Covered bridge at Sandpoint
I realized today that Helen and I will be spending at least 28 hours in the air with the kids in the span of a month. 4 - 7 hour flights.
First to Newport Idaho at the end of July to visit my side of the family. It's about an hour north north east of Spokane and 20 miles due west of Sandpoint. We have been there once before. Prior to my parents relocating there a year ago, we had a family reunion at the Torgesen ranch. It is beautiful. Scenic mountain lakes and pine forests as far as the eye can see. Helen thinks its out in the boonies. I love it. I look forward to trouncing around the old growth forests around Priest Lake. Mom says well be there in time for "Timber Days". It involves Parades of Lumber jacks and Timber Trucks.... marching through town singing " I'm a lumberjack and I'm Ok"
Mom and Dad relocated there after Dads retirement from MO CO GO. They built a beautiful place with a great mountain view. I have yet to figure out if Dad included a bunker stocked w/all the necessities for apocalypse survival, like the rest of the folks in the region.
The second trip is to Jolly old England... Carlton to be exact. Its a village outside of Selby, where Helen grew up. Where's Selby you ask? It's 4 hours north of London. 20 miles south of York. Many say that it is out in the boonies for the UK. Most of the southerners I have met seem to think so. They make snide comments about mining coal, knitting sweaters and chasing sheep.
Carlton Towers
Its claim to fame is a old English manor owned by the Grand ol' Duke of York. http://www.carltontowers.co.uk/
I think he kept 10,000 men there at some point in time. Plenty of hills near by, if you know what mean. Mum and Dad moved there about a year ago after they both retired. Down sized the house and moved to a quieter corner of the world. See a theme here? Helen and I were able to walk through the new place and visit Charlton on our last trip in 2005. They knew they were going to be buying the place at the time. They had to wait to sell their own home. It's a comfortable little place.
It will be good to get back there. Self control will be left at the shores of the U.S.A and I will engorge myself on pasties with daily trips Thomas Bakery'... Chicken and Leek, Sausage rolls, Cheese and Onions. I plan on gaining about 10 lbs.
I have a list of things I need to try when I get over there.... proper fish and chips, all things Cadbury's, Lilt, Tizer ....
Helen and I are also going to try and get down to London for a day to visit with one of her Clients that lives in Kensington. I'll have brush up on my etiquette before hand and try to mellow down the Mrrland accent...Don't want to ruffle an feathers.... goin down to the oacin hun...
The real test is whether or not the kids will survive the 4 plane rides. It is a lot of traveling for a 3 and a 5 year old to handle in a month.
I experimented a bit this past week.... tried chutney for the first time and was pleasantly surprised. Don't know if this is the version I picked up is par for the course when it comes to the traditional stuff. Rhubarb with a kick. Had it on a pork tenderloin. Even though chutney is as English as fish and chips or crumpets, Helen is not to keen on things spicy. Hence it had not found its way on to our dinner table.
