Friday, the 26th of October

The movers arrived early.  Shockingly early for how long of a drive they had.  It was a trick parking the truck in front of the house but they finally worked it out.  It appears all household goods arrived safe and sound except for one glass pitcher.  Everything was packed so well, except this one piece which was still in it's original box.  It will be easy enough to claim.  And the nuts were missing from the dining room table.  That turned out not to be bad thing since it gave us an excuse to go in search of the local hardware store.  Which turns out to be an amazing find in the midst of a small village.  Overall the day was exhausting but successful.

Thursday, the 25th of October

I feel like I had a very productive day today.  I got up early with Greg and rode with him to the Base.  I dropped him off at work so that I could go to the Bible Study held at the chapel.  I had heard about the study first at the newcomer's brief, then again from a new friend Saturday night.  They were doing a Precept study of Ephesians, a study I have done before so I hoped I could jump right in.

I had an hour to blow after dropping Greg off, which is tough to do when nothing is open yet.  I arrived early at the chapel, but it gave me a chance to meet the lady leading the study and a few others.  I sat next to a young lady who I was told also lives in Pateley Bridge.  As we talked I found out she had moved here from Annapolis during the summer and had attended Bay Area Community Church while there.  I love making connections like that!  I have several friends at BACC.  I'm looking forward to getting to know her better.

After the study I made a quick trip to the commissary.  I had just a hour to get several errands done before picking Greg up from work.  We were hoping that he would have time to drive me home and have some lunch but when I picked him up he didn't have time in his schedule after all.  Instead, I was left to my own efforts to get home.  This was a first...  to drive all the way home and back on my own.  Thankfully the fog of the past few days had lifted and I could actually see and thankfully there was little traffic.  I drove home, unloaded the groceries, loaded the pups in the car and drove back to the Base.  No problem.  I have to say I feel much more comfortable after today.  Of course, I still have those traffic circles to brave.

This evening we spent some time moving all the temporary furniture into one room.  We need to clear out space for the movers arriving tomorrow.  I am SO ready to make this house into our home.

Wednesday, the 24th of October

I had decided to stop daily entries either one month into our move or when the household goods shipment arrived.  Turns out, it's just about the same time.  We will have been in England one month on Sunday the 28th and our furniture is being delivered this Friday, the 26th.

Meanwhile I'll keep posting.

Today is another foggy day.  I was taking a few pictures to add to yesterdays post and thought I'd snap some for today too.  The fog is pretty thick, but looks cool over the reservoir and up the dale.

Moss tries to make it's home everywhere it can.

The road across the dam.  

You can't even see the dam this morning through the fog.

We seem to have some berries growing in the rhododendron hedge.  

That'll be nice come summer.

Rock by the kitchen door, just cause I think it's interesting.

The shed/work building next door is supposedly used by the water company.  

But it doesn't look to me as if anyone has been in it for years.  

Tuesday, the 23rd of October

I got up this morning determined to accomplish some things.  Outside the weather was not looking any better, inside there was stuff to do.  You would think with as little furniture as we have in the house that there couldn't be much to do.  However, with no furniture I find we (as in me) are tossing things in piles wherever…  floors, window seals, kitchen counter.  Nothing is getting put away, partly because I haven’t taken the time to decide where ‘away’ should be, but also because I need to do some cleaning.

When we moved into the house it was pretty clean on the inside, except for some dead bugs in window seals.  However, there were clearly some areas that not only weren't clean, but hadn't been used in some time.  The front steps were nasty with spider webs.  The last folks living here both worked so I imagine they came home late at night and didn't notice them.  But I did.  And as soon as I got a broom I started working on them. 

Then there were the ‘old’ spots.  For the most part the house has been remodeled, but there are a couple of places were the old farmhouse still shows through.  The first floor bathroom with its old, grey tile floor, the pantry shelves made of rough lumber and the basement.  The basement is a whole post to itself, so we’ll put it aside for now.  For now, I’m working on the pantry and the bathroom.  I think the bathroom is cool.  Yes it’s old but it’s got character.  With just the right accents it will be great.  Though I suspect the grout is not supposed to be black.  It will take awhile with a toothbrush and grout cleaner, but I finally started working on it. 

And there is the pantry.  It looks to be so useful…  at first glance.  Then I realized inside the sliding doors on the bottom it’s just a little creepy.  Okay, very creepy.  It smells of old wooden house.  It’s dirty.  And there are the ever present cobwebs.  I have no desire to store anything here, but I decided Greg’s toolbox would be okay.  I’m not cleaning it.  The top cabinets have potential but they are so high I have to have a ladder just to reach them.  Were the people who built this place giants?  We finally bought a ladder so I have no excuse.  All kinds of clutter has been piling up on the shelf waiting to be put away.  Finally I braved it.  Rubber gloves on, hot soapy bucket of water and a rag in hand.  I climbed the ladder step by step and peeked inside, looking closely all around for actual LIVE spiders.  It looked safe enough.  And I started scrubbing, shelf after shelf.   Since my ladder wasn't tall enough to see the top shelf I decided to let it go, three shelves would be plenty.  I climbed down and waited for it to dry before starting to organize.  And waited.  And waited.  As I said yesterday, we’re going to need some dehumidifiers around here.  Finally it dried enough to start putting stuff away.  For now it’s just the random stuff from around the house.  I’m sure it will have to be rethought when the household goods get here, but it sure felt nice to get everything put away. 

Then I was off to vacuum with the funny little red vacuum cleaner with a smiley face that we got from the housing office.  Someone told me these things do a great job.  Clearly they have never owned a Dyson.  Then I moved upstairs and conquered the mess of clothes that have nowhere to hang in the dressing room.

Next I decided to brave the fog and take care of some stuff outside.  Cleaning up after the dogs is much harder than in our small yard in Colorado.  Thankfully though they seem to have picked favorite spots to go.  It’s like an Easter egg hunt… but much grosser.

When you step out the side door of the house you step into a small courtyard.  It’s very old stone and moss covered.  It’s gated to the front into another small courtyard.  To the back it is gated to the back yard.  I’m not sure what was intended for either of these areas, but with time I'll figure out something interesting to do with them. 

Right next to the door is a small stone box that had weeds growing out of it.  At least I think they were weeds.  At first I thought it was mint but it definitely didn't smell like mint.  It actually smelled gross.  I’m working on pulling it all out and possibly starting a small herb garden there in the spring.  With it right outside the kitchen door, I’m betting that’s what it was meant for anyway.

Across the courtyard are two doors.  One is locked and goes to the controls for the heater.  The other is an empty storage shed… except for the spiders.  Over the weekend I made a start at letting the spiders know I was coming by cleaning off old webs from the door.  Not sure if I have the courage to attempt running them out.  Not really sure I need to store anything there anyway. 

There is still a lot to do outside to clean up, but at least for now the inside looks presentable. 

Unfortunately by the time Greg and Sally got home it was starting to get dark and she could see little of the view.  Not that the fog would have allowed much view anyway.  Before it got too dark we went for a walk on the dam then gave her a quick tour of the house.  For dinner we drove over to The Sportman’s Arms.  It always surprises me as far as we are 'out' that there’s always a crowd here.

We had a very nice, but short visit with Sally.  It’s always great to have a chance to reconnect with old friends.  I’ll be happy to get our furniture and nested so we can host friends here at home.  Afterwards Greg and I drove her back into Harrogate to her hotel.  That's the first time I've rode these narrow country roads at night in a fog, it was strangely hypnotizing.   

Monday, the 22nd of October

The weather turned on us today.  We’d had a lovely string of a couple weeks of sunshine.  Today the fog settled in and didn’t move on all day.  Out my window I couldn’t see past the fence in the back yard. 

Stuck inside this would be a house cleaning day.  Getting all those things done I’ve been putting off.  Truth is, I have little to show for it.  I did mop the kitchen floor.  I know, you’re impressed, but I learned something today.  In Colorado when I mopped the kitchen floor the first area I mopped would be dry by the time I finished the last part.  Two hours after mopping the kitchen here it was still as wet as when I started.  I had to bring the area heater we have in the bedroom downstairs and set it in the middle of the kitchen to get the floor to dry.  We’re going to need some dehumidifiers around here.

