All Day Drive

 Wednesday, April 28

A short night, an early start, followed by a longish drive, Pam's had a nap and I've done a jigsaw. Our Day's Inn room is very similar to that of a Travelodge. Clean, containing all that is necessary for a comfortable night. We shopped in an M and S and a Gregg's en route, we have plenty of suitable food to eat in to-night.

At one time to-day, private cars on the road were outnumbered 15-1 by commercial heavy vehicles. We still made steady progress, stopping regularly for breaks - it's a long time since Pam drove this far in a day. In the distant past, we drove to Edinburgh at 4 p.m on a Friday, arriving around 11 p.m (Tattler). We also drove straight home from Wick (Harlequin Duck), and made a day's trip to Anglesey for a Black Lark.. Those days are over. 

When I entered the Inn's postcode into the car's SatNav, the final letter would not appear. After a little exploration of the area, I used Google Maps on my phone. We eventually found the Inn, well hidden. 

We saw a Goshawk over Sherwood Forest, an Arctic Tern crossed in front of us when we drove over the River Trent. Several Buzzards, calling Lapwing and a plethora of Corvids completed the mentionable 'seen from the car', list.

Pam has had to ring Steve Fisher our local builder/handyman. Shortly before 10 last night, the loud sound of something sliding down the roof, before crashing onto the ground, broke into ''Our Yorkshire Farm'' on TV. A roof tile placed where the telephone cable comes in, had decided to fall off. That's a first since we moved in, in 1974. Good timing. Then, Pam phoned Rai, who lives opposite,  to tell him what was happening, because we knew that he would have noticed. He had - and was planning to get the ladder out and fix it. He's 80 in a few months time.

People are so kind. A phone message from friend Jen said that if anything happened whilst we were in Scotland, she'd come and get us. Moving and heart-warming.

Weather permitting, a visit to Caerlaverock Reserve is planned for the morning. Maybe some Barnacle Geese remain.

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