Let's Go Back to London

Although I was meant to be at Days for Girls today, it just didn't work out that way. Bruce's car has been acting up,  the only way I know how to describe this bucking sensation we've been feeling. And so it was that I delivered my homework to Sharleen, then drove clear across town to pick him up at the dealership. He was afraid the transmission was falling out, which, after some research we don't think is the case, the car is there now and we are in the wait mode to see what happens next. Hopefully they won't need to keep it for too long as Bruce has "work" scheduled for every day of the week. Sounds like I will get the quilting done this week after all if he needs to use my car.

Before it all becomes fuzzy in my old brain, I figured it was time to return to London because, well, when you travel with a local, you see stuff most folks don't. Then too, as this blog is mostly for me, if I don't get it written down soon all of the memories will fade away.

Flying back to London from Copenhagen went perfectly, maybe it was about a two hour flight. See, already, I am sketchy on the details. We took transit to Matt and Tom's place that I couldn't have been more excited to see. Even cooler than I could have imagined. Bruce was still not great,, nevertheless, we decided to walk to Docklands for pizza along Regent's Canal.

Limehouse Basin above, is seeing its fair share of gentrification with new residences being built along the canal which has played an integral part in London's history.

Obviously, I loved seeing the real deal when it comes to MINI Coopers! Mine feels huge compared to the old ones. As we sat eating pizza along the Thames, it was impossible not to notice the beautiful sunset.

Instead of walking home, because Bruce was wearing out, we headed to the station to use the Docklands Light Rail. Note the large tower in the middle below.

Next morning, in spite of having tickets to travel to Melton Mowbray, Matt found a doctor that Bruce could visit to get stronger pain medication should he need it. Guess what? It was in that tower on the 33 (?) floor and we had to go through security before being allowed on the elevator! The visit went well, costing around $75USD including the medicine which we gladly paid.

Before leaving for the doctor visit I peered through the second story bedroom window early for some backyard birdwatching. Matt and Tom take bird feeding very seriously! I think there are, maybe six, bird feeders?

 Following the visit, and lunch in the area, we took the DLR again back to their place.

About a block or so walk from their place, there is an entrance to the canal walk, so leaving Matt home to water plants and keep an eye on his Dad, I took to the walking path.

As it was a beautiful warm sunny day, the walk was a lovely one where I saw all manner of interesting things, one of which were the house boats and this one in particular because it was going through the hand powered lock.

I came across the engaging Mile End Park where I searched for birds, finding this little beauty by ear. Apparently it is a Robin, although you could have fooled me.

When I returned Matt was still watering their garden which has both a Cherry tree and an Apple tree among many, many, other plants which makes me so happy knowing that they have such a wonderful place where they can grow things and watch birds. Of course, one visitor they have had, a fox, is unwelcome because it digs things up. Hard to imagine foxes run wild in the heart of London, isn't it?

We watched a funny show, the name of which I've forgotten; a nice easy evening after nine days of running around! Up early I walked around their neighborhood a bit, surprised to see this at the end of their street.

The Gherkin building, an unofficial name of course, was under construction years ago when we visited and we were so taken with it, Bruce had a photograph enlarged for his office. These days it is dwarfed by the slate of new towers on the horizon. Roaming around a few streets away, I came across this ancient church, St. Dustan's, standing on a site that has housed a Christian church for over 1,000 years. 

 A large and peaceful cemetery is part of the property. Hearing bird calls, I was astonished, upon looking up, to see a pair of parrots calling.

After determining that Bruce was fit for an outing, we again took transit, this time to see the Thames Barrier. Don't know what that is? Here are the details for the curious. We walked through some lovely gardens as we made our way from the station to water's edge.

 An engineering marvel, Bruce had been wanting to see it for years and now he has!

As the name suggests, these are used to keep the Thames from flooding London. I am presuming the hedges below are meant to suggest waves? I could be wrong.

 Heading back on the train to Stepney, we went inside St. Dunstan's, admiring the craftsmanship of the tradesman who built this church out of Kentish ragstone, mainly in the 15th century.