Not a whole lot else got accomplished.  Greg came home and told me a friend is in town and will be coming home with him from work tomorrow for dinner.  Ah.  That’s what I need, some incentive… an actual reason to clean house.  Tomorrow.  

Another weekend

Nothing special happened Friday, some housework, weeding outside, but nothing to write about.

We did however have another great weekend.  On Saturday we left the pups at home and went to explore Pateley Bridge on our own.  I’ve been meaning to check out The Nidderdale Museum, but of course can’t do that with the pups along.  When I looked online to make a plan for the day I found that the museum doesn’t open until 1:30pm.  I wasn’t sure we could fill a morning in town waiting for the museum to open, but we decided to give it a try.

Parking in town is a trick.  There are several car parks, but all require payment.  Each time we drive in Greg goes in search of free street side parking.  This always ends up with a parking space on a steep hill.  Personally, I’d just pay, but Greg is determined to beat the system.  We ended up parked on King Street near the top of the hill. 

We walked past the cemetery at St. Cuthbert’s and noticed they were decorating for something so I decided to wait to explore the cemetery until later in the day and headed down the hill toward High Street.  We had decided to try a new (to us) Tea Shop down near the river, but since we were parked at the top of town I thought I’d check out a few shops along the way.  

The first stop was a consignment store that reminded me a lot of my friend Stella’s place, One Petticoat Lane in Annapolis, except, as with all shops along High Street, this shop was very small.  I’m disappointed that I didn’t take note of the name of the shop.  It was a great shop with some interesting and unique pieces.  There was a pair of country boots I would have snatched right up with they hadn’t been so small. 

We kept to the same side of the street walking down hill checking out a little hardware/sundries type of store, the post office, which had some note cards, stationery and Christmas cards and the pharmacy.  I thought pharmacies were called Chemists here, but the door said Pharmacy.  I’ll have to clarify that.  It was also a small shop but had a pretty good selection of basic things one might need.

We then crossed the street for a quick stop at the pet store.  I’ve been in here a couple of times picking up treats for the pups.  They do carry the same dog food we used in the US, but it’s very expensive here.  We’ll have to make a decision on whether to stick with this food or change to something else that we can buy at the commissary.  This pet shop reminds me a lot of the one in downtown Golden.  We’ll definitely want to shop here when we can to support them. 

At that point Greg’s stomach was starting to rumble so we skipped pasted the next few stores and walked down to Wildings Tea Shop.  It was an adorable restaurant and a great menu, though I’ll admit, I had no idea what some of the stuff on the menu was.  I had my heart set on a pot of tea and scone or I would have ordered something unknown just for the fun of it.  I did however, in addition to a plane scone with strawberry jam and cream, order a savory scone.  I’d never had a bacon and cheese scone, but it was very good.  We’ll need to visit this place again to explore the menu further. 

Back outside we still had time to fill before the museum opened.  We started back up the street on the opposite side.  Every time I’ve been in town I’ve walked past the first store, I think mostly because from the door all I could see was candy, but we decided to step inside this time.  On the side wall they had magazines, books and several local newspapers.  I picked up a Nidderdale paper and a Harrogate paper.  It’s been forever since I read a newspaper!  I also found a book on birds in England.  Maybe I can identify some of the birds on the reservoir.

We started to step into the next shop and realized that this is one we checked out once before.  It’s a small grocery store, though they did have some interesting produce.  Next up the street was the butcher.  This is the shop we purchased meat pies from last weekend.  This time we thought we would try the butcher on the other side of the street.  We tried their traditional pork pie, pork and chutney pie and pork and mushy peas.  All were good but I think my favorite was the pork and chutney.

One last stop before heading to the museum was at The Oldest Sweetshop in England.  We had stopped here once before and bought some candies with the intention of mailing them home to Colorado, but unfortunately they never made it to the post office.  This time I tried to think a little better about what things might ship well.  It was tough though because the shop was PACKED.  It’s a tiny shop anyway, but there was hardly room to move around with all the people.  This is one popular place!  But I made my purchase, now to get it mailed quickly. 

Up the hill and around the corner we headed back toward the car to drop our bags off before going to the museum.  As we approached St. Cuthbert’s we found out what all the decorations were for, a wedding party was just exiting the church.  What a gorgeous day and place for a wedding!

We had to discretely wind our way through the wedding guests to get to the Nidderdale Museum.  The realtor who worked with us on the house had suggested that I stop by the museum to ask about the history of the house we are renting.  That was the main reason for stopping by.  I have to say I was surprised by the size of the museum.  Walking in it looks so small, but turns out that it winds all through the building.  We didn’t have near as much time as I would have liked to explore.  Someday I’ll need to go back with more time.  I asked the lady at the entrance if she knew anything about the history of the house but she didn’t have any information for me.  She did take down my name and email in case someone else had some information.  We live in what seems to me to be a very unique house, it seems strange to me that so few people seem to know anything about it.  …or maybe they’re just not willing to share with strangers, but I wouldn’t think that would be true at a museum.  Hopefully I will hear something from them. 

From there Greg and I headed home to have our meat pies for lunch and hang out with the pups for a couple hours before our evening got started.  A couple from work were hosting an open house welcome party for us.  These parties are traditionally called ‘Hail and Farewells’, though at this one no one was being ‘Farewelled’.  It was more of a ‘Hail’ to us and one other new couple.  It was great for me to have an opportunity to put faces to all the names that Greg talks about all the time.  I was also able to glean some good information about places I’d like to visit.  And got to spend some one on one time talking with other wives about their moving experiences.  I met one other wife who attends the Bible Study on base that I’ve thought about attending.  I met one couple who are getting ready to move to Colorado.  It was great to also be able to share some of my knowledge with someone else.  All in all they are a very nice group of people.  I’m looking forward to getting settled in so that we can start hosting fun events in our new home.

Sunday morning we decided to step outside of our comfort zone and attend a church that we would not normally consider.  The area we are living in is John Wesley country.  It’s were he preached and founded many churches.  So our options for churches in Pateley Bridge are Anglican or Methodist.  Neither are what we are accustom to, but we thought we would check out the Methodist church today. 

They were an extremely friendly church.  It seemed to be made up of older people and children, though a young lady did sit next to me.  She introduced herself as Anna.  The heat was out, which they apologized for profusely.  And the service was a children’s service, which the minister also apologized to us for later.  She said that’s not normal.  After the service we joined them in the back room (where there was heat) for tea and biscuits.  We sat at a table with Anna and an elderly gentleman named Sam.  He was very interesting, though it took me a couple of minutes to understand his thick Yorkshire accent.  …or it could be that he graciously adjusted his accent to accommodate me.  =)  He told us he had moved to the area when he was 5 in 1930 and had lived in the same place since.  Anna was also great to talk with.  She gave us the scoop on some great places to visit.

Apparently the church does not always meet in this building.  The various Methodist congregations meet in different communities around the area each week.  They do have a ladies Bible Study that meets during the week.  I may call to ask more details about that.  As we were leaving we met another lady, whose name I won’t even attempt.  She was very nice and asked if I would like to meet for coffee sometime to talk about the area.  Absolutely! 

We’re not sure yet where we will end up with Church.  To attend a church service like we are used to we will most likely have to drive thirty minutes into Harrogate.  If we want to be involved in our own community we will need to adjust and attend something a little different.  We’re just waiting for God’s leading on this one. 

The rest of the afternoon was spent checking off a to do list.  Greg suffered through another trip to B&Q (Home Depot) to pick up some supplies, replacing light bulbs, hanging a rack for day packs and leashes in the closet and assembling my bicycle.  (YAY!)  Now I just need a helmet before I can legally ride my bike into the village. 

The whole weekend was just gorgeous!  I’m wondering how long this will hold out. 

Oh, btw, I’ve decided to keep up the daily (almost) logs until our one month anniversary.  I’m working on ideas of what to write after that.  

Thursday, the 18th of October

I was wrong.  We took the driver’s test but they won’t tell us the results until tomorrow.  As always, nothing moves fast here.  We can call after 8:30 to find out if we passed.  I’m certain I passed.  There were only a couple of questions I was unsure of, one I got right and the other I missed.  I’d be surprised if I missed many more than that and they allow seven missed questions.

