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Just the news...

It's been a very long time since the last update, sorry about that. The photo is from a trip I took to Nimes, we drove down there and stopped overnight in Calais on the way home. That trip was excellent, and I'd recommend a visit to that area (Provence), but we actually preferred staying in Arles, not far from Nimes. I was there about a week, the drive was lovely and the weather was very nice, 25ºC and clear. Food and wine from that area is exquisite, I brought back a large bag of herbes de provence that Rhonda and I use at home, as well as half a dozen cases of wine from that region (Sirah and Grenache).
Since that trip I went to Scotland again for two weeks, brrr, and have been home studying every night and day (when I'm not working) for exams coming up in a week. School has been going well but I'm still very nervous around exam time. I missed halloween, being in Scotland during that time, and Thanksgiving was rather uneventful, as the silly English don't celebrate it here. Rhonda's Thanksgiving was last month (Canada), and I had to work on Thursday, but got Friday off. The other Americans were not available to do a big turkey dinner (we had one here at our house last year and hoped it would start a tradition) so we decided to wait until Christmas to do the turkey.
It looks like we will not be able to retire here as planned (at least not easily), so we're looking at moving back to the states while I finish my modules. I'll have to return to Scotland for a few months to do my project, and will be in a better position to decide what our future plans will be at that time. We're still selling the house and have a year to make plans on where we want to live. With so many things to consider and prioritise, we've decided to "sleep on it".
Dad got a ten-point buck I heard and I'm dying to speak with him and hear the tale. Bob and Sondra have moved to Spokane, Erskine and Hiroko bought a home and are expecting number two, James is off to Gitmo (I think he was born for it), Dave is working on his master's, Rhonda is working again (full-time soon) and I've got a small design project for a company in Ohio (more on that later). When it rains, it pours! So forgive me for being out of touch, I just haven't had a second to sit and write. After exams things should slow down a bit. For now, be talking to you soon!

Post Host Fatigue (PHF)

Well, our summer visitors have come and gone, and things are back to normal. Almost, that is. The house in Washington is going on the market - anybody want to buy? So there are some preparations and communications going on there. I'm playing catchup with my studies, have 4 papers to write by the end of next month and exams the first week in Dec. The weather has turned nice, and I've been riding the harley to work. Rhonda's Merc is back in the shop, we had to take it to Mercedes because they suspect a newly found software problem that only the dealer can fix (under warranty - they may even issue a 'recall' to fix this problem, we'll see). I've finally got the brewery fixed and have made a couple of batches of beer. Rhonda actually brought a cold back from the second Paris trip (I know, I'm cheap - but in fairness, she's not a very good shopper) which she shared with me after about a week, and we're both just now getting rid of the chesty coughs. Sad news, one of our neighbors (and friend) Derrick from the Halstock nursery passed away last week (cancer), and 12 servicemen from RAF Kinloss were killed in Afganistan when their Nimrod aircraft crashed (I visit Kinloss a couple of times each year and have friends there). Other news, our nextdoor neighbors may be moving away, sad news, but said that in the event our landlord decides to move back to his home here (we'll know in a month or so) we could rent their place, good news. That would be an easy move, wouldn't it. We hope, of course, that won't be necessary, but if it comes to it...

Exams

Long story here... I had exams for my first two modules in Brewing and Distilling. I could have arranged to take them locally, but since I was going to take the week off to concentrate on the exams, and since I've been to Scotland three times and Rhonda had never been, I decided to take a week, take Rhonda and go to Scotland and take my exams up there. Whew. So we went. I took my exams in Edinburgh at the school. We stayed at Kinloss, at the RAF base, which was great, but I had to drive three and a half hours to the school, but only two days, Monday and Thursday. I think the exams went pretty well but I won't have my grades for a few weeks. Rhonda enjoyed seeing Scotland but we're glad to be home. I'm enjoying a short break and will start up the next two modules in a couple weeks. Victoria is coming for a visit the week after next with Liz and Aversa. And I'm ALL caught up on my web-logging! So read, enjoy and e-mail us!

Boring February

Well, we were going to take a vacation and go somewhere warm (Egypt), but my travel schedule wasn't well defined enough to permit it. It's just as well, we signed up for diving classes on the base and should be qualified soon. This way we can just plan to go on a diving holiday, perhaps this fall.

I'm still working on my classes, have four papers to write and a final exam in June, but there's lots of time and I've made lots of progress. I'm really enjoying it, but it takes a lot of my time. That doesn't bother me, and Rhonda has been very supportive and understanding.