 Remember about the city farm? Well, here it is with St. Dunstan's in the background.

 Remnants of old Roman buildings remain on the property.

 My sister Lisa would have loved the rabbit hutch!

What we love so much about London, aside from our loved ones making it their home, is the blend of new and old, living animals on one corner of the intersection, and a place for worship, as well as a resting place for the departed, across the street from one another.

No part of London though shows that off more than near Tower Bridge where we spent our last three nights at a Hilton.

Now we were in a part of London, bustling with both residents and tourists, something you will not find much of in East London. With the addition of the Shard, mirrored in the building across from our hotel,

 it has been the tallest habitable structure in the EU, however I believe developers are clamoring to go even higher. England may be in turmoil over all this Brexit mess, but to us, London was as it has been on every visit, a beautiful, walkable city full of life. Not to mention culture, which will be on the agenda for my next post.

BTW--should you care to see the views from atop the Shard, be sure to check out this post from 2013, when we did that. Plus, some very special news from Matt and Tom revealed in that post. 

your friend,

Gail

Don't Take Much to Make Me Happy

There was a time when I surrounded myself with music, whether in the car or in our home; rarely did I live with silence. Growing up, music was a natural part of our life with my Mom loving Elvis, so much so that she requested one of his songs at her funeral mass! My Dad was in love with Ella Fitzgerald, although I think Peggy Lee was in contention for his favorite too. I suspect it would have made them so proud to see what an accomplished musician Bill has become, teaching himself other instruments after mastering the guitar in a big way. Exciting news from their household, Fallon has been accepted to Nurse Practitioner's school and will begin in January. We are so proud of her!

What happened? I can't rightly tell you, however, after immersing ourselves in the Ken Burn's documentary, my passion was reignited and I've been listening every chance I get. So it is that I have Mary Chapin Carpenter to thank for today's title, after her song of the same. If you know her music at all, you know that she has a beautiful soothing voice, and when her song came on my playlist, it stopped me in my tracks because it perfectly describes how I feel at this time in my journey through life. Knowing that all four of our sons and their spouses are doing well is first and foremost. Admittedly, I am still grieving the loss of Carol, but knowing she no longer suffers eases the pain. Unfortunately our extended families are not without challenges, but when the circle is so large I guess that is to be expected. 

Otherwise, it takes very little to make me happy, including my love for watches and clocks. What it is about the two that I love so much is not clear to me, but when we saw the clock below at the Winter Park Autumn Art Festival, I fell in love. 

Isn't it just so fun? Handmade by a Winter Springs artist, here is his website with other amazing creations that we could not afford! The clock though, well Merry Christmas Gail, or so I told Bruce, however that was not his idea. It just occurred to me because, at this stage of our life, buying gifts for one another can be challenging. Mostly we've not gone to any art shows because, frankly, when I was doing them, even though I did surprisingly well, I could not always get past the fact that the artists are merely the talent if you will, meaning, most people have no intention of buying anything and merely go for a pleasant outing. I suppose that sounds silly to some, yet after spending hundreds of dollars for your booth space, and countless hours setting up, folks just looking is not what an artist needs. This time, however, we were in search of art for our bedroom, although either things were out of our price range, or we just didn't fall in love. The clock for the kitchen, on the other hand, well, that was just the ticket.

Speaking of doing art shows, while standing in front of Stevotomic's booth, I was overjoyed and embarrassed when Alan Fraser called my name. Embarrassed because we'd spent countless hours together chatting at the Winter Garden market and I did not recognize him! Overjoyed because he looked so well after nearly dying from a bacterial infection that claimed both his legs. Although I'd not seen him in years, I should have recognized him. That said, he is both taller with his prosthetics and buffer, working out every day to keep himself strong. Gosh I liked him so much and was crushed when he was so ill. Well, I still like him, and having now caught up with one another, promises were made to keep in touch.

Tim and Alan are planning a move to Palm Springs next year where my new clock would fit right in.

Living lakeside has given me more joy than I could ever have imagined, watching days unfold, beginning at dawn,

through the sparkling water under the noonday sun.