Before the written test we were required to take a ride with a driving guide.  I’m not really sure what to call her.  We got into a van with a police officer and drove from the base into Harrogate.  Along the way she explained the road markings and signs.  There are a lot of road markings.  They paint all over the place!  Some of the things she pointed out helped to clarify some things for me, but most of it I had already figured out. 

I went to base with Greg first thing this morning.  He had to get some work done before the test.  There wasn’t much to do.  I ended up sitting at Burger King and studying the driver’s code.  I hate to admit how many times I’ve eaten American fast food since being here just because there’s no other choice or nothing else to do.  I had just enough time to make a quick commissary stop before driving over to pick Greg up from work.  I bought a pumpkin.  It’s my one little attempt at decorating for the season.

The internet connection finally came up strong yesterday and stayed strong until around 8pm when streaming started to slow down.  And it was doing great today until around 4pm and it’s been on and off ever since.  I was Skyping with my parents earlier and saying how impressed I was with the good internet.  I may have spoken too soon.  They did tell me that for the first two weeks they would be testing the line.  Hopefully that’s all that’s happening and it will start working again soon.

I’m looking forward to taking another long walk tomorrow.  I feel like I haven’t had any exercise in days.  I think I’m going to let Greg take me out for dinner tonight.  The Sportman’s Arm’s salmon is sounding really good right now. 

Wednesday, the 17th of October

The internet is up and running!  It is such a strange thing how isolating it felt not to have that access.  It's not been long ago that having internet access wouldn't have occurred to me.  Now it's such a big part of life.  It's been wavering on and off all day, but I think it's about settled for staying on.

The morning started off rainy again.  As soon as it cleared the pups and I went out for a short walk.  I was hoping to find the trail through The West Wood.  The ordnance survey shows a trail through the edge of the wood up to the road Greg and I were walking on Saturday.  I think these woods were the inspiration for the story of Red Riding Hood.  Dark, thick, old and just a little bit creepy.  We stayed on the edge searching for the path through to the field.  It was not clear where it was... nothing new.  I felt a little uncomfortable doing this alone.  I think maybe we'll save that trail to do with Greg this weekend.  Meanwhile the pups and I can always walk into the village.

Tomorrow Greg and I are taking our driver's tests.  In order to get a license we have to take the Theory test.  It's a multiple choice 50 question test.  We've been using a practice DVD to take mock tests.  So far I've passed every one I've taken except for the very first.  I think I'll do okay, but it's good to know that we can retake it as many times as we need.  Hopefully by the time I post tomorrow I'll have a driver's license in hand.

Tuesday, the 16th of October

Greg had arranged for me to attend a newcomers briefing on the base.  It’s the first time I’ve gotten up early since moving into the house.  I realized why I’ve been sleeping so late, the sun isn’t up here until 7:30am!  I’ve just been waking up with the sun and it doesn’t wake up early. 

It was raining lightly when we walked out this morning.  That seems to be a running theme, some rain every day, but we also seem to have some sun every day as well.  I’m thinking it’s going to be important to make a priority of getting outside in the sun some each day. 

The meeting was held at the club and run by a lady, Vickie, with a British accent that I could understand.  Thankfully.   She had a string of speakers throughout the morning that answered a lot of my questions.  …and a lot of questions I really didn’t have.  Biggest news of the day, there is a Costco in Leeds and my US membership works there!  Unfortunately I left my card in Colorado.  (So… Lydia, stick that in the envelope you are mailing.)  I also found out when the PWOC Bible study meets and when the yoga class meets. 

Greg picked me up at noon.  Several speakers had made comments about the weather as they spoke.  It sounded like the rain was torrential.  As we stepped outside the sun was shining and beautiful.  There was a gale force wind however.   Vickie did say the weather was always changing. 

After a stop at the commissary we headed back home.  We were supposed to have internet up and running yesterday but it didn’t work.  They said they would work on it today.  We hoped we would come home to it working, but no such luck.  Hopefully tomorrow.  

Monday, the 15th of October

I forgot to write on Monday and now I've completely forgotten what happened.  That’s why I should write every day.  I could lose whole weeks this way!

The Weekend

We stayed so busy this weekend I didn’t take the time to stop and write.  Saturday morning we set out to show Greg the footpath into Pateley that the pups and I had found earlier in the week.  We’ve still not located the trail through the woods from our house to Wath.  Again the walk took around 45 minutes.  Maneuvering the pups through the gates and over rock walls takes at little time. 

In Pateley we wandered around town a bit.  We wanted to see how the pups would handle walking through the narrow streets.  They did well.  We even encountered a few other dogs along the way and they hardly took notice.  Greg said it was a shame that we would have to take the same path straight back to the house and wouldn’t it be good to find a circular trail back home.  We sat down on a bench to look at the Nidderdale Ordnance Survey (map) and found a possible route home using trails just off to the west.  It didn't seem like it would be too much longer than the trail we came in on.  Of course, that wasn't taking into account the hills.

We set off crossing the River Nidd and found a marked footpath through some of the shops that headed us up into the sheep pastures on the edge of town.  First the path took us through the edge of some pastures.  We soon ended up in a pasture where our trail disappeared on us.  We searched and searched the rock wall fence until we found the exit for the footpath in the far corner.  This time it was just a rock step in the wall, making it hard to see from a distance.  Usually as we move through the sheep fields the sheep will either ignore us or run out of our way.  This time one of the sheep lunged toward MacGyver.  I’m still not sure what it was thinking, but when MacGyver lunged back, the sheep took off running. Good thing I had a good tight hand on his leash.  Out of the field we found ourselves on a narrow country lane.

The lane continued up hill.  We thought the trail we were looking for next would turn off the road in just a few hundred feet, but we couldn’t find it.  We continued on and on, up and up.  Eventually a car passed us and stopped to ask if we needed help with the map.  He gave us directions to the next footpath entrance which was just a short distance further.  Through that gate we started across another sheep field, and again lost track of the trail. 

We ended up at a gate to a pasture with cows.  One of the cows was especially interested in River.  Greg allowed River and the cow to sniff each other until River pulled back with a growl.  After walking back and forth and studying the map we finally concluded our only option was into the pasture with the cows.  As we opened the gate it became obvious that the curious cow was still interested in River and we were not sure it was a good interest.  We tried to stay as close to the fence line and as far from the cow as we could but the whole pasture was SO muddy, it was very hard to walk at all.  Greg and River were moving ahead quicker than MacGyver and I when I looked back I saw the cow coming toward us.  I put on my ‘talking firmly to animals voice’ and told him to ‘GIT!’ and he did.  Not sure what I would have done otherwise. 

When we finally got out of the muck of the cow pasture the trail got more pleasant.  We had a couple of fords to cross.  I've had some bad experiences with fords while hiking and wasn't looking forward to what might be ahead.  It turned out that there were excellent bridges across the water.  After the second bridge we were back on the Nidderdale Way, the largest and most popular footpath in the area.  We figured from here on out the path would be well marked.  We found the marker pointing us uphill into another sheep pasture and sure enough, in the middle of the pasture, the path ended.  Again.  We pulled out the map to study it closely.  When I looked back up we were completely surrounded by sheep all staring at us.  These sheep had horns and it was just a little creepy.  We were learning that just going to the nearest gate is usually the best bet for finding a lost trail.  This time the gate appeared to be going into someone yard, but when we got there we found the mark for the Nidderdale Way on the gate. 

From there the trail followed alongside a rock wall through pasture after pasture going straight uphill.   I kept telling myself ‘at least there is oxygen here’, other than that, all the uphill reminded me a lot of hiking in Colorado.  When we got to the top there was a bench.  It was like a hiker rest area.  Beautiful too. 

I was kicking myself for not having my camera.  But we really didn’t set off from the house planning a hike like this!  The sky was bright blue, the fields a gorgeous green with sheep grazing all over.  Unfortunately the sheep were spray painted a Florissant blue.  The farmers here mark their sheep with spray paint on the backs.  Most of the sheep in England are raised for meat rather than their fleece.  Makes me a bit sad.  I’ll have to figure out how to photoshop the sheep in my pictures back to white. 

