s in Miami New Mexico. Now I have told you here that he is a friend and a guide, but many of you may also know of him as one of the finer Bit & Spur makers out there today, and his silver work isn’t too bad either. We arrived at Genes rather late, like 1:am late. I sort of half expected that the next day was a recupe day, but after arriving Gene then informed us that a large storm was moving in and we had better get to hunting that morning by 5am.

JW is not a morning person, and due to genetics it seems that Pine got my morning welcoming abilities. But boy howdy, he and I can sure stay up with the Owls when needed. So 5:am it was, rolling out, dressing warmly and wondering all the while why we didn’t just stay with our diet of wieners………………which by the way can be eaten in bed.
With the sleep rubbed out of our eyes, a cup of coffee down the gullet, I kissed my wife and told here with any luck we would hit an Elk with the truck and be back in an hour. From Gene’s house we headed sort’a north and west to a place called Ponil Creek which lays due west of Cimarron. Cimarron is also know for the largest youth camp in the world, which is based out of the Philmont Ranch.

The sky was just beginning to realize it also needed to accept the arrival of the impending morning, and from the farthest reaches in the east you could see first light creeping in to invade the darkness which had rested for the night. Edges of clouds were being tinged with red and orange as we unlocked the gates that received us into the fold to hunt for that day. The ice slicked blacktop gave way to the dull crunch of gravel, as I swung the gate aside and allowed the red hunting truck its entry, the wind blew and cut my Canadian skin like a knife, my bare fingers turned to bowling pins………….all this in mere seconds and I am wondering, “what sort’a wieney am I, shoot, I am from Canada from a land where even the women have a healthy mustache………..dang, I grew up in this sort of cold, yet I cannot by my will turn it away?”

I thanked God right there on the spot when I climbed into Genes old red hunting truck, as he began this short dialogue that explained his heater was broken, as a matter of fact it was stuck on high………..There is a God…………and that if we got too hot we were welcome to roll the windows down. I noticed that day, that not Pine nor I ever touched our windows…………….further genetic proof of my Fatherhood. The gravel road turned to a path, and then a trail and then a guess at times as to exactly where it was. Our first light eyesight needed some fine tuning, Pine and I had trouble differentiating between trees and Elk, between a willow clump and a mountain…………Gene seemed to be acting quite normal, so we drank some more of his coffee hoping for a cure to our problems.

The creek bed, was also the hot bed for the Elk we intended to hunt and on that we kept at least one sharp eye as we slowly drove out thru the flats of Ponil Creek. To our far right side we spotted what looked like maybe 50 -75 head of Elk attempt to cross a far distant road. Each time the Elk herd got started over the fence, a car would come along and divide them into smaller groups, until at last there was a small group of maybe 10 cows left on our side of the fence, these began heading for shelter amongst the willows that line Ponil Creek. We started with that small group, taking our time to wind our way over towards their last location. The warm red truck came to a stop down in a small arroyo (for folks back home in Canada and Rio Linda CA, an ARROYO is like a small gulley or wash). We talked about the battle plan, the sneak and the tactic once we spotted the Elk, and with that clear we stepped from the cab. Each of us had left Gene’s house that morning with 2 jackets on, I noticed when we got out now that I had 3 jackets, Pine had 3, and gene had a good heavy Tee-Shirt………..Pine and I both smiled………..we felt good about the prospects, and the added warmth. The wind didn’t seem too bad while we remained low in the arroyo, but the moment we rose above its protective banks and out into the wind it cut thru us like a sharp Saber.

We walked as far as the frigid wind would allow, our cheeks burned, and our fingers numb, we finally turned and headed for the shelter and warmth of the truck. It was 10 below zero, and a 25 mile per hour wind, no matter what we wore it cut strait to the marrow. The willows that day proved to be too thick, I walked them several times attempting to chase the Elk out towards the unprotected margins, and each time I failed as I could hear the Elk circling behind and in front of me, but never within eyesight. We did see Elk, but we never got close. The further along the day progressed the heavier the sky became, and the duller the afternoon sun as it struggled to overpower the lead grey clouds which skudded by on the ferocious winds. The closest we got to a cow Elk that day, was the white scut of a cow as it sought refuge amongst the thick red willows which cloaked Ponil Creek.
We retired that night to a warm house and a fine meal of Elk Tenderloin and good company of Gene and Nancy, we opened a few presents with Pine and gladly ate his birthday cake. Nobody refused the bed early that night, and both of us were eager to start our hunt early the next day.

DAY2- began about the same time, the day would prove to be clear and sunny, even thought the morning sky was heavy with cloud from the storm of the day before. We unlocked the gate to Ponil Creek at almost the same time, the headlights were turned off and we rolled quietly along the then gramma grass covered flats of Vermejo. Interspersed amongst the gramma grass and abundant ground cover type Cactus were large groups of Antelope and Buffalo, which placidly grazed as we drove past. The Buffalo seemed impervious to the cold wind that tore at their long brown hair, they looked to be as content as if they were grazing in the Bahama’s.
“Right there” said Gene, as a large finger pointed to our right out on a distant flat. We could all see three cows walking up out of the bed of Ponil creek and up onto the immense gramma grass flats which make its closest topographical neighbour. The Elk, some mile or so distant to us, walked in what appeared to be a parallel path to our own, what made it even worse, was they knew of our presence as soon as they arrived out on the flats. It was Gene’s suggestion, that he and Pine try to put the sneak on this group. Out in front of our location some 200 yards was an old ditch which had been dug decades before and for who knows what form of irrigation project. With the ditch as cover, they felt they would be able to move along and intercept the Elk on their present route. My job, since I was not shooting, was to stay with the truck and move along if it looked like the Elk panicked and decided to run off before we could intercept them.

The sneak, was long and slow, taking some 45 minutes to get to within maybe 200 yards of the Elk. Now, from my position back at the truck, looking thru a pair of binoculars, I kept wondering why Pine did not shoot. I would later find out that neither Gene nor Pine could ever get a clear sighting of the Elk, due to some heavy weed cover that blocked their view. The Elk, finally realized that something was afoot, they decided to run for a little more protective cover.
With Pine and Gene back in the truck, I heard all about how close they actually were, but how poorly they could see the Elk. We had a little coffee and a little of the sausage that Gene had cooked that morning and talked over plan B. The sun was breaking out in large scale, the day warmed to maybe 25 degrees and the wind began to abate, all while plan B came to life and we drove towards Cedar Hills. The hills lay to our north, and were a well known hang out for Elk during the winter months along Ponil, we no sooner but got to the foot of the hills and we jumped about 50 Elk which promptly broke into two groups and took flight in opposing directions. The herd of Elk that we chose to follow headed almost due north towards the snow capped Gallina’s mountains that form a barrier between the last of the big 14,000 foot mountains and the continuation of the continental divide as it menders south in its diminished capacity.

Our Elk as we came to call them, made their way to a small creek bed whose course wandered aimlessly amongst the almost imperceptible topographical changes to this plains area of Vermejo Ranch. Our only hope it seemed was to get down into this shallow dry creek bed, and use both bank and Willow, when present, affording us scant coverage to close the distance between ourselves and our prey. For almost 2 hours we trailed along behind the multiple foot prints of the Elk we had spotted earlier, each opportunity we found, we would scan the horizon for the cows we had set our hopes on. At one point in our approach, we arose from the coverage of the creek bed with stealth, only to be facing 3 nice bull Elk not more than 50 yards and totally unaware of our presence. What a site, what an awesome experience for a young man to be so close., and yet held back from that which he desired to do. To be able too do no more than admire the hand of creation……………….someday, came a low murmur…….someday.

Finally the dry creek bed came to its feeble end, as if all Gods creation were poured down into a humble rabbit hole at the base of a squat salt cedar our here on the plains amongst Cactus and Gramma grass. A bright blue expanse of sky and sunshine rienged over the 1500 yards between us and the cows we had been following now for some 2 hours. While a snipers “Gilly Suit” may have offered us the camouflage we would needed, nothing short of a Kevlar crawl matte would protect us from the constant presence of Cactus spine which paved the flat geography between us and the cows. Not to mention that the cows had our scent to their noses, they knew we were present and had chose to laydown with that advantage in their faces.
We slowly, and somewhat disinterestedly made our way back to the truck, all thoughts were on how we should or could close the gap to the cows without giving up our location. The scent carrying wind, and the flat terrain all seemed to be working against our best intentions and attempts. We had a coffee break, and ate a little sausage to give us time to gather our thoughts and compare our plans. Finally, it was the local knowledge of our friend and guide that won out over Pines idea of an aerial bombardment of sometype.

Gene placed the truck some 1000 yards due north of the now laying Elk herd, and with the heads of the Elk completely hidden from our view by a 20 inch swale in the ground, we commenced our surreptitious approach. Bent at the waist, and carrying our gun and pack, we made our way ever so slow and quiet, each few hundred yards we would check on the only evidence afford us of the Elk’s presence, that being the twitching tips of their ears when we raised to our knees to view them. And again we would crouch low and move in their direction……………our panting breath disappeared into the warm afternoon air not too belie our approach. That dreaded time arrived, when the low ground swale would no longer mask the approach of a man’s intent and we would have to resort too a belly crawl amongst the cactus if we would close that last 500 hundred yards to a vantage point from which we could get a shot. Inch by inch we made our way, with each squirm of our bodies we could see more and more of the exposed Elk, soon the time would come to mount the gun and take our shot………300 yards gave way to 250 which gave way too 200, and now the Elk are agitated and on their feet.

They cannot tell what we are, but they do seem to understand it is not a good presence.
Under Gene’s quiet tutelage, Pine slowly pushes a small back pack up and under the fore-stock of the custom built 308 caliber gun, it’s sleek silver barrel projects forward like a muscular arm which reaches out for one of those cow Elk. Pine’s breathing slows audibly, his youthful bright eyes focus on the nervous Elk, his hat brim set low to block out anything that would run interference and commit confusion with the shot. Take your time came Gene’s voice, and very slowly squeeze the trigger on the last cow in the group, its some 225 yards out Pine, when she turns broadside slowly squeeze while holding about 8 inches up under her front leg. I have shot thousands of rounds out of guns, and done so for better than 40 years now. Maybe it was my location to the right of Pine by some four feet, maybe it was the cool air which we were hunting in, I am not sure. But I distinctly heard the entire searing flight path of that shot thru the chill air, and then the resonant “THUNK” of a confirmed hit.

The Elk staggered, made a few more missteps but did not go down as we had hoped and expected. Instead she simply walked straight away from our location, and she did so being drawn by the remaining cows which had run some 200 yards distant from her. Slowly one step at a time, she walked as if along a tight rope, strait away from our sequestered location. “Lets just wait a minute”, came Gene’s reassuring voice, “She will soon present herself for a second shot, so Pine get mounted behind your gun, and be ready for that moment when she turns”. Gene then blew a low plaintive call from his mewing cow Elk call. Our subjects ears wiggled back and forth, she knew we had called but gave no profile shot of herself………….now some 400 yards distant from our location, and Gene gave Pine the go ahead shot from directly behind, place it just below her tail scut and right between her hams………………..a second shot broke the sound barrier on that crisp clear day in New Mexico. Only this time, our Elk took a heavy fall and lay with her head only partly raised. We waited, and Prayed that she would be at her end there in the dry Gramma grass of the infamous Maxwell Land Grant. A mew, then another from the herd of elk out in front of her, and she was soon on her feet and once again walking directly away from us, being drawn as if by magnet towards her kin and her Cedar Hill refuge. Now 500 feet pass us by, then 600 and on out to 700 yards distant from us……….We need to put a kill shot into her Pine came Gene’s reassuring voice, she is close but still has the strength to run if we give her a reason to do so. That last shot came at just over 700 yards, and was finally the clean heart stopping shot required to bring this wonderful hunt to an end.

We Prayed a Prayer of thankfulness, we rejoiced in the friendship we all had the chance to share, and we watched as the rest of the Elk seemed to stay just distant enough to be safe, yet close enough to take in all that happened. Call it anthropomorphism, call it curiosity, I am not real sure, but I do know that they took in every movement we made in our preparing of the cow to be transported home.
So came the end of a great first hunt. The elk was hung, and allowed to freeze solid and then we packed and headed to sunny California. To Gene and Nancy, we are forever thankful for their friendship and generosity. And, to the Lord for his creation and Blessings in all our lives. Pine’s birthday came to pass, it was a great 16th.

Good night and God Bless
Jeremiah

NOTE- I should make it known that my friend Gene is what is called a Master Marksman, regularily shooting in 1000 yard competitions around the USA. The gun that my boy shot, was entirely handmade by Gene Klein, it is a 308 caliber mounted with a Leupold Scope. Gene builds these rifles as a custom item from his shop. You can contact Gene & Nancy Klein at 505-483-2922

Posted by Jeremiah Watt at 3:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Near to the last of our time to wander the streets of London, still several things to yet see and so little time. So let’s get going, we got the coffee hot2go at ………….yes Burger King. Not a lot of things open real early in England it seems, but these American franchises open early as they do back home.

We heade to the St James Palace, which is where the Palace Horse Guard are stationed. These guys are real sharp looking, and for me have the most charm or character, what, with all the long horse hair on the helmet and the drawn saber………it’s a given.

Being a history buff, the next stop was the Cabinet War Room, where Winston Churchill settled himself under the streets of London so he could more adeptly run the Great War. This is quite a statement of the cramped quarters and difficulties under which Churchill and his crew had to work. It was one of the better stops of the entire trip, but then I do love history and others do not.

West Minister Abbey, is a must stop for all who hit the streets of London, not as impressive as some of the other Abbeys we had seen in other cities of the UK. But still, given the importance of what has taken place at this Abbey over the years, it has a substantial place in English history.

Next stop on this rather whirl wind day tour was the House of Parliament, set on the river bank which I will assume is a real difficult place to protect during times such as we live in. None the less, they are huge and impressive. Nobody in that place rides horses, so need less to say we didn’t know anyone important sitting inside that may invite us in for a look around and visit.

On from there to the Imperial War Museum which was as stated a Museum dedicated to the art and events of War, all of them. It was a 3 or 4 floor Museum, and it has so many very interesting displays. Amongst them was a display on the Spy’s of the world, and that was very cool and had so many very cool items and talk-through audio tours. Then on up to the Holocaust portion of the Museum. We had already done the tours in Germany and Poland, which was and is a highly recommended tour, but this addition to the history of the Jewish Holocaust was incredible.

Now we had need to hit a few streets of Antique dealers, and on that route we once again headed past the St.James Palace………………oh my God, oh……….oh, my God I can’t believe it…………………it’s like so absolutely incredible…………..of my dear God…………I clamped a hand over Darren’s mouth to silence him. There’s no telling what folks walking past may have thought, he was carrying on like a cheerleader, thank goodness he didn’t have any Pom-Poms. So what you ask was the hulla-ballou…………well, the “stiffasapokerredhatfuzzyhattedguards” were on duty. Darren was just over the top aboput it all………..and we had no medication to give him.

We placed the folks beside the very willing Guard, not a motion was made by him……….till we stood Darren next to him. Then the Guard, after seeing Darren’s antics just yards away from him and just moments ago……………the Guard, got that Oh My God look in his face. He took it all in stride and was cool about it………..I did notice he had a pleasant smile on his face when Nevada moved in for her picture………oh, well there are years yet for me to worry about.

With the pictures taken, and still a few hours of light left. We headed for Grey Street and the Mews to take in a couple of Antique Shops and Numismatics Shops. Pine and Darren both collect coins, and have some pretty nice coins gathered already. Each place we go, each country we visit Pine buys some coins for both he and his friend Darren. Pine also still had hopes that he may find a Dirk or something antique and of the edged weapon type. In the end, we found several coins and a few doillies ( how the heck do you spell that), a couple items like Tea Cups etc………etc……….etc……..etc……….and we are done with buying. Its time to head for the Hostel and re-pack to we can fit it all into/onto the plane and get home. Two extra suitcases are needed and have to be bought before the store hours bring the chance for that to an end.

We packed and repacked, we had to get the kids to fold and refold their clothes so that all the items purchased in order to fit into the holds of the plane. Supper was very simple, and a few drinks passed around the room as we packed………..and Mom, she always seems to be able to come up with a few treats like a special Chocolate item, a new piece of sweet fruit etc.

Thanks goodness for a light switch, and the dark so we can go to bed……….
Good Night and God Bless

Posted by Jeremiah Watt at 10:17 PM | Permalink

Okay, so I stretched the truth a tad. But hey, its exactly what they used to do at the Tower and we seen not only the Axe but also the block that they used to do it all on.

We started the day early with a brisk walk and a cup of Coffee to help us on our way. By the time the Tower opened we were standing at the front gates waiting to get in at the front of a short line. Now the Tower is the home to the Beefeater Guard Regiment and it houses the Royal Arms Collection……………….er, used to. But more about that later.

My young charge Darren, was rather upset that the Black hat Guard crew were nowhere to be found, and we had talked him into getting his pic standing next to a Beefeater since they are “way cool” in teen talk. Finally it was decided and the Guards seemed amiable enough to allow us to sidle up and get a pic for the folks back home.

The bad news arrived while we are talking to the Guards and Mom is reading some info on the Tower history. It seems that the powers of London decided to move all or most of the Arms to Leeds and open a new Museum just for the UK Armoury…………..and we drove right thru Leeds and new nothing of it. Pray for me Pastor Mike as I said a few things I shouldn’t have…………no, God did no reprimand me but my wife sure did. We as it all turned out there was still a fair representation of Armour within the Tower Museum and it was an open Museum for picture taking which always makes it nice.

It was a beautiful day in London, with high puffy clouds and brilliant sunshine poking thru the holes. We had done the Tower tour and are off to one of the oldest Live Theatres in London the Globe Shakespeare. My darling bride when asked what was here main objective in traveling to London, had committed us to seeing a live performance of Shakespeare……………..absolutely anything by William would be fine. SO we had a fun time at this open roofed Theatre built in a circular fashion and having been in steady use since Shakespeare’s time……….so……….about 1975????

The play was Othello, and it was just great…………and I am not a live theatre sort’a guy. Gimme guns and action any day, unless its Hobbits slashing Orc’s, or Crowe in the Hippodrome……………but live theatre………..and all that “wither thou” and “hark” stuff!! Jeremiah had a fine plate of crow too eat and my friend Darren made sure I ate all of it……………..it reminded me of the Liver , which I also very much enjoyed.

The play, with an intermission took about 3 hours and a little walking was in order to round up the spots that had gone flat sitting on those hard wooden benches. So we took a stroll across the Thames River and up the far bank from the Theatre. We headed for the floating HMS BELFAST Museum, which is a decommissioned battle ship from the mighty English fleet. This was a little different version in that they had wax type characters set up in various places amid the ship. And the characters were set to look as if they were doing their normal daily duty, be it a Dentist or Diesel Mechanic, a Cook or his helpers. Plenty of big iron to look at, and a lot of little gun barrels poking out anyplace there wasn’t room for a big piece of pipe.

With that done, we continued along the river side and walked thru an Art Exhibit by some renowned artist in which he has set up 10 foot tall guitars each modeled after some famous band or maybe an individual artist. I noticed the greats like who else but the Beetles……….and a little ways on we seen the Monkee’s, we seen one for B B King and another for Dave Stamey…………then there was Les Paul and a tribute to Nashville. The long road ahead to the Hostel was now infront of us and back across the bridge and we would wind our way back to our headquarters in Picadilly Circus.

Since it was most likely our last night to eat out in London, we decided to eat some of what had become our favorite food stops………….and have some “Pub Grub”. Nevada and Darren had some braised Fish and veggies. Pine got brave and had the Crayfish along with a plate of fried potato slices and melted cheese poured over, mixed in with it was bits of Ham or Gammon as they like to call it. Mom had a Yorkshire which was ladled full of mashed Tatties and Onion gravy, topped with a local make of pork sausage and veggies. I had a Ham/Leek and Stilton cheese Pastie, along with a little mash and gravy tooped with a few veggies. It all went down real fine, sitting outside on such a wonderful night with such good kids. How could you not feel Blessed. We had a last shot of some great Ginger Ale, which they make very well in the UK, and it proves to be very hard to find here. Closest thing we find here is Vernor’s………….which is close but still not that same sharp Ginger Ale taste.

Its now time for a stiff black coffee, and some dessert. It as unanimous………it was to be our last chance to try sticky Pudding once again, so three of them had the proverbial English fave…………….and Mom and I split an Apple Crisp. What a great night as we walked slowly back through the city and compared notes and thoughts on what had made the trip good and bad. While walking, we passed the Church of the Knights Templar, as it turned out it was closed, but would have been very cool to walk through. We seen the original location or Twining’s Earl Grey Teas. The kids still had a few items to shop for, so a little street shopping was in order to finish out the day. The city grew dark, the night life seemed to rise with the setting of the sun, the streets came to life with a new crowd once again. We sat in front of a fountain in a Square, the light on the adjacent building was just beautiful, we could look down the street and see the Tower Big Ben. Youth on skateboards whizzed by, vendors barked out details of items for sale while Lamborghini’s roared and bellowed in the streets like cats out on the savannah. It was past eleven when we made that long walk back up those 8 flights of stairs to our bed and our Hostel.

Good Night and God Bless

Posted by Jeremiah Watt at 8:43 PM | Permalink

The long march to Buckingham, where talk runs wild and world polatics are solved

Our mission is in sight, now to find a place to stand and see it all

A trip to London would surely be a failure if you didn’t take time to see the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. So we started the day with a brisk walk from the hostel down to Buckingham. We stopped by a local market and bought a little food to pack in the backpack that I carried with us today. Nothing special really, just a few croissants, a little cheese and some fruit, some candy bars and cookies……………gott’a have those Hobo Creames by McVitties………………the kids loved them.

The Gaurds in Blue give way to the Royal Red Coats

Buckingham is quite the Palace, the grounds are immaculate and when we arrived the guards on duty wore the standard Blue Tunic version, not the bright Scarlet that I think we all have become accustomed to. One of Darren’s main goals for the trip was to have his pic taken next to one of those “BearfurHattedscarletcoatedstiffasapoker” guards that we see in the movies in front of that tiny guard shack thingy!!!!

Our first bad news for the day was that the Bear Skin hated guards follow the Queen up to Scotland when she goes north…………………so none here today…….SORRY!
We took in the changing and the small ceremony that is held in conjunction with it. Not trying to be a bit biased, but my kids have seen the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Washington DC and by comparison ours is much more precise and drill like. The English version on the other hand is more of a performance with some precision drill work and the band that accompanies the changing. We expected them to burst forth with some patriotic marching tunes like John Phillip Souza or something like it……………….but no, they burst forth with a medley of well known musical scores ie: James Bond, Pink Panther and Star Wars.

We arrived with a little time to spare before the changing was too take place and we were all glad that we did, or we would have had no room nor chance to see the actual changing take place. We as a result of having a spot next to the Buckingham fence did pay a price in the way of a very thoroughly tight squeezing for our being early as the undulating crowd pushed and swayed against us and the fence.

Next we took in the Royal Apartment Tour, which Mom wisely bought for us while we held our spot against the fence at Buckingham. The Apartment tour was quite fun and very informative, we took in all of the open to public sections of the Buckingham Palace rooms. Sorry no camera’s, and a pile of docents keeping an eye of the tourista’s……..so no seek peaks from JW and his concealed camera. We moved on and took in the Royal Mews and Stables. This was a better place for me, since it involved most things equestrian and had a ton of neat looking harness hardware and other such furniture. Cameras are allowed so I took a ton of carriage and what not pics. We also found the Royal Horse Guards and managed to find time to get a pic with them on the way thru.

From the Mews we headed for the Queens Royal Gallery, now here is a place I could spend some more time. It houses one of the largest collections of early drawings by the likes of DaVinci, Raphael etc. The sketches for the most part are of works that were being carried out in Italy during the very earliest years of these artists lives. And today you could go to the many Cathedrals etc that they worked on and see the finished piece, be it a Fresco on the roof or a pillar treatment in the Cathedral. For me it would be really cool to take the time to go and see the finished pieces. In all there are some 900 items of art within the Queens Gallery, and they were all magnificent. Not sure whose work I like better, DaVinci or Raphael but I think DaVinci……….he was so darned inventive, as can be seen in his many mechanical idea sketches housed here.

Next stop was JW’s main objective for my time in London……….The Victoria & Albert Museum. WOW, and Poochy Maggie what a place. If I could have been selfish about it all, I know for a fact I could have spent my whole 4 days time in London right here at this one Museum……………but then I had more than me to appeal too. As it was we only had about 2.5 hours to walk and take pics to my hearts content. It is unfortunate that you cant really walk and shooot pics at the same time so I covered 1 floor partially by my self, and I sent my crew scouting for other items they felt I should take a very quick peak at before we are kicked out.

We stayed till the last possible moment and took our leave. Decided to walk home to the Hostel, the night was a great one for walking………..and it wasn’t more than 200-300 blocks so no problem. Now may be the best time to tell you folks who like the fast style cars, that London is your kind’a twon. I am not kiddin, when I say that you can easily see a Lamborghini at every intersection. And if it isn’t a Lambo……..well it will be a Ferrari or Spyker, maybe a TGV. Did someone mention Porsche, well sorry the sixteen year olds get their learners in them and then maybe discard them for the big guns. It is amazing how many of these sort of cars you see prowling the streets once the sun goes down and the night cruisers come out. Every once in a while you will hear one of those street beasts getting turned full throttle and you should hear it bark and bellow between those closed in building walls………Poochy Maggie, that is a very cool sound.

Needless to say with the setting of the sun also comes the night creatures and that whole obscene scene. Through it all we seen too much at times, but nobody got hurt and the kids are all fairly mature so a little exposure was good in the end for maturity’s sake. We done the micro wave dinners and headed to the Hostel to eat and play cards………and yes type on the blog.

The gal who shared our room at the Hostel is from China, and she is in London for 3 months to take an intensive English Immersion class, upon completion she will return home and work in the political and business translation business. Very nice gal, quiet as a mouse,we hardly heard this gal at all while we were in the room. She was out by 6am or sooner and in bed by 9pm…………gott’a appreciate that sort of commitment for sure.

Poochy Maggie, I and the crew are plenty tired its about 12:05am

Good Night and God Bless

Posted by Jeremiah Watt at 7:52 PM | Permalink

Front Gates of Windsor

The slaying of the Dragon, a panel about 8 foot by 20 foot

This is a big day for us, as we are finally going to be heading into downtown London and turning in the rental car. Just the fact that we are not under the obligation of protecting the car means I can sleep with a little ease.

Long time since this moate seen any water or warfare, filled with lanscaping today. Windsor

Just a sample of items in Windsor, items made in Turkey

One of the Armour Halls at Windsor

Up a little earlier than usual and on the road by 8am, my conversation with the wacko from Santa Barbara the night before had left a nasty taste in my mouth which made eating a Blessing. Glad this chick wasn’t riding with me, I would have to drop her in the desert if she was. Hell bent on saving the world, eradicating livestock, hugging all trees and just generally telling everyone she could about how bad America is. That in itself is a surefire way to light my fuse, then to top it off she passed herself off as an artist, what a sham…………hey, lets change topics because I am getting mad all over again.

