Wednesday, August 14, 2013


A Mohawk, a Bouzouki – guess who came to dinner?

 

Sometimes I can go for days without talking to a single person but this last couple of days I have made up for it in spades.  Kim http://kimayres.blogspot.co.uk/
 is that rare combination: a good conversationalist and an excellent listener and his son Rogan is one of the most charming, laid back teenager I have ever met ( he made me feel my cooked breakfast was excellent (boys in the family don’t get big ideasJ)
 
Talk with the right person is very therapeutic ultimately, but the first night my brain was spinning all night as the wire wouldn’t be disconnected. 
We decided to do a pleasant circular walk- we started up North Hill where I suddenly groaned, clutched my chest and bent over.  Not surprisingly the boys thought I was having a heart attack but I had felt my pearls slither down my chest and I didn’t want them to spill down the lane.  Somehow the magnetic clasp had opened.

 We had a meal out in the evening and throughout the meal I was aware of the table on our left almost completely silent and apparently listening to our unstoppable blethering.  BTW beware of long chats with Kim if you have secrets you must keep.  I know he would keep mum but there could be stuff you should keep to yourself.

 We had a brief bouzouki break and I enjoyed its tone and versatility

After some map reading the next day we went over Exmoor to Tarr Steps which had family memories for all.  Kim’s father is a painter and Tarr Steps was one of his subjects.  Discretion overcame valour (I have previous as far as the Steps are concerned) and so sat quietly licking a honeycomb ice cream whilst the young and younger diced with death over the river.  I remembered the more acute danger of the stepping stones over the river at Bolton Abbey –but then they are tougher up there.

 
Having done another pleasant stroll we decided to have lunch at one of the two Inns at Exford.
I got Kim to choose but refused to tell him which I preferred and amazingly he chose the right one.  I thought it was very generous to do even more driving just to give me a spin and we all appreciated it – even following the two muck carts for a couple of miles over the moor.
 A few shots in the garden and it was time for them to start their journey home, where I’m sure Magggie and Meg were looking forward to hearing about their adventures in the south

Some photos below.

21 comments:

AndrewM said...

Dodgy barnet. But sounds like fun.

Pat said...

AndrewM: whose barnet? I was suffering from having the straighteners - my hairdresser bored with my locks.

Unknown said...

Sounds like a wonderful day! xx :-D

Pat said...

John: one sleep - two days. Great fun.

Exile on Pain Street said...

I'll bet you gave THEM a heart attack! You sure know how to make an impression. Father and son look exactly like one another (sans the doo).

OldLady Of The Hills said...

My dear Pat....First, what is a Bouzouki? I am not familiar with that word....
What a WONDERFUL visit....It sounds like you all have so much to talk about and share---Such a great gift!!! I hope you salvaged all your Pearls...!
Good Talk, Good Food, Lovely Time!

neena maiya (guyana gyal) said...

This visit sounds wonderful. I can *hear* it in this post how cheered up you are!

So Kim made you tell a few secrets, huh?
:-D

Kim must be so proud of his son.

Ooh, I am imagining Rogan and Kim's expression as your pearls went down...did you capture them all?

About Last Weekend said...

I live like a hermit most days and I actually like it just pottering around home. I love socialising but I'm not really a chatterer during the day. And you're right talking to the right person, so calming and yet so invigorating, you're lucky you have one of those in your life...

Pat said...

Exile: Oh that never struck me.

Naomi: see the photograph of Kim? He is holding his bouzouki.
The pearls didn't come unstrung and am wearing them now:)

GG: I caught them before they dropped - it was just the clasp.
As for 'cheered up' my French son and wife are here so am having more fun.

ALW: that is a surprise. It's bizarre the impression we can give from our blogs.
You should pop round for a blether sometime:)

LL Cool Joe said...

Sounds like you had a great time. Glad it was just the pearls that fell and not a heart attack. My french brother in law (aged 52) had a heart attack this week. Very scary.

Pat said...

Joey: do hope our BIL makes a good recovery.
One of the penalties of age is that is difficult to rescue one's pearls and say 'Don't worry I'm fine' at the same time:)

Mage said...

What a pair. A delightful visiit indeed.

savannah said...

xoxoxox just because!

Pat said...

savannah: likewise.xoxoxox

Pat said...

Mage: I'm so glad when they came last year they met MTL.

Anonymous said...

always save your pearls before anything else ... suppose they had come loose on the famous Steps ... eeek!

love the courage, confidence and conviction of the Mohawk!

rashbre said...

Brilliant fun, from your description and the pictures. And a bouzouki as well! Sounds as if you all stole the show at the meal in the evening too!

Vagabonde said...

That must have been an enjoyable outing. I like the sound of the bouzouki – it can make you dance or make you nostalgic depending on the song.

Pat said...

Rosneath: they are not that valuable but so easy to wear.

rashbre: well the conversation was wide-ranging - no holds barred. I'd have eavesdropped myself;)

Vagabonde: you are right the
bouzouki is very versatile and I like the mellow tone.

Ms Quotes said...

I love Exmoor....
I want to hear more about the secrets Kim's keeping... and your previous on the steps?
Qx

Pat said...

MsQ: that's for me to know and you to find out:)
Fortunately Kim says he instantly forgets.