As we headed down we found ourselves on another country lane.  This one, according to the map, is on the hill just above our house to the west.  We had to find one more footpath straight down the hill.  The only way to do this was to walk through what looked to be people’s yards.  Being the Americans we are we felt a little strange doing this, but it didn’t seem to bother anyone else.  We followed the footpath signs downhill through pastures and past houses and ended up on the road just a few feet from our house.

The entire walk took us just over three hours.  It was a great work out.  And we feel a little more like we understand the footpath system now.  And it was time for a hot bath!

From one extreme to the other, Saturday night was the Navy Ball.  Greg had told me some time ago that there would be lots of social obligations for this job so I came prepared.  In our excess baggage shipment I included two formals, dress shoes and a wrap.  Unfortunately I forgot the dress handbag.  Oh well.  I have to say though, after that long walk, high heels were torture! 

The ball was held at The Old Swan hotel in Harrogate.  As we stepped into the lobby there was a sign saying this was where Agatha Christie showed up when she disappeared for ten days.  I had heard the story but didn’t realize it was here.  I so wished I had my phone with me so I could text Lydia!  She would LOVE this.  Someone told me that they hold murder mystery nights at the hotel in honor of Agatha Christie. 

The ball was nice.  It was a good chance to meet a few people from Greg’s work.  We sat at a table with the Vice Chair of the Yorkshire Council, Burton and his wife Linda.  They were very nice people.  We had a great time chatting with them all through dinner.  The mayor and mayoresse of Pateley Bridge were also at the ball, but sat at a table on the other side of the room.  We also met the Canon of the Ripon Cathedral and his wife, whose names I can’t remember.  I met too many new people too quickly.  And of course, everyone was all dressed up, I may not recognize anyone next time I see them.   It was a great evening, but we headed home early since we had heard such terrible things about driving the country roads at night.

We aren't quite clear on what’s wrong with the country roads at night.  There is hardly any traffic on them. 

Sunday I conquered my next big fear.  I drove on the left hand side of the road, with the left hand stick shift up the steep hill out of Pateley Bridge.  I prayed the whole way that the red van in front of me just wouldn't slow down.  I did NOT want to have to slow to a stop on this hill.  I don’t think I breathed the entire time.  And we made it.  As a matter of fact, I made it all the way to the Base.  Whew.  As far as I was concerned that’s all I really needed to accomplish for the day.

But we did even more!  We drove to the base to pick up some things to start organizing our dressing room.  Since there are not closets in the house we have decided to use one of the bedrooms as a dressing room.  Without closets most of our clothes have been piled in the floor in the middle of the room.  The housing department on base gave us a couple of wardrobes to use but they were just big enough for Greg’s suits.  At the exchange we picked up a clothes rack and a shoe rack.  With those put together we were able to get everything up off the floor.  That will hold us over for a little while, until our household goods shipment arrives with all the rest of our clothes. 

Then we just chilled.  It was nice to relax.  We turned the tiny little couch in our one furnished room so that it looks out the window toward the water and just watched the day.  We read for awhile, took a couple of practice driving tests and just talked.  We don’t often have quiet afternoons like that.

Sunday evening we had been invited over to Norm and Judy’s house for dinner.  They live in a townhouse in Harrogate.  They originally had moved into a converted barn in one of the villages but it turned out to be a bad experience for them, so they have recently moved into town.  They have a very interesting, old, four story townhouse.  We had a great visit and a wonderful dinner.  It was the perfect way to end a nice weekend.

Friday, the 12th of October

Today we learned a little more about our new home. 

In the first couple of days in the house I had taken the time to read through the inventory of the house.  It was incredibly detailed.  One thing it noted was a small cabinet located in the central hallway at the top of the wall near the ceiling.  The inventory commented on the cabinet but said it was too high for them to check.

This afternoon we made a trip into Harrogate in hopes of finding some of the things on my shopping list that I hadn’t been able to find on base.  One of those things was a ladder.  There is so much I need to do around the house that I won’t be able to reach without a ladder so we went off to find B&Q, the local Home Depot.  We discussed getting a small step ladder but decided it wasn’t tall enough to change the light bulbs.  The tall one would be good, but maybe too tall.  We settled for the in between sized ladder.

Back at home this evening we sat down to do some work on the computer.  Greg had brought home a DVD of the practice driving test and I was downloading it when the electric outlets switched off along with the heater.  We began searching the house for the electric box.  We searched and searched everywhere obvious.  Greg finally asked if I had seen a cabinet anywhere hidden away.  Oh, there is the one at the top of the hallway…  but we’d need a ladder to get to it.  =) 

If I hadn’t gone through the inventory I would have never seen that cabinet.  If the power had gone off yesterday we wouldn’t have been able to reach the cabinet.  But instead, everything fell into place and the electric and heat are back on.  It’s so amazing to see God working head of us before we even know the need.  

Thursday, the 11th of October

Today at lunch Greg came home to pick me up so that I could get some errands done on base.  I had about four hours free to get some things accomplished.  Driving around the base was pretty good practice.  The base is small and the speed limit low so there shouldn’t be too much pressure.  Still, at one point I drove around the block a couple of times because other cars were following so close behind me I couldn’t make the turn into narrow parking spaces.  I managed to get through the afternoon without a mistake. 

 First I started at the library checking email and financials, but best of all I caught Lydia on Skype.   Since I was at the library I didn’t turn on the video.  Instead we just chatted by text.  It’ll be nice to have internet at the house and be able to see the kids again.  …soon.  Then off to the exchange.  I’m about ready to give up on the exchange, I rarely find anything I’m looking for there.  The only other option for shopping is to go into Harrogate and that’s the last thing Greg wants to do in his time off.  But I’m afraid we are just going to have to break down and do it this weekend.

 The commissary was next and seems to be a bit better stocked.  I’m working at figuring out how to stock the fridge with keeping in mind how small my fridge is here.  I’ve cooked for so many for so long and for the past several years I’ve had two large refrigerators and a chest freezer.   With my Costco card in hand I’d stock up with groceries for weeks at a time.  It’s going to be a big adjustment for me to shop small and often.  I guess I’ll have to work out a way to shop fresh nearby in Pateley Bridge and things I can stock up on from the commissary. 

I do have shelf space for stocking up.  We have a large pantry with very roomy shelves.  The downside is that the shelves are very tall.  I can just reach the bottom of the cabinet door.  The knob for the door is so high, I can’t imagine anyone could reach it.  …not sure what the thinking was there.  They will be very useful cabinets as soon as we get a ladder.  Until then, they are sitting empty. 

After the commissary I had my first experience pumping gas at the base station.  It was just a little frightening.  The pump is very old and made a loud noise while it pumped.  I was glad when the car finished filling up, but then came the best part.  If you fill up your tank you get a free Reese Cup.  I haven’t had a Reese Cup in years. However, it gave me a sugar buzz so I saved the second for Greg. 

 And once more back to the library.  I didn’t connect with Lydia this time.  I was going to work on a practice driving test but there wasn’t time.  Instead I searched the DVD shelves for something for Greg and I to watch tonight.  I found Calendar Girls.  I knew Greg would just be thrilled. 

The four hours flew by and it was time to pick Greg up from work.  We headed home, unloaded groceries and made some dinner.   We’ve moved our little temporary couch into the same room with the folding table and my spinning wheel.  We are trying to figure out how to keep the heating down as much as possible.  We curled up on the little couch with a bowl of chili and watched Calendar Girls.  I caught Greg laughing a time or two.  

Wednesday, the 10th of October

We decided to try out our footpath today.  First though we had to wait for our mail carrier to arrive.  Greg had received a text about a package coming from the cable company.  For the first time I finally heard him arrive and was able to step out and introduce myself.  His name, of course, is Peter.  I’m beginning to think this might be a game they play with newcomers.  Everyone just introduces themselves as Peter no matter what their name might be.  Nice guy.  Seems a bit skittish of the pups. 