The gardens of Hampton Court

Windsor Castle

The roof of the Chapel in Windsor

We hit the Windsor Castle first thing as it opened, this was a real magnificent Castle, and also one of the castles that the Queen visits regularly. It was a no photo tour so what we have is what we have, my best 007 sneak shots possible. For myself, the most impressive rooms are the Chapel and the Tomb Room which houses the sarcophagus of King George. The Tomb room, is just beyond belief, a huge roof housing only the ornately decorated cover of King Georges Coffin, it must have a 30 foot ceiling and is all stone vaulting, lots of Gilding and art. Its really something to see.

Windsor Castle from the rear gate where we climbed over!

That will be the last time I tell him he's a handsome kid..........

HAmpton Court had the coolest patterns of brick work on the chimney's

The Windsor had a reasonable collection of Arms and armour, but it was a no camera tour, and very little of it is shown the booklet which they sold at the front counter. This is a fact that we have learned about these castle, and there curators. It would appear to me that the armour is a visual piece and an interest but not of the same value nor level of importance as the Tapestries and China, or maybe the Fresco’s and the Library etc. I like all these things, but the armour the most…………..darn, I just wish they would see it my way.

Griffons and Gargoyles abound at Hampton

MOre chimneys

Gardens at Windsor

Next stop is Hampton Court Palace, which is just great. Not real old, built around 1770. It is a Castle that still has a family living in it within one wing while the rest has been turned into a living history type exhibition. It has a fair example of a period Kitchen facility, as well as an great Ale & Wine house. The gardens out behind were the best we had seen for a time, and Hampton Court also houses the Guinness World Record for the largest single Grapevine with no grafting. The vine was planted 1781, it now reaches some 60 feet in length and a height of 30 feet. Today the vine is contained within a special glass house that is climatically controlled, but this only happened some 30 years ago. There is a patch of ground that is kept tended and tilled, the size of approx 1 acre, this is where the actual root draws its nourishment from.

I am not sure just how many chimneys there are on Hampton Court, but suffice it to say a bunch. Every chimney was done in a different pattern, and quite often the chimneys were arranged in groups of four, so it made for a striking effect to be sure.

The entire Chapel at Windsor was just spectacular.

It was time that we made our way to London’s Heathrow Airport and found the rental car return, which was really not very hard to do at all. I have read that this is either the largest or the busiest Airport in the world, but to be honest, I think LA and Atlanta are both and more than Heathrow. Anyways I got one “att’a boy” for my driving as a first time right-hand side driver in the entire UK. I did have to pay for a new left front wheel since I had a deep scuff from hitting a curb…………glad I bought that extra Insurance. We are done with the car…………… now, as we stand/kneel/sit/grunt/yes cuss/and pace, out in the rental car parking lot struggling with packing all of our purchases into the suitcases that we came with it looked like the Hill Billies moving to LA all over again.

We made it to the Rapid Train which will take us closer to London central. Once we get down a little closer, we will then get on a standard subway and go deeper into the city and with any luck we will come up from underground like a darned Gopher and peek out the subway hole and be looking at “Picadilly Circus” which is to be our home for the next 4 days as we explore London in each of her cardinal directions from that Hostel. I’ve been on quite a few subways, and still have no great love for them. I feel a quite a bit like a sardine and it’s always very hot on these rides. Breaking out on top was a good feeling with the cool night air wafting over us, the dank smells of the subway fade behind us as we step out into the busy life of the streets above.

Outside the front gates of Windsor, where the security guard finally let us go!!

The worlds largest single root system Grapevine, Poochy Maggie this was a beast

Its fairly late when we finally made to the Hostel, about 9:30 pm. We got into the room, all together with one other young lady from China who was in London to learn to speak English as return home to work as a translator. It’s a steep walk up to the 4th floor and our room. The elevator was tiny, and after that first night we always walked up rather than wait on that beast. So late, so tired, so hungry as well ! We hit the streets and took in the nightlife around Picadilly area, which is abundant and fast moving. This was sort of a thunderous affair, as there are so many Ferrari’s, Lamborghini’s, Astin Martins, Spykers and TGV’s and Porches which they learn to drive in. They would wind these thunderous beasts up and just rip pavement for a block or so and it would reverberate off the walls of the close by buildings. I am telling you the truth, at any of the numerous traffic circles we passed, you could easily spot up to a dozen of these sorts of cars.

Into the TUBE and hunting for a train to London

Somehow we take a left hand turn down a side street and run into China town. There are ducks and chickens hanging in the windows, and stooped little ladies working the kitchens etc, all of them are small, and all of them just look rather steamy inside…………so we just take a pick and make our way in. We spot one that is setup more like a DimSum Buffet…………….no not quite like a Kings Table Buffet over here with mountains of mashed tatters and roast beef swimming in gravy. It turned out to be very good, just the TIRED worked against us. By the time we ate and got back to the Hostel it was close to 12pm and the next day will be a long one so we best get some rest.

The night life of Picadilly welcomes us as we step out from the Underground

Good Night and God Bless

This is one of those "Thank God for feathers" moments, cause these gals didn't have much but feathers....................I know, I had to wait better than 40 minutes to get this shot just for you

Posted by Jeremiah Watt at 11:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

NOt my photo, I had to borrow it, good aerial view of Blenheim and grounds

England had long suffered militarily at the hand of King Louis XIV of France . Too the man who would prove to be the King of Frances victor goes a just reward you could say. That person came in the character of a young man 1st Duke of Marlborough, an academic scholar and a brilliant battle strategist. It should come as no surprise that the young Duke actually worked for King Louis, before he became his conqueror. Now King Louis did not in the end loose the rule nor occupation of his country, but he did give over the supremacy of the high seas to British Fleets, and he no longer held that position of power with his continental land troops.

Wrought Iron gate within Belnheim, thru the gate to the Victory Obelisk

Front door is what we call it in a trailer house, but these folks call it a Grand Entry way.........I dun'o seems like a lot of letters used up for the same thing.NOT MY PHOTO

Heres the outside of the Grand Entry way

As a gesture of gratitude to the 1st Duke of Marlborough, the King of England made a special gift of a Castle on an Estate. Not just any castle mind you, but the Castle Blenheim which is a very grand statement of architecture for sure. There is a little unknown history that comes with this whole story, and it plays a role in one of my own favorite hero’s, and that person is Sir Winston Churchill, who is of the Marlborough family line. Mr. Churchill was born in Blenheim, and also wed at Blenheim.

This is a sitting room............but dang you'd be afraid to sit here after a branding. NOT MY PHOTO

My crew at the front gates of Blenheim

Just take a look at that Library, what a magnificent collection of books it contained..............and ther wasn't even one Hank the Cowdog. NOT MY PHOTO

It was time though for us to move on and get to All Souls College in Oxford before it closed, it was a stop of major importance to the young scholars in the back of the road rocket in which we rode. Both seem to hold this Oxford in some sort of high regard when it comes to education, far for me to say if it is or is not a bastion of education. The campus was shut down for the most part, no more tourist walk through, mostly due to a tightened level of security etc. SO we did manage to get permission for a security guard to step into one alcove by the front gate a snap a quick picture for our “posterior’s” sake.

From Whale jaws to T-rex skeletons, boy howdy they had it all at teh Natural History Muse

Gardens and fountains at Blenheim. NOT MY PHOTO

JW loves butterflies, not sure why, just fascinated with the colors and patterns. This was a tiny portion of a huge cool exhibit. We didn't have a lot of time so we had to flutter through.

Next stop the Pit River Museum of Natural History, and what “muse” this was, boy howdy I would have loved to have my older brother Bill with me on this one. He and I both love the Natural History type Museums, and this one was a dandy. A total of 4 floors, if I remember right, but only the 1st and 2nd have collection open to the public. The third floor is under renovation at this time, and is due to open in 2009 I believe. This was a collection of natural history items with a little Ethnology thrown in for fun. We had about 2 hours to make the tour and then onto another Muse.

More Gardens at "the back of the house", mind the lawnmower says the fella. WOW-NOT MY PHOTO

Yes, the security and the janitor were all a little concerned as I lay on my back and took this upward view of T-Rex...........even the little kids asked me "aure ewe allll right Sir".

Folks these are the wildest set of jaws I have ever seen, and as much as JW loves all things dead and hairy I am determined to have me a set of these...................DANG, I hate getting old, can you tell me who they belong too??

A new twist on Dead Critter Walking, over 90 feet of skeletons come marching past in zombie like fashion

This time around we are at the Ashmolean Museum, which holds the record as the first Museum to charge a fee, but also the oldest collection put forward as a Museum,…….so in Rio Linda, you would call it the first Museum.

A row of pillars that surround the second floor mezzanine, the light was just to cool to pass up

The Pit River MUseum from the second floor

Some very intricate wire work showing here on the handle of a Pistol

The Asmolean, as it appears, with cases too numerous to count. Each filled to the brim with artifacts from every continent, and from every culture............except COWBOYS

No, this is not the KETTLE section form the ZZ Top tour band. It is a kettle section from a Shinto Shrine in Japan............close though because Japan and Texas are on the same planet which is something that beautiful young girl in South Carolina may not know.

This was a spectacular stroll, in amongst the Renoir’s and Matisse, amongst the cases housing “Straddle-various” Violins and Viola’s. The collection of musical instruments would cause the socks to roll up and down for a guy like Scott Brown or Julian Tubb, who both used to be fine saddle makers but now have turned their talents to Luthery. This was a collection of everything cultural and many things natural, but its interest was that of Arts and Culture. I loved it, but I could tell the kids were getting a little burned out on things older than Brittany.

Walking the foot paths to All Souls "Collage"

NOw this will make yer sticker peck up. A sound hole in a Lute, it has a total of 7 layers of delicate wood fret work counting down inot the center, and a spiral stem sticking up from the bottom that is 9 layers. It was behind glass and a tough shot, I hope you can see it well enough

An Ivory and Rosewood Octagonal box...............wowzer Grommit this was a nice piece.

Without doubt the crooked-est house I have ever seen. I bet that the third floor leaned over by more than 3 feet........its amazing it is still standing after all this time. Built in 1295 and in constant use as a bar, with Disco Dancing on the third floor.

We walked quite a bit, as the kids blew off steam and done a little shopping in various stores along the busy streets. We seen some strange signs downtown, warning of Humped Pelicans???? Not sure just what it was all about, but we kept a wary eye out. It was getting on, so we found our VERY funky Hostel for the night and took refuge, by luck there was a grocery stop close by and we bought something to cook instead of dining out. Just simple stuff, some Pasta and Bali Sauce, a little corn and peas and yes I musn’t forget we had a package of cold pancakes and jam for dessert. Pancakes in a package are a very common item over here, easier to find than pancake mix matter of fact.

My crew JUST inside the gates of All Souls College

A very busy street in Oxford, say, isn't it almost time for Tea??

Good Night and God Bless

Posted by Jeremiah Watt at 11:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

The amazing roof in Canterbury

Morning Folks, I am running just a tad tired today I just got back from a ZZ Top concert, as you must know by now I am home in California and finishing up the final days of the trip by referencing my wife’s diary.

This was just a must, all that LAvender and a paint horse on the hillside..........

Believe it or not ( Do I sound like a Ripley’s commercial) I will tie this days trip into a little unknown history about my own little Company we call JWP, you will notice that I pay tribute to the “Knackerman”, which is an English term for a man who slaughters horses by profession……………..now, now. Before you throw your hands up in disgust let me say this, that some of the best tasting horse I ever had were the ones I could’nt ride. Regardless, if it hadn’t been for this certain fella, JW may have never had the chance to get his start making bits and spurs. Fuggedaboutitfernowwwwwwwww…..

Walmer Castle dry moat

Deal Castle wall

The day started with a walk about at the Castle Walmer, which had a huge moat of the dry type which is also quite common to Castles meant to be more of a show piece than a defence. Such is the case of Walmer, but it was a good walk for us all, except for Nevada who was sound asleep in the car………….too much poker and whuskee the night before?? We had a small cannon problem at Walmer, seems that someone left a cannon ball in one cannon and not the others.

Hey Dad, take a look at this..........somebody left a Cannon Ball in this thing..........

Whaaaaaat................lem'me see that...................sure enough as luck would have it I had a camera and managed to catch the whole crew with thier heads stuck deep in a Cannon

Onto Deal Castle, this was a huge fortification at one time, one of the 5 main port/harbour combinations meant to protect the southern English coastline. Some of the Castle was closed for renovation so the tour was a short one. The sky was actually looking like it would break and allow the sun thru. The small amounts of sun would shine on the sail cloth of small boats down along the shore and I would keep trying to get a good shot. Sadly, the sun moved in and out so quickly that it proved very tough to do.

Bridge over the dry moat at Walmer

What a teenager does best................contemplating the merits of getting a job........seconf thought, maybe not.

There was a bit of a street fair going on in the small town where Deal is located. It looked inviting to us, so we walked and shopped , we strolled past many Bakeries and did not fail to walk into each that we walked past…………….does that sound like a 10 pound sentence? Just gotta try a few Sultana Pies, and some Blimpie’s, a Welsh Cream Cake………and hey look at this Pine here’s that drink Company we like so much. These folks are the ones who make the Curious Cola, and Dandelion & Burdock Cordial. This time around we tried a Shandy, and a Ginger Jump-Up, now Pine and I liked both, Darren looked like he had just swallowed an earth worm…………and Nevada looked as if she agreed to taste the worm right after Darren spit it out. Noting their disgust we purchased something very generic and safe for the lesser beings amongst us whom lack taste buds, and we enjoyed a new buzz in life with our pastries.

Just some very cool building walking thru town.

A very classy delivery truck, it would look good at any car show

Our days drive would take us out east of London and around to the north side of the sprawling city. So we beat the streets for Canterbury Cathedral, this is one of the primary stops for our young friend Darren. It’s a Cathedral with an intriguing history, a story that could be a movie., and has been a play, as well as one of the best known works of Chaucer who wrote Cantebury Tales.

We are in an area of England in which you will still see quite a few "Thatchy's", houses with thatched rooves, very neat and very thick. I would guess that the thickness is 18-24 inches.

Another cool Thatchy

Canterbury at the front entry

Lets begin with the cast of characters here and we can watch it play out before our eyes in textual form. We begin with a small Abbey/Monastery in the English countryside, with not much going on except for the work of the Lord. The teachings and spiritual leadership at the time was under the guidance of a fellow named Thomas Beckett, who it proves was a man who was steadfast in the WORD of the Lord and not simply the actions of a religion. Then we have the character with the title of the King Henry II, who desired a divorce from then wife. It seems that this granting of a divorce fell on the improper side for our man Beckett, and in doing so he quickly found himself looking at a very serious adversary when LONGEVITY is given consideration.

One wing of St.Albans Cathedral

St.Albans

St.Albans

It was an utterance made by the King that spawned the series of incidents that follow. His murmured wish became the voice of action for four of his most Loyal Knights who upon hearing the King ask of no one imparticular………”Who is it that will rid me of this petulant Priest who would dare stand before my authority as King, Who I ask?”. Those quietly spoken words caused four men to mount their steeds and embark upon a stealth reprisal undertaken upon the Kings words as if it were an order. The riders black Capes had taken wing in the chill night air, pounding hooves met damp cobbles the resultant sparks falling short of life, whinnies, neighs and dashing horsemen caused a riotous commotion in the torch lit court yards of Canterbury Cathedral on that ominous night so long ago. As four loyal henchmen approach the solid Oaken Doors and demand entrance to speak…………..but their destiny was not caught in speech but rather it lay upon the sharpened edge of swords. Thomas Beckett was murdered, as he sat quietly Praying within the Monastery walls at the very altar over which supplication passes even to this day. When the footsteps of the murderers finally recede into the darkness of that moonless night, Thomas Beckett not only lay brutally slain amidst the Monks that he lead, but he lay headless by way of a single clean murderous swipe of razor steel.

Canterbury Cathedral

Canterbury

The ribbing of the vaulted cieling at Canterbury

Wall plaques denote the graves of those buried under the floor of Canterbury

The attending Monks hurriedly bound up the body and the head of Thomas Beckett and stowed his corpse away in the secret catacombs under the Abbey. He would be lain to rest, and made immortal by way of attaining Saint Hood. Not only did Thomas Beckett become a Saint over this entire affair, but he was immortalized by his followers Monks and parishioners alike. The Cathedral was then built to become one of the Grandest in all of England, as a testimony to the acts of God committed while Thomas Beckett was alive, the Cathedrals Stained Glass windows vividly portray to this day the mercy befell those under his Godly care. The largest footpath in all of England, led followers of Thomas Beckett as if by a magnet right to those cobbled courtyards which had seen murder so many years ago. Over time, the spirit of Saint Thomas Beckett, would once again rise to challenge yet another King of England.

The courtyard in which the murderers would have parrallel parked thier horses before entering

Canterbury

Canterbury

Some 300 years later the popularity of the Saint Thomas character was indeed a real problem for then King Henry of England. So popular was this Saint Thomas, and the throng of parishioners who felt it nessassary to pay homage to this Saint who was slain. Such a stir, that the King decided it was time to actually break the Godly bonds that Thomas Beckett’s soul had upon the Canterbury Cathedral. The King, done the unthinkable, he ordered that the body of Thomas Beckett be dug up from its Holy resting place. And to further exact shame upon the Cathedral, the King then order the bones of Thomas Beckett be scattered across England as a testimony of the lack of validity which had been given Beckett by his Sainthood. The King was an avowed Protestant, and the Canterbury is Roman Catholic in its faith. Well enough of the history, lets get on with the tour. NO doubt about it this was a very cool Cathedral, very ornate but in my estimation not quite what the Bath Abbey was. Another very neat aspect of our stop was that during the day and various times, the Church Tours would come to a halt and you are invited to Pray with the Father………….or leave take your pick. The Prayer was for “World Piece” and that was followed by the Lords Prayer.

Looking out of the Cloisters at Canterbury

The Cloisters, Canterbury

The part that really amazes me, is that if anyone of the fellows that built these arches was at a street corner today, we would most likley drop a coin in his hat and wish him well in life. No formal education, no engineering manuals for stress and load etc.............and it all still stands. Its a good thing they didn't have to walk across the bridge in Minnesota each day to get to thier work

A very busy street out in front of St.Albans

Hate to say it but it is time, we have to hit the largest major highway so far, the ring road around London. It’s a 6 lane affair with cars out the Ying Yang, and a batch of multilane traffic circles just to make it all interesting. I have to say this, not sure I should, but you know me…………have lips why waste them, right! Tow things would seriously help with our traffic here in America. First and foremost, I believe that American drivers are spoilt rotten. Spolit by the fear of lawsuits, we can no longer have livestock along the road for fear some idiot runs into them and kills himself, we scatter signs and flagmen out forever across the roads of America for the same reason because some idiot NEEDS to be told that “the reason you are catching up to a BULLDOZER is because some one is working on the road……………DUH. I noticed that you seldom ever see a flag man, nor a warning sign along the roads of the UK, sure you will on the real major roads, but the little roads you are on your own. And then the traffic circles, once you learn how to navigate them they are so much faster than all those darn lights. You don’t have all the start and stop stuff. Hey just a thought, run it by ya and see how mad it makes you.
Boy Howdy, can you imagine how screwed up California would be if we got Traffic Circles and Jerry Brown for Governor……………Poochy Maggie I better shut-up before some black-op takes me out.

A street Gypsy, doing some ball juggling and spinning

JUst a quick snap of what the ring road around London looks

St.Albans

I did manage to navigate my way around the ring road of London and would never have made it without my little garmin next to me………..yes Colleen and the ever present map. Which by the way, is also on the front seat of every European vehicle. Its getting sort’a late and we still have the St.Albans Cathedral to go thru. We find the Cathedral, but sadly it was locked up and our tour was shortened to walking around it in the rain. We decided to head on down the road and came to Hemmel Hempstead, a town that I had only heard of and never knew much about……………….matter of fact I still don’t know much about it. So, why you are wondering, why am I even mentioning it. For two reasons, we had all wanted to see a game of Cricket, and just happens we came to a road block that was detouring traffic around a huge Cricket Field. Hey lets go watch, which is exactly what we done. Parked our road rocket, and headed to the cricket field……….but only to find that the game was just winding down and they had a couple more swings left and the game was done.

Some sort of serious discussion no doubt

On the streets of Oxford, we seen it, we recorded it..........and still wonder

Lucky for us, the Cricket match was held in conjunction with the largest Car Show in England……………hey, that’s how they advertised it. Well, I mean how would I know, yes you could be right……….they may have hired some guy from Texas to do the advertising……………….but then again maybe not, because I didn’t see any Bar B Que anyplace. So, NO, it must have just been the largest in the UK. Non the less, it was big, and had plenty of very nice cars in it. I am not really into cars, but these vintage Euro models are very cool. There were a few vintage pieces of Detroit Iron to go along with the little putters from Euro-Ville………..we had our Challengers, and Chargers, along with a few Vettes and a couple old Mustangs. We had a very typical car Show dinner that night, with Fish& Chips and Bangers with Brown Sauce and Chips. Was just fine, kids loved it.

Common Jeremiah, your killing me, what the heck is the deal with this Hemmel Hempstead place? Okay, it goes like this and has importance within the history of my little JWP bit & spur Company. When I first moved back to Canada, I worked for Chuck Stormes in the saddle shop. Now I could have afforded a small apartment etc, but really it would have been a waste of time because I spent all my time down at the shop. SO Chuck and I came up with an agreement, which was I could sleep in the Saddle Shop in exchange for doing the regular cleaning around the shop…………..yes, all of it. Wash the floors, wash the John etc. SO I slept on the floor for just over 4 years and thought it was great………….you know sometimes having a diminished mental capacity is a real Blessing!

Along about the 2 year of living in the saddle shop, I began to do some steel and silver work in the evenings just to keep me fired up on learning new things etc. This was all with Chucks consent and encouragement, for he feared that I may burn myself out on the saddles if I was not careful as well. As it happened in came a fellow from Hemmel Hempstead, a cherry Limey as I came to call him. He was one Ralph Lane, a former Knackerman, from England whom had just moved to a small acreage just south of Calgary. We became good friends, and it came to pass that Ralph wanted to learn how to make bits and spurs as well, and out of that conversation grew the idea of having a shop together. A place where we really could make some major pieces, maybe even build a few Trophy items for the numerous Rodeos around. Not very long after that, we built a small shop and opened as partners with the name of Kingfish as our brand name. Now as it all worked out, Ralph never built any bits nor spurs, he went on to do other things that made him more money and a living for his family. After about 3 years of having a shop out at Ralphs, I moved my portion of the Shop to Black Diamond, Alberta and began marking my product with my own name instead of the Kingfish name.

SO, there you have one little trivial detail about a happen meeting with a man from England, and out of that here I am some 30 years later doing the same thing. Not only that but Ralph and I are still friends and have a laugh about those days whenever we visit.

It is getting rather late so I better turn in. Right now the Snaffle Bit Futurity is going on, and I have another Bit & Spur Making friend holding down MY bedroll and my living room floor. That would be Delwyne Treftz, he is one of the most talented fellows that I know, and its an honor to have him stop by. We didn’t get a chance to visit for too long, he got here at about 9pm, we talked for a while in the saddle shop and then Mom fed us some supper and Delwyne headed for bed.

So I say Good Night and God Bless

Posted by Jeremiah Watt at 12:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

We wake to bright sunshine, it bathes the flowers and houses along the street on which we had stayed the night before.

At some time I will write a little update on Colleen and Nevada’s first ½ Marathon which they ran back in October. But now is not the right time to get into that facet of home life. However, due to the fact that Mom and Nevada are runners, I begin the title with a good day for a run. For me, its never a good day to run…………unless some one has a gun and is chaseing me……………however, by the third mile of the run I may beg him to just up and shoot me instead.

Hearst Monsieux Castle

The long walk over the moat bridge to the front entry of Hearst Monsieux

A view of the bridge over the moat at the Castle, water lillies and golden Koy abound

Lordy, I say Lordy, it is sunny and I can feel His warm smiling face bearing down upon me and my family, we have been looking forward to a good bright warm day with no clouds. It strikes me as being rather funny really, my kids always complain about the fact that California where we live has no cloud cover from about May thru October, and when we first hit Ireland they would get up in the morning and just revel in the cool weather and cloud. Hey what gives I ask them over the last few days, you guys are mopping about like a “just kicked” hound, why the long faces I ask? Gee whiz Dad, there’s never any sunshine over here……………..blah,blah,blah blah goes the brain of a youth. Lordy I say, take a look outside boys, its so nice out there this AM, that Mom and Nevada have already went out and had a good 4-5 mile run.

The knarled trunks of Chestnut trees planted way back in 1770

Our B&B gave us a hearty Ulster Fry send off, told us a little about the local color and culture. That Brighton is a town known for its sort of edgy lifestyle, where weekends are punctuated by weekend flings, and its sort of a sinner’s paradise. Nightclubs abound, and health spas are the order of the day, high fashion stores, not just any old brand Outlets. So I figured no sense me hanging around, since I doubted I could find a good pair of Wranglers nor Levi’s, no button collar white shirts from Good Will, nor wild rags from Cap’s………………so hey dude, I and the crew is out of there and down the road.

NO, Colleen is not arguing the cost of admissions, she is discussing the Canadian ownership of the Castle and what is being taught to these young people who attend.

Sorry, but I just couldn't resist this old gate that lead to the gardens......too much character.

We drove a beautiful stretch of country that follows the coast more or less, and in time we arrive at Hearst Monsieux Castle. Now this is a very handsome Castle as they go, and this particular Castle was built at a time when it was stately to build a Castle but not at all required nor shall we say necessary for defenses. None the less, we have a huge Castle here that has been well maintained over the years. Having a full moat surrounding it that is some 25 feet deep at is deepest, and a goodly width for a COWBOY to swim, in some places as much as 100 feet………………so, you can clearly see the danger of an attempted Cowboy Crossing.

Just one of many paths that lead visitors around the abundant gardens

A huge sundial in the gardens

Hearst Monsieux is today, owned by the Queens University, Ontario Canada. This Castle, and the surrounding grounds have been converted into a foreign student exchange program, that invites students studying Agriculture, Horticulture and the Environmental Sciences. The Castle is now the office for the School, as well as housing some of the smaller lecture labs that take place. In addition to the Castle as an exhibit, in a separate area on the grounds they have a hands on type of Science Exhibit that was really quite fun. The kids made a full loop around the small lake which makes up a portion of the moat, and while on the walk, they gorged on the fresh wild black Berries that are in abundance around the Castle. The gardens are massive, and always have been. But since the school also engages in Horticultural teachings, they have added to the gardens as a part of the classes. Along the eastern side of the Castle runs a long row of what must be 50 or so trees planted in 1770. All are still alive, however some are beginning to look pretty ragged, the Chestnut trees have survived beetle blights, drought and flooding. They stand as a good testimony as to the sturdy design of their creator.

