The Lovemobile!

Yes folks, we made our purchase. After umming and arhing over four campers/vans, we chose this beauty and bought her from a lovely couple 45 mins North of Seattle. They have 4 kids and are hauling them across the country to relocate in New York. Much gratefulness to Don and Jenny who trawled with us and gave sage advice about US vehicle rules and regulations.

I am writing to you from the public library of Haines, Alaska, where we have camped for the night and Mark caught a MUSSIVE salmon in the stream. All so exciting, but let me back up to the ferry trip (see next post). The demand for photos from our image-hungry readers means we must sacrifice literary expounding.

R

Randy Kamp Works For You!

That's right folks. We're in North America. Randy Kamp is a councillor in British Colombia whose electoral campaign billboard read as per my title. He wore a bland suit and tie but I saw stars, dahling, and sequins and spandex and feather boas...

Although we haven't eaten at McDonald's yet, we are nevertheless 'Lovin' it!'. We've moved rather rapidly from Pleasantville, New York, to Seattle, Washington, with a short detour to Mission, Canada. So within a week we have already negotiated three border posts and feel like hardened travellers already.

In Pleasantville we visited Mark's cousin Anneke and David, Josh and Matthew.

Mark teaches the fine art of pasta making.

Josh and Matthew give it a go.

Dis plessent, ne?

Gorgeous bloom we saw on a farm near the rellies.

In Seattle we're staying with good friends Don and Jenny who live in a gorgeous house overlooking Lake Union - a short portage with kayaks from the water. This pic was taken outside Regent College, Vancouver, where Mark studied. We high-tailed it up to Canada for the night to visit varsity friends of Mark.

One of our travelling goals, inspired by my father-in-law, is to make a 1 min video diary each day - so far so good. I'm attempting to post one here today. Hope it doesn't crash your bandwidth.

Next blog - the purchase of the vehicle!

R

'Right, we're going on an adventure and I've got clean jocks!'

Thus sayeth Mark on the occasion of packing our bags in our hotel room in the Bermondsey Square hotel the night before we flew to New York.

We had a brilliant weekend in London having extricated ourselves from Oxford in as smooth a fashion as we embedded ourselves there. We were three poster tubes, an iPod docking station and some books heavier. Not bad hey! We can highly recommend travelling light.

So we said goodbye and hello to good friends, pictured below, in London and now we are abiding in Pleasantville, New York for a few days. But more on Pleasantville anon...

R

Bakin' Bacon Boy!

If he's not bringing home the bacon, he's bringing home the chelsea buns (and pitas, soda bread, kitka, farmhouse loaf, mince pies and jam tarts!).

Mark went on a bread-making course at Shipton Mill near Bristol last Wednesday courtesy of my aunt Valie who put him in touch with the right miller.

Does he not look like the cat who licked the cream? We could have a career change on our hands.

Hope you're all well and thanks for reading...

R

Summer days are gone too soon

It seems summer lasts a total of two weeks in England. It has been raining all week.

But! We've had our fair share of sunshine and here are some pics to prove it.

Blenheim Palace - our local slice of 300 year old history in all its splendour. We just love going for walks in the park here. It is a total sanctuary just six miles up the drag.

Near the White Horse of Uffington - no pictures of the horse because it can only be seen in full from the air. People suppose, therefore, that the chalk outline was made in stone age times for the gods. I spent a lazy afternoon here the day after I returned from Cape Town. Easing myself in.

Thames Path near Oxford- we walked here on Sunday with Nicci and Lyons after a Sunday roast at the pub. Very hot with lots of buzzing things and pollen driving Mark's eyes crazy.

Dear hubby is working his socks off as usual, so, again, this is from just

R

A small miracle

If you ever get the chance to fly 12 hours in a cramped and manky metal tube to a wintry city on the other side of the globe to meet your 9-day-old niece for a week, grab it by the scruff of the neck, bolt some sedatives for the flight, pack your raincoat and get there.

It is hard to describe the thrill of holding little Abigail in my arms. Of all the clever things Em and Al have done in their lives, this has to take the cake. Passing their matric geometry papers pales into insignificance. And we all know that is a Herculian feat. I mean honestly, I had to restrain myself constantly from chewing on her ear, elbow or foot (or any part that was exposed, actually). How do you like the pic of her 90-year old great-grandfather giving her a cautious cuddle?

Back in sunny Oxford and writing from my favourite Mark's-working-again-so-I-better-do-some-marking spot, Cafe Coco on Cowley Road. 'Bacon Boy', as he is affectionately known in our abode, has kept the home fires burning successfully for a week and that bacon keeps rolling in to satisfy budget requirements.

Our flight to New York is booked for 28 July and our conversation of late seems to veer towards which gas stove is best for use in Yellowstone National Park or whether to spend 3 or 5 weeks in Alaska. Tee hee. Lucky fishes we. (Please excuse my ancient Celtic grammar. Obviously influenced by all the antiquity around me in this town.)

R

PS Where have you all gone? Comments always welcome!

Weekend, wonderful Weekend!

Yes, it's a case of enjoying the present (ie. work) only for the sake of how it can fund the weekend and forthcoming road trip at the moment. Confucius say, don't live for the moment, live for the weekend.

So, my job may be slightly stressful (watch Mark's eyebrows lifting beyond Botox levels), but we have had some great weekends of late to cheer me up. Attached please find pics from Ireland (Easter), Oxford (with Nicci, April) and Amsterdam (last weekend).

I am currently on tenterhooks - which (did you know?) means being stretched between hooks on a wooden frame like fabric, ouch - awaiting the birth of my niece in Cape Town. I'll be making a sneaky dash home (sshhhh) to see her in two weeks time. Let's hope she's arrived by then!

R