Introductions done, we were off for an adventure.  I’d been curious how long it would take to walk The Nidderdale Way into Pateley Bridge.  We have yet to figure out how to get from the house to Wath without walking on the road.  Today it wasn’t a bad road walk since traffic was very light.  On the weekends the traffic can be very busy.  At the bus stop at Wath we crossed the old bridge over the River Nidd.  Then we had the narrow little log bridge that the footpath crosses.  Deep breath… to get across this with two pups on leads with none of us slipping.  I had considered sending River across on her own but I looked ahead a saw sheep grazing in the pasture and decided against that plan.  Turned out to be much easier than I expected.  River walked ahead, MacGyver behind and we all took it slow.  No problem.  But that was just the first of many new obstacles for us to learn our way through. 

Now we found ourselves in a pasture with a flock of sheep.  Some sheep ignored us.  Some moved away.  The pups took no interest.  It was a good start.  The footpath itself was interesting.  Unlike the dirt trails we are used to following, this one was grass.  And though it went through a grass field it was still clear which direction people had been walking.  Straight across the field toward the rock wall on the other side. 

The first rock wall had steps built into either side.  Then across another field.  In this field the path was lined with giant old trees.  This is where I saw my first tuft of wool.  I had joked with a friend that walks around the neighborhood were for collecting wool.  Unfortunately this tuft of wool was lying on a pile of manure.  I passed.  The next passage was through a swinging V gate.  These are a little more complicated.  They require stepping through the gate into a small holding area, closing the gate and stepping out on the other side.  River preferred to try to force herself underneath. Since they are built to keep in sheep about her size, this didn’t work.  She had to learn patience and take the correct route.  MacGyver’s greatest fear has always been doorways and getting through these gates as a big deal for him.  To trust me enough to follow me into a small enclosure and then out the other side was hard for him.  But they both managed.  We had several of these types of gates on our way to Pateley.  By the end they were both getting very good at it. 

We cross another field with sheep, then into a field with lots of cow piles, but not sign of the cows nearby.  Eventually we entered a small wood with a dirt trail, which is much more familiar to us.  Before arriving in Pateley the River Nidd, which had been running off to our right took a turn and came up next to our footpath.  The last couple of fields we were walking along side the river.  As we arrived in the outskirts of Pateley we crossed over a bridge to the west side of the river and walked the trail next to a very large and active caravan (RV) park.  The footpath enters Pateley at the park on the north side of the village. 

I’d been thinking it might be nice to get some fish ‘n chips for lunch but realized I left the pounds Greg had given me on the counter at home.  All I had were dollars.  But I did have an apple and cheese and some Milkbones for the pups.  We sat on a bench in the park and had a picnic.  I forgot to look at the time when we left the house so I wasn’t exactly sure how long the trip had taken, but I believe it was about 45 minutes.  Considering we weren’t walking fast and we were taking time learning all the new gate crossings, I thought that was a pretty good length for a walk. 

When I stood and said it was time to go home River looked at me with such disappointment.  Her expressions are so vivid, it’s funny.  She wasn’t near ready to go home but the main street through town is so narrow I didn’t feel we could walk around safely.  Later I realized we could have taken the opportunity to explore the back roads and side streets of the village.  That will have to be our next adventure. 

By the time we got home I was sweaty.  It’s going to take some work to figure out how to dress in this damp and cold climate.  When we entered the house with the heat off I got chilled.  I took a hot bubble bath to warm back up, which of course made me sleepy.  Then we all crawled into bed for a nice afternoon nap.  Taking a nap every time I take a walk probably isn’t the most productive way to spend the day.  I’ll have to find a way to adjust not only clothes, but the house temp and my energy level.  But, for now, an afternoon nap isn’t too bad. 

The rest of the day was spent trying for organize clutter.  We have all this stuff that came with our express shipment, but without furniture no where to put it.  So there are just piles of stuff all over.  Every now and then I’ll sit down with one pile and at least figure out what should be in what room.  And then I make more piles out of the one pile and put them into different rooms.  I’m just really moving around clutter.  The rest of the household shipment can’t get here soon enough. 

Then I made dinner.  In the evenings Greg and I have been watching movies that I had recorded from old VHS tapes and saved on my hard drive.  We’ve just about gone through them all now.  We spent most of the night watching videos of the kids when they were little.  They were so cute!  Well, they’re still pretty cute.  Missing them today.

Tuesday, the 9th of October

And there it is, finally caught up to date.  It’s been complicated trying to think back on the past week or so.  Hopefully now I’ll be able to write each day so I don’t miss the interesting stuff.

Speaking of interesting stuff, I did miss something yesterday.  Last week when I met Peter he warned me that the dam would be a busy place on Monday.  He said it will usually be very quiet around here but on Monday they would have a work crew out doing maintenance on the dam.  It seems that there is a vault that opens with a chain to let water flow through the dam.  The chain had broken.  They were having divers come out to repair the chain. 

Yesterday morning first thing this large truck arrived with a remote control vehicle loaded on it.  We watched a workman remotely drive it off the truck and down the dam.  Cars came and went all day.  At one point we could see what looked like an orange inflatable boat next to the dam, but we never actually saw the divers.  Eventually they all packed up and left.  Later last night I stepped outside and heard the strangest noise coming from the dam.  It sounded like a large chain dragging on something.  Then this morning first thing, the truck with the remote control vehicle was back.  Even more cars are coming and going.  I assume they are having some problems fixing the problem. 

But we’ve been told this place is normally very quiet.  The last tenants, also employed at the base, decided to move after just a year because her husband traveled all the time and she felt it was too isolated.  It doesn’t feel isolated to me at all!  I think there are more cars and bicycles passing by here throughout the day than there were at our house in Colorado.  This place is popping.  I can’t wait to get completely settled in so we can get out and explore the area more.  

Monday, the 8th of October

Greg had the day off work because of Columbus Day.  I guess Brits don’t celebrate Columbus.  We had to hang around the house anyway.  Our express shipment was arriving between 8 and 5pm.  We were very surprised when they showed up about 10am.  We assumed we would be hanging around all day waiting. 

Since this shipment was small, basically a ‘starter pack’, it didn’t take long to unload.  We were allowed 700 pounds for this shipment and our weight came in just under that.  It was mostly clothes, linens and cooking utensils.  (And my new bike.  =)  We picked it up just before we left.  It’s a cute little cruiser just perfect for riding into the village. )  We just dumped everything in the drawing room.  It’ll make a good project for me on Tuesday. 

First thing I had to check out of the shipment were my pots.  Would they work on this crazy induction stove?  The first one I tried is from an older set that I have and it didn’t work.  Then I tried my new skillet… yes!  Then the saucepan…  yes!  Then the kettle… yes!  Whew.  I did not want to be forced to replace all my good cookware. 

We left everything else just lying in the floor and decided to take a ride into town.  I thought I’d try driving just a little further.  I can make it almost all the way into town and stop at the Riverside Car Park.  That way I wouldn’t have to deal with downtown traffic or parking on the street.  It went really well.  Greg gasped a couple times.  Something about almost hitting the rock wall on the left.  I didn’t think I was that close.  I made it without incident. 

Greg took over from there and went in search of street parking that we didn’t have to pay for.  So far everywhere we have parked in Pateley Bridge requires payment.  After driving up and down every back street we finally found an open space.  I think walks or bike rides into town will have lots of benefits. 

My next big scary thing to try with driving is going uphill.  Our car has very little power and to get out of Pateley Bridge in any direction requires going uphill.  Once there was even road work that required Greg to stop on the hill.  He really struggled with getting started back up without rolling backwards.  Now that scares me.  …and I’m not even thinking about driving into town and tackling roundabouts yet!

About the heat, Greg may have figured it out.  After searching and searching the house over we finally found a thermostat hidden behind a door in the Sitting Room.  We had been trying to close off any rooms we weren’t using but apparently the Sitting Room will determine the heat of any rooms we want to heat.  This is going to be complicated.  Hopefully we’ll have it figured out before it gets very cold.

Sunday, the 7th of October

Finding a new church has to be the absolute hardest thing about moving.  Hands down.  I have to admit though that the internet has changed that somewhat.  You can tell a lot about a church by their website.  Good and bad.  I’d been doing online research into the churches of the area for some time.  I think I’ve got a pretty good feel for what’s around and have a list of the churches I’d like to check out. 