From there we move onto the location of the Battle of Hastings, an epic Battle that I guess few school children have ever heard of in USA or in England. In 1066 William the Conqueror made his stand here against an invading Norman force, obviously he won the battle hence the moniker (name) that he was then given. Can you imagine if it had gone badly, we would have William the Walloped, or Wiped Out Willy, but the worst would be Wun Willy Wun. All joking aside, it was pretty cool to look out over that low valley thru which runs a small stream, flanked by tree lined hills to each end of the Battle field……………..to look out over that half mile of ground, and know that some 20,000 men met in a clash of gleaming sharpened steel and a hail of arrows and cannon shot over the right to be free men. It makes you keenly aware of what men around the world will do to keep their freedoms, or attain freedoms that have been withheld from them.

A science class, in which you reach inot a hole that has a curved mirror laid inot the bottom and the reflection of your hands appear to be reaching back out at you, pretty cool.

just proof of my shocking personality

Hastings Castle

The Castle, Hastings Castle has been turned into a Tourist site now at one end, while the housing portion of it is today a Private High School and Boarding facility. It was a very pretty town with many homes which had been dated for the tourist to attest to, bearing dates as far back as 1066 when the battle took place. Most however ranged from approx. 1275 and forward, the downtown was a busy place with many shops for tourists, and a number of shops selling the everyday wears required to stay alive. I was sent in search of those items required to “Stay Alive”. I found a great Bakery, bought a Potatoe Farm Loaf, which weighed 65 ounces, having a total length of about 16 inches and maybe 10 inches tall. Quite a loaf of bread with a good thick crust on it, cooked right there in the 600 year old stone oven. I topped of the bread with some homemade Lemon Butter, which as I have said before, the preserves over here are less sweet and more tart in there making, usually having a slight rind when things such as Lemon are used. I also bought a little cheese to go with the meal that we would eat while we are driving to the next stop. I have to take a slight detour here, and ask how many of you are avid Red Wall Abbey readers with your kids, these are books written by Brian Jacques who hails from the UK and are just the greatest books to read aloud with your kids. Anyways in reading the books, you will find mentioned such drinks as “Dandelion & Burdock Cordial”, which we had always taken as being one of those items that live in story form only. Well not so, as I found out. There on a shelf in the cold drinks of the Cheese shop was a bottle called “ Dandelion & Burdock Cordial”, well by JO, I was not going to pass that up. I got to looking and noticed that the Company that bottled the Cordial also bottled some other very unusual drinks such as Curious Cola, Ginger Jumper etc. Well we had a small selection to sample for fun.

A home built in 1410, called a half timber and mud type.

This is the actual Battle Field of HAstings as it looks today

We are headed sort of East by North East now, to give you a little Nautical lingo since we are along the southern British coastline it only seems fitting. The Castle Dover is our intended destination, and we are passing thru an area of England with huge grain fields that are ripened and ready for harvest as soon as the weather co-operates. Its picturesque country, rolling on over these low lying hills like a gentle roller coaster, passing thru waving golden grain which is so close to the road they brush you car as you pass. When ever we pass thru what you may call a small settlement we usually see a single building with a tall white cone shaped appendage off of one end of a roof line…………..and I am wondering what the heck is that for. I finally can’t stand it any longer and decide the time has come to get a picture and ask someone just what this strange building is used for.

He is contemplating the value of Socialized Health Care, 9 months for a Hospital bed and 1.5 years to get inot an old folks home.................its enough to make you scratch your chin over.

Well, they are called Aust Houses”, and the cone is a vent port to allow smoke to escape. Each tall cone is mounted on a turntable affair that is unseen by the passersby, but to each cone is also attached a long tail such as you would see on an old type windmill. When the wind blows, it catches the tail and in doing so it then sets the opening away from the prevailing wind. Inside the Aust House, the local farmers gather there HOPS, and place them on screens or racks that fill the house and the cone to the top. Under all of this the farmers then light a small fire using peat, and they basically dry and at the same time infuse a smoke flavor to the hops being cured…………..not a lot unlike the Tobacco Farmers I stopped to visit back in Tennessee. There you have it, and are now a little smarter about the “OOST” hose as it is pronounced.

Do you smell that sea air, I do. We actually took a bit of a detour at this point of the trip. AS many of you know, England/France has jointly built a tunnel under the English Channel thru which vehicles pass while being piggy backed on a low slung rail carriage. We stopped to look into the cost of crossing over to France for supper, maybe staying in France for the night and then return in the morning. But our lack of pre-planning made it financially reprehensible……………in other words to cotton picking expensive for this buckaroo. So on to Dover Castle we went.

This an actual train station we passed out in the country side, they had parked the older cars as places to wait in case of rain. It was a pretty quaint affair, and take a look at that deluxe Pram. Thats a keen set of wheels for a baby buggy.

This is an Aust House, pronounced "Oost" House

What a huge Castle, which by the way you can see for miles off, as it sits jutting up into the surrounding skyline. The Castle is a huge on, and was of strategic importance for the defense of England during the days of the Tall Ships and the wars with France. We park and head out to explore this vast stone fortress, which runs for some ¼ mile of length along the coast. No telling how many men are crippled from packing all those rocks to the top of the imposing hill on which it sits, with the beautiful green/blue waters of the Atlantic to the south, Gulls mew and waves break along the Limestone cliffs. To the north, lay rolling wooded hills. To the East and West are steep hillsides, and at each valley runs a rippling stream which empties into the Atlantic. This is Dover Castle. It houses within its walls a Regimental Museum, dedicated to portraying the campaigns and artifacts of each British Regiment. It wasn’t a Museum that was filled with Armour and the like, but rather a Museum that contained Regimental Standards, the Regimental Field Drums, the Bugle Corps Uniforms and Bugles. A full description of every Medal of Honor , Campaign Service Ribbons, gifts from a far off Regimental Outposts, things like silk handkerchiefs, Indian Tea Sets and Ivory items from South Africa.

We are on the coast, over a place which is well known to all of those pilots who flew during the War and longed to see upon their return home from a bombing run over Germany. We are standing atop the White Cliffs of Dover, huge Limestone cliffs that fall precipitously into the Atlantic Ocean below. The Limestone that breaks away and or erodes over eons, does strange things to the color of the water along this portion of Britains coast. The whiteish sediment from the Limestone imparts a soft green color to the chilled waters, making it look much more tropical than you may expect to find. I and my family stand amazed at how pretty these white cliffs are when seen in person. I try to imagine what they would have looked like if you were approaching in a sputtering fighter, or a Bomber which had been badly shot up by German anti-aircraft fire……..just the sight of them would give you a bit of moral boost.

The Chaple as it sits in the very center of Dover Castle on the highest piece of ground within the stone wall compound.

just one of many stacks of drums used at many British Campaigns around the world.

We headed into town, and easily found our guest house for the night. Not a bad spot, not to far from down town and not to far from a nice walk along the shore. We dropped our luggage, and headed down to the car to hire 4 fella’s off the street to help with carrying Darrens up the stairs. If you have ever watched Toy Story, Darren packed a little like Mr.Potatoe Head………….a plastic pork chop, some red rubber keys, a twisty tie, and monkey chow just in case. We head out for a nice walk along the coast, the sky is going to be just gorgeous tonight with the high cloud forming out to the west and the clear sky over head, it should be perfect for the painters.

I just loved the soft light that came thru the windows in the Cstle. MOst of the panes are the hand poured glass panes, and the light does not go thru them as it does our new glass.

It’s a busy little town, this Dover is, and the streets that run down to the Atlantic are lined with shops and Restaurants. The path that you walk is about 100 feet or so above the actual coast, the beach is at low tide and the water along the shallow coast is a fair ways out. Many gulls are busy finding what ever it is that they find to eat out there along the surfs edge, still others sit idly by waiting instead to be fed by the strolling tourists. Reminds me of our city streets, while some portion of its inhabitants spend their time working to live, others have found an easier existence in simply begging for their daily living. It gets me to thinking……..maybe, just maybe, man has descended from Sea Gulls and not monkeys after all…………I mean, I have never yet seen any beggar trying to hang by his tail, but I 've seen plenty eating out of dumsters like the Gulls??

Our walk takes us the length of the Pier district in Dover, and then almost back again. The hungriest one amidst the crew, most often Nevada, asks the most poignant question of the day………………”My God, when are we going to eat”? Well what do you guys want Mom asks, shall we find a Pub, shall we try another Tandoori (Indian Cuisine”), how about Chinese ………………..say what about Italian. Now I voted the Italian thing down, since for most teenagers’ Italian means……….something that tastes and looks like a cardboard box with pepperoni and cheese on top…………..sorry my Italian friends but that ain’t this fellas idea of a meal. Okay, Okay, I get the picture, I understand, just back off Mom or I will forced to go into evasive action here……….YES I will eat Italian. Dang I hate losing a battle with that women, now i'll have to eat my Crow with tamatoe sauce on it......

L-R, we have Nevada, Darren and Pine. Standing on the very edge of the White Cliffs of Dover.

Me and my darling bride of now 25 years, couldn't think of a better way to celebrate it than with my kids & Darren............thanks Mom for getting us there.

Bon Jour No, booms a loud voice ........ come’onna in and seet down, what a you gunn’a eat’a tonight hey? The big burly fella was just plumb full of smiles and conjoviality, he had the kids number in about 10 seconds…………they were on him like Budgies on bird seed. This guy could’a fed Darren Anchovies on a sweet roll and kept him happy. Le’mme getta you a glass of wine for da leetle lady…………….okay its starting to look bad for me, cause he just won my wife over…………I am totally on my own here it seems. All I see are smiling faces looking back at the large Italian who swept them off their tired feet and settled them into his culinary concern with his conviviality
.
Soon enough we had drinks around, mostly Ginger Ales, and a Burgundy Wine for Mom, and at this fellas recommendation a fine red from where else…………….slap me and tell me I am lying…………yessiree Bob, from California. “Somm’a da besta Vino ee’s coming from Cowleefornia no” ...........I took a close second look to make sure this was not Arnold moonlighting. Mom tasted the red, giving her nod of approval, which seemed to delight him. So, ( long pause for theatrical effect) now whats’a you going to eat ya, let me help you jus a leetle becuss’a we hav’a some house a’specialtees no! We take his advice and order Pizza……………just kidding. Kids had Calzone, with carmelized Onion and ham. I think Mom had a Bowtie Pasta and seafood dish in Garlic & Safforn Sauce which she claims was better than Macn’Cheese………….I know, hard to believe but hey she’s my wife right. I had a Cannelloni dish which was also just great. Now I am thinking that I have seen the best from this guy who sat us, as he made quite and effort to sell us on what are dishes that he felt were special only to his fine Restaurant, to his credit he made a huge effort.

We begin dessert with a feinting appeal on his part, a smart marketing ploy for someone in the food business, and it goes like this………. You guys’a look so hell’ty no, jus look at dose tall strait’a boys no. And da girl she hass’a such long’a hair no………….I guess you don’a eet a deesert and luke like dis no. My boy hes’a smart boy to eh, heer you like’s look at’a my boy…………hes’a go to skool in’a Ocs’furrd………….luk’a him he weel be a La’wyer next’a yeer no. Heer, let me show yu’s hee’s best’a dish…………..right heer eh…………dis is a Teera-Missu dat will jus melt’s ina you mouth…………..das right, my boy hee comes’a home jus to eat his Daddies Teera-Missu. ( great flourishing of the arms, and finger waving, I can't tell if hes a cook or a THESPIAN ) ee’s da best NO..........and he looks at me...... Shoot, how do I know how to answer……..one slip of the tongue in my answer and I could be in a fist fight or in bed with this guy. Okay, you lik’a dat for desert’a eh, lemme shoe you somting maybe just’a as fine no. Now dis, it falls from heaven no, dis is my brothers’a Chees’a “K”ake no, dis is make wit only fresh milk from “K”ow no, he makes’a to peek only wild’t Strouw-beree’s no…………..ya look heer, you see yes how small are StrouwBerries no.

Black'a Bearee Truffle'a.......... NO

Da best'a Leemown Tart'a you ever eet ..............NO

Okay,okay, enough already, just give us one of each along with a four-up of coffee. This guy blew smoke up our tiny hinny till we were fully digested and ready for something else to eat. We bought 4 deserts, when we only intended to buy 2 and do the “poor boy split”. I want to tell you though that the visit was real fun, the kids just ate it up like they did their meals. He made our entire meal for the night fun and entertaining, he was in no way obtrusive in his selling of the deserts, he just wanted to emphasize how good each of his deserts were. And they were, just as good as he promised they would be. Darren even got by the fresh cream that was poured over his dessert. An ample application of fresh cream is something that you are offered a lot of over here in the UK. You can ask Darren today, and he will attest to what a great addition to an otherwise great dessert it was.

Leetle leady, dee's da best'a Chees'a K'ake wit wild StrouBerrey ever......NO

Its almost 11 when we leave the Italian Restaurant that had been our sanctuary from the toils of being a tourist for the day, the only real meal that we ate out and it was one we all enjoyed. I work on the Blog for an hour or so, Mom and kids have a cup of Tea and call it a day

Good Night and God Bless

An dee's a for da best'a yung man too-day no, He's a fin'a boy NO. For you da Teera-Miisou and some'a Kow Kream NO

Posted by Jeremiah Watt at 10:17 PM | Permalink

The very first panel of the Over Lord Embroidery Project.

Our day would commence by Jeremiah heading to a Lebanese owned Internet Café and working on the BLOG for a 2.5 hour stint. Most of what I done was down load photographs, since it takes so long to attempt to download from my laptop and air card. I wasn’t to worried about the text, since I could type it any time and throw it all up later. While I worked on my Blog, my wife and kids found a laundry and washed a few clothes, so that we could have a few clean ones when we hit London.

Overlord Embroidery Project.

From the Laundry, we began the day by heading to the Over Lord Project, which is a Museum dedicated to the preservation of honor and education, for those troops who participated in the event that you and I know of as D-Day.

Mom stands in admiration of an immense project, and an honorable group of men whom inspired its undertaking.

Have you ever heard of the Bayeux Tapestry. Most likely not, and don’t feel badly if you haven’t heard of it. I had never heard of it either until I got into Grade 3 History. But then that would take us into a whole”nuther”discussion of education and the equity within education. The Bayeux Tapestry may well be the most famous Tapestry in all of European Museums, and for several reasons. To begin with it is the longest Tapestry in the world, totaling some 235 feet if I remember my Grade 3 teacher. The whole Tapestry was done as a method of retelling the story of the Norman Invasion of England, back in 1066. Now take all of these facts with a grain of salt, because I am too darn tired to jump up and go hunt down the hard facts for you tonight, but this will get you close enough to get the flavor of the story. No matter how you dice it the Bayeux Tapestry is quite impressive.

Over Lord Project.

Over Lord Project

As for myself, being a fan of history and the such. I think that the whole D-Day story is a very impressive one. Moreover it is a story that seems to be lost within the education system today. There have been numerous formats which have attempted to tell the whole story of D-Day and show the magnitude and the awesome character of the men who made it come together. The Tapestry covered all of those, from the lowest Private to the Generals planning, from the French Resistance to the numerous civilian women who volunteered as actual medics. The Tapestry was done by a group of 20 women, all of whom were involved in needle point and embroidery, who banned together to do the actual work of building a Tapestry panel to tell the story. In the beginning they had no intention of making a project as long as the Bayeux Tapestry, that came as the story unfolded before them from interviews etc of actual soldiers etc on the field.

Over Lord Project

Walking the streets of this small town, searching in Antique Shops for items to add to our collections.

In the end, they concluded a Tapestry, known as Operation Over Lord, the actual code name for D-Day, that was longer than the Bayeux Tapestry by some 15 feet and wider by about 10” per panel in height. Now I have to say that JW is not exactly an EMBROIDERY enthusiast, but walk into this dimly lit room and take one look at any of the 95 panels which by the way are continuous in there manufacture and you will be impressed. The detail and effect of the many types of stitch as well as the use of fabric color and print creates a very believable account of the events. Along with the Embroidery exhibit, there was also a very good artifact museum alongside which gave further evidence as to the magnitude of this battle front. You cannot come away from an exhibit like this without having a huge appreciation for the thousands of men who gave their all for the very freedoms we now enjoy in the free world………………and our kids will take another year of Malcolm Who X?

Even the back alleys held treasures

Oh well, don’t get me going on the darned education thing, not tonight.

From the WW Museum we head for Arundel Castle only to find it closed for cleaning…………oops, just closed. That was the line I used to tell my kids on why we couldn’t go to the beach when they wanted too. But being as how the Castle was closed, we could still explore the small town……..right. SO, my boy Pine had his heart set on finding a good quality Dirk before he left the UK, and we started to search out the Antique shops for such a thing. Now its really quite amazing how a simple conversation can lead to so many interesting things happening in ones life. But just that, a simple question began this hour long opportunity to visit with a shop owner who knew an Arm our Collector. Over time, when he finally realized the Pine was serious, he then agreed to call his friend down to the shop and introduce Pine to him. It was neat, the fellow was a very well known collector of high end items, and gave Pine some valuable tips on spotting the real thing from the fake, also a lesson on price ranges for the quality of item he sought. All in all, fun and learning was had by all. Pine and Darren are both quite interested in Numerology and as such each bought a couple of old coins. My daughter, Nevada, has a growing Tea Cup Collection and the accessories that go with it, so she bought a 1785 era Cream Pitcher. We moved on down the street to a second Antique Shop that had been recommended to us, and the boys found a few more coins to go with the collections.

The Broghton Royal Palace as we approach in the rain, the clouded sky does nothing to enhance what is a beautiful exterior to this Palace.

It was now time to head to one of the strangest of Palaces. This was a beautiful building there is no doubt, but just very unusual for an English Royalty Palace. It resembles something Arabic on the outside, and very Oriental on the inside, and very English in its pomp and circumstance, built in 1780 or so for King George the 4th. The palace grounds are large enough in case you were wondering about the lack of shots, it’s just that it was pouring rain and I was wanting to get inside. But upon entering I then found it was another of those no camera Museums, so it became an audio tour and a few shots to keep the lens dry.

Looking for the entryway inot the Brighton Royal Palace.

Brighton Royal Palace to the southwest side.

There is no mistaking the majesty of this building, it was a very fresh approach to decorating, that is incorporating the arts from the Orient. Sort of like our “Feng Shoe” that is sweeping our homes today, why we have even done a little “Feng Shoe” in the barn and I think our horses are more at peace. There are several rooms within this low slung Palace that are worthy of consideration as the neatest, but for me it’s the dining room with its 2 ton, 20 foot silver Dragon Chandelier. I am telling you this beast just looks like he is about to leap off that Walmart Light fixture and eat your Chicken Fry, then drag his whip like scaled tail down the table to the last of the Cobbler and eat that as well. The table was set as it would have been in the day, with sterling plates sitting atop the gold trencher which goes underneath………..shoot, I would be happy with just one plate. Then there are enough different knives/forks/spoons for at least six folks to eat with………..and there all set at one place setting. The center of the table had huge sterling dinner trays, and huge soup Tureens that would hold gallons of soup. The ladle that was used to ladle soup to guests was a huge Conch Shell, which had been silver mounted and fixed to a two handled ladle…………I am telling you this was serious soup serving equipment. The kitchen was considered the MOST MODERN in all of BRITAIN, with automated meat rotisserie, and a rack of wall ovens burning wood underneath, running water and live steam ports in many locations. There were enough solid copper pots around that kitchen to re-roof the entire Canadian Parliament buildings.

The onion domes associated with middle eastern architecture dominate the roof line at Brighton.

It seems that our King George loved the extravagant life that came by living in Brighton by the Sea. It took a toll on his life though, as they tell the story in the audio guide, he became somewhat of a recluse and longed to be left alone by the end of his days. In the end he was a very ill man, having diseases that come from an early promiscuous life, he was very depressed in his later days and as it is described he died a very lonely man.
>>Cowboy Wisdom, says live in a single wide in Battle Mountain and be happy, Palaces must affect a mans psyche.>>

Our accommodations for his evening are really posh, by our standards at least. We had a very nice Bed and Breakfast accommodation that was only a block away from the Atlantic Ocean……………..but it was raining so much nobody really wanted to get out to the beach for a walk or swim. AS it is with all the bed and breakfast stays, you get breakfast but do not have any access to the kitchen itself. So for an evening meal, you must go out and find it. We had decided that what we wanted to find was just a good home cooked meal, didn’t have to be fancy nor exotic…………..just home cooked. We ended up right down town Brighton, and a small Café with a sign that read what else but “Home Cooked Meals “ our specialty. Now did I tell you how much I hate Liver. MY thoughts are that this is the one thing we could feed to prisoners to force confessions or convultions. Man, I sure don’t want Darren to find out that I, hate something………EEEEEEE gads this could be bad.

The dining Hall at Brighton Palace.

The entry to the Library Room at Brighton Palace.

We venture on in, and find a place to sit. Our cute little waitress comes out and speaks to us with a heavy accent of someplace maybe eastern Europe……….not quite sure but not English. We all order a Ginger Ale, Mom gets 3 glasses of Wine since she is not sure how quickly the waitress will come by again…………….we finally talk her down out of the tree and assure her she can drink her Wine one glass at a time like every one else. With our drinks comes a Menu, and we slowly go thru the whole thing looking for that item which appeals to us……………until Nevada spots a dish having Liver in it and that sparks a conversation that revolves around Aunty Elaine who will actually order Liver &Onions when she could have Steak………………….my Dad hates liver says Nevada as she is leaning over the table to emphasize the fact that DAD hates some food thing. So what are you ordering Mr.Watt, says my young charge Darren, with a huge Cheshire Cat grin on his face.

This is a view down the entry hall at Brighton Palace.

Mom order something she liked, Nevada ordered something that she liked, and Pine ordered something that he liked as well, I noticed Darren done the same as Pine…………and Jeremiah ordered the Liver in Red Onion Gravy. WHAT……………Your going to WHAT MR.WATT, order LIVER………..but I thought you hated LIVER, MR.WATT.

20 feet in hieght and 2 tons in total hanging wieght, this is quite a piece hanging over the Banquet Hall Table.

Folks, her is what I told my young friend. Gag or not I will try it…………..besides, didn’t you notice that the guy who owned the B&B had a dog……………I can always feed it to him. Besides, I live my life looking out the front window not out the rear window, I would sooner blaze a new trail that follow a mundane path………………gag a maggot………….bring on that Liver.

This Sterling silver, slithering denizen of the Dutch Oven, haunts every meal served, with his skulking presence over the heads of diners.

This may never happen again, but this liver was just amazing. Now lets be honest here since we are all friends, I mean if you remove KETCHUP from the table………..nobody eats LIVER……………..am I right……………common now brother, gimme a high 5 for truth…………right. I ate my liver tonight sans ketchup and loved every bite of it. I will put it down as one of the best meals I ate while in England.

To the parlor we go, after partaking in a fine meal in the Banquest Hall.

The Liver was seared, and doing so made the outside crisp and very flavorful, it actually had a little tinge of pink in the center so it lacked that tuff a sole leather consistency. It had been covered in bacon after the searing step, and then nicely browned and topped with a deep red/brown Onion gravy along with some mashed Tatties and Neeps. Very fine and my night of eating CROW turned out to be just grand after all. We had desert, some sticky puddings and custard, along with a Chocolate Pudding Pie which was also very good. Over a strong cup of Turkish Coffee we sat and talked to our waitress who as it turns out was from Poland. Matter of fact, while we visited Poland some 2 years ago we ate at a Restaurant called Perogianna which I highly recommend, and she knew well of this eating establishment and of the Wetzl Ice Cream shop that I mentioned over on my web site in my R2A Library and our little travel books you can download.

Just seems that a ceiling cannot get any prettier than this for example.
So it was a fun day, its rolling past 10 pm, and we are looking for a clean bed and some rest.
Good Night and God Bless

Thanks to a postcard, we found some sunshine over Brighton Royal Palace.

Posted by Jeremiah Watt at 1:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The rugged side walls of Cheddar Gorge, Englands Grand Canyon.

Gypsy encampment

We took our breakfast early at this Hostel. It was ushered along by a matronly Grand mother who was busy whipping some respect into her apparent grand-daughters who didn’t seem to enjoy serving/cooking/cleaning………….or for that matter, being awake at this time of day.

Very tight turns, and rock walls with plenty of full cover mark this road as being gorgeous too drive.

Looking towards the rear wall of Bath Abbey as we walk in that direction.

The domed cieling of the entry inot the Roman baths

First stop is Cheddar Gorge, the home of Cheddar Cheeses that now surround the planet, and also home to England’s version of Carlsbad Caverns and maybe our Grand Canyon. Although both of the later pale by comparison to the size and splendor of our own natural wonders, non-the-less they are quite pretty. The gorge is an ancient Volcano and run off creation, they say……….funny how many things rely on a heavy run-off of water for their ultimate creation………………..it’s almost as if there was this huge FLOOD at some time in our history.

Roman Baths #1

Roman Baths #2

Walking the streets of Bath

The Gorge runs for some 3-4 miles, and its walls are at times sheer rock formation spanning some 500 feet in width and 800 feet in height. In several places the rock walls of the gorge are grass and brush covered, in these places the park service has employed Goats to aid in maintaining the equilibrium between grass and brush encroachment…………………….I am fairly certain that here in USA, we would have to remove the Goats to safe sanctuary in case a “height challenged” Goat should fall. And ,of course we would all wonder and spend money on studies to conclude the reasons for advanced brush encroachment and what could be done about it.

The busy streets of Bath, vendors and entertainers blot the path

Deep in the bowels of Cheddar Gorge

Just one of several underground lakes within Cheddar Gorge.

There are several very large caverns that lay hidden under the lip or banks of the Gorges walls, each created as was Carlsbad by the introduction of acids emitted by the Volcanoe. The released acids eat the Limestone rock, and create huge twisted, gnarled caverns with smooth walls and folds and pleats along each foot of wall. The Folds & Pleats of these cavern walls is what make them different than those we have here in America, or for that matter the rest of the world. Isn’t it amazing how God knew way back then the eventual importance of Tourism would be to the majesty of what his hands had created………just amazing. They often refer to the larger folded formations as a curtain, and indeed when you see them in person along a wall in these caverns they do look like a huge curtain or drape. There is a fairly interesting natural history presentation at the end of the Cavern Tour, it explains all facets from and evolutionary aspect. The finding of an Ancient man, with a full set of teeth……………….concluding he didn’t come from Arkansas nor Virginia. But he was old, and we know it because he was in there when we found it, making him older than the explorers. And thus ANCIENT.

A tumbling human skull was a part of the coming to life exhibition at the exit of Caves.

This is a pure luck shot of the strobe lit Dragon the ends your tour of Cheddar Gorge.

The tiny river that runs down through Cheddar Gorge and makes up the source of water for the Cheese making that has existed in this gorge for such a long time.

We walk the touristy town of Cheddar, sample many forms and types of Cheddar. Funny how most of this Cheddar is white colored and Sharp tasting. While our US counterpart is always yellow/orange and tastes like eating a candle from the Thanks giving dinner table. We sampled it spiced/ fruited/ marbled/ crumbled/ on crackers/ even sliced & original which was pretty cool. I loved it and the kids all gagged.

Bath Abbey and a tribute to an Emporer

We head up the Gorge on our exit over the top to find huge rolling grass hills as the circumference of the Gorge, each with an ample amount of grazing livestock to keep them healthy and productive. As we drive this very narrow piece of road, we pass what is certainly a Gypsy camp. It is right on the side of the road at a place that seems convenient to them and without care nor concern for those who may happen by. I am wanting to stop RIGHT at the road side by their many brightly colored horse drawn wagons, which are reminiscent of those wagons pulled by our sheep herders so many years ago. But the size of the fangs on the lone German Sheppard I see makes me come to my senses and leave a little distance between the cheeks of my butt and his jaws.

