We have been quiet for fear of jinxing the deal but our house has
been under contract for several weeks.
The deal was done yesterday!
I am not sure what other “homeless” people feel but we feel
fantastic! No more worries, no
more expenses. We are now officially
“footloose and fancy free” to travel as we want. Plus we have a sizeable balance in our bank account.
We spent the past few days in Paignton in Devon, the heart of Agatha
Christie country. I admit I
haven’t read all of her works but no less than 20 took place in this area. The names, of course, were changed a
bit but people around here know all the locations. I imagine there have been a ton of changes (Agatha was born
in the 1800s) but any of the places are just the way she would remember them.
Between touring castles we have been scouting estuaries for birds. UK birders are a serious lot and the
RSPB (Royal Society for the Preservation of Birds), Britain’s answer to the
Audubon Society, has protected a lot of prime real estate. We met Ryan Davis at the Bowling Green
site on the River Exe. Not only is he a great
birder, he was instrumental in establishing and protecting the site where
thousands of migrating shorebirds and waterfowl stop each year.
Some of the castles we have visited were built at the direction of
Henry VIII to defend against the expected Spanish invasion. Others are medieval, built by
supporters of William the Conqueror, on land he gave them. Some have been remodeled, others are
just ruins. Berry Pomeroy is said
to be haunted by two separate spirits and Tintagel is the legendary birthplace
of King Arthur, himself a myth.
But Mallory and Tennyson, TH White and Walt Disney have kept the story
alive and we tourists continue to flock to the site.
