Robin Hoods Bay

We woke up Saturday morning to a bright, sun-shiny day. Feeling a bit of spring fever we took off to the sea side to visit Robin Hood's Bay and Ravenscar. In standard English form, the sunshine didn't last for long. The typical English weather set in and soaked us to the core. We didn't want the wind and rain to spoil our plans, so we made the most of the day traipsing through muddy trails and slippery stone paths. The boys had a marvelous time puddle jumping.


Quoting from the Robin Hoods Bay site:
In the 18 th century, Robin Hoods Bay was reportedly the busiest smuggling community on the Yorkshire coast. Bay wives were known to pour boiling water over excise men from bedroom windows in the narrow alleyways. Hiding places, bolt holes and secret passages abounded. It is said that a bale of silk could pass from the bottom of the village to the top without leaving the houses.

There were places where the houses were so close together, I had to close my umbrella because it couldn't fit between the houses.


Ravenscar is a tiny village on the cliffs of the Yorkshire coast. It is said that King George was treated for his madness at the building now called Raven Hall Hotel. Archeology shows that the Romans built a stone tower at Ravenscar.


Hopefully one of these days we will get to see the sea side on a clear, sunny day. But until then, we will just keep replacing the broken umbrellas (the wind has broken 4 umbrellas now) and I think Josh and I need to invest in some wellies.

Spring has Sprung

Here are a few early Spring pictures:


The daffodils have bloomed at Clifford's Tower and along the city walls of York.


Rush hour traffic in Derbyshire.


St. James church in Birstwith.


Spring brings twin lambs trotting after their mother. Reminds me of two boys I know, with more running and less following.



Climbing the rocks and ruins of Bolton Abbey in Wharfdale.


Rock plunking in the River Wharf. So many rocks, so little time to watch them go plunk!

Tale of the Turkey Attack

This week I took the boys to the Monk Park Farm. The farm park specializes in having several varieties of pigs, sheep, cows, and goats. This is a picture of a "hairy cow" native to the Scottish highlands.




There were other animals such as chinchillas, lamas, rheas, wallabies, Shetland ponies, and well you get the picture. You can walk around and feed most of the animals grain.





We got to feed milk to lambs.

We took a break to eat our snack, when all of the sudden, a giant turkey came and jumped up on our table. It jumped like a cat, straight from the ground onto Luke's bag of chips.

I started waving my arms, and threw some grain on the ground to try and shew the turkey off our table. It wouldn't budge. The turkey started walking along our table, pecking at our food trying to eat something. The turkey didn't find what he wanted on the table because he turned his head and tried to eat Luke! He pecked poor Luke's head and got a bite of Luke's hair. Luke and Isaac were screaming and crying. I was too afraid to touch it, being somewhat paralyzed myself because I didn't want to get pecked. I yelled across the farm for help, and some one came and took the turkey off our table. About 15 minutes later, the turkey came back. Luke got down from the table, and started running away. The turkey chased him all the way into the barn. Luke was traumatized. He wouldn't eat or drink for a long time. I wonder if he will develop a phobia.