A small portion of what would have been an exquisite tiled floor within the bath area.

All of my crew at the side of the Roman Baths of Bath England.

I have always wondered how you discern a "Dummy " from a "Mannequin"?

Outside the Jane Austin Tea Room & Museum

Snaking our way over hillsides covered in grass, we roll along in the quite air conditioned comfort of our Swedish Rocket. Those narrow B lanes, and the constant presence of ivy lined rock walls built a deciduous tunnel that careened us strait into the city of Bath. A welcome refuge for most of the day, as there are so many things to see in this beautiful city. We will begin at the Roman Baths, the Emporer’s version of a Holiday Inn to the north. Built by the first century Romans, 100 AD. Complete with a 125 by 90 bath, filled with healing hot mineral waters that refurbish and heal the limbs of a conqueror. It had to be the scene of opulence and luxury in its day, if you consider the _”mud hut makeup” of this area prior to the arrival of the Romans. The Romans brought with them arrows, catapults, cavalry and well trained ground armies that could devastate the hunter gatherer armies that stood in their way. And over time, when the battles were done, the generals and politicians could relax and console one another around Baths and Parlors the likes of which the peasantry could not even imagine. Darren is really into the whole Roman history……………..not sure if it ties into his Italian heritage or not. Darren insisted on his having a picture beside the Roman Baths, it was a crowded place on this day, but folks gave us enough time and space to get the shot.

The Royal Crescent

The spectacular Vaulted cieleings of Bath Abbey

The light that bathed the interior was more golden than it was white, it hung like a drape acorss burial plaques as old as the year 1122.

We make our way through the Museum display, which gives us a sense of how majestic these baths would have been in their day, with the tiled floors, and lead piped which carried water every where. Giant hand pumps that are used to transport water to higher and further locations from the source. Places to lounge and be fed by hand by servants, wine in casks, and places to store fresh fruits and Mead etc. In general, a whore house for Conquerors.

The sweet melody of a trio of Violins greets our ears as we exit the Abbey

Tight, fast playing punctuates the air as we sip our Latte.

Looking back on BAth as we are headed towards Stone Henge and our days end.

Out in the local streets we make our way to the Jane Austin Tea Room, you know the old heifer that came to be so famous in the movie known as Pride & Prejudice. The only thing that makes this epically boring tale work, is that they hung the story line around the frame of Keira Knightley………….had they given her the frame of Rosie “O” none of us would have watched it. It would have been called a Dog Catchers Debate. But , my daughter just loves the story and because of that so do I. Nevada wants to have a cup of Tea from the land mark establishment, but for some reason the Tea Room is closed. So she finds herself a Tea Cup instead from this literary edifice of English Culture.

Sheep graze amidst building thunderheads on a distant ridge.

From there we head somewhat north to the Royal Crescent, a half circle of housing for the well to do of England in her day. The huge circular form of richly decorated buildings is quite a sight, the blue sky peaks thru and allows a little sun to adorn the taupe walls of this 18th Century structure. From there we walk the short distance down too the Royal Gardens, which encompass some 300 acres and prove to be too vast for our sidewalk weary legs. So our Garden tours are shortened so that we may walk back and take in the Bath Abbey before it closes for the day.

The time worn formation we know as Stone Henge is much more impressive in person than in pictures, I guess becasue you get a better idea of the massize size of this rock moving enterprise.

This decision proved to be one of the smartest we had made on the whole trip. It goes without saying that the Abbeys and Churches over here are just astounding, this Abbey known as the “Light to the West” is without doubt one of the finest examples you will find. The huge high vaulted ceilings all done in white limestone, the abundance of windows on every wall that allow in a burst of glowing light from every stained glass transom, it baths the time worn white rock walls with color only Angels can sing of. The deeply carved wooden Pews, each with an entwining Ivy leaf decoration on its end, all done in rich brown Mahogany, offset by the dark marble floor tiles that lead you to the Reredos and Altar under the adoring gaze of a Crucified Christ on the Cross. For myself, I have seen many Catherdals and Abbeys over here in Europe and UK, but none seemed to have the sense of majesty that this had. If you are ever here, your trip would be less important if you did not take it in.

Just my crew, happy to have seen Stone henge, happy to be done for the day.

We sat outside of the Abbey, on the street at a Bistro and had coffee while some young musicians played in a stringed ensemble……….” Known as a group of Pickers in Elko in January”. They played it all with verve and gusto, from “Shopin” to Mozart, a little Beetles and a little P-Diddy. It was fun for the kids, too sip a Latte and be serenaded by three young people not much older than they were, and they done it with such flair and zeal it was enthusiastic. We walked the streets for some time before we mounted our method of conveyance onwards to the city of Portsmouth which looks to the south and the Atlantic Ocean.

Fields full of grain await enough dry time to be harvested...........

We are in Stone Henge country and the wonders of what all this primordial edifice to the Gods is really supposed to be or do. There is no mistaking how massive an undertaking it must have been for the primitive man that built this monument. I have , like many of you, seen countless images of Stone Henge. I can say with honesty it is fun to see in person, and the significance of its size really drives home the importance of its difficulty in creating. As to exactly what it was supposed to do for the indigenous peoples of this area...........well, specualtion runs the gammut. One thing that we did notice is that even though the materials used to build Stone Henge are different, the actual layout is strikingly similar to some of those first mounds we visited in Ireland a few weeks ago. Within seconds of snapping this picture thru a "Chain Link fence", yes I said a chain link its true. A huge Buss pulled up, and dumped out a load of tourists that swarmed the monument like conquering Roman soldiers removing any chance of a second more interesting shot. Oh well, we came, we saw,we climbed on is the tourist motto.

I think we must all have been sort of restauranted out, because the suggestion of Mom cooking at the Hostel comes with a great deal of acceptance. So we have some sliced meat and Cheddar cheese from Cheddar on crackers, Mom cooks Pasta and some kind of Vodka Sauce. We sit back with some Tea and the kids play cards while I work on the Blog again

Good Night and God Bless

Once again Luxury accomodations await us, hardening us for travel in the unknown

Posted by Jeremiah Watt at 8:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

The Farmhouse as it stands after we leave.............not sure after that

We make our way back to the Farm House the previous night with some degree of trepidation since the Pack Horse bridge is said to be as deep/flooded as any citizens under 100 can remember……….we are most worried about getting out of this little Welsh valley on the only road left open to us……………….

We ask our host, Connor to rouse us just a little earlier hoping that we can have some time to make our way out of the rain drop dilemma. The breakfast greets us with yet more rain, and two guests that we had as of yet not met. Apparently this young just married couple arrived while we were at the pub eating. They told us of their own struggles with making it this far up into Wales coming from the south. About how many roads had been washed out, and how many river banks had run their confines only to spill out over the road ways and leave motorists stranded and looking for lodging rather unexpectedly. The news they brought to our tympanic membranes was not a welcome one I can assure you. I guess thie was also the first day in which an Ulster Fry had lost its charm, and without saying it many of us felt it………..we are ready for something different.

This will give you a good view of how swollen the river had become.

Wew found the going from this small farm town to be rather shall we say, drenched. As we can see the Pack Horse bridge has been overrun with the swollen waters of this tiny river. The houses that lines its banks are busy pumping some 2-3 feet of water out of the lowest floors. Like every one else, we stood around like tourists, and watched the river flow swiftly by us, as Land Rover after Land Rover made its way across the bridge and up the street……………….causing further flooding and angering the house owners, till somebody put up a road block.

The situation is rather dim for all the houses that flank the fast rising creek/river.

Finally we are off in a spray of rain drops and muck from under the rear tires, and from here we are headed to a mythical place known as Penrose Farm. It was 1895 when an English Farm boy packed his meager belongings into a swag which he mounted over his shoulder and made his way from England to the “Promised Land” and the homesteads that were being handed out in Canada, to be more precise, the Province of Saskatchewan. This 17 year old boy would in time become the Great -Great Grandfather of my wife Colleen. The brother to this same young man, at the age of 16 would later cross the Atlantic on the Lusitania before it would be sunk by the Germans. He would farm in southern Saskatchewan for his life time along side his older brother, and would live to see 106 years of age. This is a testimony that speaks of the strength not of these two men, but rather a testimony to the strength of character instilled in many young men at this time………..and today our same young men whine about having to work in the summer and not having the newest latest wildest video game……………WOW, have we ever blown it.

For this poor fellow its a day or more of water pumping ...........too bad.

Penrose Farm, the original house, and the original farm still exists today, a testimony I guess in some ways to the saving ways of an English culture, one in which old is cherished and saved and new is introduced into that which is old. The house today is occupied by a young couple with “chillen”, and certainly it takes on a new demeanor from the days that GGGF left it, yet, it stands as a testimony none the less. Sitting high on a row of barren grass covered hills does this small farm, with rock fence edifices that stand even today stating its willingness to contain and protect all that are placed in its walls. Clouds skip and skim like Frisbee’s over the hills, rain rivulets run wild, replenishing the life which sustains the life stories of who knows how many generations going forward from here, each with a story to tell, each as compelling as the other. My wife would loved to have taken a look around the inside of the house for “posterities sake” but she simply wouldn’t fit through the bathroom window!

Free and clear at last to unleash the Swedish Road Rocket on the English countryside.............rev er'up boys and crank the ZZ Top

Poochy Maggie, if there was a way to make a living, JW would be here

On our way from Llandrindod Wells, to Trent-Tower Castle Home. This stop proved to be rather a fun one since it was a living history presentation and not just a walk and look stop. The rain pelted us from Parking lot to Belfry, we covered the items we wished not to get wet and made the dash for the front gates and the warmth of a hearth fire. As we made the dash from our 1 car parking lot, room for 200 or so more, but just us today, we are greeted by the sounds of a Mariachi………………oops, scratch that, just some English in Sombreros playing the typical music of the day. You know some Queen, and the Who, with a little Beetles thrown in for fun. The multi-stringed Lute, and a Flute backed by a Bodram made up the majority of the instruments today, the dancers are doing a Quadrille on 4 pairs……………..if this music was played in Arkansas we would al be doing a Hen&Rooster Scratch, or maybe a Shotiss. Those folks in the south really butcher a fine French word.

Some farmers moving thiere little band of sheep.

I walked to the kitchen area, where four cooks are working to prepare a meal that would be the type served to a Lord from this kitchen. We had a couple of salads, and a serving of meats like Rabbit, and Duck done on a spit in the fire place. Along with this was new potatoes done in gravy, and some fresh bread with sprigs of thyme in it. The kitchen was huge, and the fire place some 10-12 feet in width , having a central fire and from that a cook would remove coals as needed to heat the bread oven, and bank coals to roast meats on the hand turned rotisserie. Chickens and what not dot the lawns about, even venturing into the kitchen area at times, only to be chased out by the cook till some later date when there services would be needed.

Angus and Hamish, farmers amongst the Yorkshire Dales

I will tell you now that I had one real goal for myself, while I traveled in the UK. I wanted to see that typical scene from the travel books, one in which a car is halted on an overly narrow road by a man his faithful dog and a band of sheep. Today would be my closest encounter of that type. A band of sheep was being moved down an excessively narrow road, by two men in a Tractor, along with 2 dogs sitting in the tractor with them. Just had to stop and talk to them as they ran the Ewes into a new field through a Stone wall gate. I got out of the car and introduced myself too Hamish and Angus, my God what great names. Can you imagine if you had twins over here…………..why you could have Hamish & Haggis…………..or you could have Aberdeen & Angus.

My wifes ancestral home, at least one one side of it.

I had a good visit with these two heavy handed individuals, you could see the effects of hard work on every part of there substantial frame. There was no pudge attained by Mall walking on these two, these guys walk plenty of hills, and lamb in the open Fells of this area. They restack rock walls that fall from age or the indiscretion of teenage youth, they follow the black& white ruff of a darting Collie dog thru river and Gorse to tend their Sheep and move their cows. Two brothers on one farm, some 435 acres, this they tell me is rather large for these parts. They run 1100 Ewe’s on top of this they run some 150 head of cows and calves. They hold over all of their calves till they turn 2, and fatten them on grass in the high country up in the Heather and Gorse, this helps keep the hills in deeper grass they say. On top of all that, they produce almost all of their own Haylage and grain on this acreage. I am totally amazed at the productivity. They put down no artificial Nitrogen, but spread liquid manure every week. They own no motor cycles, nor quads, nor horses, they preffer to walk and move livestock by way of dogs, which they each keep some 4-5 of at all times. Apparently the Gorse is tough on the dogs paws, and each needs to take a break in the summer months. By the way, the dog that is being held onto would have gladly eaten my leg if not held………….thanks Hamish.

The Hen & Rooster Scratch dance................olf English RAVE party.

The skies break and we roll right into Carephilly Castle, the largest Castle in southern Wales. It has amazing Motes around it, some as large as 100 or so feet in width and 25 feet deep, lined with rock and hand dug. The problem is that on this rain laden day, there is a Wedding taking place, and when the clouds momentarily part, it is beseeched by Wedding Photographers. We are simply out numbered, and out of respect for their day of bliss, we make our way out of the castle and on down the road.

The cooks working up a few salads and a rabbit dish.

Making our way south towards the river Severn……………not sure if I swam in this one while riding across Utah last year on my bike or not? We stop to take in the Cardiff Castle, in Cardiff by the Sea, and what a gorgeous Castle this was. I think the rock wall that surrounded it, with the imposing stone animals that had mounted the wall to GLARE at all passersby, their goal to intimidate and cause fright, was the most impressive feature. Each animal was so lifelike, each having colored glass eyes, each with hackles raised and teeth barred…………very realistic.

Butt up and head down, slaving over a hot hearth.

Cardiff Castle was a guided tour, and a no camera Castle. Well maintained with plenty to see that was impressive. The tour took a total of about an hour, it was fun to be able to listen to the tour for a change, rather than having to keep my camera going. We walk the streets of Cardiff for a few blocks in several directions, but nothing caught our eyes nor our Wallets so off to Bristol we go making our last stop in this harbor town for the night.

Very little of this huge castle has been tore apart by the ravages of war, except for one of the watch towers as you can see here.

We find our Hostel first, not bad and pretty clean as Hostels go. It’s a 6 man room that we have all to our selves tonight. The extra bed proved to be a good place for the kids to lay out their considerable stash of LOOT, with countless key chains, Shot Glasses, Wool Blankets of numerous Tartans, woolen scarves of Footballers colors, Sghian Dubhs and Tams.

Poochy Maggie, am I hungry. So, I ask my young charges if they are the same and if so are they up to a walk towards city center so we can see the night sites of Bristol and get something to eat. We are off with very little complaint, and mostly empty bellies. We walk some 8 – 10 blocks and make our way down to the rivers edge, now at low tide at the oceans edge, so the river looks to be rather empty of water. City center is a bustling place, full of high heels and Clubs, long legs and colored lights…………….makes me glad I don’t have my nephew Walker with me. We check out several Cafes and Restaurants as we walk, we have nothing in mind really as far as what we want to eat tonight, so the walk is a much fun as it the guessing as to where we will finally come to roost and eat.

Rock walls and moats, make this an imposing edifice to conquer

Beasts that protect and threaten the weak hearted who approach

It’s settled, we will sit on a barge so to speak, out on the river Severn. The Spy Glass will be our place of culinary refuge for the eve, now lets see what we can have from this manu. It appears to be a very HIP/CHIC place to eat, we see many young couples show up in Club outfits a little more daring than what my wife wore on her Honeymoon night. Sorry, I was a little distracted I really didn’t intend to sit in my fish when I came back from the bathroom. We had Duck in Saffron Sauce, some Lamb and Tunisian Rice, a Seafood Salad and ,Fish and Chips. Topped of the supper with a cheese cake for Mom and I to split and the kids shared a Chocolate Fondue and fruit plate. Was a good stop, we enjoyed the ambience, had a cup of coffee each and took a leisurely walk back to our Hostel Room at about 11.30. Believe me; sleep came easy for all of us.

Cardiff Castle as it is seen from the rock hold.

Good Night and God Bless

The Bristol Cathedral as it can be seen from the high rock walls of the Cardiff Castle

The busy streets of downtown Bristol, by 10pm the clubs are just starting to pump life into the limp bodies of the clubbers who arrive

The walk along the river was a real pretty one, even though it was raining a tad

Posted by Jeremiah Watt at 8:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

My crew and thier friend Ari.

About a week before we left on our holiday trip, a good friend of my kids had left on her first Mission trip to Wales. And so it has been in planning for quite a time now that we would stop and try to visit with this friend Ari Griffin if at all possible, and that was the primary goal for this morning adventure.

Heavy rain filled coulds are the "sky du jour"

Not even sure now why I took this picture, so I put it up here to see if you can remember why?

We had the English version of the Ulster Fry at the Hotel at which we had stayed. The fellow who runs it is a very large rotund fellow of good humor and just average cooking and cleaning skills………………yes, come to think of it does sound a lot like the average camp cook now that I think about it. The difference is that with the English version, it seems the Sausages are a little softer maybe more pork not sure. Besides that, and when in England you do not get the Soda Bread nor the delicious Potato Bread that has been fried in Bacon drippings. With the English version you will most often have two kinds of bread toasted, usually a white and a whole wheat, and the last difference is that in England you always get a sweet baked beans portion and no potatoes on the plate.

Just a small street, where farmers sell thier vegetables on the sidewalks, and stores sell fresh fruit from sidewalk stalls, meat comes from a Butcher Shop, and bread from a Bakery. NOt like here where you can buy your bread, steaks, lumber, car tires and condoms all in one convienient stop....................Costco/Wal Mart etc

My friend the Butcher, Mr.Petersen

Fresh is the word, cut as you like it, Lamb, Rabbit, Pork, Beef etc

Whilst eating we had the chance to visit with our sociable cook, and found a few funny things out about how at least some of the Brits think about us. It seems that for some Brits the knowledge of our Laws is not shall we say, not very well understood. And then there is the misinformation, stereotype that some fanatics seem to enjoy endorsing. More on that a little later. This fellow and most of his friends believed that for instance the simple act of Jaywalking would land you in Prison for a short stint of a few months. They had come to believe that the ALL YANKEES carry a gun and we still have old west shoot outs on the street…………….he even claimed to have friends who seen that sort of thing in USA and for that he believed it in earnest. Its funny how stereotypes develop, for instance from my first trip to Russia I had come to think that all Russians are unfriendly………………for the second time now I find myself in Russia and my first impression was absolutely correct. IN any matter, we tried in vain to allay his fears and phobias about visiting USA, but with little or no success. Not sure that FAT guy who makes those hate America movies does much good for the stereotyping that settles upon the Euro-Mind.

The Pastie of the day was a Ham & Leek with Stilton Cheese, wowzer Grommit t'was fine.

The roof of the St.Marys Cathedral is done in Pine, a marked difference from most Churches of this age.

Dwon the 200 feet or so to the rear most wall of St.MArys Cathedral. I have found out that this wall is commonly called the Reredos.

The only repair that was required in this Abbey was the arched stone wall that you see here, repairs were done in 1765.

Off we go to the small village at which our church going friend was staying, her place of abode was an old farm with a few small cottages and a main house, the actual barn had been turned into a dorm of sorts. This proved to be a “no frills” missionary trip, and one in which the kids are engaged in hard work that has no benefit to them but can and will have a lasting act of goodness for those who will eventually make use of this retreat for battered women and separated families. Ari herself was in good spirits, albeit covered in mud and mire from her hand work on a water system being developed on the spacious grounds. We visited with her team leader and found some interesting things about the basic European community ( stereo-typing at work again ) for example. Statistics say that within the USA we have a 71% Church going community, keep in mind that this is an all faiths statisitic. That same statistic within western Europe is only 2%. Europe is a faithless community, which explains how it is that you can have such beautiful Cathedrals and Churches and only camera toting tourists inside of them.
With all the rain falling as we talk, it has come time to say our good byes, give our hugs and best wishes to a young girl far from home doing the Lords work and spreading his sunshine within a greying community.

Original Stained glass work on the rear of the St.MArys Cathedral

I have looked back and taken a picture of every Spiral Staircase I have been on, and this is a contemporary steel replacement inside of Shrewsbury Abbey.

We loaded up our sleek grey Swedish bitumen culvert and headed into the hills of Wales with a tact that would by days end have us in a rustic Welsh Farmhouse for the evening. But in the days trip we would see many very narrow roads, and many rock fence lines. It has become apparent to even us, that there are many styles of rock fence to be stacked and we can now sort of recognize about 5 maybe 6 versions each with a few small differences. The rock about this area is not the usual round boulder, but more of a flat layered rock more like a shale, so this will determine the type of stacking that will take place. Its raining cats and ducks, and its time to feed the crew, not to mention that Jeremiah needs some batteries for his camera. It was while wandering the streets of this very cute little town that I happened onto the Petersen Butchers & Pie Shop. I struck up a conversation with the owner, over the beef hind he had hanging behind him at that moment and also to ask him about the assorted Puddings that his shop exclaimed as being the best. What I learned was of amazement to me, my daughter being a certified bloody beef eater has had steak on a few occasions and in tasting it we all thought it not only tasted different but also had a different texture to it. I had told her it most likely the difference in being grass fattened versus that of grain/corn fat like USA.

One thing common amongst all of the work done over here, was the phenominal plaster work that could be seen.

It turns out much different, and the grass versus grain fattening has less to do with the difference than more. I learned from Mr. Petersen that he had been to many parts of the western USA and in doing so had sampled much of our beef, which he liked but felt in all cases it was a tad on the tough side. “We still hang our beef as they did in the old Chicago Butcher Yard days” exclaimed my butcher friend. Is that right I reply, and follow on with just what is the time frame that you folks here in England would hang a beef carcass? Well he says, in most USA shops 10 days is the normal time of hang, and in some areas they may still go as long as 14 days. But here he claims, a minimum hang during our busy time would be 30 days and most of our cut and serve carcass will hang 60-a premium hang of 120 days. As far as he is concerned that is what holds American beef back form having its full potential. I know for a fact if I told my good friend Gloria that is what she should ask for at the Butcher shop, she would cough up her false teeth and her hair would go strait in absolute horror at the thought. It struck me as being somewhat ironic how simple marketing hype can change our out looks and expectations on such things as our food………….we’ll leave the weather thing alone for the time being. SPECIAL NOTE OF THE WRITER< and disclaimer to those who may have thin skin and sensitivities: When dealing with global warming and global drought………….bring a rain jacket.

The side court of Shrewsbury Abbey

Next stop……………oh , almost forgot. I was going to tell you about the Black and White versions of pudding served in the morning so often in the UK. Now I have to say, that I arrived here having already had plenty of warning about eating either of these meals or for that matter Haggis which I found to be just superb. Anyways the Puddings are really more like a typical bread pudding, than that of the consistency of say Chocolate Pudding. The Black pudding is just that, almost Black colored. Made of a little bit of ground liver, along with old bread crusts which have been toasted and crisped to which some spices like All Spice and such are added. The whole thing is held together by a little toasted Oatmeal and bacon fat and beef blood till a bread like pudding is formed all of which is then cooked in a tin loaf and served warm. The white pudding on the other hand is less often served but tastes better to our western tastebuds since it has no blood nor liver in it. It is made with mostly white bread and no crust edges, along with some oats, to which all the scraps from Bacon production are added, then some Ham scraps and drippings with White Wine. Enough to hold together for cooking and serving, warm once again. This stuff is WOWZER GROMMIT< would go great with that Wensleydale Grommit old boy. Time to leave, and in exchange for his forthright answers to my constant prodding for answers, I promised him a fine steak at Harris Ranch back home if ever he drops in. Which by the way, I fully expect him to do.

Lordy, I say Lordy, praise the Lord and bring us rain. Brother does the Lord provide. We are almost too deep for our silver Swedish Rocket to pass thru!!!!!!!!!

Next stop is the Abbey at Bath, which turns out to be just beautiful. It was as much wood work as it was stone work, a nice change amongst the phenomenal Churches of England. Built in , well commenced in 1220 and served a population of some 45,000 people.
It is just puring down rain, and we are having a tough time negotiating the very narrow B roadways that we are on. With all the rain, and the hedge fences it is making visibility rather tough. But we soldier on until……….oh,oh. I m looking ahead at a flood across the road and folks out pushing there cars. This was just the first flooded low corner and we had many more to go. As the afternoon wore on and the rain not abating, we washed the sides of our Swedish rocket ever higher. Finally we are up to that level that is above the bumper and washing into the headlights and I am starting to think about it stalling out right in the middle………………….we are so close to our nights stay that we can almost see it but this village is built right on the rivers bank.

The venerable Pack Horse Bridge

We finally make it, and are glad to see a steep hill that rises to the farm house we will be staying at for the night. But none of this happens before we get to turn at the “Pack Horse Bridge” which is the focal point of town and the water is about to top the bridge. We are greeted at the door by a middle aged man named Connor, and he shows us to our rooms. Mom and I are in the oldest section of the house built in 1604, then the kids are in the new section built in 1630. It has its creaks and shutters that come with age, the smells of centuries hang within the house like invisible curtains……..aromas of musty rock and wetted wood, Oak and Lichen to name but a few. As it is said, if houses could talk then indeed this house could dictate several books on its account of the events that have unfolded in the tiny valley that lays below its antique glass panes. The winding wood and stone spiral staircase leads us to our old but modernized second floor bedrooms. Each is furnished in antique period furniture, and within or behind each item that is old lies hidden a modern convenience like a bubbler or a tiny China Tea Pot etc. The shower is huge and very high tech. It was fun to have a full hot shower for a change with no company on the pot so to speak. The kids are equally well taken care of with their rooms amenities.

We head into town to a local Pub called the White Horse Pub, which came well recommended amongst the pubs of town. There are two, and the other was closed, which raised the recommendation level quite a few notches. Typical English Pub, in that the rooms are old, heavy timber in most cases, with dark interiors that invite visiting and beer drinking. Pubs in England are under attack, and will fade from the local scene in a few short years with the very aggressive smoking regulations that have been put into place. I would not know, but for those who are local Pub goers, the Pubs have taken on a new face and it is not the same local information centers that they used to be.

Its 8pm in a typical British Pub, and we are about to have another very fine meal in the friendliest places in Britain.

With that said we will visit more about the Pub grub we had and less about Politics. One thing we all felt good about was the seeming ease at which children are admitted into a Pub and how every one blends in with the setting. There was a 90 plus year old women who sat directly behind us……………..yes, yes I do know she was 90 because I counted the growth rings around her ankles. While we ate over the course of some two hours this old gal consumed 3 strait up shots of whiskey and won every arm wrestle challenge that came her way………………………..okay, okay I WAS KIDDING ABOUT THE ARM WRESTLING. None of us observed anyone drunk or even looking a little in that way, so it was a fun stop. We ate a very good pub grub course, with pastie pies and fish and chips etc. Then we had the dessert of chocolate cake and some chocolate sauce , and the obligatory Sticky Pudding. Great meal, then off to home before the river rose much more, and we could not cross the bridge.