The first is in Harrogate.  Being in Harrogate is a big drawback.  It will be quite a drive for us from Pateley Bridge.  And it’s not in our community, which we would prefer.  But we decided to give it a try.  They meet in a movie theater and are similar to the past few churches we have attended.  They were smaller than I expected from their website and videos.  I suspect they’ve got a very good tech team making them look good.  But it was a good service and the people were incredible.  We met a couple of Americans who also work on the base.  After the service we went with them to a nearby tea shop for a chat.  Wonderful people.  We’d have no problem fitting into this church.  It’s just not in our community.  We will need to also visit the churches nearer to home.  And there is the possibility of getting involved in a Bible Study on base. 

After church we headed back to the house to get the dogs out for some exercise.  In the area we are living there are three reservoirs all built around 1900.  Ours is the first and the other two are farther north.  One, Scar House Reservoir, is known as a good place for mountain biking.  We tried to drive up to it earlier in the week but came to a sign that said it was too rough for a car, so we backed off.  Now we have a better map and a good idea of which road to take.  We headed north.  The farther we went the narrower the road got.  It was beautiful!  After some time we finally saw the dam.  It looked similar to our dam but was huge.  At the time it was being built an entire village was established at Scar House.  The ruins of the village are there and set aside as a historical site.  It was a very cool place.  The dam was enormous and high.  We walked back and forth across it and up the hill on the far side looking for signs of the mountain bike trail.  We aren’t exactly sure where the mountain biking is, but there were a lot of cars so I’m sure it won’t be hard to find. 

We headed back to the house and dropped the dogs off.  I decided it was finally time for me to give the car a try.  It was late Sunday afternoon and the road wasn’t too busy.  It’s been twenty years since I drove a stick shift and this stick is on the left hand side.  AND I have to drive on the left hand side of the road. 

I started very slowly with just backing up and going forward in the driveway.  The gears seemed pretty easy to work.  Now for the road, remembering to look to the right and NOT pull into the right lane.  So much to think about!  For my first drive I made it to the Wath bus stop.  I was going to turn around but Greg suggested I continue on to The Bridge Inn.  There is a VERY narrow bridge just before The Bridge Inn.  I wasn’t sure I was ready for that.  But I tried it.  Thankfully no one was coming the other way when I reached the bridge.  We decided to stop at the pub and I tried a glass of the cider.  It was pretty good.  …not that I needed a drink after driving.  =) 

Before closing up for the night we decided to take a quick walk across the dam.  As I’ve said before there are signs saying ‘authorized personnel only’, but the last tenants told Greg that they walked across it and no one said anything.  So, I figure it couldn’t hurt as long as we are discrete about when we do it.  Greg hadn’t seen the dam and I thought he really should know what’s there too.  It’s very interesting.  On the left is the reservoir, with still dark water, quiet, with lots of water birds all over it.  On the right the water spills out into the River Nidd.  It’s a very long drop down a stony wall and it’s roaring and loud.  The dam itself is a long narrow walk.  The part where the river runs out has arches and turrets that make it look like a castle.  On the other side where the Nidderdale Way passes there is a gate with a lock.  It even has barbed wire wrapped on the top.  So I guess they are serious about not walking across the dam.  We tried to see through the woods where there might be a trail to Wath but just couldn’t make it out.  When we get our hiking boots we’re just going to have to go exploring.

Saturday, the 6th of October

We managed to fit a lot of fun into the weekend.  But first, we started with a trip to the library to do a practice test for driving.  We passed, barely, but still didn’t understand a lot of the questions. 

From there we drove back to Pateley Bridge and parked at the Riverside Car Park and walked along the River Nidd back into town.  There are footpaths (hiking trails) everywhere!  Walking into town gave us a chance to see some of them and to see some of the back streets of Pateley that we had missed by driving through.  Our first stop was at the Fish ‘n Chips place on the backstreet.  I guess I need to find out the name.  The fish was very good.  We took it to the park and sat and ate while we watched people walk by. 

After eating we walked up High Street (Main Street) to the outdoor shop.  It is about 10‘ x 10’ cram packed with all sorts of outdoor gear.  We were looking for a map.  We had been told to ask for the ‘ordinance survey’ to find all the footpaths in the area.  Sure enough, he had a whole rack of maps similar to the ones I use for the trails in Colorado. 

We are learning that the Pateley Bridge area is a very popular spot for walking (hiking).  People from all over come here to walk, rain or shine.  We’ve seen many groups with backpacks and rain jackets huddled together in the rain along the sides of the road and many couples with their hiking sticks sitting in the pubs.  The law here says that wherever there is a Public Footpath it cannot be blocked off.  Earlier in the week Peter (the dam worker) explained to me that “all the land belongs to the Queen, dudn’t it?” So, if a footpath goes through a farmer’s field, he cannot gate it off.  We’ve seen Public Footpath signs along the roads everywhere.   

With a copy of the Ordnance Survey for Nidderdale in hand we continued up the street.  I think I forgot to mention that earlier in the week we had stopped by The Oldest Sweetshop in England.  It’s at the top of High Street and holds the record for being… exactly what it’s called.  They had jars of hard candies you can buy for a pence or expensive chocolates.  Of course I went for the chocolates.  I suspect this store will take care of a lot of gifts over the next couple of years. 

Next, heading back down the hill, we stopped at the baker and picked up an apple raspberry pie for dinner, then across the street to the butcher for a steak and ale, steak and kidney and chicken, leek and mushroom pies.  We were all set for dinner, but we did make a swing through the wine shop just to check it out.  Then, back through the park to the river footpath to the car.  (I still have not braved driving yet)

With our new Ordnance Survey in hand it was time to take the pups out for an explore.  We keep thinking there MUST be a trail through the woods near us to connect us to Wath, but we just can’t see it and it’s not marked on the map.  Instead we had to walk about ¼ mile on the side of the road.  That wasn’t as bad as I thought.  It’s a small narrow country road and it seems like people fly on it, but everyone seemed to expect there to be walkers and they slowed down when they saw us.  At Wath we turned onto the Nidderdale Way.  The Nidderdale Way is one of the long trails in England.  I’d tell you how long if I had internet, but all those details will have to wait until later.  Meanwhile, we know that it passes near our house on the other side of the reservoir. 

We crossed a fence using a step ladder very similar to what Lydia and I often crossed on the AT.  And like the AT we found ourselves in a muddy field with cows.  The cows didn’t care, though they kept a close eye on River and MacGyver.  We came to a couple more fences and were struggling with how to get the dogs over when another hiker showed us how a dog gate was built into the fence.  It was so clever!  But we would have never known if someone hadn’t shown us what it was.  Off we hiked through the mud and the slop.  The sun was shining and it was gorgeous day, but it had been raining for the past week.  The ground was a mess. 

We hiked along beside the River Nidd for awhile until we went through a gate and found ourselves next to the dam on the other side of the reservoir from our house.  Wow.  It was so cool to see it from the other side.  From there the trail began to angle up the hill.  We were walking through sheep pastures.  The sheep kept a close eye on the pups, but thankfully the pups didn’t seem to care about the sheep.  At the top of the hill we passed through another gate and the trail connected with the old Wath road, which the sign called a Bridle Path.  It was a gravel road in pretty good shape.  As we walked along the Bridle Path I tried several times to get pictures of the sheep but as soon as I raised my camera they would turn and walk off.  I’m going to need to be much sneakier if I’m going to get a good picture. 

After awhile the path began to go downhill.  We decided this would be a good time to head back.  As far as we can tell on the map we can’t do a full circle of the reservoir without walking on the busy road by the house.  This time we took the Bridle Path all the way back to Wath instead of heading back on the Nidderdale Way by the river.  This course lead us up higher on the hill side and through very old and thick woods.  There were some ancient looking walls and buildings along the way.  We came back out at Wath and walked the road back to the house. 

This was a wonderful day of exploring the area and our new home.  

Friday, the 5th of October

Clearly we did not get the furnace figured out.  We FROZE all night.  Greg worked and worked with the controls.  He thought he had it set to come on about the time we would get up in the morning, but it didn’t.  Added to that, housing had brought bedding for the bed, but only a very thin sheet and blanket that were not near warm enough.  I don’t think either of us slept last night. 