There hasn't been time or weather to do much of anything else, really. Too cold for many outdoors activities, and no time for travel or exploring. I'll go back to Scotland this month and have lots of other exciting trips this spring. My Mom is planning a visit in July, and Rhonda's parents will visit in August. We also want to take the harley down to France when it gets warmer, and I want to take Rhonda to Scotland and show her around, I think she'd love it. So there's lots of travel and visiting coming up this year. Oh, we're also going to Nova Scotia in October to visit family there, and a bit of hunting for me.

Well, gotta hit the books, and maybe work a nap in before the Super Bowl tonight (I'll be up late)!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas, everybody !!! Talk to you in the New Year!

My English Pheasant Shoot...

I thought I'd hung up my guns when I left the states, but as you can see I've been on a proper english pheasant shoot. (Like the outfit? That's not Buster, by the way, he sat this one out, although I will take him to flush birds on the next hunt.) We had seven guns, the rest are "beaters", and gathered at a pub for coffee and to organise ourselves for the day's hunt. I was invited by Mike, a nice man from our village, who organised the hunt, loaned me his gun, a spanish over-under, and got me a "license to kill game" from a post office in Sherborne. The hunt was on a Thursday, and the Sunday prior Mike took me to a clay trap and skeet range to test out the gun and hone my skills. The skeet range was more like an amusement park, there were more than a score of different areas that were set up as simulations, one that threw a pair of slow clays over a reed pond that simulated ducks flying over, for example. I've decided since that day I would pursue a shotgun certificate, that was great fun!
The hunt was a unique experience. We were scheduled for seven "drives", where we "stand on a peg" according to our drawn numbers. The beaters go around and try to drive the birds over to us. There a very limited area where we can actually shoot a bird, about 30 degrees laterally from the center and 45 degrees elevation up to 90, but never behind. The reason is obviously you don't want to shoot towards anyone to either side, or towards the beaters, or behind, where the retrievers may be standing. This calls for some quickness.
We had a lunch break after four drives, about midday. One of the hunters had brought a pot of broccoli and stilton soup which was heated on a gas burner in the back of a Land Rover. The soup was accompanied by some nice port and some buns.


As you can see, I was successful on this drive, although I shot a few other birds as well later in the day. There was one drive where I couldn't reload the gun fast enough to shoot at all the birds that were being flushed! The weather turned a bit nasty, and it was windy most of the day, so after three drives in the afternoon we packed it up and returned to the pub for a pint and some supper. We had killed 22 birds, not a bad day, and had a grand time of it. I made some new friends, and have been asked to beat for the next hunt, and to bring Buster along as a flusher/retriever - he'll love that!
I have a "brace" (a pair of birds, one cock and one hen) hanging in my garage, to let them age a bit, which enhances the flavor. Some will hang them until they drop to the floor, but I think I'll clean and cook mine tomorrow. In the mean time, Rhonda and I picked up our Christmas tree and got down some of the decorations from the garage. I put up some lights on the house, so it's beginning to look like Christmas around here. Tom and Vic had to cancel, so we'll be on our own this year, but we're hosting a party for our neighbors, they're always a hoot.
I'm sure I'll have another post before Christmas, but Rhonda and I want to wish you all some fine, merry Christmas Spirit! (With love and joy!) Also, a specially warm wish from me to all my "in-laws"... I think of you often, always fondly, and am so glad to have you (all of you) in my life. Thank you for all the letters and cards, phone calls and e-mails! We're planning to come visit you next fall (hopefully for a hunt with Dad and 'the boys'). Merry Christmas !!!

A casual update...

I know, it's not very exciting, but something to look at. I'm signed up for school and have just begun studying. I had my eyes checked a few weeks ago, seemed like my arms weren't long enough, and I'm sure some of you can relate. I ordered some reading glasses, which still aren't in yet, but I know they'll help me get through the thousand pounds worth of books I just ordered. I contacted the VA and they said they'd pay my tuition and fees, which is great, and now I have to do all the paperwork and then wait. I've become very patient, having dealt so closely with the government all these years. I know I'll have to wait. And wait.

I just read Pam's letter, Hi Pam, it's good to hear from you and get all the news. Valerie always leaves a nice comment on our weblog (Thanks, Val), which you all can read by clicking on the "Comments (x)" link at the bottom of each post, and then you can leave your own comments there, too, if you like. (I have to close them out after a few weeks or I start getting spammed, but I leave them open long enough for everyone to have a chance to comment.) Anyway, it's great to hear that the Barkhouses have gotten together and we hear you all had a great time! Nice to hear that one of you has reason to smile ; )

We're getting ready to take a trip to Ireland (ROI - Republic of Ireland), and are hoping that the weather cooperates. If it does, we'll take the harley through Wales, cross over on the ferry, and make stops at Waterford, Cork and around the Ring of Kerry. We'll end up in Dublin at St. James Gate for a few pints of Guinness. I have a short trip to Slovakia just before we go on holiday, then will be off to Bodo, Norway after our trip. I'm taking Rhonda with me to Naples, Italy for a couple of weeks and hope to see Tom and Vic, as well as pick up some shoes. After that I'm scheduled for a few weeks in Scotland, and finish up with a trip to Bulgaria. So, lots of travel for me over the next 6 months, and Rhonda will get to see a bit more of Europe as well. If all that sounds exciting it's because it is, trust me.