Which reminds me, the bridge is known locally as the “Pack Horse Bridge”, built specifically to allow a man with a loaded pack horse to cross with out any problem. Yes hand stacked rock, 55 feet long and a total of 8 feet in width, topping a rise of 8 feet above normal water stage……………year of construction…………..1410. To this day it has never been reworked nor tore out by flood damage, a solid testimony as to the skills of those who built it. And we will get to see it as close to being in trouble as any can remember……………..so stay tuned.

Good Night and God Bless

Posted by Jeremiah Watt at 11:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Our superb cook for the night, Rita................many thanks.

We all enjoyed the stay with Louis, Rita and Francesca, and after a very nice breakfast we are ready to head for the Welsh coast near Conwy for more castles and the such. Wales changes quite a lot from the Leeds are which is more of a marshy plain. While Wales has some huge hills in it, even gets some snow in the Snowdonia area which is quite near the western Welsh coast line.

The whole crew in front of Louis and Rita's B&B.

Up the spiral stairs to what remains of Conwy Castle in Wales.

The outer walls of Conwy

The Castle Conwy, was commenced 1245 and carried on long after that being a place of importance due to its harbor and castle size which was a very difficult Castle to overtake, since it was not just a walled Castle but also a fully Walled City the largest of its type in all UK. We walked and shopped and then headed for Plas Mahr, which is a Tudor styled half timbered and daub house. This was a sort of fun visit, since it was set up as a Museum of the life style of the house in its day as well.

Just one of many stone archways that look to the interior of Conwy Castle.

My tour guide, always ready with a smile

Now here is a character who avoids sticking his neck out........

It was nearing lunch time and I wanted to find some Pasties, the kids insisted on having good ol Fish and Chips. I on the other hand had a Ham and Leek pasty, while Mom had the Turkey and Cranberry. Now these are two very good combinations.
From there we headed out to find Castle Beaumaris, but these danged Welsh road signs and impossible signage have lead us around the proverbial Mulberry Bush three times now and ol Pop’s is getting rather tight…………ta Heck with it I finally say and off we go someplace else. BY then if I could have found the little blighter I would have sieged it myself, maybe torched the castle and ruffed up it citizens just to make my point about signage.

Conwy Castle watch towers

The flag of Wales, flutters over the top of a tower in Conwy.

Conwy housing, a few NEW, many OLD, and by far there are more ANCIENT.

Out across the harbours mouth, and looking towards Ireland some 45 miles away.

The southern shores of Conwy, are in want of a rise towards Snowdonia.

Off we go to Cairnfour, and as it all turned out it was the better castle to hit, since it was both larger and of more importance in every aspect. For this is the Castle in which the present sitting Queen was given her Coronation as will be Charles or whomever comes next in line for Coronation.. Fun stop under sunny skies, and just gorgeous clouds for someone who loves to take pictures in a picturesque piece of country.

Looking thru the walls of Cairnafour.

65 feet to water level of the 15 foot diameter well, hand dug, and stone lined some 80 feet deep total

A not so lucky Nautical craft that sits or maybe lays in shallow waters of Wales.

The moniker of George & the Dragon was every where in Wales

The interior view of a 1600 re-enactment kitchen

The heavy timber construction of solid oak, fitted and pegged in wood 1595

Afternoon light on the meager kitchen utensils of the day

We ended the day at a surprise Hotel stay we had booked. Isn’t it funny how closely the words Hotel and Dive not only sound but in their similarity of spelling………………….yes you got it the connection is that both use letters but have nothing else in common. It sounded like HOTEL on the internet…………….and again it sounded like HOTEL on the phone when we confirmed the reservation……………but it looked and acted as a DIVE the moment we set foot in it, and as soon as we laid on the beds we rented for a night where as most must rent them by the hour.

The Lords dining room is scented with a tray full of Rose Petals,

Just one of the thousands of sail boats that ply the waters off the coast of Wales.

The streets of Carduff, looking down from the watch towers

The heavy skies over Cairnafour finally break and allow some sun to peak theu the days cloud cover................a welcome site to all of us!

I made an earnest effort to work on the Blog from this fine establishment since I could not get a signal for squat. But as the lord would have it, I no sooner got hooked on and all the power went out in the entire building. That was not so bad, young Darren had just got soaped up in the shower and the warm water quit him…………..poor kid has never had a cold shower before I guess. With that event I was once again done with work on the Blog, so I headed back upstairs to my room for a cup of hot Tea with Colleen and to discuss what things were to happen the next day.

Nearing the end of yet another day at Carduff by the Sea.

Good Night and God Bless

Looking across the bay at low tide towards Carnafour Castle

Posted by Jeremiah Watt at 5:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

The crew and I are out of steam, so we get a late start and are not out on the TOURIST trail till 10am. We head to York to see the Castle Howard which was indeed pretty, but a NO CAMERA stop. The castle is currently being lived in so we tourists do not have access to all the house.

GARDEN GATES AT CASTLE HOWARD

The gardens are huge and the house is an equal to the Gardens. The house is under a lot of restoration and renovation, so some areas that are usually open are also closed off till the work is done. Funny to hear from Curator of fine art and Architecture about such thngs as replacement costs and the ability for instance to have Frescos painted that are of the type and caliber from the days this castle was built.

ONE OF THE FASTIDIOUS GROUNDS KEEPERS PREENING HIMSELF.

The conversation went something like this, #1: there was a huge fire that burned out the main entry dome and damaged two of the 4 Citrine Marble Columns. To replace the two columns today required $257,000.00. #2, during the fire water was of course sprayed onto the fire to put it out, doing so damaged 3 of the Frescos painted in 1485 the third of the frescos was also in need of cleaning…………and in the curators own words, we do not produce visionary artist with a Biblical understanding these days. Further more the artist of this day are hopelessly impaired with unleashed creativity and cannot work within the confines of what the application requires. The cleaning bill alone was $475,000.00 #3 and last was some plaster work that required being redone and the reproduction had to faithfully mimic that of the existing work which again proved to be almost impossible to bring in, finally an aged artist is found in Russia with the skills.

FRONT VIEW OF CASTLE HOWARD, AND THE REALIZATION THAT I DO NOT OWN ENOUGH CAMERA NOR LENSE FOR THE JOB AT HAND. THINK I WILL PETITION THE WFC FOR A NEW CAMERA.

According to at least this one person, she longs for a Raphealian Resurrgence, similar to that of Raphael himself, or in much later years the Morris Co. of Scotland. Raphael believed that an artist was first to be a craftsman and then an artist, meaning that he needed to have his hands on the work and understand the nuances of the medium and not merely be a conductor of artistic works.

We are done in York and headed to our next nights stay which will be a sort of COWBOY stay, since the owner of this fine Bed & Breakfast fancies himself somewhat a Cowboy. If the title of Cowboy can be earned with hospitality, then Louis and Rita are indeed Cowboy at heart. Louis and Rita Stottard, along with daughter Franchesca live in a Farm house converted to B&B. The Stottards are all involved in the medical profession, with Loius being a foot and ankle Surgeon, and Rita a traveling in home Nurse.

JUST A LITTLE GARDEN VASE..............ALMOST 20 FEET ACROSS.

Louis a student of good horsemanship methods, likes to talk about all things Cowboy and would have talked all night had it not been that he also had surgeries to perform the next day. We talked till . The late, but only after a fine supper prepared by Rita, the ladies enjoyed Rita’s homemade San Gria while preparing supper. Darren had a brand new experience this time around since there was more that one set of cutlery set on the table. At first he thought the extra set was a mistake, but we finally walked him through it. Then we had some new food, he had to get bay the dreaded CHICKEN in a puff pastry pie crust with the GRAVY STUFF ON IT. FOUR helpings later and we could have once again fed our pal CROW instead of CHICKEN and he would have scarfed it like a coyote on road kill. But what was even funnier was desert, now Kim I am telling you this kid could starve to death in a grocery store. Rita brought out two deserts, one a simple chocolate cake done very nicely and the other was Crème Brule’. When we got to Darren he froze, and then stammered something only Big Bird could have understood about foods and what he could/would/can/might/ and lastly maybe could try to eat. And in all of that he felt his personal safety lay in eating something he could buy at Perkos like Chocolate CAKE……………….but he also got a portion of Ritas Crème Brule’ and her syrupy sauce over it of burnt sugar…….oh WOW Mrs Stottard that is delicious what did you call it????????

LOUIS & RITA STOTTARD AND THIER SPACIOUS BED & BREAKFAST

Finally the day had to close, and we turned in rather late but all of us where ready.
Good Night and God Bless

Posted by Jeremiah Watt at 9:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

JUST A QUICK VISUAL ON TOTAL ROAD WIDTH

A CHOICE OF ROADS, BOTH NARROW, BOTH TO THE SAME PLACE

Not much in the world could be more beautiful than the Lake District, I had heard it said before. I had read it as a point of exclamation before when talking to folks whom had visited the UK, and now we are going to experience this beauty for ourselves. We got a little earlier start on the day, and hit the road by 8am, and headed out on the very narrow B rated roads, which is an English definition for a car that is being driven on that sort of road and its not long till it BEE without mirrors. Wow, they make these little fellas very narrow, and when you meet a Lorry( Large truck), then you really feel how narrow the roads are.

THE BEAUTY OF THE LAKE DISTRICT IS SHROUDED IN FOG AT TIMES

WHEN CLOUDS PART THE MASTERFUL WORK OF OUR CREATOR CAN SHINE THROUGH

We blazed on down the road at about 35 miles per hour, which is exactly what we had been told but just could not believe it……..once again till we experienced it. It’s a lot like what I try to get through Darrens closed mind on food, and Kim you still have a ton of work to do to that extent. Every bend has a quaint sceneic cottage, every field is surrounded by a stacked rock fence and every hillside is covered in emerald green and dots of white sheep. We pull our car off the road in Kensing and find a little coffee and some pasties, and on this day I tried a Pork Tart with a Sweet Apple Glaze……Poochy Maggie now we are talking good vittles here folks make ya leave the ol KC at home.

JUST ANOTHER VERY INVITING SMALL TOWN ALONG OUR ROUTE TODAY

THAT COOL LOOKING TRUCK USED TO DELIVER ALL THOSE PENCILS

THIS IS SOME OF THE ART DONE USING PEN NIBS MADE OF DIFFERENT METALS

ART DONE WITH PENCILS OF DIFFERENT COLORS

It’s a rainy day, with heavy rain laden clouds loitering about the high peaks like teenagers with skateboards in the city park, high peaks abound in the Lake District making for fast flowing streams and lakes abound. The hill tops are covered in dense Gorse which is like a springy hedge form of brush with spikes on it, the gorse gives way to groves of Pine and Fir along with Spruce and some Balsam, all of which gives way to a verdant green carpet of grass in the lowlands and any slope without trees on it

ONE OF VERY FEW PIECES OF BARB WIRE FENCE THAT WE HAD SEEN

THOSE MILES OF ROCK WEALLS ARE SO INVITING TO THE CAMERA

ROCK HOUSES, ROCK WALLS, ROCK BARNS................JUST GORGEOUS

Almost every hillside has some logging going on, with most wood being cut in 6 foot lengths, and a few being cut longer if it appeared it could be large enough to be cut in a saw mill. Farmers dot the streets of local towns and out on the road or in the fields, replete with Tweed jackets, Wellies and ribbed pants. Heavy hands, and a stooped gate form the years of toil in the rich soil of this valley, and walking the demandingly steep hillsides after their sheep. We stop in a few of the small towns to walk, but even in this rain it is hard to find a place to park the car and walk the streets. We have plenty of trouble finding a place to park the car when driving, but these English just stop in their lane and get out and take the picture…………..I still lack the intestinal fortitude and Insurance Coverage to try such a thing.

YOU JUST CANT GROW TIRED OF THESE ROCK HOUSES, MANY OF THEM BUILT IN 15 AND 16 HUNDREDS

A LITTLE SCARLET AMONGST THE GREEN SNEAKS OUT LOOKING OVER DORN LAKES

THE BEAUTY IS 360 DEGREES IN THE LAKE DISTRICT.

WINDING ROADS AND SMALL VILLAGES MAKE UP OUR DAYS ITINERARY

We stop for a break and take in the Kendall, and take in the Cumberland Pencil Company Museum. This is the oldest Pencil manufacturer in the world. NO, there are none as old in Texas………None. It was a very interesting Museum, with plenty of 1st and 2nd World War information, since the Pencil Company supplied many special feature pencils for the war. Then there was the art on the walls done with the pencils, be they color or lead type pencils. Lastly there were the artistic items done using colored pen knibs and creating complex designs by mixing brass and blue steel knibs. Very Cool indeed.

HUGE HILLSIDES MAKE UP THE BACKDROP TO SMALL FARMS AND VILLAGES

HEY CORKY, HERE IS THE GROMMIT CHEESE HAULER.................I ATE SOME FOR YOU.

A PATCH WORK OF CROPS AND GRAZING FIELDS, EACH SURROUNDED BY A ROCK WALL......................SOMEONE PUT A LOT OF TIME INTO CREATING A FARM.

EVEN THE MUSCOVIE DUCKS CAME OUT ON THE ROAD TO WATCH THE TOURISTS AS THEY PASSED THROUGH THE SMALL TOWNS, COMMON TO SEE COWS, SHEEP AND GOATS ON THE ROAD OR RIGHT BESIDE IT

But off we go till we hit the James Harriet country in the Yorkshire Dales, and while driving I see the sign for Wensleydale…………screeeeeech go the brakes, and the smoke rolls by the car windows as we turn the key off. By george, I am thinking of my friend Corky, and how much he likes that movie with Wallace and Grommit and their insatiable thirst for Wensleydale Cheese…………….., I am just crackers about that cheese Grommit. We had the chance to see how the cheese was made, we had a chance to sample all the types that they make, and resample…………wander and then resample. This Company also makes plenty of cheeses that are filled with such things as Ginger, Lemon Peel, Currants etc. We took a break and had Tea and proper Scones with Sultana’s and fresh made butter from non paturized butter………….this alone would make most Americans slap their forehead and fall over backwards in disgust or fear that by this hygene faux paux alone would cause the dreaded PLAGUE may re-awaken. The tea was a real nice break, as in most cases except when you are at an upscale bakery or large city most often Coffee will be of the instant nature. We had a Sultana Cake to sample, and also a Selkirk bannock to sample, so all in all JW needs to ride across USA once again to get rid of the holiday I consumed.

WATER RUSHES OVER THE LAYERED ROCK FORMATION IN THIS AREA OF THE LAKE DISTRICTS, ON OCCASSION IT ALSO RAN OVER BRIDGES AND WITHIN DOORWAYS TOO.

It would be hard for me to decide which area I like the most, but since the Yorkies are a lot less inhabited, and much more open………being cowboy at heart would likely send me to the later.

THE SUN FINALLY BREAKS THRU CAUSING AN OUTBURST OF COLOR

We had a guest house for the evening, it was a nice break, supper was pretty simple fair since nobody was real hungry. Kids and Mom played some cards for money, Darren had never played poker before ………………so now Pine has all his money. Just kidding, we made him give some of it back. I worked on the blog, but gott’a confess, it is getting harder to stay excited with it since the down load process is so labourious, and the connection is at best slow to medium.

A VERY COOL LITTLE "ANGLIA" THAT IS FAITHFULLY RESTORED AND DRIVEN DAILY

Good night and GOD bless

A SOPURCE FOR ROCK IS NEVER VERY FAR AWAY IT SEEMS.

Posted by Jeremiah Watt at 9:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

MOrning Folks and Friends as you follow along on this trip through the UK. JUst a note here to let you know that we are home now, which may come as a dissapointment to some and a relief to others. I have every intention of finisahing up this full trip on the blog over the month of August. It will be complete as all the other days have been to this point. THE CONTEST will go on.
FIND JEREMIAH, as a contest, will commence in the first week of SEPTEMBER. I am going to go over each day once again and give each pic a NUMBER DESIGNATION. Then begining with the first week of SEPT you can submit you list of which pics on the blog have JW hidden in them. After that first week we will then go over and see who gets the most correct answers and will award the winner his $300.00 worth of product.
We just want to say thanks to all of you who have been posting, and to apologise for not being able to actually finish the blog as we traveled. The biggest probelm is that the whole process of downloading pics is so dreadfully time consuming. We are working off of a phony CINGULAR aircard, which never seems to wrk as they tell you it will but I wont drag or belabour that point any longer. I worked many nights till 2 and 3am and was finally just to darned tired to do it that late any more it made driving the next day rather dangerous feeling.
So please keep up, post and follow along till we have a chance to bring this contest to a close.

Good Night and God Bless

Posted by Jeremiah Watt at 8:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

THE GROUP AS WE PREPARE TO LEAVE MELVILLE CASTLE IN THE AM.

The night at a Castle had been consummated and we are ready to get on the road and see what lay in store for us all, the day was bright and one of the first to at least begin with bright prospects, so we got our Swedish metal suppository headed down the British roadways to find out……………….?

The first stop did not take us too much further down the road, some 8 miles to the Melrose Abbey, a place of immensity, an imposing stone and artistic architecture where it is said that Robert the Bruces heart is buried. How it comes to be that a mans heart can be buried in one place and his body another……………is well, a story. Robert the Bruce was the man given credit for handing Scotland her independence from English tyranny by way of the sound drubbing he gave the English at the battle of Bannock Burn. At that point Robert rose in stature by heaps within Scottish eyes, you could say there was a seething hatred for the rule of England. And yet before Robert the Bruce would come to his end the rule of the world would be shaken by a war of a different sort. This war would be fought on soil far from home and for reasons much different than home rule, this was a rule of religious doctrine. And due to health and age Robert the Bruce could never join those he called his countrymen in the Crusades to his south. So in the stead of his body and weapons, he opted to have his heart cut out upon his death and sent to be buried in Jerusalem as a show of support for all of Britain in the battle that raged. The heart only made it as far as Gibraltar, and never to Jerusalem. The heart, packed in an ornate carved wooden chest, its bearer having been killed, was then carried back to Melrose Abbey a religious edifice that the Bruce loved. His body in the meanwhile is buried beside that of his wife in far off Bannock Burn.

SAME MELVILLE

BRIDGE BUILT IN THE LATE 1770'S

BRIDGE DETAILS

BY the time we have done the tour, read the plaques and what not it is getting close on too chow time so we stroll the streets of Melrose and find a great Butcher Shop with a great selection of pies/tarts and or Pasties as they are so commonly called. Now these come in a great selection of flavours ie: Sausage and Cheese, Bacon and Mushroom, Steak and Tatties, Leeks,Neeps and Kidney, Pork and Stilton, Pork and Mushroom………and on and on. The pies range from the philo type pastry folded over the fillings, to more of a tart shell pastry that is then filled with the selection. SO, on this day I choose the oddest item I could find, that being a Pork Sausage topped with Apple Glaze and chunks of fruit. I just knew that this odd ball was going too send me into the “Darren Reflex”, which it has come to be called. After the lunch shopping, we strolled down the street to a group of benches and sat outside to eat ………..WOW, I know I have used it before but this is just astoundingly good. We had all chosen something, and shared the tastes amongst each other. What a fine treat, along with a few Fanta’s and we are gassed up and ready to Rock&Roll.

Next stop, some 35 mile sdistant is the huge Jedburgh Abbey, built in 1024 and of immense scale not quite equal to that of St.Andrews but close in some respects. The top of the arched vaulted roof is 80 feet at its center. The columns are larger diameter and of a different and more complex construction technique. Sadly it was once again time to get back on the roads that would take us further down the road.

IN THE TINY TOWN OF MELVILLE, LOOKING DOWN ANY ONE OF THE STREETS WOULD HAVE BEEN EQUALLY AS QUAINT.

MELROSE ABBEY

MELROSE ABBEY

MY BEST WORK SO FAR, HAS BEEN MY CHILDREN.

MELROSE ABBEY

THE SKYLINE VIEW OVER MELROSE, EVERY WATER SPOUT ON THE ABBEY WAS OF A DIFFERENT ANIMAL

JUST ONE OLD CITIZEN OF MELROSE WHOM AHD SEEN HIS FILL OF TOURISTS.

While driving we noticed a sign that took us to an Roman Aquaduct, build in 987 and still standing today, quite a testimony to the workmanship of the day. We also passed this long span bridge of 425 feet length and 130 feet height over the river Tyne I think it was. This bridge was built in 2006………………just kidding, it was built in 1774.

We head now into the Cumberland region of the country and in amongst the sheep covered hills. What a spectacular area this is, we had some sunshine thru the broken cloud cover and it made for pictures that are much more vivid. In many places the sheep are open range grazing and therefore on the road. Just my opinion, but I think that America could stand to re-trace her driving steps a wee bit, and harken back to those days when livestock ruled in the countryside in which they should be expected. Where road side ditches are not 60 feet in width and covered in foam rubber so you cannot possibly get hurt if you run your own car afowl, over here the ditch is often only 6” past your car mirror and it is not a ditch but a rock wall. Another amazing thing is roadside parking and or construction work. Over here it seems to be legal to just park your car where-ever, and if the roadside is real wet, that also means that often the car is almost fully in the lane which it has come to stop. You do not complain, nor sit there honking your horn and winging, you simply buck-up, and pass the car when it is safe to do so. But no place is it more amazing than at a place where road work is being done, which NEVER has a wasted effort flag man at each end of the zone, and seldom has a sign warning you of the eventuality of a road work zone, and was never a problem. Can I finish my rant by saying that the American driver is solidly spoilt and likely to never improve a tad.

CAN YOU TASTE IT.......................UMMMMM, SO GOOD

ONE OF THE BEST RIGHT THERE IT IS.

The way thru Cumberland led us by the famous wall, built for Emporer Hadrian to mark the northern most point of Roman occupied England. Today that same Hadrians Wall follows very closely the defining line between England and Scotland. And now I will tell you the rest of the story, as it goes just like this. Jeremiah is not a TV sort of guy, but he sure likes his movies and does not miss very many. You should know that for the rest of this to make sense. We are rolling along on a very narrow lane/road, keep in mind that on a road like this you seldom have a dividing line, no shoulder markers, just Blacktop or Bitumen as they call it……….and each side of the road will be lined with a rock wall that clip your mirrors if you do not pay attention. In other cases the road will be lined with a hedge, very thick and dense, they often call it Yew Hedge, or Gorse Hedge. With out trying to embellish this to much, the hedge has a groove in it where the mirror line of cars lays, matter of fact the side of the hedge that faces the road has a CAR SHAPE to it. We are rolling along and every so often we top out and see some splendid countryside. And on one such occasion, both my boy and I are looking out the same side of the car and we immediately recognized a location that had to have been used in the Kevin Costner version of Robin Hood Price of Thieves…………..without a doubt baby, just had to be.

So we pull in about a mile down the road to what looks like a State Game Warden sort of place, and my intention was to go in and ask if we could hike back to the narrow gap we had seen…………….but while walking to the office area, I passed a Land Rover and noticed a decal on the door of a Rover that I had seen before. Yes, yes that’s it, about 6 years ago my friend Randy Rieman brought a fellow around to visit and he was a Pipe Player whom had just done a show at the Elko Poetry Gathering. As it turns out his name

THERE WERE LINES OF FOLKS AT TIMES WAITING TO GET INOT THIS SMALL TOWN BUTCHER SHOP

JEDBURG ABBEY

JEDBURG ABBEY INTERIOR SHOT OF THE ARCHES THAT WOULD HAVE LINED THE ACTUAL SANCTUARY NOT THE OUTSIDE WALLS

is Andrew Millar and he lived a little further north than this location and did work with this Park System. Well asking this sort of broke the ice for us, and we then got the full Monty on the Sycamore Gap that we had seen in Hadrian’s Wall. As it turns out it is indeed the very same location used in the movie, one in which Kevin and Morgan save a young boy who climbs a tree to escape the jaws of a dog, and then Kevin proceeds to kick the tail of three or four guys…………..you know the scene, if not then rent it and watch it. Some fun details, first the actual tree is a Sycamore, and not the Oak that Robin makes reference to. So to get around the small tree details, the crew wired Oak branches to the Sycamores lower branches so the all leaves readily visible would indeed be that of Oak. Another detail that we learned later from some of the other locals, was that it was cold during the shoot and “Kevy just coud’nt stop is’wingin about et all, cood’e”

Hadrian’s Wall, is 73 miles in total length, laid out with out the aid of any modern techniques to establish a strait line, and these Romans laid a strait line right across the narrowest part of this island…………and how did they do it. The wall varies from 5 to fifteen feet tall art places, it runs from 4 feet to fifteen feet in thickness, and to top it all of, there is a small fortification built every mile along the wall for guard posts and beacon fires etc. The fortifications at each 5 mile point are very large in over all layout. We hiked a good 20 minutes back along the wall so we could take our picture at this same spot were a Roman Emperor had once stood as well as a couple of Hollywood celeb’s.

MOM AND DARREN STANDING AT THE HEAD END OF THE OLDEST GRAVE IN THE ABBEY, MEMORY IS FAILING ME AND MY WIFE IS SLEEPING AS I SIT HERE AND WORK SO I THINK IT DATES 1022

JUST A EXTRA SMALL COUNTRY LANE WE TOOK TO SEE WHERE IT WENT AND HOW NARROW THEY COULD MAKE ONE............BELIEVE ME THEY MAKE SO THAT THEY CAN SCRATCH BOTH SIDES OF THE SAME CAR, NARROW.

LOOKING EAST OUT OVER SOME SECTION OF THE CUMBERLANDS, MY GOD WITH THE SUNSHINE WE HAD, AND THE COLORS IT WOULD BE HARD NOT TOO KNOW GOD EXISTED.

We are headed for Carlisle and a bed for the night. Our stay tonight is at an official Hotel. And it has been our worst since we arrived, quite a bit below the Hostels we have undertaken as well. Just a road side truck stop is all, with average torn apart rooms and leaky showers……….but hey it only cost us 65 quid so we cannot complain.

Supper tonight was an accident again, as we drove around in downtown Carlisle we kept getting sent by this one particular Greek Restaurant as if by divine providence. Finally on our fifth pass, I made the executive decision that we will just by god eat right here………..to an exclamation from the back seat that this would be all Lamb and Feta Cheese…………DAD!!!!!!! As it turned out once again the kids are very pleasantly surprised at how good a new taste can be………….poor Darren. He had to choke down a couple of black olives and cucumbers, but thought that the Kebab was just fine. Instead of eating desert at the Resturant, we drove down to the local grocery store, which is quite different that what we are used to in both size and selection. We bought some chocolate bars that we can no longer get in USA or Canada., made tea in the room and went to bed.

Good Night and God Bless

A FIELD OF POPPIES THAT WE HAPPENEND BY IN THE EAST CUMBERLANDS DISTRICT.

THE CUMBERLANDS HAVE AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF STACKED ROCK WALL SUH AS THIS. QUITE LITERALLY THERE MUST BE THOUDSANDS OF MILES OF IT IN TOTAL. iI WOULD LOVE TO KNOW WHATA RUNNING TONNAGE IT WOULD BE FOR A 1/4 OR HALF MILE LENGHT AND THEN DO THE MATH TO SEE A TOTAL????