The day was pretty quiet.  I’ve learned that as soon as the sun comes up the front room warms up beautifully and is a wonderful place to sit and read or whatever… maybe even nap after a lousy night’s sleep.  I actually accomplished quite a bit today.  I called the landlord (the water company) and got information on how to change the electric to our name, which has been difficult to figure out on our own.  I also called Sky and arranged to have TV, phone and internet hooked up.  After about fifteen years we will again have a landline, but only because it was the only way to get internet.  I couldn’t care less about the TV.  My phone call experiences were much better today.  I really don’t think I’m getting that much better at understanding which makes me think the first phone call earlier in the week may have actually been HER accent and not as much my lack of understanding. 

When Greg got home we decided it was time to give The Sportsman’s Arm another chance.  They are only open for dinner from 7 to 9pm, so it was a long wait for dinner for me but it was well worth the wait!  It was not traditional pub food, but it was by far the best meal I’ve had in England yet.  I had an amazing salmon… of course with potatoes, but that seems to come with everything here.  The salmon was one of the best I’ve had anywhere.  …and it’s at The Sportsman’s Arm, just a couple hundred yards from our house!  How convenient is that? 

Home to bed and another night of freezing and trying to figure out the furnace.

Thursday, the 4th of October

Today was a big day.  We started early by saying goodbye to our apartment in Harrogate.  It had been convenient, but very cramped with the pups.  They behaved wonderfully with very little barking.  But even the smallest amount of barking worries me when I am so close to the neighbors.  And I have to say I am more than done with hauling suitcases up and down four flights of stairs. 

Housing brought out some basic furniture to hold us over until our household goods arrive.  A couch, which turns out to actually be a love seat, coffee table, wooden folding table, four chairs, a bed, two wardrobes, microwave, three transformers (for plugging in electric appliances) and a dryer should help out a lot.  We will be able to keep the wardrobes, microwave, transformers and the dryer for as long as we want while living here.  That will be a great help since there are no closets and the washer/dryer combo holds about two pair of jeans at a time… and takes HOURS to run.  The extra dryer helps cut down wash time considerably.  Turns out that two wardrobes won’t be near enough.  Greg filled them with just his suits.  Looks like we’ll be off to the auction house looking for old wardrobes soon, but that’s a whole other post. 

This was my first night attempting to cook in the new house.  We had a few groceries and some cheap dishes and cookware from the thrift store.  On Tuesday I had spent time reading through all of the appliance manuals in the house.  I know, that might be a bit obsessive, though I think it was more boredom.  Truth is, I needed to.  Except for the dishwasher all of the appliances are different than what I am used to.  It took two days to figure out how to turn on the refrigerator, the washing machine much longer and the stove may take weeks.  It’s electric, but it’s also induction.  If I had internet I’d look up what that means.  Apparently the burners will only work with ‘compatible’ pots and pans.  The really nice large Calphalon skillet I picked up at the thrift store is not compatible.  For the next several days we would be working out how to make dinner just using the oven. 

NEXT came figuring out the furnace.  

Wednesday, the 3rd of October

Wednesday I decided to spend the day at the Ashness apartment in Harrogate.  I figured this was my last opportunity to get some internet time for awhile.  It was a good choice since first thing in the morning we received the email stating that our excess baggage shipment was ready to be delivered.  They have this weird rule that you must answer their email within 3 hours in order to receive the shipment promptly.  That seems like an odd system to me, but this time it worked for us.  I set up delivery for Monday the 8^th.   

The rest of the day I spent going through paperwork and organizing while watching British TV.  Now there’s an adjustment.  =)  I had planned on walking around and exploring Harrogate, but it was rainy and cold.  I opted for staying in. 

When Greg came home that evening we decided to spend our last night in Harrogate dining at the world famous Betty’s Tea House.  It was very elegant.  The menu looked wonderful but since this was our first visit we decided we should check out their Afternoon Tea.  It came as a three tiered plate with finger sandwiches, scones and sweets.  It was all very good, though we both agreed that The Old Granary in Pateley Bridge does have better scones.  I’m thinking it might not be good for my waistline to be judging the best scones in Yorkshire. 

Tuesday, the 2nd of October

Early Tuesday Greg drove me and the pups out to the house in Pateley before going to work.  We planned to spend the day cleaning, going through paperwork for the move and getting organized for the rest of the week.  It was also my job to make some phone calls.  I was really dreading it because I didn’t know for sure what information I needed before making these calls.  First call was to the water company to change the bill into our name.  It was HORRIBLE.  I couldn’t understand anything the lady on the phone said to me.  Over and over I asked her to repeat herself.  It was so embarrassing.  Finally she said it veerrrryyyy sssslllooowwww…  ‘Whut. Is. Yur. Da. O. Ber?’  uhhhh...  OH, my date of birth?   Then she proceeded to ask for numbers that I have never heard of.  It was just awful.  I finally gave up and said I’d call back when I got all the right information.  I was afraid to make any more calls.  I just don’t speak the language!

The day only got more embarrassing after that. 

Around 2pm I noticed a water company truck pull into the gates.  Oh, I forgot to mention, since the house is right on the reservoir the property is actually owned by the water company.  So we have water company trucks coming and going all the time checking on the dam.  This time I saw through the window the guy getting out of his truck and coming to the door.  I stepped outside to meet him.  His name is Peter.  So far all the Brits I have met are Peter.  He welcomed us to the neighborhood.  I asked him if he knew the history of the house and he shared quite a bit with me.  It was built around 1900 as two separate homes.  The larger part was for the dam engineer while the smaller left section was for the dam keeper’s family.  After the engineer moved out the larger section became a Bed and Breakfast run by the dam keeper’s family.  And for awhile the large living room was used as a board room for the water company.  They would have banquets and the dam keeper’s wife would cook amazing meals for them.  About four or five years ago the water company decided to convert it into a single family home and rent it out.  I think there may have been a time there for awhile that it set empty.  I’m hoping to stop by the museum in town someday soon and get more detailed information. 

After we spoke and said good-bye I turned to go back into the house and realized… the door locks when you close it.  I’m standing there in my stocking feet without a key.  I had spent part of the morning going through the spare keys and making sure all the windows were locked and secure.  The cell phone is inside, not that that matters since I don’t even know Greg’s work phone number yet.  I am completely stranded.  Peter asked if I had another key hidden… not yet.  He offered to give me a ride to the base but I didn’t have my ID card and it was possible that Greg could be coming home at any minute.  Again, how embarrassing!  But Peter was such a gentleman.  He offered to stop by the base front gate and get a message to Greg. 

I had no idea how long this would take.  It had been drizzling and cold all day but thankfully right now it had stopped.  But the ground was very wet.  I curled up on the front porch under the ledge and prepared to wait.  Then I realized I could kill some time by walking across the dam.  There is a sign saying that’s not allowed, but I figured at the moment I’m the only one around, who’s going to see or care?  I walked in my white socks on the wet dirty ground all the way across the dam.  It’s pretty amazing.  The water is really roaring through the river side.  And I walked back.  I had just gotten curled back up in a ball on the front porch when Peter comes back. 

He had gone to the base and passed a message to Greg, then decided he should come back to the house and give me his coat.  He gave me his coat!  He drove all the way back to give me his coat.  What a nice guy.   Then I curled back up at the front door, a little warmer, and waited for Greg to arrive.  Thankfully when he did he didn’t look too angry.  Apparently getting a message from his assistant that the police are calling about his wife makes for good story fodder.  

Monday, the 1st of October

Monday, the 1^st of October

We had an appointment with the realtor to sign for the house at 1:30pm so we tried to fit as much business into the morning as we could.  Housing could not deliver temporary furniture to the house until Thursday so we were going to be able to continue sleeping at the Ashness until then.  We didn’t have to make a big move out of the apartment yet. 

 We stopped by the ID office and got my overseas ID, the vehicle registration office and got the car up to speed with passes and such, and the library for a library card.  For the next few days the library is our internet connection and has a computer with practice tests for the driver’s license.  We have to take a written test within 30 days of arriving in country in order to get our licenses.  By that time we needed to head out to Pateley to make our appointment.