 Later in the afternoon, puffy clouds appear, mirrored in the lake,    

with the glow of the Hunter's Moon casting crazy bright light shimmering on the lake's surface.

Because the photo above is not much, up very early the next morning, I walked down to the big lake to see it from another perspective. Seriously thrilling watching it move rapidly down the horizon as if it were the setting sun.

Walking back to our place, again the sky was beautiful with the cries of scores of crows filling the air.

See how easily I am pleased? Then there is the quilt I've been working on. Originally designed with our bedroom in mind before changing color schemes, the pieces were all cut to make a queen sized quilt. Somewhat scrappy as is Bruce's preference, it did nothing for me, so I put it all in the baskets under my desk. Now, however, with the need for one for our camping set up, I began piecing them row by row, finishing early Sunday evening. Spreading it out on the living room floor to measure for a backing, for some inexplicable reason, I found the imperfect work of the back interesting. Not all the seams are pressed as they should be, it still brought me happiness. Even more so when I found that the five yards of fabric that I'd purchased at an estate sale would work perfectly for a backing.

The cost of that fabric? $3.00!! That is enough to make anyone happy, spending $3 instead of $50! There are a few weeks before the weather is cool enough to go camping, giving me enough time to do the quilting and bind it, hopefully useful for some years to come. 

Then there was the first deer we saw on our excursion yesterday....

 Oh my goodness!

More to come in my next post and I hope that for you too, it "don't take much to make you happy."

your friend,

Gail

Local Adventures

Most mornings, if time allows with Bruce's busy schedule, we walk around Lake Davis two times for both some exercise, and some bird watching. Most days something is going on and early last week was no exception. Figuring it was about time to return to the here and now after so many vacation posts, however, I've not forgotten about London because there are still some things to share. For now though, let's catch up with what's been going on since we returned from our trip to the mountains. 

So we were walking around when we saw two ducklings in the water all by themselves. Not a good sign because they were quite small. The closer we got though, we saw their siblings coming in from behind, yet still no visible parents. Eventually they were reunited with their indifferent Mother while we stood watching, making their way back into the water once all were gathered.  As to the pictured swan, we learned one of the cygnets was hit by a car and now there are but three. :(

  Perhaps it was this fellow that is responsible for the fact that they have all disappeared?

 Just behind our place, new aquatic plants have emerged with one of them flowering! I've learned that this is a Water Hyacinth and isn't it so pretty?

There was a slight delay in the workers getting started on the church columns, so we took advantage of our free time, heading South to Lake Kissimmee State Park in the middle of nowhere! The closest small city is Lake Wales, 15 miles away. Driving down SR 17, it was both empty and beautiful. Holy Cow, a little hill action. Rare for Florida, indeed.

Most of you know that the once thriving Florida citrus industry is in steep decline due to citrus canker that decimated thousands of orange trees. While we did see some beautiful groves on this drive, not nearly what once was to be found in the middle of the state. Below is what, we've later learned, an attempt by grove owners to stop the spread amongst new trees. Apparently, these fine mesh bags, which cost $8.50 each (thanks Google!), are left in place for at least the first two years of a tree's life. The good news is that there is good news---it seems to be helping!

And finally we arrive! The photo below is taken through the windshield which is stained by love bugs, and if you are from Florida, you know just what I mean.

We were there to check out their camping sites which are plentiful; driving through making notes on the best sights for a future trip as it is hard to choose just from a map. The park is filled with stately old oak trees with their branches touching the ground in some instances. I can't recall ever seeing an oak such as the one in the back in the photo below with branches clumped together on the ground. Must be old age which, as I am learning, is full of surprises!

Close observers will see a staircase in the distance which is where I was headed, climbing a three story observation tower/platform to see Lake Kissimmee, Florida's third largest lake. Not to be confused with the city of Kissimmee, much closer to home, where the big lakes there are called Lake Tohopekaligia, and East Lake Tohopekaligia.                                      

Bruce did some dock fishing while I roamed around in the heat. Not August heat, but under sunny skies, still very warm.  Eventually it was time to find some lunch, easier said than done when you are in cattle country!

