Busiest day so far!

On my trip I've been trying to make sure I'm up before 9:30 or 10am so I can be part of the little morning routines which go on, today was no exception. After having an irritatingly dramatic affair with a banana (I'll never learn!) and playing with a paper airplane with my mum, I went off to a riding club dressage and show jumping event with Emma. I thought I would just be watching, but I helped by keeping score and being the official timer for the jump-offs (to determine a winner) along with other odd jobs. When I got home at about 5pm I found Tom cementing different parts of the steps, so I went and chatted with him as he worked. We all finally sat down for dinner and then my dad and I went off bell ringing. I'm so proud I rang up the tenor at my dad's church, which weighs about a ton LITERALLY in almost the same amount of time a veteran (Roger) rang up the next smallest bell!! Girl Power!!! Now I'm off to bed ;)

Rescuer!

Earlier this morning, as I was taking advantage of sunshine to hang the laundry out when I happened to turn to my left in the direction of the pool. Sort of to my surprise I saw a dark object on the top step... On closer examination I realized it was an English hedgehog! It was certainly alive because it was sniffing in the air. Apart from the fact that it had it's tummy wet, it was fine, but clearly couldn't get out of the pool. With advice from a local gardener I managed to get the hedgehog out of the pool with a net and onto the grass (accompanied by a toad on its back). I ran and got my dad and his camera. We sat on the lawn quietly watching as it slowly caught it's breath and trotted off to safer cover. What an adventure!! ;)

Back in the UK!

So I'm here! Almost in one piece... I usually enjoy traveling by any means possible, however this trip was a nightmare! I'd been in Hamilton when I heard about the 22 arrested bombers in the UK and it was then that I heard about all the security additions. My dad suggested that I pack for the tightened security at the UK end of my travels, but even that didn't stop the two hour wait I had at the customs gate at Gatwick airport. By the time I actually got through security the luggage from our flight had been "scattered" around the conveyor belt area and we had to magically find it... no wonder there have been over twenty thousand bags lost! Mine wasn't one of them, but it took twenty minutes and a lot of frustrated conversations with useless security people. The flight hadn't been great either, which meant I hadn't slept.
The wrong gate had been marked on my boarding pass, and we boarded an hour after we were supposed to. We left twenty minutes late and there were only enough blankets for children on an air conditioned plain flying above 35 000 feet... I usually sleep quite well trans atlantically, but I was too cold and the plain experienced turbulence the whole way!!! What counts is that I'm here and in one piece, the bonus is that my luggage arrived too.
Since getting here I've slept a LOT, rang bells four times, finished an embroidery for my parents and sung for a wedding. I later found out that the embroidery I entered into the fair won first place :P
The pig roast was an excuse to drink and be merry for many young and old. I took the opportunity to eat a pork "bap" and catch up with a friend Emma. Oh the mischief!!
At the moment I'm busily trying to beat the odds and finish the next cross stitch pattern I started on Saturday ;)
Here's a look at the traffic in Great Tew :P

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