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We're Here!

We made it. The pets made it. American Airlines in Seattle jerked us around for nearly 4 hours, telling us they couldn't take the cats because we hadn't made a proper reservation with American Cargo but I had confirmed the "pet space" three times with passenger reservations. That was the problem, the cargo folks are unionized and don't communicate with the passenger reservations department. It was harrowing, but we got them on as checked baggage (Cargo wouldn't take them at all because they didn't have an airbill) and the manager at Sea-Tac and the cargo guy got through to the Cargo people in Dallas who met us as we deplaned and took our documents and put the cats in cargo, so everything met the british Pets Scheme requirments. It took 3 hours to clear and pick up the pets at Gatwick but they're fine and we're all staying in a hotel in Ilchester.

We don't have any photos to post yet but this is only our second day in England. I (we) now have a cell phone, the number is 07867921563 but take note of the time difference, the GMT is our time zone and is displayed in a small box on the right side of this page under the weather pixie. If you're not a friend or family and want to prank call me at my cell, go ahead, it costs at least $3.00US per minute so knock yourself out. I know I'll get a kick out of it.

We've been in touch with just about all the letting agents in Yeovil and Sherbourne, and have a couple of possible rentals to look at next week. I'll have to rent a car for a fortnight (two weeks) so we can go look at them, which I'm not too thrilled about, the cars rents for about 100 pounds (quid) per week, multiply by 2 to get US dollar equivalents, and I'll still have to buy gas. It's a necessary evil, as is eating here which is very expensive as well. Oh, did I mention the cell phone? I suppose I'll stop complaining when I get my travel claim settled and start getting paid COLA.

On the brighter side, Ray and Stephanie Saldana have rented my house...they'll move in the first week of Feb, and have already sent the first month's rent and deposit. They're great and I know they will take good care of the property.

Rhonda decided yesterday that she never (yes, never) wants to leave England. Everyone (yes, everyone) here is SO very nice and polite and helpful it would just make you sick (with envy). The villages are beautiful, even now in late January...the river Yeo runs just behind a grassy lawn behind our hotel. So, don't you "wish you were here" (some of you will get that). More later,
Love, Phil and Rhonda.

Are we there yet?

Well, you've heard a lot about it, now it looks like the day is here...at least in a day or two. I don't want to say too much right now, but those of you who know us well know that we're "transitioning" and that the preparations have taken months of careful planning. Not everything has gone exactly according to plan, but we're in a good spot, taking it day at a time and I know that things will work out for the best in the end. We may not have internet access for a while, maybe a month or two, so don't be dissapointed if this is the last post for a while. I will do my best to get connected and post some news and pics as soon as I can. In the mean time, God bless you all, please write us at our e-mail addresses, we'll get back to you as soon as possible. The near future is very exciting and we're ready to make it happen. Talk to you soon.
Phil and Rhonda.

Ice cold and blowing...

Most of the small lake I hunted this morning was covered with half an inch of ice. When I arrived before dawn there was only a small area of open water which just happened to be right in front of my blind. I tossed my decoys out into the water but the wind was blowing hard directly toward me so most of them weren't far enough from shore to suit me. I climbed down the bank into the frigid water and waded out to place the decoys a bit further out. I went as far as the edge of the ice and grabbed it to see how thick it was. It was nearly half an inch and moving slowly toward the shore! I pushed against it, but it was like pushing against a solid sheet of ice almost half a mile square!
I realized that soon my decoys would be pushed under the ice and would be gone until spring so I hauled them all out and tossed them onto the bank of the pond. As I was in a hurry, and flustered, not knowing how I would make a good hunt of it, I slipped on a patch of mud beneath the icy water and fell headlong, drenching myself up to my armpits. Great, now I get to hunt wet and cold.

I finished collecting my decoys and went up and sat in the blind to warm up a little, out of the wind which was blowing nearly 25mph. I decided to just pass shoot until I could think of a better option. Just after dawn I saw a bunch of ducks off to my right, in the water, about 100 yards away. I thought I might sneak up and jump shoot them. Soon I was startled when I heard a loud shot from that area and realized they were another hunter's decoy spread. Oh well. Not long after that three canvasbacks flew in over my right shoulder, into the wind. I shot one which fell, of course, out on the ice. Buster bounded out to retrieve it but there was only 3 feet of open water before he hit the massive ice cover. He tried to get up on it but didn't have any leaverage. I called him off, not wanting him to hurt himself, banging on the edge of that ice shelf. A gust of wind came up and blew that duck 20 yards back, sliding off the ice and into the open water near the bank. It was hilarious seeing that duck sliding across the ice. I sent Buster back and he got the can and brought it back to the blind. One for us!

Around 9 or a little after, the other hunter started picking up his spread. He had two dogs with him which had been very well behaved. After picking up, he crossed the shallow channel that separates the little island that he was hunting on from the shore, walked up a bit and put down his game bag and started towards me. I went out to meet him and to have a chat. He pulled back his hood and I realized it was Dean, whom we'd just dined with a week before! Well, Dean and his dogs joined me and Buster in the blind for a while. A lone mallard hen crossed our left quarter, we both shot at nearly the same time and she went down. Of course all three dogs were after her, she'd landed in the field behind the blind about 50 yards off. Dean's new young chocolate, Bailey, came running back with the prize! After a while Dean left the duck with me in exchange for a promise of some duck pepperoni sticks and Buster and I were alone on the pond again. It's been a poor season here on the coast and we were fortunate to have these two in the bag. I winged another mallard later on but it landed past the first patch of ice (the ice was now breaking up a little but large pieces where jammed up against the shore). I set out in a row boat and chased it halfway across the lake but it lost me. So Buster and I packed it in and set out for home, a bath, some eats and hot chocolate.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Happy New Year, everyone! Happy Birthday to Rhonda! Hope you had a great year and that this one will be even better. We've both been pretty sick with the cold/flu thats been going around, me more than Rhonda, although I was only down for a day, hers seems to be dragging on. We partied with some friends NY's Eve although it took everything we had to make it all the way to the countdown. The hunting here has been very poor and the weather has been uncooperative. I cancelled plans for hunt the day I got sick and am still waiting for some "ducky" weather. It's cold but sunny and clear, so I think I'll go for a little ride on the harley. We've only got a few more weeks to finish up our business and get on the road. I don't know if we'll be without internet service or if so, for how long. So don't be surprised if you don't get an update here for a few weeks. All of our household stuff will be packed up and we will be staying in a hotel for a few days before we fly out. When we get there, we'll be staying in a hotel until we can find a place to rent, and it could take a couple of months for our shipment to arrive. Hopefully our hotels will have internet access, and I can post some pics and news along the way/when we arrive. We'll have about three weeks before I actually have to go to work, and we hope to be able to do a little sight-seeing during that time.

Our holiday was really nice, we had a smoked turkey and a friend of mine, James, came over for dinner. Smoke turkey is really tender and juicy, with a light smokey flavor. It takes me about ten hours to smoke a 15 lb turkey (I use a charcoal smoker).