First days in the U.K.

So we’ve been in the UK for a week now. We’re starting to feel a little settled. We still don’t have internet access, ergo my almost non-existent communications. I thought that Verizon was incompentent, but I’d never dealt with BT before. Molly contacted them when she first arrived, over three weeks ago now, and we finally have an appointment for a technician to come by and set up the phone line – in two weeks. We can’t even submit an order for internet service until after this is completed. Monopolies suck! I’ve been to an internet cafe and the library to check email, but I can only bribe the kids for so long with drinks and pastries…

Enough ranting. Our house is great. The location is great. We’ve spent a bunch of time strolling around the paths around the house. Collecting apples to make pie and feeding the cores to the horses across the street. Watching the canal boats pass by. There is a lock just a few minutes down the canal path and it is fascinating to see the gates open and close, the water fill and drain, and the boats go up and down. What a brilliantly simple system. We are planning to hire a boat and spend a long weekend cruising the water. Anyone want to join us?

This boat has potted plants, including tomatoes onboard. I don’t think you can quite make it out in the picture, but there are little frogs wearing party hats on the roof.


The fields here are mostly wheat and hay and it’s harvest time. The landscape here is beautiful; rolling fields covered with golden wheat stalks. Old stone walls and houses, some of them covered with thatch. The history of the place is so long, but at the same time so close to the present.

We’ve explored some of the local parks, which all seem pretty well endowed with play equipment. The kids have met some of the neighbors, Isabella (7) and Isaac (9), who seem to be quite nice and enjoy playing together. I’m looking forward to meeting some of the local home educating families. There are a couple of events happening in the next few weeks. I imagine it’ll take some time to meet people, though.

Folk here seem pretty interested in sport – here’s a shot of a friendly cricket match. I still have no idea how to play! Molly and the kids seem to have found a Tae Kwon Do school. The kids are planning to attend their first class on Friday.