November Fave Fives, Third Week

Hello to November Friday Fave Fives, Third Edition.  Is it really almost Thanksgiving and Advent??  Here are Five Faves from this past week, things I am thankful for.  And HERE is the link to Susanne's blog, so you can read more about being thankful this week.

1.  We are down to fewer than a dozen boxes to empty!  I am thankful that our home is starting to 'come together'.

2.  Because we've been helping Older Daughter empty the garage and shed before the house sale is closed, (YAY! Her rental house is nearing the SOLD condition!) we have been storing some things in our garage.  First I am thankful I HAVE a garage (first time in almost 15 years).  Secondly, I am thankful that we got it organized and park in there again.

3.  Older Daughter gave me her potting table!  It fits well in the garage and I love it!  I am thankful for a dedicated gardening work area.

4.  I love that phone call that says, "Hey, Mom. Can you drive me to my dr appt this morning?"  I am thankful to be living near my daughters so we can help them and they can help us.

5.  Lunch with someone I know.  I met a lady through my older daughter several years ago when I was visiting here.  We have many connections like both being from SoCal, work connections, church connections.  I am thankful that there are restaurants open for lunch and that my friend met me.  Then we walked around the town plaza so she could show me some of her favorite shops.  I'm thankful I'm making friends here!

Have you noticed that lately there have been no new photos here at Willow's Cottage?  My camera is working just fine.  It's the computer not wanting to talk to the camera that is causing an issue.  Hopefully, we can get it figured out soon.  In the meantime, here are some photos from my 2016 trip to England.  Exactly four years ago, Older Daughter and I were beginning our week of adventure exploring Devon and Dorset, just the two of us.

I still just can't get enough of England and English countryside!

An English Adventure Part #6

After I posted those photos of England last week, I've been thinking and thinking about my visits there.  Those photos are the reason I just can't get England out of my mind; that and the fact that our friends have been hanging around our place a lot lately because their plumbing is torn up and the husband is from Dorchester.  So I decided to just start posting my photos of the England 2016 trip again.

Dorchester has a long history.  During Roman times, the town was known as Durnovaria and was located near a Roman garrison.  Because of that, there are many Roman ruins and relics in Dorchester.  Probably the most famous is the Roman Town House which is situated inside what were the walls of the city (known as The Walks).  Of course, we had to visit it.

A section of The Walks near the Roman Town House

Older Daughter standing on the outer walls.

As you can tell, there isn't much left.

Water trough?

Interior

water channels for heating the floor

mosaics still intact

All around southwest England there are beautiful black stones and they were used extensively in the buildings.

After exploring the Roman Town House, we decided that a stroll along the Rive Fromme would be an appropriate way to end our day.

Honestly, who wouldn't want to live here where there are Roman ruins and delightful river walks?

An England Adventure, Part 6

Sheep are ubiquitous in the English countryside.

We enjoyed meeting these woolly things everywhere.

Here they are frolicking at Maiden Castle.

Shepherds moving the sheep

Here they come!

Whew!  We escaped those scary humans again!

Eleanor Elizabeth was excited to meet her British friends, but they were having none of it.

An England Adventure, Part 5

The main reason we chose to visit Dorchester was that Maiden Castle is there.  What is Maiden Castle?  It's an Iron Age Hill Fort!

It was a short walk from our bed and breakfast place to Maiden Castle.  Strolling along the path next to the (almost) two lane road, we could see the hill fort looming ever larger and larger in front of us.

The parasailers were becoming larger and larger, too.

We entered through the eastern gate, dutifully read all the signs and then set out to walk all the way around the hill fort.

Breathtaking views were in every direction.

Facing west gazing over the Dorset Downs

The western entrance had a stile to climb.

Do I not have the most beautiful daughter?

Standing on the highest hill

Overlook toward north east and Poundbury

Looking to the east toward Dorchester

Luckiest sea gull in Dorset

If Maiden Castle, this World Heritage site, were the only place we visited in Dorchester, it would have been worth the whole trip.  

But.  There was So. Much. More!