AT THE SYCAMORE GAP, IT IS FLANKED BY A STEEP ROCK ESCARPMENT OF SOME 200 FEET.

LOOKING DUE WEST OUT OF SYCAMORE GAP

SYCAMORE GAP, AND MY OWN THREE CELEBRITIES STANDING AT THE BASE OF THE SYCAMORE TREE.

ALL OF US AN HADRIAN'S WALL AT ABOUT THE SAME LOCATION AS KEVIN WOULD HAVE BEEN STANDING WHEN THE BATTLE BROKE OUT

FURTHER NORTH NOW AND CLOSER TO CARLISLE

Good Night and God Bless

Posted by Jeremiah Watt at 4:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

This ain't no Honeymoon we are living ..

NOT SURE HOW THESE CABBIES ENDED UP HER AGIAN FROM EDINBURGH, BUT HER IS A CLOSER IMAGE

You could say that being married to me, has been no honeymoon for my darling wife. And I want to say publicly, that without her in my life I would have amounted to nothing. So Colleen, thanks for what is now 25 years of marriage. I love you, today, tomorrow, and always.

We began the day in Edinburgh as early as we could so that we would be amongst the first to get into the Edinburgh Castle. Now understand that when you travel with my wife, you don’t take cabs, nor very often busses unless the walk will excede 15 miles in length……….so baby, we walked till we sweated. The sites, the skyline and the buildings made the walk fun. We passed all the stores preparing to open for the onslaught of tourists, the Mongers cleaning stalls of the old fruit and veggies…….the aromas that make a visit that cannot be captured by camera, even digitally.
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Edinburgh Castle is the home to Scotland’s Royal Jewels. That being a small cluster of granite rocks hot glued to a tin helmet…………..I am just kidding. The total is a Royal Crown, that you cannot take a picture of………….then a Mace, that you cannot a take a picture of, …………..a Necklace that you cannot take a picture of, and finally a commemorative Sword that you cannot take a picture of. There was however, a one legged custodian in charge of that area, that you could take a picture of. The display consisted of primarily the well kept Castle formation, and not much besides that, which is also the case for many of the other Castles we have visited.

We strolled the streets of Edinburgh at a little slower pace now, being glad that we walked briskly to the opening as we passed a huge crowd of folks standing in line to get in now. We done a little shopping, and walked thru a neat exhibit of working tartan making and weaving, that uniquely combined a historical aspect and a wallet stripping aspect. In amongst the entire exhibit were small kiosk type shopping spots for each of Edinburgh’s finest weaving shops. SO we left with our hands a little fuller, and our wallets a little lighter.

OVERLOOKING THE HARBOUR AT EDINBURGH

INSIDE THE WALLS OF PROTECTION AT THE CASTLE.

THIS BOX, MADE BY THE HANDS OF A PRISONER IS MARQUETRY AND DONE IN THE VARIED COLORS OF STRAW THAT STUFFED HIS BED WHILE HE WAS A PRISONER

Down the street, and stopping to watch a young man play his Bag Pipe for pocket change, we happened onto the front doors of St. Giles Church. It was commenced in 1075, and completed in 1395. WOW, what a place to come and worship it must have been when people actually came to worship. I say that because you see there is a new trend going on over here, and that is to take these great old churches and turn them into Dance Clubs. That would be a shame in a plain old brick building, but even worse to do that to a Church. What the heck, the Indians always danced outside, why can’t these drunk teenagers, bunch of weenies.

I am not sure how to describe the work we seen on the inside of this Cathedral, but in every aspect it was an amazing testimony as to the skills acquired by the CRAFTSMEN who built it. From the engineering of the building and its massive scale, to the stone masons, to the wood carvers and wood workers, to the plaster artists, and marble carvers. Unless you have had the chance to walk into such a Cathedral and turn your head towards heaven and witness the majesty of all these pieces of work that can be seen, you may well not believe my words anyways. For me the Thistle Room as it is called is one of the most splendid rooms I have ever sat in, the wood work within this small interior enclave is just outstanding. Remember that the light is low, and I have no tripod, so my shots can be a little off.

ROYAL HIGHLANDERS SHEEP HEAD SNUFF CONTAINER

ONE OF THE GENERALS PERSONAL SNUFF HORNS WHICH ACCOMPANIED HIM ON A CAMPAIGN TO KASHMIR REGION

FRONT ENTRANCE TO HOLY CHAPEL AT EDINBURGH CASTLE.

THE MOST REVERED SPOT IN ANY CATHEDRAL, THAT BEING THE BACK WAL UPON WHICH SAT THE CROSS

We headed out of the Cathedral, wending our way towards HolyRood. This is the Queens Official stopping place when she is in Scotland doing any form of official state business. The word ROOD, is Gaelic for DUCK……………….er, no make that CROSS. Sorry I was looking in the wrong part of my Garlic/English dictionary. The HolyRood had an exhibit of many military items used by the Royal Highlanders Regiment, with plenty of Bag Pipes, kilts, Dirks and fancy Sheep Snuff holders to take a picture of. The gardens here are vast, since the HolyRood sits on some 1200 acres of ground and backs up against the Craig Heads National Park. We took high tea at HolyRood and Nevada bought a new tea cup and saucer for her collection of such things as a young girl of sound mind collects.

HIGH VAULTED CIELINGS AND HE PIPE ORGAN MAKE UP THE EAST WALL OF THE AMAZING CHURCH.

A CLOSEUP OF THE ASTOUNDING PLASTER WORK DONE AT THE SEAMS OF THE VUALITING OF THE ROOF

THE CARVED SEATS OR THRONES IN THE THORN ROOM, ALL DONE IN MAHOGANY OF ABOUT 2" THICKNESS

THE CIELING OF THE THROWN ROOM IS GILDED IN 24 KARAT GOLD.

EVERY INCH OF THIS ROOM IS EXQUISITE CARVING, FROM WOOD TO PLASTER.

Off we go, with the late noon sun to our backs as we head for the far side of the city and our car, so we can head out of Edinburgh to our next accommodations. With a little sun, all sorts of citizens of the city come out. There is a street type musician/thespian vendor on almost every street corner, from playing instruments, to acting as a Mime, to actual window dressing or just plain looking freaky…………we seen in all in that 27 block walk. Very little shopping, just a lot of walking, talking, and looking.

Lets find that Castle that we booked for a one night stay, and we start our leather lined Swedish luxury liner and head out of Edinburgh with very little trouble. Mom always has that magical bag of something stuffed under her seat for those moments when kids just cannot hang on to eat at the proper place down the road. SO we had some excellent Stilton on Oval Eddie Crackers, a few pieces of what they call Flap-Jack over here. A very edible almost all Oatmeal and Honey cake, sort of thin, and rather hard than soft like our cakes are. EXCELLENT road food.

A VERY TALENTED GIRL PLAYS A POOR MANS VIOLIN FROM JAPAN.................NOT SURE WHAT IT IS CALLED

THIS LADY FELL HEAD FIRST INTO A STAPLE & SCREW BIN

ANOTHER LOAD OF SIGHT SEEING TOURISTS HITS THE STREETS

FRONT ENTRY TO HOLLYROOD CASTLE

We make our way out of Edinburgh in our Swedish made, leather lined road rocket, that is now stuffed to the gills with every thing that you could imagine……….if we ever got in a wreck I don’t think there is even room for the airbags too go off. We are spending the night at a Castle that we booked on-line. And by 7pm, we pull into the grounds of Melville castle. A smallish Castle by the tourist standards, but one with luxury appointments that you would expect from a $575.00 pound per night stay ( translation is about $1000.00 per night in dead Presidents currency) Castle Stay. We couldn’t believe our eyes, there were sheets on the beds, no socks hanging from any of the bed posts………..and no one was sleeping in Goldie Locks bed when we went to check our rooms. This was Mom and I’s one night of luxury, a room all to our self………….for final results please check this blog in nine months.

We are taking the kids out on our Anniversary treat, our 25th to be exact, and I can’t think of any body better to share it with than my kids , my wife and Darren. Every one had Brazed Angus Beef Steak, while I ordered the Chicken stuffed with what they call Black Pudding. Black pudding is very common, made of a mixture of items that most folks rub on castle walls when they want to protest high taxes or something similar. But since UK has moved to VAT tax on all gods, they have little resource for using thess extra animal parts up except on us un-expecting tourists. I guess it goes without saying that each region has its own recipe for Black Pudding, but it goes something like this: a pinch of Blood Sausage, and a smidge of Liver, a handful of bread crumbs soaked in blood, along with a dab of toasted Oatmeal. All of this is mixed with a little Port and a sprig of various spices. Cloves for sure and I think all-spice. This is packed in a gut and then rolled till round and well shaped. Once cured………….not sure by what stage of de-composition that you know it is cured, but anyways it is then boiled and cooled and then sliced and quick fried it seems. To be honest, I have come to enjoy it very much, to end this pudding story, I will tell you that they also have a very commonly available Whit3e Pudding. It is never offered in Restaurants, but al most always available at each towns butcher shops………….it is comprised mostly of Bacon and Bread and Oats, minus the Blood, Liver and guts that cause Mad-Cow-Boy disease.

GARDENS AT HOLYROOD

LEAVING EDINBURGH TO THE REST OF THE TOURISTS, AS WE DEPART FOR OUR CASTLE STAY

MELVILLE CASTLE

For desert we had something that Darren had to be forced to eat, had to live thru and now cannot get along without. I am telling you I think that food freaks are made not born. You wouldn’t think that any kid could find a reason to not want to eat desert…………I mean could you? Well our friend Darren had this thing that he has somehow developed, in which if something rhymed with something that he didn’t like he would then have two things he could not eat. I am telling, somehow this kid has got to this stage of life on plain white bread and water…………….the toughest of military prisoners would have starved to death long ago and her he stands in all his 83 pounds of glory. So it commenced, that we all ordered a desert, and the idea is that we all sample each others fare. Darren had to get past the fear of BLUE BERRIES, of all things to have a phobia about…………..can you imagine. All because they sounded like Strawberries…………..which I crammed down his overly narrowed gullet just a few days later.

The stay was a luxury one to be sure, and a nice way to say thanks to my very Blessed bride. We capped of the day with a very late stroll thru the way to dark woods and we actually convinced my height fearing wife to try her hand at crossing a 12”wide x 60 feet long swinging bridge that spanned a swift flowing stream……………yes at night and no flashlight, just 6 glasses of Wine. As it turned out it all went well, we patted her on the back for success and just hung her clothes to dry for the night.

Good Night and God Bless

THREE KINDS OF FRUIT SORBET, OUTSTANDING

VANILLA BEAN CHEESE CAKE, POURED OVER WITH HEAVY CREAM

DARREN BEFORE HE ATE THE BERRIES

DARREN AFTER HE ATE THE BERRIES

THE BLUEBERRY DISASTER, SHORT BREAD TOPPED WITH CHOCOLATE AND THEN A DOLLOPE OF VANILLA CUSTARD AND POURED OVER WITH CREAM AND BLUE BERRIES TOPPED WITH A MINT SPRIG THAT OUR YOUNG CHAGE REFUSED TO SAMPLE.

A CUSTARD PIE, WITHA PIECE OF BLUE CHEESE AND SOME BLACK BERRY COMPOTE.........WOWZER, THAT IS IF YOU LIKE FOOD THAT SMELLS LIKE A TEENAGER'S GYM BAG

THE CASTLE LIBRARY, WHERE FINE SCOTCH AND A GOOD CIGAR COULD BE HAD TO ENJOY AFTER DINING.WE TRADED MOM THE CHANCE ON A ROPE BRIDGE FOR HER USUAL CIGAR AFTER SUPPER.

THE DRAWING ROOM................UNFORTUNATLEY NONE OF US BROUGHT PENCIL NOR PAPER.........

SWINGINH MAMA HITS THE ROPES OF THE CASTLES VERY SWINGING, SWINGING BRIDGE...........AND MAKES IT

Good night and God Bless

Posted by Jeremiah Watt at 3:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Sod Clobbering at Andie's

JW WARMS ONE UP IN THE GRAND TURF FLINGING TRADITION.

Not being the best at any thing in life, this may come as a surprise to some of you that while playing GOLF at St.Andrew’s, which is also the birthplace of the game of golf. I did indeed win the game after a fashion that is. Before I get too far ahead of myself in my tee’d off excitement let me tell you more about the day.

Nobody could be more excited about being in St.Andrews than our traveling companion Darren, his Dad is an avid golfer and Darren has picked up on that same enthusiasm. We heard all sorts of details, that non of us Watt’s would have known because to us it is still Sod Clobbering and the finer points of GOLF have not rubbed off nor for that matter even been considered. Golf is not as technical as roping lets say, because you don’t have to read the cow……………golf balls don’t move, have no brains, and some times the little buggers won’t move even when your swinging at them…………..even further proof to a cowboy that balls have no brains because I was trying to kill mine.

NEVADA WARMNING UP WITH THE BLONDE BALL

We began our preparations with some serious stretching, you know the cross lateral’s and bi-hemroid stuff, just to get the old lactic acid coursing thru the body so we can play at the peek of our form. With that done we all hobbled down to the breakfast room to gulp a Euro-Brekkie and hit the streets to our tee time at St.Andrew’s. Now we booked all of this frivolity online and as you know computers like women often have a mind of their own…………..and often enough mind left over to have one for YOU as well. That’s the nice thing about wives, they take the VOW to SHARE more serious than all the rest. With the booking, somehow we ended up with a couple of extra games booked and for different numbers of people, so we wanted to be a tad early to see how many games of golf we had to play today. Thanks, but 9 holes instead of 18 is perfect for me………then go see the acupuncturist.

Turns out the guys who run the rental desk see duffers like us all the time……………matter of fact this game is a lot more like roping after listening to them. Like ropers, most golfers aren’t as good as they would have you believe either.

PINE SENDS OFF ONE OF THE KNEE CAP MISSLES

We had a little confusion with trying to get Nevada on the course due to regulations and game etiquette and the like. But they were nice about it all, gave her a game card that looked just like ours, gave her what they termed a Blondes Handicap Ball, I guess it’s the more legalistic approach to playing a cross gendered game of golf. Anyways Nevada teed of right along side the boys and done just fine. What’s that you say? That ball looks sort’a funny………well we thought so at first, just as you are right now…………but by the end of the game we were all asking to borrow her ball because we couldn’t hit ours.

We got a few quick lessons from Darren as to swing, grip, stance and send off. We each had our problem areas to work on, but all in all we done not as bad as I had thought. I guess because I am a full grown and I might say an athletic individual, I did manage to throw my club much further than the boys in the send off stage of the swing. That first tee box take off didn’t look to sharp nor crisp, I had 9 swings into it before that ball was smart enough to get up and leave some 5 feet across the turf………….Dang, I hit it on the back swing………….now I’ll have to be TEE’d off even further back.. We are off the 1st TEE box, and like quail, we left in different directions and stayed off all the nicely mowed grass. The complexities of this game really become apparent if you dare to play it in the RUFF instead of the “beginners lane” which they keep manicured and smooth. It was a traditional day for golf you could say, the wind was blowing by with an assortment of odd items being carried along with it…………..things like Tam’s and knitted club head covers, broken Tee’s which flew like little arrow heads and impaled sea birds as they were aloft above the greens. We weren’t born yesterday and played with those knitted covers on the heads at all times, we ain’t about to have to pay for a lost one…………..and we found that it seems to diminish the amount of turf that sticks to the club………….as I walked down the fairway and casually looked back up the green, I thought maybe that’s what they are there for.

DARREN WARMING UP HIS PUTTING STROKE

A DAY ON THE LINKS PLAYING WHERE THE *&#@@ IS MY BALL?

A HERITAGE SHOT TO SHOW THE GRAND CHILDREN, THE DAY I PLAYED ST.ANDREWS

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THE COUNTRYSIDE HERE IS LOWER VALLEYS AND THE HILLS ARE A DISTANCE OFF.

We had a bit of an excited chap playing next to us on the Fifth Fairway, maybe a little dramatic………I’ve heard that about the Brits. My son Pine, the poor lad, is the result of family genetics and the inherited traits that come with it. His father the “athlete” in the family tree, has a serious hook to the right………..a serious hook. You are best of to stand well behind if you don’t want to be hit. Pine it seems has the same hook but to the left…………..hence the reference to family genetics, since his Mother is so far left politically. Interesting isn’t how genetics takes all these attributes and makes a new individual from all the mixed parts……….and my boy came out with a serious left hand hook. Like his father he can send a ball at blazing speed off the TEE but only about 3 feet off the ground…………..us regulars at golf call it a Knee-Cap Missile. Ping went the head of the 3Wood, swoosh went the club as it finished its final stroke after the power hit had played out…………..Shi………………….Son of……………..Who the h……………..thankfully the wind blew most of the pain away, or the sounds that anguish produces. Pine and Mom walked around the corner of the green to see a Scotchman wreathing in pain and doing a modified one legged “Jack Hammer” dance step on the 5th green tee box, then he turned turnip and folded to the ground holding his …………yes, holding his left knee cap. Mom’s first thought since she knows well the game of golf, asked him if he hit himself on the swing………….wagging her finger as she commented of course knowing full well she was correct and wanted him to know it. Have you seen my sons ball, she asked as the fellow took a breath so he could swear a little more. Apparently swearing is an integral part of the game, according to my wife.

A HIGHLANDER WHOM CAME FULLY FRESSED AND WITH A GREAT LOOKING WOF HOUND AT HIS SIDE.

THIS GUY HAD A GREAT FACE, IT WAS JUST FILLED WITH CHARACTER, BUT HE WAS TO SWAMPED WITH PEOPLE TALKING TO HIM FOR ME TO GET A MUCH BETTER SHOT.

THE DIESEL POWERED SCOTCHMEN ARE LINED UP FOR THE HAMMER THROW, POOCHY MAGGIE SOME OF THESE BOYS WERE BIG FELLAS.

Was that your *&##@ son who hit this ball as he held it aloft for our inspection. Time for a father to step in and take charge of a event before it got out of hand. I needed to make sure it was indeed Pine’s ball that had caused the serious infraction. Sure enough it was Pines game ball, a Sterling brand with two deep cuts through the exterior of the ball leaving the name hard to read………….my sons balls look just like mine…………heh, genetics. Sorry buddy I say, maybe you ought to put a little ice on that goose egg on you knee before it gets to bad.

Now have you ever heard about someone who just seems to have a magnetic personality, well I am thinking that this poor guys Mom must have been a fridge and he was a golf ball magnet. He finally got up on his feet and his “Big Bertha driver” was now used as a sort of crutch/cane affair………..and that knitted cover came in handy here as well. Good I thought as the injured player made his way back toe the Tee box and stroked a terrible hook to the left and into that ruff stuff we were playing in. Ping went the face of the club as a ball was cleanly stroked somewhere up the 4th fairway…………….shshshshish went the ball………..allot more cussing then fills the air and suddenly all is quiet. A second ball came flying in and just narrowly missed the same fellow not more than fifty feet out in front of his own tee box. Clump, stump, clump, stump went his foot falls as he made his way up the fifth fairway. We let “Le Miserable” get off of the end of our fairway and into his own box on the 6th. The fifth was a par3, and I really wanted to give my putter a go and thought finally I had the right place to do it. I let go with good full circle swing and stroked one of those family heritage shots off to the right…………………what the heck, where is all that cussing coming from now. Oh wait, I can see a club waving above the shrubs and grass down on the tee box at the 6th…………..we all waved, it was Mister Magnet. And apparently I stroked one in on him very close as well. Hey what can I say, Golf like Rugby, is a mans game and in juries are just a common occurrence.

NOW THATS THE LOOK OF DEJECTION RIGHT, AND IT SHOULD BE. OUR FRIEND TINY HERE, HAD JUST STEPPED ON ONE OF HIS CROSSED SABRES AS HE COMPETED IN THE HIGHLAND FLING........

TINY'S COMPETITION

The game is over, and its time tot take a tally from the score cards. Nevada done great, since her card asked for the player to make an X if she missed, and an X if she hit. Then at the end add all the X’s to see the final score. We men had the regulation score card, and took our totals a little differently. In the end I had a 198 game, used 34 balls on 9 holes and finally abandoned using the little wooden chummies that you set the ball on. At this point it was a really pretty much of a tied game as each of us where quite close. SO it was finally decided amongst us to use the Old Course Turf test to decide, and so it is that I won since I had sent at least 6.5 yards of turf down the fairways of St. Andrews. Yes, it was one of those moments of immense pride to take two eager young men and introduce them to the true Gentlemen’s game. Golf!

Inevitably it is time we got on the road and headed for Sterling, the home of the William Wallace Memorial. My Mom, may God Bless her, was really into family genealogy and came to Scotland to do research on our family background. The sad truth is that there are so many “Bastard” children in the tree that the branches are very limited…………..so we kids decided to just play pick a relative that we can relate to, and I choose William……..I really liked the blue paint.

SCOTTY THE PROTAGANIST, TEASES HIS ENGLISH COUSIN WITHN HIS FEED OF CORN ON THE COB

A DISTANT SHOT OF THE TRIBUTE TO WILLIAM WALLACE AS IT IS SEEN FROM THE STERLING CASTLE.

While we are on the way to Sterling , we pass thru the little town of Alba. This is the first town to resume the playing of the Highland Scottish games after the English had stopped it all. Now I can tell you this is no place for most school kids, these games have an edge of tough to them. There was bike racing on the grass course, running, short distance sprint type races and the throwing of the hammer, but the toughest as the Corss country running. Poochy Maggie, these players had to be tough for this steep uphill run. They ran kids from 7 years of age thru 14 , then 15-20, and last by adult . Of course they also had a bunch of dancing of the traditional Scottish dancing, the Flings, the Flungs and the Twist.

Alba has been running without miss for almost 225 years now. We seen planty of well dressed types, with full accoutrements and it seemed fashionable to have a Wolf Hound along to complete the fashion statement.
The grey leaden sky was taking on a fractured look as we drove from Alba towards Sterling. The hills are leaden with deep green grass, and the rock hedges that line the roadways are covered with Ivy and Berries of a differing shades, the Oaks and Beechnut as well as the Chestnut are all different shape and color. The hills about are filled with sheep more so than cattle, and the lower fields often are home to grains like Oats and Barley,, and quite a bit of Canola is also grown here. A huge stone monolith pierces the skyline, and we all wonder as to it’s importance hereabouts. The road seems to be drawn to as much as our gaze is drawn the same, and it turns out that this is indeed the William Wallace Memorial.

WILLIAM WALLACE MEMORIAL, BUILT IN 1885

MY CREW AT THE TOP OF THE WALLACE MEMORIAL.

The stone monolith stands some 285 feet tall, and about 120 feet in diameter. A four sided structure as is an obelisk, but instead of a pointed top of 4 equal triangles, this top has a very ornate ribbed crown type affair. The spiral staircase winds some 185 steps up on its route to the top most level. Now this is also the home of the actual sword that it is said William Wallace had carried, and was for JW the only real reason I could come up with for going to the UK. Did I mention that this was a VERY crowded exhibit, and the the single file stone stairs even further enhanced the crowd effect. Well it was in one of the side rooms which held the SWORD that somehow I walked thru and YES MISSED> DO I feel like an idiot……….yes. Truth is it really was not my fault, it was my young charge Darren whom proclaimed the room to be free of all things interesting………the kids built like a garter snake and can squeeze thru crowds much easier than I.

From the monument to Wallace, we went to the Sterling Castle. The Sterling Castle is an amazing structure like so many others we have seen. It sits high on a hill top, protected to one side by fairly steep rock hillside, and the other falls towards the plains over rough terrain at best. The castle covers some 35 acres of ground with huge rock walls of 20 foot thickness, countless cannon caissons and various draw bridges and other forms of fortification. This is a little more modern castle, being commenced in 1275. It has been held by the English at times, but remained mostly in the hands of the irascible SCOTS. We finally had some clear sky working its magic on the hills about Sterling, and it brought out shades of green that only Willy Mathews or Russell could do justice to, it was time to head into town and find our hostel and something to eat.

THOSE SPLENDID SPIRAL STAIRS THAT LEAD YOU ALOFT AT THE WALLACE MEMORIAL.

ONE OF THE MANY CANNON BATTERIES ALONG THE WALLS OF STERLING, TIS ONE INTERESTINGLY IS POINTED DIRECTLY AT THE WALLACE SITE.

We made the final leg of the trip into downtown Edinburgh, the 5-Star Hostel was just fine, which is how most of them have been on this trip. What the heck, all you do is sleep for a few hours so why insist on luxuries you won’t use……..like sheets, or pillows and warm water showers. And who among us really needs a “Chocolate on the Pillowcase” anyways, what with world OBESITY and all.

We walked the town for a while, and then in an offer of kindness I told the kids they could pick where we ate that night…………………so, as we walked the town awhile longer I could the scheme unfolding. They chose purely by safety and not by taste. They headed into an Italian Trattorie that only served pizza……………..that is the last act of benevolence that will be offered on this trip. Pizza is something that comes frozen in a carboard box and is heated up by the ranch wife on those nights when she can no longer lift a Dutch Oven or there is nothing else dead in the freezer to eat………………but it’s surely not a meal.

We are done folks, we have walked the town till 12:35 and it is time to quit and head to bed, because tomorrow is a very full day.

Good Night and God Bless

THESE WOULD BE THE SERVENT QUARTERS THAT SIT PROTECTED BUT TO THE LOWEST SIDE OF THE CASTLES FORTIFICATIONS.

A VIEW OF STERLING CASTLE FROM ITS MOST IMPOSING SIDE.

ONE OF THE MANY QUIET CORNERS AMONGST THE WALLS OF STERLING CASTLE.

A BRIDGED ARCH TO ENTER INOT THE SANCTUARY GARDENS INSIDE THE PROTECTED WALLS OF STERLING.

THE STREETS OF EDINBURGH AS WE WALK AND SEE SOME SITES OF NIGHT LIFE. WE MET A WONDERFUL COUPLE FROM NZ, THEY HAD BEEN TRAVELING FOR 3.5 MONTHS ALREADY.

HERE WE ARE ON A STEEP 16% GRADE, AND THESE CABBIES ARE PEDALING SOME HEAVIES UP THE GRADE, THERE FRONT WHEELS TRYING TO LIFT OFF THE GROUND AND THIER TONGUE HANGING OUT AS THEY LABOUR.

Good night and God Bless

Posted by Jeremiah Watt at 3:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

You wouldn't know this but JW is running a little on the tightside tonight........oh, the day was just fine its not that............whats that you say, was it the kids that fired me off............no, they to have been just fine. Its the danged BLOG, I have done this page now 4 times and right now makes the fifth. So lets hope the restworks from here. The morning seen us leaving Aberdeen rather early for this crew at least, we had decided that we wanted the get an earlier start on the day since we had a lot of Castles to see.

We stopped in one of the very quaint little towns that speckle this area along the north coast of SCOTLAND. And pulled in to a town with a very nice bakery. NOw I have to say that once again, Bakeries here are just not the same as we are accustomed to back home. NOw I hate to rag on my home country, I love it and all, but really folks we should have a Donut Revolt. I suggest maybe a Tartan CLAD BUNCH, BUT INSTEAD OF SAY THE PLAID THINGY........ maybe we could come up with a pattern that has donuts on it and Maple Bars as a background. We can tip over the sellers counters as they peddle the danged donut to us. You would join the revolt if you had a chance to taste some of this baking over here.

