Four weekends now and heading into the fifth, where on earth does time go?  Perhaps my window-less underground English dungeon of an office provides some of the answer – 850GB, or approximately 27,000 images, ruthlessly Bridged to a scant 3,600 and efficiently run through my workflow.   And what of the bonus of Lightroom 5?  Stay with me and I may get there.

But it hasn’t all been work and no play ...

The weather has been remarkable: warm, mostly sunny, blue skies filled with wispy clouds, indeed almost southern isle like.  This has of course caused a hitch for our limey friends regarding opening topics of conversation.  What to discuss if you can’t moan about the dreadful weather?  They decided to call it a heat-wave and bravely struggle on!

Woman has baby!  The front-page of a satirical magazine, but my favorite headline following the July 22nd birth of baby, and future King, George.  The coverage was a little over the top as only the Brits can do, and no, I have not yet met the new heir.

The weekends have been full of delights.  John and I spent a great weekend with friends at their remarkable and quirky country home circa 1280 to 1900 AD.  Quite a bit of adding on and re-modeling from time-to-time!  The roads leading to the village are narrow, hedgerow and overhanging tree-lined, with a road that is barely wide enough for a single Austin Healey but, despite two-way traffic and blind curves, the Brits somehow fly past each other without a scratch.  Stunning actually.

Back to the medieval house.  The stairs are twisted and uneven, the upstairs hall is akin to walking on swaying seas whether you have partaken of a glass too many or not, and the beams are heavy, dark and curved.  The gardens are bursting with pears, apples, fragrant blooms, scarlet beans, courgettes and herbs, along with a few entertaining chickens. 

We’ve toured fortified cities and castles, fantastic English gardens and secret war tunnels at Dover Castle.  I’ve rocketed through the countryside in a bright yellow open-top Lotus driven by an ex-High Commissioner to Uganda; drunk pints of pulled ales from free houses; attended church twice in Canterbury Cathedral; and dined with an ambassador, an attaché, an archeologist, a Surgeon General and a Knight of the realm, all in fabulous gastro-pubs throughout the land.  I have the bar coasters to prove it!

But “No!”, I am not going native.  This isle is wonderful, but at times it doesn’t seem quite real.  I am loving every minute of my time, but, sad as it may sound, I am looking forward to seeing Montana and Yellowstone again – and space without crowds!  Also really looking forward to my September tours.

On that note, I think I will leave Lightroom 5 until tomorrow, so in the meantime I hope you enjoy the images of England.