We won't make it back to N. America this year but I've promised we'll plan a trip about next Oct or Nov to Sheet Harbour. I've been so busy I haven't had time to miss hunting or fishing but I know it will hit me all at once and I'll be dying to go. Our long-term plans are changing due to my opportunity to take classes now instead of having to wait until I'm discharged, but we haven't had time to settle on anything too specific yet. We both really love it here but can't say what the future holds, it's anyone's guess at this point.

Supposedly we're having guests from across the pond next year, which is great, I wish we could share this experience with all of you. Our next-door neighbors just returned from two weeks in France and brought lots of wine back with them. They were camping and staying in B&B's in Bordeaux and along the western coast. We had them over for dinner the night they returned and shared a few bottles of their wine. It sounds like something Rhonda and I would like to do next summer, they really had a great time.

Well, "tah" for now, keep in touch, y'all, and thanks for visiting our site. Drop us a line...

Bad news/GREAT news!

Sorry no pictures, but I promise some very soon. Have been incredibly busy! The bad news is that I was not selected for promotion to CPO (chief). Oh well, it wouldn't have done me any good anyway, this is my last tour with the navy, and I have all the positional authority and responsibility I'd have as a chief already.

The GREAT news is that I'm being offered (and will accept) admission to Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, Scotland, postgraduate MSc, Brewing and Distilling Technology program. I'll sign on for the distance learning program so that I can begin right away! Wish me luck! More later, meanwhile you can check out the "ICDB" link in the right column of this page.

No news is good news.

Hi, everyone. It's been a while since my last post, because I've been home, not travelling. Not that things are boring but that last post is a tough act to follow.

We're both well, keeping busy in our "garden" (Did you know that the planted area behind your house is called a "yard" UNLESS it has grass, then it's called a "garden". Okay.) It's been pretty warm here, thankfully, and I rode the harley up to W. Ruislip (London), about 120 miles, Tuesday. Took the tube to London for a visit to PSD, everyone is fine, a little shaken but back to work. Rhonda has quite the tan going from working out at the nursery. The kids are all right, Scout threw up on our carpet and it left a stain (drag). Buster gets out nearly every day to the field nearby for a run, but we wait until it cools off a bit before taking him. So hopefully something exciting will happen this weekend! Later!

Now THAT's bacon !

This may be the best thing the U.K. has going for it. I almost fainted in the grocery store when I say these babies. Then I got weak in the knees when I saw they were only a little more than 2 quid for a pound. That's about half of what they charge for the meat-streaked fat in the US. Oh, is it good? Well, these were smoked and really, really fresh...you probably wouldn't like them.
Okay, so we've finally gotten moved into our new home. I promise some pictures of it soon, it's just that we aren't completely finished arranging (they say "sorting" here) things yet and the Spring is dying to get sprung but hasn't quite yet, so you'll just have to wait a little bit more......

We just got connected with internet at our house, they make you wait for ten days after you sign up before turning on your service. I'm sure I paid for those ten days, however. Try to set up a wireless Apple network in your home on a service who sends a free USB modem when you sign up. Oh, $ure, $ome clever folk$ have $ome workaround$ but $ee if you can without $ome new electronic$ and $ome frequent call$ to cu$tomer $ervice! Nobody out here in the boondoggles speaks "macintosh", but I got it done anyway.

So I apologize to all for the gap in communication. Several of you have sent very thoughtful cards wishing us well in our new home and we really appreciate them, thank you very much. I'm always surprised at how nice it feels to get cards and letters with pictures, not to mention the prayers we know are offered on our behalf, thank you all. I hope that you all appreciate these articles and the photos on the site. You are under no obligation to reply but please feel free to leave comments anytime!

It's late and I've run out of steam so I'll say bye for now! More soon...

Our new home, car...

We bought a car here, it was cheaper than renting one for two months. It's a Rover sedan, a nice car actually, with the steering wheel on the right. I've been driving around muttering "stay on the left, stay on the left" to myself. We also found a nice place to let (rent) about 10 miles south of Yeovil, and should move in at the end of this month. Our address is "Cherry Tree Cottage, Halstock, Somerset, UK, BA22 9SR". It's a 3 BR, 3BA, with a nice LR, kitchen, office, enclosed garden (small) and a garage. The area is gorgeous and we'll post pics as soon as we move in. There is a local baker and we're near a lake and goose/duck farm. More on this later...