We had breaded meat pies for breakfast, and the words I know just do not do any of them justice. It sounds like this "what kind did you get me Mom? A WHAT............. for ME! JUst eat it and shutup, try it you may just like it. Crunch, crunch, crunch..........emmmm, crunch, crunch.............eyes roll back in enjoyment, crunch, swallow, and lick lips twice to be sure you got it all. Ohhhhhhh, you guys need to take a bite of this one it is sooooo good! Honestly, we have not hit a bad one yet. We start theday well fed, and looking over the ruin of Dunnottar Castle, shown here on a high sea island.

Dunnottar, biuld in 987 along the very coastal edge, it stands on a small island right off the coast. The sea walls jut upwards some 70-125 feet in places, sheer black Limestone rock faces. On top of this is build the huge fortification known as Dunnottar. This is a castle that has fell to two sieges, a full sacking by William Wallace, and a burning by the English.

Here was a castle that was by design a family fortification, built a t first by the Picts. It contained a full set of houses, and a Chapel and Abbey.

The inside of the Garrison was about 9 stories in hieght, and here we see the prison entrance for those to be tortured or be-headed.

The gable end of the Chapel that lays to the seaward side of this anctient fortification.

PIC 9

PIC10

PIC11

Just one more of the very quaint cottages that are strewn about in the whole of this country it seems. Here we stopped becasue of the huge amounts of hand stacked rock walls that there were.

The view here is from the inside of the front door sill to the St. Andrews Cathedral. It just amazes me to think of how massive these constructions are, and how few tools were on hand when they were built. This Cathedral, was started in 1175, it is 330 feet from door sill to the inside of the back wall behind where the Cross would have sat. It has been estiated that the inside hieght of the Chapel roof would have been 70 feet. The hand cut stone columns were 12 fwwt in diameter and taperd to the top at 8 feet in diameter. Each column was a 12 ridged affair, not just a round taper. What truly amazing piece of architecture this was, sorry I do not know enough about the subject to do it justice with my descriptions.

This is a funerla cross used to mark a fresh grave and would have been moved around at one time for that pupose. Here it has found a permanent home in a area that at one time would have been an interior courtyard, and so it sits in an appropriate place I guess.

A little Lawn Bowling anyone, tougher than it looks. The balls are not exactly a true round, but ratehr they are an ellipse. But we didn,t have a ton of time to stand about and learn the finer points of lawn bowling, so we moved on.

It is just 166 red sandstone steps that separate you from the green sod and the top most point of the bell tower. Have a go at it, but do mind becasue the spiral does also tigthen as it winds its way to the sky above. And it is true, a spiral stair case with out window slots does make you very dizzy.

A look down the upper walls of what used to be the Cloister wing of the Abbey. It had a series of three rows of pointed topped arches, each diminishing in size as we got closer to the roof.

Walking the streets to the grounds of St. Andrews.

St. Andrews from a few blocks away is still impressive, and it can be seen for several miles around as you approach this area.

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A view from the top of the bell tower. We get the full panorama effect and see just how much stone was used in the construction of this town. It was so windy up top here, that most of us wanted to hit the turf below on our feet and not our heads, so down we went.

All the more reason to buy a used car in the UK, some of these liitle rigs are so cute they look like something you get in cereal boxes

Take a guess at what it is????????? Dave Brennon you are out on this one.

The back window of the Abbey Gilvain.

Good Night and God Bless

Posted by Jeremiah Watt at 1:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

The Hostel was just fine, we slept well enough and for 15.00 per person what do you expect. Breakfast was a simple affair of some toast and tea.

We are entring into Fort George over the draw bridge. This is the last fortification built in Scotland. This one though is different than all the rest as it shows some modern tendencies in fort construction. FT George has earthen walls of 60 feet thickness, and each wall is a moat surround, each wall is also lined on its 40foot hieght with smooth rock. This makes a wall very indestructible to enemy catapult and canon fire since it is just dirt and not stacked rock. The Fort is still in use today, and is a final staging point for troops headed to Iraq at the moment. In the past it has housed trining for troops headed to every UK skirmish, especially Afghanistan, India, Burma, Cameroon and South Africa.

Today the barracks house both a historical Museum and also young troops in specialized training for extended military missions that require a special soldier.

A HIghland Pipe Players "Sporran", usually made os Angora, or as we see here Horse Hair, but we have also seen them done in the long hair of the highland cattle.

The horn of a local sheep has been turned into a gorgeous Snuff Horn. The horn is cleaned, scraped on the outside to get a good clean color, then it is dipped in boiling water to soften and while hot the curling process is begun. It takes several dips and restarts on the horn to achieve the graceful curled effect............not to mention some practise.

Here is something that my knife crazy boy would love to find, an antique Dirk. Showe here in the traditinsl leather coverd wooden scabbard, the handle is a piece of Bog Oak, that has been carved to resemble an intricate braid pattern. The top of the handles is adorned with a orange colored stone known locally as a Cairngorm.

We leave the shores side location of FT. George and begin the ascent inot the area that is known as the Cairngorms, a very rugged area coverd with dense forests, livley streams and sheep aplenty.

We are in the heart of the finest Malted Whiskey distilling area in the world as a Scot will tell you. There are almost 600 distillers in the region, and I think that it said only some 50 or so have any distribution beyond that of direct sales at the distillery. SO for Scotch lovers the tasting is the only way to find the new ones we haven't heard of.

Without doubt this has been one of my favorite drives of this trip, with narrow roads and very little traffic.

Now here was a classic piece of iron that was really getting the attention, behind the car stands the BALMORAL Castle........but for now at least all eyes are on the 1956 Jaguar. I thought Pine was going to try and climb in this beast, but fortunatley he found his good manners and just opened the door and sat down........Ia'm kidding, take it easy.

Here we are at the Castle that I think the kids have been waiting on the most, that is Balmoral Castle in the background. Balmoral is the summer home for the Queen and her favored estate at which to visit. Once you walk the splendid grounds with huge trees collected from all over the world, the forests of huge Pine and Fir trees you will know why. The inside of the castle is just amazing, even though we only had addmitance to one room, you could tell it was opulent. One of the most amazing features was the gardens and the flower beds.

A cool little car was sitting out behind the gardeners work area, and it turns out it is the SPORTY version of a Smart Car which is made in Switzerland. It is a very quick, two seater that will be in America soon enough.

The last CAstle of the day was a surprise, as none of us had even heard nor planned on it, the sign to Craites Castle just popped up and we turned in. NOw the Castle itself has a family living in it, and as such we are not allowed inside. BUt the garden grounds are open to the public. The gardens are just spectacular, even the kids thought they were fun to take a look at.

Supper this eve turned out to be one of the best I can remember. We pulled inot a relatively modern urban Pub called the Ploughman's Pub. It was chosen by my crew simply becasue it had a lot of cars parked outside and the assumption was made that the food had to be good, and indeed it was. I had a pie called " Fail me never", and consisted of minced & onioned beef with a gravy in it. This was placed inot a nicely browned Yorkie pastry, and along side of it was an item called "Skirlie", which as it turns out is nothing more than oven browned dry Oat Meal with a little hint of spice added inot it. What a fantastic meal this turned out to be, and such simple ingredients. Colleen had a Stilton stuffed Pork Chop, along with Neeps and a Beet root. The kids each had a different kind of fish. BUt desert was where we really went out of the way, we had another go at the Sticky Pudding and Custard........WOW. Then we had a Chocolate brownie with Maple sauce which was also a sock roller. And a simple tart with lemon, you have to understand that they do not make their fruit items as sweet over here, and manage to maintain more of the fruit flavor.

Good night and God Bless

Posted by Jeremiah Watt at 8:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

As you can see the heads were just a tad sleepy this morn, so we let them get thiere beauty rest. It was near 9 when we headed down stairs for our Euro Brekky, with some toast and jam, and a croissant. Just fine to my way of thinking, and seemed okay for my crew as well. The downtown to do a little shopping, not sure just what got bought, but we left some money in this back backers community.

This hostil was the usuall converted house, and a rather eclectic mix of cultures and spiritualities. Once you got past the Panama Red reefer stickers and peel and stick Jack Daniels Whiskey labels, it really wasn't that bad.

Ft. William Youth Hotel shots above
Just a creative door amongst the many neat architectural treats that are about this Hostil.

High ground before we drop into the Loch Ness

The countryside about here is rugged, much like parts of Albert and or maybe British Columbia, with plenty of logging on every hill side. In some places it was a clear cut fashon, and on the lesser slopes it then seemed to go to more selective cutting. All in all things just appeared to be in good health, when on a hike or look out as we are here from a sceneic overlook along the road side. Being able to signal and brake and get the heck out of the way quick enough on these roads is a learned art, not genetic.

Grove of trees along the upper end of Loch Ness.

The famed Loch Ness as we round a bay and head due north. Loch Ness is not only famed for having Nessie, you know that monster who shows up just about the time the tourism seems to be getting slow in this area.............yes that Nessie. Beyond that claim to fame we have here the deepest body of fresh water in the world, and it contains enough total water in it to fill every pond and resevoir in all the UK. It ranks as the second coldest lake in the northen hemisphere.............so ther is a little Loch Ness trivia for the day.

My Highland friend whom gladly donated a healthy hank of hair from his blonde locks, for my collection of what I seen that was neat in Scotland.The cattle that my boy Pine has fell in love with........I guess now I will have to do some horse-tradin with my friend Marty Elmore to see if I can come up with a calf.

Foxglove is everywhere

One of the many small cottages that dot the lanscape.

We seen many of these rock bridges along our travel, some with a single arch, and some with maybe 20. We are on what is known as a A road, which is very major compared to the B sized roads as you will see later. It seems that these rustic little farm houses are just everywhere, and you will seldom see any thing diferent about these parts. Plety of rock built bridges that are used to cross most rivers, the total tonnage limitation of this sort of road is 7.5 tons.

The ruins of what used to be Urquart Castle, and at one time home to Robert the Bruce. The history of this castle is quite unique and makes for interesting reading if you love history as I do. It was under constant attack by the Clan McDonald from the west, it had long been a Jacobite Garrison post that was one of the first to fall to the hands of a ruthless attack by Willaim (Braveheart) Wallace. Afer that sacking and burning by Wallace he moved on, and that same Castle would later become a place of refuge for Robert the Bruce. It would again be sacked but this time by the English. SO in total it has been burned and rebuilt some 4 times............the last time around it was a project rebuild by the crew from "This Real-old House"............

The upper end of Loch Ness where the forest gives way to Glens as we then head north towards Inverness, where we all done a little shopping. Pine bought a Sporran, thats the great hairy pouch/bag worn by the Scots about thier waist and hanging directly on front. Then we looked around for a Scian Dubh, which is the small knife worn stuffed inot the socks of a Scot when he is wearing a kilt. BUt all we could find a terrible copies made someplace but here. These folks in the UK have a real problem with Knives and Guns, not sure what the whole Kilt dress has in store in the near future................it won't be long and we will be down to clubs to do harm to one another. Ahh well, I am just a tourist right, I will quit my whingin and get on with it

A view of Inverness from the window of our Hostel. It was looking real bad for our Aberdeen Hostil stay which we had booked back in October of last year. When we pulled in they had a fully booked sign out, and a whole bus load of Italian backbackers had just arrived.............complete with dread-locks,body piercings and Tattoos not to mention that smell of a heavily laboured back packer. BUt by the miracles of my wifes Prayers, she finally got to the counter and the manager heaved a sigh of relief and told her that he had been reluctantly holding onto our rooms and waiting for us to show. Thankyou Jesus we have a bed tonite.

Walking the streets of Inverness, for no good reason but too look around. After which we went to a small theater performance. It was mostly Bag Pipes and singing, with little dancing of traditional dances so all in all we got a real good cross-section of the music and dance of this Highland culture

Our own personnel pipe concerto, by Bag Pipe repairman Ian Ferguson. This was a real fun stop, and Ian really got inot having an Audience. We finally had to just reach down and unplug him so we ould move on to having our supper.
Supper was well, shall I say a real new expierince for our driend Darren. We flipped a coin to decide, I lost and I picked. And by unanimous choice it was southern Indian Cusine tonight, southern is the HOT end of the food styles. Darren was a semi-brave lad who did not quite make the "GOAT" category of eating, but did make the Seagull level. To make the GOAT level you eat without trace of discomfort or dislike. In the complicated SEAGULL strata of eaters, there are the tell tales signs, each item is bit ONCE, and then with the eyes rolled back and the eaters neck straitened out all food is swallowed as quickly as possible. But you have to understand Darren goes thru the same motions to get white bread down his gullet as well. In all the meal was a fine one, I never heard nor listened to one complaint.

Fitting I thought, that I should have the bed which matched my profession, but got its name from the peak of a local mountain. We walked back to the room and had a cup of tea along with the last of the NEW FAVOURITE COOKIE that are called Gypsy Creams in Ireland and Hobnob Creamies in Scotland. I am beat, so I head to bed about as soon as the tea hits the bottom.

Good Night and God Bless

Posted by Jeremiah Watt at 6:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

We start the day at the Cheesemongers and had a great selection, that was unbelievabely fresh.

The silent wings of life sized Spitfires barnstorm the halls of Kelingrove.

Our night in Glasgow, and getting the lay of the city worked out just right and saved us several wrong turns etc for the next day. Parking is a difficult thing around most of these cities, but to date we have managed not to get our car CLAMPED as they call it over here.

Just the most typical style of building construction that you will see in Glasgow.

We are up and leaving fair early, you can’t really get the same head start that you may be used to in USA, mainly because many of the businesses do not open till 9am, and all Museums are 10am to open.

First stop is the Kelingrove Museum, which was a great stop being mostly a natural history collection. The collection is fairly extensive in paleotological as well as modern specimens, since JW loves a nice skull, he managed to get a fill of that sort of thing. But hidden within the walls of this institution was an exhibit of arms.

The amphitheater within the Kelingrove Museum

They had an interesting suit of armour from Kiribati, said to be the most war like tribesmen in the world. Made entirely of “found” things of a natural make.

Just one of many of the finer Knights Helmets on display.

The swords are made of sticks lashed together, then bound with a lash holding tiny shark teeth together and the teeth face out on 4 different directions. The warriors armour is made of woven banana leaves, and make up a considerably durable leg and arm protection. The helmet worn was the most interesting; it looked every bit like the knights helmets that we have all grown up seeing.

A fine Rapier, made in Toledo Spain 1785 with gold inlay, for a French Lieutenent.

But these helmets are made using the spiny puffer fish, and those menacing thorns are pointing in every direction from the entire face of the wearer………….very cool display.

Also one of many very ornate jobs of wire wrapping sword handles in this collection of cutting edge weapons.

The front "porch" to the Hunterian Museum

Then we sat in the Hunter receiving Hall, and listened to the Pipe Organ which was built in 1724. The Hall, is a typical European Hall, having expansive marble floors and colonnades which rise to the roof line of the room some 20 feet above.

This is one of the high lights of the trip so far, this rectangle of gold Cloisonne wire work is appx 1.125 long by .750 wide. It is but one of many that make up an necklace, bracelet and earrings witha cross brooch................this was a WOW piece. Handmade in 1845 by some artist in what is now Burma.

The roof is a deeply segmented series of painted panels, the roofs gracefully arched shape is meant to aid in the room’s acoustics. The entire pipe organ is made of Mahogany brought over from Iowa……………..okay, I am just kidding about Iowa. The wood is South American.

The oldest carved leather Targe to have survived, the carving was done in 1597 in central England..............see Tandy Kit #435

The fellow played a total of 5 tunes, non by the Beetles nor Alice Cooper, so I didn’t recognize too many. Each of the tunes selected was to introduce all of us to the various styles of Pipe Organ music composed down thru the ages.

Ahhhh, yes the handcarved Ivory bow, of which I have now seen many. But none quite as exquisite as this one. Done in India, back in 1865. It is approx 12 wide, 8.5 wide and stands about 4.5 tall. This piece had a ton of intricate detail, very cool.

Off we go, and I mean at a fast make ya sweat walk. Time is of the essence as we still have the drive north to Ft. William ahead of us. We head for the, Hunterian Museum
Now this is a place I could easily spend a couple of days in, and I think the same goes for most of my crew. This is a very impressive collection of stuff, but I found myself to have only visited two rooms and it was time to hit the road.

Listening to those wonderful Pipe Organs belting out a Rolling Stones tune..........

What I did manage to see was the collection of world tribal art, just spectacular. From carved ivory items to carved wooden Maori canoe paddles. Most all of it dates to before 1875. Ever get here you have to visit.

We are looking back south at this point as we cross that Highland divide between Loch Ayr and drop over to Loch Fernie. There are parts of it remind me of Alberta, and others of maybe Montana. All of that is put behind me when I pass all the rock field row, and quaint rock cottages with the sheep and Highland cattle.

We are loaded up, and make our way to the outer edge of Glasgow and hit the narrow roads towards Ft. William. Now I had been doing just fine with the driving to this point, but it all went to Hades in a hand basket when we hit the B and the R roads. Poochy Maggie, are these babies narrow. I can tell you that come around one of these corners with a rock wall to you left and a logging truck barreling down the road at you………..it will be cause for your sphincter to tighten.

My new friend Rordie and all his Border Collies..........usually works sheep, but this day found him VOLUNTEERING to hand sweep a field that ewes has been out on, so that they could play a cricket match on the weekend.................it didn't seem like such a big deal to him. He is only 67

Did I mention logging…………………..hey you folks in USA, these Scotsmen log every place I have been so far, and I mean everywhere, even in front of the city parks and on the Balmoral Estates. And I hate to say it, but these forests just look healthy……….especially if you should compare it to something like our very dismal Dixie National Forests in Utah outside of Cedar City.

Approaching a headland on the upper Loch Fernie, rainy, foggy and quite gorgeous.

The hills rise very quickly and it was sort of rainy, foggy making the hills sort of like ghosts in the distance. The hills are so abundant with running water; small streamlets with tiny water falls dot the road side scenery, amidst stands of Pine and Spruce along with plenty of deciduous trees down near the Loch’s edge. I notice a man with a bunch of Border Collie dogs working at something out in a field, so I stop to visit.

The Highland breed of cattle are the favoured, the only other thing we seen where Holstiens and a few Angus. The Blone Highlands are the more common.

He is a professional dog man, having been hired to judge many trials over in USA. He has also competed and won against the likes of Jack Knox. He has competed in the Scottish Nationals several times. We had a great but all to short visit about good dogs and good friends, very nice guy. He was actually busy getting a cricket field ready, by sweeping the sheep manure off for the weekend Cricket matches.

Another one of those great Castles that can be seen but not easily reached............unless you travel by boat.

Next stop was a castle that sat out amidst the waters of a Loch and was only approachable by boat. This was a Pict built Castle dating from approx 1280………..that is to say before the Door Bell was invented. Then up thru the hills and over the pass to the next Lock and the waiting city of Ft. William. We did manage to see the signs to another small Castle and found it closed but still able to be photographed, so we did.

Just a little something we considered renting, but kids found the back seat a bit cramped........

Our Hostel in Ft William was sort of an eclectic mix of back backer sweat and incense, New Age and Buddhist, toking and meditation……………hey maan, we be fit rhat in mann!!!! We moved our scant trappings in and then made our way downtown to walk the town and find a Bar/Pub to eat at.

Walking the streets of Ft.William searching for a good Pub so we could eat and Mom could drink................

A HIghland roast, tatties, Yorkshire pudding ( that cup looking thingy)...........real fine fare.

The food in these Pubs is just great at least as far as we have found thus far. We picked the oldest looking Pub we could, and sat in on the creaky second floor. I had the Haggis, and I done it with the intention of getting that meal over with as all I have ever heard was how horrible the stuff is. I am now convinced that either I got lucky, or most folks have never even ate it and simply tell the story and extend the disgust. I simply loved it, it was served in a traditional manner, steamed then lightly, fried along with mashed tatties and NEEPS (turnips). Over top of this was poured a rich brown gravy made of an onion base. Superb Folks!!! Mom had a great Pork Roast, tatties and gravy and a Yorkshire Pudding. For desert we had Sticky Pudding in Custard, and a Profiterole filled with clotted cream and chocolate sauce over top. Very good but we all loved the sticky pudding & Custard.

Our first time for Haggis, which is located to the bottom of the picture here.

Its time for bed, so we make the walk back to the Hostel, it is now 11:15pm
Good Night and God Bless

Posted by Jeremiah Watt at 1:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Really Kim, you need to get this young lad out of the house more often………..but more on that later.
Sniffle……..sniffle……..sniffle…………sniffle……enucht……..phewy……..

The day started with a morning rousing of the crew, get them showered up and ready to face the day ahead. It was a day of deadlines and time lines, as we had to get back to Belfast, on a bus, and then a cab so we could make our connections to a Stena-Line Ferry across the Irish Sea to Stranraer Scotland. So up and att’em boys and girls so we can breakfast afore noon. Now without doubt we have a serious case of genetic tracing going on within this action, because young Darren vaults out of bed. But young Pine emerges from his nights cocoon more like his Dad or Sid the sloth in the Ice-Age movies.
Sniffle………sniffle…………..snffle………….sniffle………..phew/phew/phew

Finally the crew is assembled and we can make our way to the breakfast area. We are early amongst the patrons here this day, and the cook has not arrived as of yet, but soon we are told. We make a browse around the lite food table, with the cereals and yogurts , fruits and juices. We try a few different things, with the Twix Biscuits which are some what like a large block of horse feed that you put milk or cream on???? Without much of a delay, we are told the cook has arrived and we can now place our order. None of us are hungry enough to make our way into a full Ulster Fry, but we all order a little something to tide us over till later in the day.

I decide to try the Kippers, I am not much of a fish lover and this choice causes some raised eyebrows from my wife…………….and she inturn reminds me of how hairy my legs are. With all that said, they turned out to be phenomenal folks, with a little Soda bread fried in bacon fat and two eggs runny…………it was a feast to the last bite.

Sniffle……..sniffle……….sniffle……….sniffle……………sniffle………….acht/phewy

Mucous projectiles fly thru the cockpit of our Saab highway express vehicle, seems that both Darren and Nevada have come down with something………….something that leaves them with enough danged snot to chink a log cabin, or use as a flat sealant on a Mac truck.

Its time to hit the main roads with a passion for the speed which so far has lain dormant, secreted away from the stick shift opportunities of life. I am driving a lawn-mower disguised as a car. We are boiling down the high speed lane of the M6 I think it was, headed south to Belfast. The roads are twisty without being excessively tight, the lanes wide enough to allow a little more relaxed driving stance.

Sniffle………sniffle………..sniffle………sniffle………..acht/phewy/schtoopt…… Now at this time we are out of Tissues to blow the nose with, Darren was raised to never foul his sleeves, so the poor kid is minus approx. 30 good inches of fair game place to leave the stuff deposited. Being farm raised I never leave home with out a little toilet paper rolled up in my hind pocket…………for things you can take care of with your shirt sleeve. Being a nice guy and a good host I hand over enough paper to last a farmer one good bought of diarrhea……………or enough paper for Sheryl Crow and Rosie for maybe a good year. Darren, takes the whole hank and just wads in half and takes one feeble blow and calls it done………….tossing it to the trash before I can even give my speech about the poor kids not having any, or maybe we all need to live thru the depression once again…………….but its to late he is oblivious to any form of conservation, the scholastic version of conservation only applies to whales and redwoods.

Sniffle……………sniffle……………….sniffle,Darren I told you that you should have blown that honker and got it done with…………sniffle………….thorry mith’ter Watt

During this run to Belfast, we discuss the methods of getting to the docks and aboard our Ferry. And in it all, we decide that it may be best to hail a cab right at the airport rather than take a bus to City Center and then a cab. SO without much ado, that is what we done. Funny thing how cabbies work, since this time around we are on the Protestant side of that line of demarcation across the city of Belfast which divides Orangemen from IRA.

One verbalized line was exactly the same on both sides to the word, and it went like this all you have to do is change the religion of choice………” I was born Catholic, never been inside the Church mind ya, don’t trust the Church either, but I will die a Catholic and no Protestant Bastard will tell me otherwise” While on the ride I tried to keep the conversation subject on that of Cars, mostly the Antique Mini’s, I have fell in love with these very cool little chunks of iron. They have some real souped up versions here that not only look sporty but tear up small chunks of pavement with the power they have. British mini muscle cars

Sniffle………….sniffle………….sniffle………..sniffle……………….

Then we got onto the very classy Morgan,s which I could sure find myself riding around in, stopping at Pub’s, and Castles………….my wifes blonde hair blowing in the wind as we toured. I day dreamed that every once in a while as we passed thru the Belfast streets, some cobbled and some pave d, and all lined with the two story red brick row house type structures. Huge piles of debris are scattered around as we drive, some piles as high as 20vplus feet. These says the Cabbie, will be lit and burned as huge bon-fires to celebrate the Orange Mans March coming up soon. NO matter what we talked about, the littlest hints of anger and animosity snuck into the conversation. And all of it is the exact opposite to what the Cabbie on the Roman Catholic side had to say.

Sniffle…………..sniffle………shhhhhh Darren, and you to Nevada…………plug that thing with yer fingers for a while. We are here, the shipyards are right over that way says the Cabby, and have a good trip he says as he closes the door and is off. The huge Stena Line tri hull is waiting for us to board as soon as she is cleaned and all the cars parked on her decks so we can commence. We have a bit of tie to wait, so we partake of some Earl Grey Tea, whata great brnad of Tea that is, and somehow having it amidst the drizzle and cloud of the Irish coast just makes it taste all that much better. Should I buy some tissue blurts out Darren………………..we all look in total awe at such a statement. The answer came from Mrs.Watt, that he was welcome to look at the tiny store but in all likelihood they would not have any. Why don’t you just go to the mens room and get some free toilet paper she suggested. Oh dear says Darren………..isn’t that disgusting. Well I says, that depends on what stage of “used” you get the toilet paper now doesn’t it. As long as it is still in the roll form, its like all the tissue you ever used from a nice box. We begin a gain with normal high tea chatter…………sniffle…………..sniffle………Darren, go get some toilet paper.

Darren disappears into the Mens room, and very quickly comes back out, shaking his head and confirming that indeed there was no paper left out sitting on the vanity cupboard with a sign that reads……….”Hey you, ya you, just in case you have run out of nice soft tissue, here is a soft roll of Charmin to hold you over till you can buy some tiisue”…………….well duh says Nevada. Your going to have to go into a stall and unroll some . Blank, total deer in the head lights look on the face of a very bright youth. With great amounts of encouragement we finally convince young Darren to head to the mens room once again…………and off he goes………….we amble back into relaxed high tea chatter.

