Friday Fun

We had a laid-back day yesterday, spending our time right in the Maryport area. First, we stopped by the Allonby beach:

New bricks! Woo!

After picking Frankie up from school, we took a trip to the aquarium:

Then, we played "beauty shop guy":

It was another lovely day. The only downside is that Erin has a pretty miserable cold-- Coughing, sneezing, the works. I feel terrible for the poor gal. Not the ideal way to spend your vacation.

On a happy note, Matt's home! It's so good to have him back. He arrived last night around eight, and is already up and ready to take us all on a family trip to the Honister Slate Mine. I'm really looking forward to it.

Frankie's World

In case you're wondering what Frankie has been up to while Erin and I are running around the north of England, here's a quick update.

While Erin and I are off having adventures during the day, Frankie has been very busy at school. On Monday, she went to her once-a-week after school cooking club. (This week's project: chocolate chip cookies.) On Tuesday, she had an after-school playdate at her friend Janelle's house. On Wednesday and Thursday she stayed behind to go to the "after school club," where the kids make craft projects with one of the teachers. Today, she gets her school picture taken, and after school Frankie is planning to take Erin to her most favorite place in town: the aquarium.

It's actually worked out really well. With Frankie in school during the day, Erin and I can do all kinds of touristy things that Frankie isn't interested in. By the time Erin and I are finished with the day's outing, it's time to pick Frankie up from school. After school, we do a little "Frankie" activity. One afternoon, we took a walk in the garden. Another day, we drew pictures together in the playroom. Yesterday, Erin helped Frankie write and illustrate her own book. While I make dinner, Erin helps Frankie out with her schoolwork. After that, it's bathtime. Then, bedtime.

Once Frankie falls asleep, Erin and I watch the awesome British game show "QI," and/or an episode of my most favorite guilty pleasure show, "CSI Miami" (which we mock incessantly...love that Horatio Caine!). Then, it's off to bed for the grown-ups.

It's been a great routine, really. And once the weekend rolls around, Matt will be home and we'll all get the chance to do some fun activities together. Saturday, for example, we're planning to take a family tour of the Honister Slate Mine. I think Frankie will love that. (Me too!)

Here's Frankie this week, doing Frankie things:

Whitehaven: An afternoon by the sea

Though it can't quite compare to the stunning natural beauty of Keswick, Whitehaven is a pretty interesting town. It's a harbor town, right on the sea. It's not a place that gets very many tourists (unlike Keswick), so it has a very "locals only" feel to it.

Erin and I took a short 30 minute train ride to Whitehaven, which was lovely-- The train tracks run right past the edge of the sea, on a cliff overlooking the water. Then, we spent the day shopping in the town square, lunching in a seaside cafe, and walking by the harbor.

It was one of the only days I can remember being in Whitehaven when there wasn't a strong wind sweeping in off the sea. It was very calm, sunny, and still. Another lovely day.

Perfect Day

If I had a machine that could control the weather, I would have it permanently set to produce a day exactly like yesterday.

This week has been quite a sharp contrast to the ever-present drizzly Gloom of late September. Since Erin's been here, we've had a string of unusually nice weather days: blue skies, warm, sunny. Yesterday topped them all. From sunrise until sunset, it was just a gobsmackingly beautiful day all day. The sky was a beautiful bright blue with occasional dots of puffy white clouds, the sun shone all day keeping it right around 73 degrees-- Slightly warm in the sun, slightly cool in the shade. There was no breeze at all, just the sun and the bright blue sky. The trees have started to turn their fall colors, and it was honestly one one the most stunnigly beautiful, perfect days that I can remember. Ever.

Erin and I took full advantage of the gorgeous day by taking a day trip to Keswick. Keswick is one of the towns in "The Lake District." The Lake District is essentially right in the same area where we live, but a little to the east. There are maybe ten or so small lakes in the area, all surrounded by green rolling hills and untouched countryside. (Untouched, except by sheep. Everywhere you look out here, there are always sheep.)

The town of Keswick is right on the shores of a lake called "Derwent Water." There was an outdoor street market happening yesterday, so we walked around the town center and sampled some of the local foods: pasties, chutneys, curry sauces, muffins, and so forth. After exploring the town, we took a walk through a leafy park and then wound our way all the way down to the edge of Derwent Water. Next, we hopped on a boat cruise that took us all around the shores of the lake.

Everything was GREEN! and BLUE! and fantastic. I doubt that the pictures will do it justice, but here goes:

This is a shot of a boat exactly like the tour boat that Erin and I took:

However, our boat was much more crowded than the one in the one in the picture. Somehow, Erin and I got mixed up in a senior citizen's day bus tour of the lake district. The boat was totally full from the tour group, and we were the only people in sight that didn't have white hair.

Here are a few shots of the fall colors around Keswick:

All in all it was a beautiful, and very memorable day.



Erin's on her way!

Erin should be landing in London any minute now after a very long day of travel. Once she lands, she'll hop another plane to Manchester, then grab a train the rest of the way up to Maryport. Whew! That gal is going to be tired!

Frankie is really excied for her aunt to get here. She has big plans for a sleepover in her room sometime this week, and can't wait to show her school to Erin. I'm excited, too. Erin and I will take a few short day trips to Keswick, Whitehaven, Workington, and maybe even Ravenglass (where Muncaster Castle is located). It'll be great having her here-- We can't wait.

Creepsville

Last night, I was up pretty late reading in bed. I'm in the middle of a really great book about a zombie attack at a Star Trek convention (yes, really), and was snuggled down under the covers perfectly happy & content. All the lights were off in the house except my bedside lamp. It was about midnight, when something made me look over towards the bedroom door. While I was watching, the door slowly swung open from its closed position. It didn't open wide enough that I could see into the hallway, but halfway open, wide enough that a person could walk through.

I was a little creeped out, but I assumed that it was just Frankie, up & about and wanting a glass of water of something. I called out to her to come on in, but... nothing. So, I got out of bed to see what she was doing in the hallway and.... nothing.

Frankie wasn't there. Her bedroom door was closed, and she was sound asleep in the her room.

I high-tailed it back to my room, and sat on the bed, heart-pumping. Eventually, I mustered up the courage to walk around through the whole house to make sure that we were indeed alone.

Nothing.

So... What could have caused that door to open like that? The windows weren't open, no breezes. It was so weird, and really freaked me out. I had a terrible night's sleep after the door incident, waking bolt upright at even the slightest noise.

I'm sure it was nothing, but I just can't seem to shake the creepy feeling. Maybe I should instigate a new rule: no more zombie stories before bed.

English rainbow

This was the view out of our living room window this morning:

A pretty good start to the day, if you ask me.