Hello again!

We're still at the hotel but are waiting to hear if we've been accepted at a "letting" we saw yesterday that we liked. More about that later. Since it would have cost 50 pounds/week to rent a car and I needed one for at least 6 weeks we decided to buy a Range Rover sedan for 500 pounds. I should get the proof of insurance tomorrow and be able to register and drive it. The shop loaned us a Rover for a couple of days which was very helpful. More news at it happens...

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.

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).

Weather Report...

Not a Duck Report...since we have weather, but no ducks. 30mph winds today with gusts over 40mph, but no ducks. It was 56 degF yesterday, Dec 18! Okay, there are ducks here, local ducks that have been shot at since mid October, so they're wise. The show up 10 minutes after shootin' time and take off 30 min before shootin' time. There's not been a cold front to push the less wised up northern ducks down this way, so what we've got here is poor hunting. Not a great end to Buster's hunting career.

More Fun with Movable Type...

This is fun. Notice how the text is wrapped around the pictures now? See the caption under the cat's photo? Ha! This just keeps getting better all the time. (Thanks in a large part to Elise's "Learning Movable Type" blogpage. Thanks, Elise! )

Oh, Christmas Tree...

Well, we've put up our Christmas Tree.
Rhonda tried to convince me that an artificial tree was good enough, but after one look at Wal-Mart I decided to go get a real one.

The cheapest artificial tree was around $40, so I figured I could get a real one for around that. We went to Henry's Christmas Tree Farm on Boon Rd. and picked out a really nice one. We cut it down ourselves and hauled it to the truck. Henry's wife served us some hot apple cider and we had a nice chat. They only wanted $20 for the tree, but I made her take $25. We brought it home and decorated it, that was yesterday. It looks really pretty with a lot of lights and a bunch of decorations. Rhonda had a bunch and I had a lot, too. Sheilah had given me about a dozen really nice ornaments that were glass figures all painted up, similar to the old fashioned kind that had mercury inside, if you're familiar with those. Henry's wife gave us a leaflet that the Boy Scouts had left, where if you call them before the 6th of Jan, they'll come to the house and haul your tree away for a donation. I thought that was pretty cool, I used to be a Boy Scout when I was a kid and I'd rather give them some money for disposal than have to take it to the dump myself (and pay for disposal, too).

New looks, more info...

I hope everyone has had a chance to check out our weblog. As you can see, it got a facelift, and I hope to make some additional improvements, as if our postings weren't interesting enough.

We're still very busy around the house, it seems like I look forward to going to work to get some rest. Everywhere we turn there's some detail that needs attention. We got a phone call from the USDA in Olympia today, said they needed some additional information about the pets. I have a buyer for my beer refrigerator, I can't use it in England because of the voltage - I know, I could use a transformer, but the electricity would be too expensive doing that - and I didn't want to store it. It made sense to sell it, and it went fast! I am taking the Brew Magic, that only uses electricity when I'm making beer, and I will probably just bottle the beer instead of trying to set up another beer fridge. Bob Sulier, Pres of SABCO in Toledo, OH (where I bought my Brew Magic), sent me an e-mail today. I had been looking around for a replacement heater element, which Ace Hardware didn't have (not an exact match, anyway), and so I wrote Bob and asked if they would sell me a replacement. He wrote me back and said to consider it a going away gift for promoting the brewery (I get e-mails inquiring about it all the time, and usually c/c Bob when I reply), and to expect it UPS in a few days. Pretty cool, huh? They've been really awesome at SABCO, and how many times do you get to talk to the President of a company when you call? Well, I'll try to keep these short, and I have an idea about posting short messages about specific topics so that if/when you all have a question about anything you can check the archives. More on that later.

I'M BAAACK!

Hello, everyone. I'm finally back online and plan to use this weblog to keep you all informed of all that is happening to me and my wife, Rhonda. It's been a long time but I still think this will be a great forum for spreading the family news. I'll try to be more faithful, and will have Rhonda log in and provide news as well.

We're leaving for England soon, and have spent a lot of time fixing the house up. We've painted the exterior, cleaned the roof, replaced the gutters, trimmed the trees, cleaned up a lot of clutter, replaced our master bathroom sink, painted both bathrooms and are preparing the paint the bedrooms and living room. Quite a lot of our "stuff" has been sold or thrown out, as we're trying to lighten our load.
I'll pass this off to Rhonda, as I'm sure she wants to post an entry, and include some news for her family. I'll come back for another entry tonight.

Buster and I got a limit of ducks our first time out this season, not opening day, since I work weekends now, but the first Monday after opening Saturday. What a great hunt! I had six in the blind within 40 minutes, and was all done less than an hour later. Here's a photo:

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