Friday was a lovely day here in Devon. Daniel, Jan and Simon got a lot of work done with Open Intelligence and I did a bit more clipping for them. I thought I had forty minutes to get ready for dinner so I was taking my time finishing my emails when Jan came in and said Pat was ready to go. My plan was to fancy up my hair and put on make up. It didn’t really happen. I got my hair into a bun, there’s not much to do with hair when it’s, well, dirty and unkempt; threw on my boots and we were good to go. [At least I got to wear my boots!] There are two Indian restaurants in Crediton. The new one is called Indian Lounge and the older one that Jan and Pat are more familiar with is called Crediton Tandoori. The latter is the one Daniel chose and he chose well. It was delicious food and we were all pleased. We ordered five dishes between the four of us, not including Papadum with mango chutney, mint [my favorite], and bell pepper relish as an appetizer. We shared Aloo Gobi [potatoes and cauliflower], Dal [lentils], Rogani [mushrooms], and Bhurtha [eggplant]. Pat ordered a lamb dish. We ate it all! And then Jan wanted the ice cream menu which of course was encouraged by Daniel. The desserts were a little disappointing as they showed up in tiny frozen plastic containers, but we were happy enough to share something sweet. Daniel and I split a hazelnut ice cream with chocolate on top. We also split a pint of cider while Jan had three half pints of Cobra beer. It’s a good mellow beer; he always lets me try his beer. He’s so funny because he usually always orders half pints and almost always has at least two. We had a nice and entertaining conversation about money, charities, the farm, traveling, and Open Intelligence. Jan sort of hates money, we do not. So it’s interesting to hear his perspective and share our own. It was good to be around other people also enjoying their evenings. I find I laugh quite a bit listening to Jan and Pat tease each other. It’s so subtle at times; it’s like a game they play. After everyone was good and finished Jan ran to get the car while I helped Pat into her coat and out the door. The waiter chased after us because I left our camera on the back of my chair –seriously, what’s with me and this camera bag? While Jan deposited Pat into the vehicle [we don’t use the word “car” here] a police man pulled up in his automobile and said something I’m sure wasn’t English. Jan hollered to him that we were helping an old lady and the cop drove off. Later on the drive home Jan apologized to Pat for calling her an old woman and she said, “Oh, you’re always making excuses, Jan. For everything.” That made me and Daniel laugh in the backseat.
Saturday morning was sunny and cold. Jan wanted to take us to the Bow Farmer’s Market so we got up early to do our chores. Occasionally a chicken will be lying on the eggs when we go to collect them and she has a fit if we try to move her, which upsets the cockerel. So we shove off for the horses and cows and leave the eggs till the end. Esmeralda, the bad cow, was anxious about getting into her stall since we had just covered it with new straw. She kept poking her head in to snag a few pieces while I was still setting everything up for her. Daniel got her head out but that’s all and she was determined to get in the second either one of us moved. Unfortunately as I attempted to squeeze by her she moved into the stall briefly smashing me into the corner of the wood divider. I never noticed before that the corner also has a metal handle sticking out from it. She pinned me up against the metal handle and I yelped in pain. Daniel was there but he couldn’t really do anything. Luckily she moved quickly and I was set free, although it took me a few moments to move. It could have been worse; the metal handle could have poked into my back. It got my rear end which I have to say I actually am thankful for as it’s probably the biggest muscle / most fat on my body. I say probably because some of you have seen my guns; oooh fella those are big too. In any case, I have a bruise that I’m quite proud of and my muscle is still sore.
The Bow Farmer’s Market is small and there was not much happening by way of vegetables so we picked up a couple gifts and left. I was at least thankful that this Farmer’s Market is indoors. Simon came with us on this small journey and we stopped by the co-op for him to buy some milk. Jan likes the co-op because it’s not in Crediton, while Daniel and I dislike the co-op because it is more expensive and has less variety. They do not have fake meat or enough fruits and vegetables. Back at Grange Place Jan and I did some indoor planting in the conservatory of tomatoes and lettuce. Daniel is our Gardening Secretary and keeps track of when we plant and water. In about a month we will replant the tomatoes in pots and after another month in individual pots they will be ready to go outside. If we’re here long enough we’ll be able to enjoy the fruits of our labor.
That afternoon Daniel and I took advantage of the sunny weather and went on a long walk together. We talked about our future and our present both of which are open and mostly unknown. It’s exciting for us not to know where we’re going next. We have some options and we’re exploring how each of those options feel. We also set some short term goals for ourselves while we’re living here. And since it was Saturday we decided to have a date night. Basically that means we had some wine with dinner! Dinner was good, a little spicy for me. We ate potatoes, onions, garlic, and courgette [zucchini] with a tomato marsala sauce that we bought from the co-op and added in our own spices. And we attempted to make a piece of garlic bread. We don’t have a working oven so we have to get creative sometimes with our gas stove top.
This morning Jan was around while we did our farm chores so he could check the status on the supplies the animals need. Between cleaning the chicken coup floor and feeding the cows he took us to the huge barn that holds all the firewood. He showed us how to chop wood and told me if I’m ever cold I can come out and chop for half an hour and he guarantees I’ll feel warm afterward. So far, I’m not great at it. I just don’t hit the axe hard enough on the wood. Daniel does though, and I’m going to practice again. Just as we finished rinsing our wellies in a big puddle it began to rain. So we ran up to gather our bedding sheets which were drying on the clothes line. We each ate a hard boiled egg, some yogurt and granola for breakfast and now we’re upstairs. Daniel is working and I am blogging. There: you know everything.
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