Both at home and about

     Snippets from lovely short outings from my house...

     One of the many joys of "taking up residence" in England, if only for a month, is the huge array of amazing sights to see, all within a small radius. That seems to go double since I'm in such a beautiful part of the country, wedged here between Lancashire, the Lake District and Yorkshire.

     Case in point: Private gardens, open only a couple of days a year or by appointment. One finds these hidden gems through The National Garden Scheme's annual directory. It was a good bet that I'd find a couple of such gardens nearby, and so I did. A quick call to the owners, and off I went.

      One was only about ten minutes away, along a steep, one-lane road in the midst of absolutely gorgeous pastureland. The estate at the top had a house and view straight out of a movie set, with a garden to match. I don't know how the owner earns his crust, but he has obviously done well for himself. He and his wife, despite their obviously posh upbringings, were both as gracious as Southerners, and made me feel like an honored, invited guest.

    One of the TWO full-time gardeners was dispatched to give me a tour of the lushly green and blooming spread, and afterward I joined Mrs. Posh for a natter and a glass of ginger beer on the patio . What was expected to be a 10-minute wander around the herbacious border turned into a leisurely, hour-and-a-half visit. It couldn't have been more pleasant! I left with a new friend and a big ol' smile on my face.

     Then there was the visit to Leighton Hall, an ancient stately home about 15 miles away. It was another chilly, drippy day -- has there been any other kind? -- but I didn't want to sit home all afternoon. So I donned rain gear and soldiered on, like a real Brit, figuring I'd find something colorful amidst the gloom. And so I did.

     Unbeknownst to me, the estate is the home of a number of falcons and other birds of prey. Several times a day, the falcon keeper brings out his pets for demonstrations on the lawn. Leighton Hall's falcon keeper has missed his calling: He should be onstage.

     Who knew that big, vicious, killer birds could be such clever sidekicks in a stand-up comedy act?! The falconer had his audience, me included, in stitches. And for their parts, the birds played right along with the schtick, swooping down and performing right on cue. The North African owl, in particular, if you'll pardon the pun, was a hoot.

     Afterward, over a cuppa in the tea shop, I fell into a conversation with a lady who turned out to be the daughter of the Hall's owners. She was ever so chatty and charming, and seemed genuinely glad that I had enjoyed the bird show. I told her they should take it on the road. Maybe Vegas,

     One final note before I head off to Hawkshead Parish Church in the Lake District and a vocal recital tonight: Does the United States have any athletes in the Olympic Games? I swear I thought we had entered a couple of the events...To watch the BBC, however -- two channels, carrying Olympic coverage 20 hours a day, commercial free -- one would never know there was a single American athlete in London!!

     I saw the U.S. team march in the opening ceremony with their silly little beret hats, but after then, from the standpoint of the TV coverage I'm getting, it's been "Team GB" all the way. I'm glad the Queen's granddaughter won a medal in one of the equestrian events, and that Team GB's male gymnasts won a bronze (apparently a large deal), but I'd love to know how Team USA is getting on...

     NBC blocks its online reception to those outside the country, incidentally, so I can't even access pro-American coverage via computer. Nuts! My prediction is coming true: No matter how many gold medals we win, I'll never hear "The Star-Spangled Banner" a single time during these games!