The arrival of Darren punctuates our chatter, but his countenance is a somewhat perplexed and worried one…………..did you manage to get some paper Darren, I ask him. Yeth mist’ter Watt. Did you roll some and put it in your pocket asked Nevada who by the way was doing fine with the same cold but had the wisdom of wearing a lime green long sleeved tee. NO said Darren, sitting with us now rather sheepishly opening his ample back pack and revealing the contents, of which the most noticeable item inside was the largest full roll of industrial replace once a month toilet paper……………..my dear god, that thing had to be 10 inches in diameter and weigh 30 pounds. Darren says Pine, ya can’t take the whole roll what about the next poor bloke who strolls into the same stall for his “constitutional”…………whats he going to do, better yet how would you feel if it were you in the sa……………… Too late, here come’s a fellow wringing his hands vigorously with paper towel and a disgusted look on his face Boy howdy, did we ever get a laugh at Darren on that one, the day a good kid went bad and stole all the toilet paper in Belfast.

We had very few sniffles to deal with on the ride over to Stanraer Scotland, heavy leaden clouds are the order of the day, choppy dull grey seas roll up at low tide on sandy shoals that form the flattish coast of Scotland. We make our way off the Ferry and right onto the train that runs into Glasgow…………..now listen up here cause the Lords already at work and as isusual with us humans, we don’t even know it or sense it. We are oblivious to his movements. The bed pan flat of the coast of Scotland does not seem to last very long, and the train rises into some low hills, and the country seems to be a little more rugged and greener if that can be possible, maybe not, but definatly rugged.

The ride to Glasgow is a short one, maybe an hour and a half, not to eventful, talked, slept and talked some more till the train rumbled into THE Paisley district and ourstop to get a cab to the Airport and our rental car. It takes a while at the Airport, since it is very busy and the security folks as well as police are just about to commence a pretend hostage and security breach scenario.

I finally get my replacement car, since the one I had booked did not get returned and as such they switched cars on me. They upgraded me to a Saab 93 Euro Vagon, silver gray colore, with full leather interior and a Blapunkt sound system so we can bump our Techno and Bag Pipe tunes in style…………the kids have there hats on sideways and their pant ssitting low……………I got my kilt on backwards, and pulled way up………..yea, we be groovin brother.

Map in hand, kids loaded and all the suitcases loaded and we are tormenting the Scottish drivers of Glasgow. Quite a city in all, sure enough there are some areas that don’t feel to safe, and some areas that just look a little haggard, not Merle, just haggard. Its already sorta late, like 6:30 and we are just rolling up to the place at which we should find a “Hostile”, and we stop to ask the obligatory directions, only to find out that the place we are looking for has burned down. However, the fellow whom we are asking is also a Hostel owner, and can put us up in his establishment, if we care to follow him in his car. We do so and happily, as getting a room in a Hostel during the peak of the season is tough, even worse with five people in the group. Now as it all turns out, this fellow is Canadian and from Alberta, he used to be a Tri-Line truck driver……….and we ended up with a just fine room and all to our selves. We ate at the Coppers next door and headed out to drive Glasgow and walk a little to see some sights and get a little oriented at the same time.

All in all it was a great day, we all learned a little with the battle between two beliefs who defend a belief that they know nothing of at least in the spiritual sense, we learned that conservation or at least the application of it may be more important with toilet paper than spotted owls, and we learn that even before we see a storm brewing on the horizons God has put in place a plan for those that will Pray, hence we end up with a room at a Hostel after all…………….and we could have asked any one of some 500,000 people for directions, but found that just right one to ask.

I am hearing quite a few complaints about the pictures in which I am hidden………to tough is the hue and cry……….so I will do better.

Good Night and God Bless

Posted by Jeremiah Watt at 4:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

BLOG DAY4 Carrickarede and gulls

Our day at Lillian’s begins with what many in this area would refer to as an Ulster Fry, or what we would call “one heck of a breakfast”. It consists of a first round of something lite such as ceral, yogurt and fresh fruit, orange juice from Spain.

Then we move onto a plate containing Sausage, the most wonderful bacon this side of heaven, fried Soda bread, fried Potatoe Bread, fried Tomatoes, fried Mushrooms, and any style of egg you should want………………why not fried I ask??????? Great choice says Lillian, very Ulster of you. I can tell you that the Potatoe bread and Soda bread are just great. And as I said the Bacon is just fabulous. Our youth ate everything on the plate and actually came back for more. So you see Kim, tomatoes do fit in a child’s throat.

Mom and Nevada had a good 6-7 mile run, while I went for a walk out to the moorland head and took pictures of the coast. You cannot believe the size of the Conies around here……………..sorry, I forgot. A conies is a rabbit. These things look like a Shetland pony, and one would feed two familys. Believe me, I know my rabbits, my brother-in-law and I used to own over 500 hundred of these little morsels. We sold ours rabbits for meat, and if we would have had this size of Rabbit we could have been driving a Mercedes.

Church we could find as we headed north. Packed up and headed out for the drive further north, we stopped at the first church we could find that appeared open. The first Church just happened to be a Roman Catholic. We had a short message about the importance of being a part of Gods calling inot the works of the Kingdom message.

We made our way to Carrickarede, which is a famous fishing and quarry village along the Antrim Coastline. What sets Carrickarede apart is the unique coastline and how it steered the spawning Salmon during that time of the year, through a very narrow rock causeway in which the Salmon would be tightly squeezed and easier to catch. The local fisherman built a swinging rope bridge over the Atlantic by some 85 feet, to a tiny rock Island . This bridge allowed for the hanging of a curtain type net by the fisherman to catch a larger haul of fish.

The coast here is made of huge outcroppings of Limestone and Basalt mixed. The limestone lends to the coastal water color that is a unique light blue, very clear and quite pretty. The Basalt sections had huge caverns worked inwards by the sea swells, many of these caves have worked inwards by some 60 feet.. A good long walk to the site, along a rugged and rough coastline that was set above the sea b y some 70-100 feet. We made our way back to the parking lot and had a cup of tea at the Larrybane Tea Room.

We made our way further north to what is indeed a most unusual geological formation known around the world, as the Giants Causeway. It is an extruded form of molten Lava, pushed up thru the earths surface at a slow rate and over a long period of time. To some extent the lave is pushed up to a height of 400 feet.

The most commonly shown portion of this site is say 60 feet tall, and maybe some 300 feet in width, but higher columns of this same formation are very visible along the seas coastline here. The unique hexagonal vertical columns are approximately 24” in diameter, and seated tightly together rising like towers together towards the sky.

Each column is broken off into narrow sections, of maybe 10-12 inches in width, much like bands around the column.

Still with many more miles to drive, what a glorious drive along the Antrim coastline. Sunny, bright blue skies gift wrapped in huge white puffy marshmallow like clouds. The emerald green hillsides are now more frequently spotted with the freshly sheered sheep of the region, Cheviots and Suffolk’s. We motor on to the town of Bushmills, famous for having the OLDEST Distiller of fine Whiskey in the entire cotton pickin world…………YES, even longer than Jack in Tennesee.

This distiller began before 1608, but was granted the first distiller license dating to that date of 1608. It was walking tour, and we had a chance to see first hand how the whole process of turning malted Barley and water into a fine amber distillant known around the world. We ended the tour in the tasting room, and had full shots all around the table………….Nevada was kind of full so Darren volunteered to finish hers for her…………….nice guy, he sure loves to sing, Kim!!.

We had considered calling it a day, but Pine reminded us that there was one other huge old castle not far foo. This is the remains of a castle called Dunnseverty, and dates to 926. A huge, imposing rock structure located out on a rocky promontory that shoots out into the Irish Sea, sitting some 150 feet over the ocean below. It had a retractable rope bridge, of maybe 3 feet width. Once this bridge was drawn up, an attacker would be left with at least 60 feet of climbing up step rock facades.

This is a very picturesque Castle ruin, with the brilliant blue sea as a backdrop, and the sweeping Irish Coastline as a buffer to each side of this medieval construct. Under the imposing structure lay a sea swell. A sea swell is a liner hole that forms under an island promontory and thru which flows the Sea at high tide. It makes a great roaring noise, spraying water for many yards around with each surge of the oncoming waves. The rocky footings of this mount are covered in an unassailable mixture of sea ooze and green kelp or moss…….not exactly an Oceanographer here.

It was time we moved on to our Hostel for the night, my kids are wiped out and Nevada fell asleep on the ride back the Hostel. Back to the room by 8pm, and have a little time to work on the blog while the kids play a few hands of cards, and Mom reads. BY 10pm, its time to close up shop and get ready for the next days adventure as we head for Scotland tomorrow.

Good night and God bless

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The day started out with a Continental breakfast of the Hostel style, there was bread that you could toast. And your choice of Tea or Coffee if you brought bags or beans….other wise you could just have water. And really I think the kids are getting into the Euro-swing when it comes to foods, so it is all working out just fine.

We headed from our Drogheda hostel, to a place known as Monasterboise, founded by St. Buite in 520AD. This is a very old site that is built around a huge Belfry of 110 feet hieght, an early form of protection of people but more importantly goods, ie: your first iron bladed shovel, maybe the villages first rubber tired wheel barrow wheel, and you best Bass fishin lures right Mike. When a village was attacked they would retreat to the tower and in event of a siege they would hide in the tower. In the eventual case that not all would fit, they fell to the Gaelic term known as “Abergalfust”, in which the last ones out side would roll into a tight ball sticking head in hinny. While in the position they would assume that old cant see you cant see me form of safety. Can’t tell you how well this form of defense really worked since there is nobody left of that race to give us a verbal account. The focal point of the site is a 7.5 meter cross erected for Abbot Murdock MacDonald in 923.

Zipppppppppppppp, and we are back on the narrow roads that will lead us to the next place of interest which is down town Belfast. We had found these famous tours offered in the traditional Belfast Black Caps. Well, we thought that the tour would take us on the usual tour of items of a tourism interest. But disappointingly so, we got a rather lop-sided political tour of the internal strife of Northen Ireland, the IRA vs Orangemen conflict. I understand that all conflicts , much like most divorces have two sides to the story……..but this turned into a little more political information than I wanted. I will say this here, and given the nature of this Blog maybe I shouldn’t but here goes. If you are easily offended , then I invite you to leave now. It is easy to see when you are in Belfast that they have a political affinity for ANY conflict in any place in the world in which Jews and Christians are hated.

So it stands to reason that groups and countries that offer up hate as a solution to all confrontation would flourish in the “anything goes” conflict mentality. Belfast has an oppressive feel to it that is palpable to even my kids as we walk and talk about town. Each stop, each person we talk to offers up a different reason to hate or at best distrust the assumed “Peace Agreement”. Sorry folks, but my worst feeling is that the folks who would make America a target get to work in this community with wreckless abandon.

Nuff said, we were supposed to stay in a Hostel in downtown Belfast. It is funny but all of us had taken on a sort of silent demeanor, and decided that we had better have some coffee and talk about the things we had all heard and seen so far. We had walked a fair bit around Belfast, and were ready for a wee break. Our discussion eventually got around to the presence of Gods work amongst this community, and or the lack of it. As is the case with most of Europe, the cities skylines are speckeled with the Spires of huge old Cathedrals, that are empty of Gods most beloved creation…………..yes Man…….sorry not the coastal Redwoods!!

Sitting in a coffee shop you do get to see some of the strangest things, and the youth here is strike us all as being rather restless. No work, no schooling, no opportunity…………to all of these we give consideration, but non of us understand just what is at the root except for the almost palpable feel of hate. We finish coffee feeling that only the Grace offered by knowing Christ would see a healing here. We hit the streets, walking west……..which is a dangerous direction in Belfast depending on your belief convictions………..and we notice this rabble of street youth with those darned black tee shirts on. Have to confess, JW thins that most youth today belongs at an amateur Taxidermy studio at best, and then give them a bad haircut, bad fitting pants and dressed in all black and JW is seething.

YES, yes, I confess. I have dress and behaviour issues to work on. Now we could sense as we walked that we are actually getting closer to the heart of a “rally” of some sort, but even this sense was rather magnetic and not repulsive………and like Bees to honey we are drawn right down to the front of the City Hall. Teaming with youth waving some sort of Flags and all dressed in Black. Expecting a wail of siren and swarm of Police at any moment, we began to ask just what was going on here………….well kick my galvanized tail if it wasn’t a Christian Youth Rally, seeking peace thru change of heart rather than peace thru exchange of gun fire.

So my friend Rob, just when we thin that the Lord has given up on all, and turned us all over to the minions of evil…………we see his face in his works. But I will tell you what was the biggest topper for all of us as we made our way to the car…………the biggest brightest double rainbow that any of us have seen bridged over the inner city area. No, sorry but I don’t believe is was purely by chance.

It was decided over afternoon coffee, that all of us wanted to hit the coast road and head towards the next days adventure rather than stay at the Hostel in Belfast. Boy howdy what an awesome God we have, what a creator we have, just a drive up this Antrim coast line would make a believer in divine creation……..this much beauty cannot be the accident of two great balls of gas colliding, nor some creature climbing out of the primordial soup so many millions of years ago. We stopped a t a fine little dining establishment that was owned by a retired Pro-Boxer, what a great meal we had. Oh, I should tell you that JW has a set of what we call “Restaurant Rules” for my kids, sit up strait, place your napkin on your lap, say yes and no Sir/Ma’am, and eat everything on you plate without complaint………period. One violation and I hand pull all the hair off your legs and make a football out of the hide that used to be your BUTT.

JW is what you may call an “Epicurian Adventurer”, and as such I am willing to try anything at least once. When we travel, we never stop at KC Chicken, MacDonalds etc……..its local food all the way. SO given that I will now attempt to tell you just how far my own kids and young Darren has come, Kim. You will be proud of him, as we have officially removed PICKY from his eating habits. Funny isn’t it, how hunger will add recipes to your favorite list. We had Steamed Clams in Coconut milk, and the rule is that ALL of have at least one…………..WOW all of us loved them. Next up, Darren sort of shied away from his Tomatoe “ Canadian Spelling here, not a Quayle moment”, like a horse spooks at flushing birds at a long trot amongst the sage. We talked him through it by putting a little salt and pepper on it for him………….I reminded him just how much HAIR he had on his legs………….we cut the prize into 3 pieces. The first piece went down…….and………..hey that was really quite good. Headway was made, and the food world just grew a little, we now had room for more adventure once we hit Haggis country.

A leisurely drive north along the eastern upper coast of Ireland, the Antrim Coast. The left side lane is begging to feel sort of alright at this time, and we head up thru an area in which it seems all towns are “Bally-something”, Ballyclana, Ballymens, and Ballyclough to name but a few. The low set, cottage style rock homes, with painted white-plaster finish, bight colored rocks that act as the sill to each window, and abnormally bright colored doors such as lemon yellow, fire-engine red or Azure Blue seem to be the most commonplace building up this way. The land is divided by nearly impenetrable hedges, and fields are tea-bag sized compared to what we have become accustomed to back home. BUT green, for a Californian, it is so green it is almost hard to take……..we roll into a tiny seaside village called Ballyclena, and Mom is wanting to get out and hit the Bar/Pub for a pint of Guiness under the guise of finding a local B&B. Well, just 5 pints later she crawled out and told there was only room for 4, so she would sleep at the Pub. She found us a tiny B7B, now remember it is still light and already 10PM, so finding one at this hour was quite unique. Up a series of tiny laneways, and after many turns we finally make it to Lillian’s fine establishment.

Our host had fine accommodations, and we had some Tea and Biscuits (cookies), then turned in so we could get up early. Every one was glad of the choice to leave Belfast behind and make our way up the Antrim Coast. We are a Blessed lot, and wish the same for all of you back home following this Blog.

Good Night and God Bless.

Posted by Jeremiah Watt at 1:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

DAY 2, narrow roads and Burial Mounds

We had done our day in Dublin, had fun and seen much of what we had intended to see while in Dublin. If we had more time I guess we all felt like a tour of the Guiness Plant would have been fun and informative. Since so much of the preservation type work has been funded by the two major distillers, Baileys and Guiness.

Our supper was taken a local Pub and turned out to be just great. Had a walk back to the Hostel, this wears off just enough of supper tot make a hot cup of Tea go down just perfect.

The Hostel was tight you would say, my kids are quite accustomed to it, but it made our young friend Darren’s eyes bulge a tad when he looked it over.

Breakfast was a very simple affair of some toast and fresh oranges load our trappings and head for the roads out of Dublin. We had all agreed that we are quite ready for some green hills and more Historical things to see. Jeremiah tends to take most of the smallest ant trail roads on the map, and Colleen is kept plenty busy with the navigating. She also tends to give a lot of driving instruction s from the safety of her seat on the side without a steering wheel………….we keep an old sock and some duct tape around for those occasions when we would all prefer a little quite.

We stopped and had morning coffee at a local Café, very nice indeed, and I was not sold yet another plan on saving the planet by some mega Franchise coffee shop from Seattle. Headed out on a super narrow road, room for one and had to pass many large trucks and buses, quite tight and very scary on those sharp corners……….had to make one stop so wife could throw one pair of underwear away.

Arrived at the hill of Tara, a monumental place of importance in Irish history. This particular hill dates back to approx 5000AD, that is about 500 years before the begging of construction on the famous Pyramids of Giza , or about 4975 years before the formation of the Walmart Corporation………..even thought more folks have heard of Walmart!!

It is a huge mound of earth and rock work, and given the time at which it was all constructed you would have to be impressed. They move millions of metric tones of earth, and hundreds of huge rocks weighing in at 2-12 tons each. The total scope of the earthworks is approx 1 mile in diameter, with some 35 various burial and mounds etc around the site, not to mention all the huge earthen work item like dikes and moats about the site.

Next was the underground burial tunnels of Knowth, Dowth and Bru na Boinne. Now New Grange “Bru na Boinne holds the record for being not only the oldest but also the largest of these underground burial tombs. The largest total diameter 652 feet diameter, the largest in vertical height at 72 feet, and also the largest total volume of huge rocks hauled in to form the outer wall or support for the massive earthen undertaking. As with all theburial mounds the actual tunnel/chamber takes on a clear cruciform shape, yet not attributed to any form nor sense of Christianity.

Another very unique point is that the dwellers of this area had no Shopping Malls to walk aimlessly around so they would hold Tupperware parties inside of these huge mounds. And interestingly, once you walk into the mounds entrance which is VERY narrow…………..no kidding, very few High School kids in USA could fit into these narrow passages. You stoop/walk some 40 feet into the mound and enter a very small chamber of say 20 feet diameter this chamber is made of cleverly hand lain rock that slowly closes in on its self with each course of rock lain and is sealed off with a cap rock at the top of the construction.

Ar

Archeologists have found NO traces of a leak in any tombs that have been dug up. To the side and back of the central chamber lay small crypts in which were placed bone bowls. These are hand hewn rock bowls of say 3 foot diameter, and they would place the burned or cremated remains of the dead within these bowls. Arrainged around the outside was a row of huge rocks that dwarf the known rocks of Stone “Hinge” , and yet again outside of that we find they drug huge dead trees up the hill and planted hundreds of these like a stockade fence around the very outer perimeter.

All that was very interesting but now we needed a little to eat so we headed for Drogheda and found our next Hostel to be rather well……. Shall we say a little less kept up. Young Darren really had a look when he watched two young women walk in and share his bedroom with him……….and us for that matter. They turned out to be nice gals from Cananda, Ontario matter of fact and we hit it off just fine.

Ate something not sure just what, and then headed for the Hill of Slane, which is Christian enclave dating from year 1000. An imposing rock fortification that sits on high hill and the surrounding valleys. Not a lot left of this Abbey, once a very busy hub of the local farming peoples, it fell to serious damage and disrepair during the Cromwellian years, and never really recovered from that destruction.

It is getting quite late, and dark I may add, so we head for the last of the day the ruins of Mellifont. Now this also dates back to about year 1000, and at one time must have been a drop dead gorgeous setting. This particular Abbey sits in a valley, a tucked away valley at that, and beside a swift flowing stream with a rocky bottom. Very huge structure at one time, it had a beautiful courtyard within its high walls. This Abbey also fell to the ravages of the Cromwell years of mother England.

Didn’t arrive back to the Hostel till about 11:15 and had a cup of tea and some toast to hold the kids over till breakfast. All in all it was a fine day with plenty of great sites and fun for all. Who knows what tomorrow holds, but for this one thing. That should we Pray we may see another great day of sun and bountiful countryside, or we may just begin our first day in a paradise we cannot even comprehend. Think I will Pray, for you and for us/US.

Good night and God Bless

Posted by Jeremiah Watt at 2:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Enroute to the Emerald Isles

This trip started as do most of our longer journies, about two years in the planning and budget stages along with plenty of work to get done before the actual holiday can begin. This month long sojourn is very much the same. I had plenty of saddlework to get done, two as matter fact. One for a good fellow who will soon be riding his third custom saddle, while the other will be riding his first handmade saddle . Even if it is his first saddle, we feel that the workmanship will prove too be the final arbiture of how many saddles on a custom chasis he ends up owning. I finished up another three silver mount bits and a pair of silver mount spurs.

Packed and in the truck by 1:30 Mom told the kids…………..but then there entered “snaff-oo” number one. We have a young friend from town traveling with us by the name of Darren Ramalho, young Darren began back in Feb with his visa application, and then somebody from INS Office entered his last name incorrectly and the whole process broke down severely from there. Here we are less than 12 hours from departure time and we are still waiting with bad breath for the arrival of his Visa……….?

So, I am still working on last minute stuff, like empty the wax pot on my sewing machine and empty out the contents of my glue pot………….and lastly set a large rock on my dog so he does not run away while we are gone……….this brought on yelps of complaint but I am fair sure he will get over it.

Its 5:30, and we have confirmation that Darren got his passport and we are a “GO HOUSTON” affirmative, we have a “LIFT OFF”!

Arrived LA by about midnite and up at 6AM to meet some friends for early breakfast, but in the end they didn’t show and my Nevada fell asleep in her scrambled eggs. The departure was 11am, and we ate up and headed to the Airport to get our place in line. They warn you that you want at least 2 hours to make your way thru the lines in time. But with my wife, you double that and then some…………so we did.

The hulking aircraft lurches and side steps, skips, jumps and rocks its way as it makes those ominous whirring noises, and Darren is squealing like a little school girl at the excitement of it all…………its his first plane ride. Were laughing with excitement watching Darren, finally the quarter ride out in front of Wal-Mart comes to an end and we all wonder how Darren will do on the real Jet in a few hours to come. It was just fine, but the excitement level was a little less since he had already experienced the feeling of euphoria brought on by the .25 cent ride earlier. We pretty much sleep/read and eat our way up over New Found Land and on to Ireland. To clear up any thoughts about laying claim to this newly found chunk of rock and sea gull droppings that lay just off the Canadian coast in the Atlantic……….it was found a long time ago by the Vikings like so many other places such as Greenland, Iceland and Costa Rica to name but few.

We left California just as a great spring came to an end and the heat wave of summer was about to begin. It was 95 a t home when we left, and 55 degrees in Dublin when we landed. For sake of cleanliness and hy-jeans, I will refrain from using the native tongue of the Irish, since it is quite necessary to exude a fair amount of spittle in order that the words are pronounced properly………we will just stick to English for this post. It is very overcast when we arrive, and very rainy. We get a few short glimpses of the Atlantic/Irish Sea of the coast from Dublin. Making our way to the baggage claim, waiting to see who won the “dead under wear” bet we had made. What is that you say, a “Dead Under Wear” bet, well with all the security and bag checking is quite common to see luggage come round the baggage claim with parts of some ones under wear hanging out of an inspected but not sealed correctly bag…………thanks heavens none of us had the feared security britches breach.

Headed to the rental car, and JW got himself a right hand drive crash test model…………well that is what I asked for but found the proverbial red headed Irish chicks indeed have a wide footing but a poor foundation in humour. I make my way quite nervously to the rental stall, expecting to see some post Nas-car pile-up version setting there for me to drive………….but found a nice Toyota with a hefty accent. With fear and trepidation gripping my tense body I make my way out into the flow of traffic……………….my family can sense my tense…………and they begin to cheer and rant at my performance thus far. Now signs and warnings come fast and furious, as they are all able to render proper driving instructions from the safety of a seat with out a toy steering wheel in front of them…………only I have a helm…………..you would think I should be driving…………oh no.

We make our way round about fashion to the center of downtown Dublin, horns honking, whistles blowing and Jeremiah fingering…………..Iam sorry , there was no fingering by me, just Colleen. Were we lost you ask, well yes, we did see quite a few of the same corners. But we had one better. We are completely turned around, streets run every direction that drunk city planner can wander, and we keep asking and getting sent in the wrong direction. So we started off down another block, I pulled the car UP onto the sidewalk, as is the fashion, and Colleen got out to ask yet one more citizen for directions in a version of English that is harder to understand than Russian it seems. Danged if it wasn’t the same fellow we had asked just 20 minutes ago on a different city block. He got quite a chuckle, and Colleen got quite a red face, and we finally got to the Citi-Center Hostel. This is a no frilss, give the kids a chance to really see what life is all about sort of trip……………..no Marriots and day spa stuff here. I guess we will see when this trip is over if our friend Darren likes traveling in excess or its poverty stricken cousin??

Dublin is very pretty as there is a lot of greenery around the city, we strolled St. Stevens Green which is a gorgeous 28 acre park in the center of town , and hit Christ Church Cathedral. We all noted the importance of the major Distillers and Brewers in Dublin, as they sort of compete for things to donate to the city of Dublin, like the parks and restoration of Cathedrals etc. The batteries are starting to run rather low on old Pop’s and it seems that somewhere along the open topped , double decked City bus tour I drifted of in to a neck twisting , head banging deep sleep…………….so gone was I that my kids had to run back and wake me up or the bus would have left with one more Yankee on board than it wanted.
We had a great meal at a local Pub, you will find that when JW travels the usual franchise restaurants etc are off limits. My kids aren’t to fussy about food, and we are not sure if Darren has ventured past Sugar Pops or not yet. Most folks tell you to stop and eat at the local Pubs, which is what we done. So it was we had a great Shepards Pie and chips, Mom a great Malter’s Barley open tuna sandwich and some Fish & Chips. It was good all around. In Europe you soon notice that most soft drinks and water come in small servings 12oz. each , and no refills. So for kids used to the endless soda fountain routine this comes as quite a shock to there formerly bloated full “ Sorry Mom, I am full of soda” system. And suddenly soda rationing becomes the order of the day.

A casual stroll back to the Hostel, get the camera charging and the first blog page gets typed up………dang I am such a slow typer and these laptops with the small flat keyboard even make it slower for me. Not to worry, we have it done and have had our sleep for the nite, with the window wide open, our lace curtains fluttering in the coastal breeze, quite relaxing. JW is up, and walking first, down to find someplace to get food for the brood. Things are a tad different here in that respect, I have not seen what most of us would call a Food Center and certainly not a Super Center. Never have liked lining up to buy my Fench Cheese next to a guy buying his new rock monster tires whom is followed by a guy buying Bud Lite and 2x4’s Groceries here a re in tiny little stores tucked into building corners, usually with a small face to the street, and quite a bit more store hidden inside. Not bad, just not any thing like the selection that most of USA is used to. We eat good this AM, with fresh Croissants and fresh fruit and good ol’cow milk.

Well I am going to call it quits, and get on with our tour. So Pray for us if you have that chance, I know that you will Rob & Mike, and I will try to get some pic’s handled. Remember keep an eye out for JW for he is hiding someplace in ONE picture each blog entry.
Good night and God Bless.
Pics 101-0558 to 101-0731 are from LA to end of first day Dublin.

Posted by Jeremiah Watt at 2:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)