We met with Ashley at Dacre and Sons and signed more papers than I think we signed to buy our last house.  The paperwork was overwhelming.  Ashley was very nice, walked us through it all and answered all our questions.  And we got the keys.

The house is a short distance outside of Pateley and sits right on a reservoir.  The view is stunning!  The house is much too big for us but it was just so cool we couldn’t resist.  I had asked Ashley about the history of the house but she didn’t know it.  The big question for us is, we will be able to keep the heating bills within our budget?  I sure hope so.  This will be a wonderful place to have family and friends visit.  I’d love to stay here for our whole two – three years.   When we arrived we walked all through the house, taking in the possibilities.  I had seen it online and in pictures but seeing it in person helped to give me ideas of how to use the space. 

And the yard!  I believe the dogs were overwhelmed at first.  It took them awhile to really start exploring all the space.  I’ve seen a family of rabbits, pheasant and a gull all in the yard while the dogs were inside.  I’m hoping we don’t end up with some ‘gifts’ from the pups. 

We left a few things at the house, but without furniture there wasn’t much we could do here.  We headed back to the base to pick up a few things.  Someone had recommended to Greg checking the base thrift store for picking up some starter items to hold us over until our excess baggage shipment arrived.  We were able to get some plates and utensils.  At the exchanged we picked up some towels.  Very basic, but we were about ready to move in.  It was a busy day, but we got a lot done.

Sunday, the 30th of September

Sunday, the 30^th of September

On Sunday morning we needed to make a grocery run for just a few things and decided to check-out the local Walmart store, ASDA.  Most stores here are closed on Sunday so apparently everyone goes to ASDA on Sundays.  It was crazy. 

I guess that brings me to figuring out this strange money.  I think I’ve figured out the paper money, though it’s hard to remember that a £10 note is worth around $16.  The coins on the other hand are tougher.  There are £1 and £2 coins.  I’m finding it difficult not to think of them as just a nickel or quarter.  I’m so used to tossing coins into a change jar, but they are actually REAL money.  On top of that, when shopping on base we use dollars and not pounds.  *sigh*  I’m sure I’ll figure it out with time.

After shopping we drove out to Pateley Bridge to meet Norm and Judy at The Sportsman’s Arm, the local pub near our house.  Though The Sportsman’s Arm might be a bit upscale to call a Pub.  We met in the bar and planned to eat, but the food looked a little too expensive for Greg and Norm.  They were thinking more of traditional pub food for lunch.  So after having a drink we drove to another nearby village to The Wellington for dinner.  Sunday dinners are traditional ‘roasts’ and The Wellington is known for having a good one.  I think that may have been the longest meal I have ever had.  After being seated no one came for take our order for a good 45 minutes, then another 30 or so before starters arrived, then longer for the rest of the food.  It took three hours to eat that meal.  According to Norm and Judy that’s not normal, but next time we go for Sunday roast at a Pub, I won’t go hungry.  The food however, was good, a real ‘rib sticking’ meal of roast beef, chips (potatoes) and bread (Yorkshire pudding).  

Saturday, the 29th of September

We managed to sleep in a bit on Saturday morning, trying to adjust to the time change.   First thing we got out and took the pups for a walk around The Stray, which is the open park area in the center of Harrogate.  It was a beautiful morning, though I learned pretty quick the morning sun would disappear.  After a nice walk we packed the dogs up in our new car (used, left hand stick) and drove out to the village of Pateley Bridge where Greg had already secured a house for us to rent.  We took a look at the house, though we couldn’t actually get inside yet.  It is a fascinating house, but more details on that later.  Afterward we stopped at The Old Granary for ‘the best scones in Yorkshire.’  They were truly yummy!   We took a different route back and stopped by the base where Greg will work and checked out the commissary, exchange and the post office. 

That evening we walked around the corner from the Ashness and I had my first try at Fish ‘n Chips at Oliver’s.  As good as they were I’m not sure how much deep fried fish I can eat.  I guess I’ll have to work it out since it’s a local tradition.  =)  

Friday, the 28th of September

We made our way off the plane, which was not an easy task since the plane landed miles away from the terminal and we had to take a bus to baggage claim.  But all our bags showed up in tact.  From there we zipped through Customs with nothing to declare and met our driver, Peter.   Thank heaven for Peter.  He knew exactly where to go for the pups. 

As we walked into the Animal Recovery Center there was a sense of frustration all around.  One lady said something about preparing for a long wait.  She had been there seven hours already.  Another young girl was clearly upset.  Several other people were milling about in different stages of waiting, anxious to calm.  Of course, I knew we had done everything right so we would be in and out in a flash.  (Ha!)  We rang the bell and a very nice lady came out.  We told her we were here to pick up two golden retrievers.  Mentioning two golden retrievers always gets a good reaction out of dog lovers.  She went back to check on them and said they had just arrived and had to pass the customs inspection and would be out soon. 

We sat down.  And waited.  And waited.  And waited.  And waited.  Meanwhile I listened to the young girl who was so upset.  She had come from Colorado to hike the coast to coast trail for three weeks and brought her dog along.  I’m thinking to myself ‘Are you kidding me’?!  Why would you go through this hassle and put your dog through this trauma for a three week hike?!?!  On top of that something was wrong with her paperwork and she couldn’t seem to get it corrected.  She had been there for hours and was getting angry with the vet’s office back in Colorado.  Poor girl.  Too bad she didn’t have it together like me. 

Then it was our turn.  After waiting over two hours I decided maybe we should ring the bell again and ask.   As it turns out there was a problem with our form as well.  Our vet had put on the form the name of the rabies vaccination but not the name of the manufacturer of the rabies vaccination.  Neither the vet nor the USDA had noticed that missing detail.  They had faxed the vet to ask for the further information.  After having listened to this girl deal with her problems for hours I knew I needed to make a phone call.  I looked at the clock and realized that my vet’s office back in Colorado was probably just opening for the day.  (That would explain the young girl’s frustration if she was trying to get something done with a vet during off hours in Colorado)  I gave them a call to make sure they got onto this form as soon as they opened.  And, that the form they faxed back had on it the vet’s office stamp.  That seemed to be a HUGE deal for this particular form for the other girl.  They had the form, the information corrected and the office stamp, but the vet wasn’t due to arrive in the office for another twenty minutes.  But as soon as she arrived they would fax it back.  Okay.  I can wait twenty more minutes.

I waited thirty and rang the bell again.  The fax had just come through.  So I’ll give some huge kudos to Goldenview Veterinary Clinic!  Thank you for coming through for us.  Now it should all go smoothly, right?  I was told give them ten minutes and they’ll be out with paperwork to release the dogs.  Forty minutes later the paperwork came out and they said the dogs would be out in five minutes.  WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?  I don’t understand time here.  Another hour later the pups came out the door, all happy and ready to play.  Apparently they had been having a great day!  Throughout the entire move process they have done great, no digestive problems, no fear issues… just happy, secure, healthy pups.  Whew. 

Peter had brought a van which had plenty of room for bags, dogs and all.  We headed out of London in the Friday afternoon traffic.  If not for the traffic we could have made the trip in three hours, but instead it was over four.  On the drive up Peter stopped by a McDonalds for us to grab a quick dinner.  Yes, McDonalds was my first British meal.  It was an odd experience.  It was a very familiar McDonalds, but at the same time very different.  Very surreal. 

It was close to 10pm when we finally arrived in Harrogate at the Ashness Apartments.  I had looked up the Ashness online and had a pretty good idea what to expect.  Unfortunately my hopes for a garden apartment with the dogs didn’t happen.  Instead we found ourselves lugging all our baggage up to a fourth floor apartment.   It was a REALLY long day, but we were finally able to stop and rest. 

Shortly after arriving at the Ashness, Norm and his wife Judy stopped by and dropped off some bags of groceries.  Norm works with Greg and has been our sponsor throughout the move.  That basically means he’s the one we have been asking all the crazy questions about how to do this move.  Norm, along with Becky (also from work) has been enormous help with so many details.  The bag of groceries was a fantastic way to be greeted at the start of our stay.  We’ll definitely need to pass this kindness along to someone else one day.