Made all the more difficult because, you guessed it, no internet connection!! Sandwiches from a roadside market was the best we could do. Most all of the area is either ranches, or connected to fishing in one way or another as Lake Kissimmee is one of the top rated lakes in the country for catching bass. 

On our way home, after managing to get back to SR 17, we passed what we are presuming is an old phosphate mine filled with this lovely shade of water.

A side note here....watching a Great Blue Heron flying by just now, as well as ducks swimming in the sparkling lake, shimmering in the early morning sunshine....quite the distraction for me!!  Secondly, David and Michelle are going on a little trip to Charleston tomorrow morning, prompting me to search the blog for our visit to that beautiful city. Oh how I love having a blog and being able to go back in time, even if that post contained the information that we had bed bugs in our hotel! :)

The next day we visited a nearby park off Hiawassee Road, formerly called Turkey Lake Park, a place I passed many times while working out that way. I say formerly because the name has been changed to Bill Frederick Park after a former long term mayor of Orlando. So what was it like? Amazing! For one thing it is HUGE! There are birds,

and of course, the lake which sits adjacent to the Florida Turnpike on one side, and is not very far from Universal Studios theme park. Apparently it is also home to the Boone Braves crew team too. Boone High is where both of us went, all of our children, and is just across Michigan Street. On occasion we hear their football games it is so close!

 How big is the park? 183 acres is how big! Again, a place we visited to check out their camping sites. I know, weird, right?

From what I read, those camping sites are a godsend for folks looking to vacation in Orlando, so near the theme parks, for the very reasonable rate of something like $25 a night! Quite the dock too!

Another day we lunched at Brio, maybe after our walk around Mead Gardens? See, if I don't get right to blogging I forget things! Anyway, seated at the bar, I happened to notice the mirror right in front of us, so why not? The soup and salad were just okay.

This time of year is prime bird watching primarily due to Fall migration patterns. I've heard before that Mead Gardens is a stopping ground, so let's go there, shall we? We walked waterside for a bit, then took the boardwalk through the wild part, although all I saw was but one Carolina Wren which isn't saying much. The thought of how much Florida has changed crossed my mind during this short walk through what our state must have once looked like. Filled with bugs too, which is not the most romantic thought.

 Heart shape alert!!

Another thing I'd heard from folks is there are resident owls that nest yearly, however, I'd yet to see them on my infrequent visits. Well, now I have seen the female.

True birders are very protective of their finds, or cagey at best. In the parking lot a fellow was loading his car and, spying his binoculars, I inquired if he'd seen anything. Turns out this is the fellow who leads a weekly bird walk on Saturdays during the month of October, sponsored by Audubon. I think this must have been Thursday because he said no, hadn't seen much, and was a wee bit worried about Saturday. Asking him about the owl, he gave out very vague directions. Heading that way, scanning trees like mad, luckily another fellow, lugging a large tripod with two cameras hanging around his neck, was more specific, going so far as to take us there. Nice, right?

Closer to home, I've resumed working on the quilt I'd abandoned, this time moving into the dining room to avoid the distraction of the lake, a good decision because I got a lot done yesterday afternoon. Gloomy weather helped!

Two reasons for the photo below--one, the little quilt, such as it is, for the end of our bed is completed. Secondly, note the pile of clothes ready for folding.

For several weeks now I've been wanting to share my new found love of Marie Kondo and her method of folding clothes. While late to the party, I am a convert! After reading an article about her in a magazine, I searched out her charming series on Netflix, watching most episodes in succession. For years our drawers have been filled, sometimes to the brim, with rolled clothing which is good; her way is better. Both of us hate to use up our clothing now because we don't want to disturb the look.

Like a little bookshelf in your drawer! For the curious, here's the link to her series.  Before I considered myself tidy, now I know that there is always room for improvement. But that's like most things, don't you think?

Finally, here's a look at the scaffolding that went up last week, with work underway now to repair the capitals and columns.

Mr. Peck is there as I type, scraping paint alongside the restoration crew. :)

Local adventures are fun, however, I still miss those majestic mountains!

your friend,

Gail