October 14, 2011
Dear Mum and Dad,
Here's hoping that you made onto the site without any difficulties and that life in general for you is going great. The mail route in particular.
Same for you, Rich! Hope you're doing well and can hold out until the tea comes home. While I'm thinking about it, what choc would you prefer--Cadbury, Galaxy ...? Wine Gums or Fruit Pastilles? Tell Mum and Dad your answer, and I'll get on it ASAP.
So ... I'm trying to remember what we did when ...
Aha, that was it! Driffield and Bridlington shopping spree occurred on Wednesday. It was a lovely, drizzly day: perfect for shopping, in my humble opinion, but the rain seems to depress the average Englishwomen (for example, Auntie Jean), and so one needs something to cheer one's self up--like chocolate banana fudge. It worked wonders, being one of the foods Auntie has dreamed about.
Good gerief, we must have visited every blessed charity shop in Bridlington. Wandered through the market. Checked out the harbour leading out to the North Sea. Dropped the fudge on the sidewalk--ah, you didn't read that. Had fish and chips for supper--make that ''scarfed.'' It was delish.
Right, that was Wednesday ... Thursday, I went out with Auntie to help with a cleaning job in Kilham. For a butcher, a certain Peter Harrison, son of the former butcher, William James Harrison ... long-lost relative, Dad? :) He's a perfect butcher; jolly type of guy with a big red apron. I think the whole time I was there, I dusted china pigs. And I gathered that Auntie was happy to put up her feet in half the time.
After supper, I went for a walk and a side road distracted me, so wandered along it; and because it wound up onto the hills, I got to soak in a sunset that started off in subtle loveliness and ended in a blaze of dusky red and orange glory. Then back to a bowl of caramel ice cream! Oh. And a banana, too. Of course. :)
Friday: got up to help Auntie, and she didn't waaaaant me ... sniffle, snuffle. lol. Lisa went with her, so I went for a walk first thing. It was amazing. The dew on the grass splashing onto my boots; the fresh air full of scents like newly-cut grass, damp earth, and livestock; the sunrise of bright yellow light; and the odd glimpse of animals, like a herd of Jacob sheep; a goldfinch (possibly?) with a red cap; a horse that turned his rump to me then turned around and stuck out his tongue, no word of a lie; and a sweet little fieldmouse that I actually held in my hands! Before you ask, I did wash my hands, no worries.
Anyways, I headed down the first road, turned around so far and then headed up the Sledmere road, planning, in my Canadian logic, to cut along the next road, then hook up onto the next, thus heading back to Langtoft. But after walking a distance, I noticed a sign pointing in the direction I was going that read ''Bridlington.'' Good grief! And my wegs were getting tired ... So I decided to cut across the fields, hopng the farmer wouldn't line me up in his sights and also hoping that it would connect with the Sledmere road. The path turned into a lane that wound through some woods--lovely, safe woods, Mum-- then hallelujah, the gate! Three hours. Crikey!
With love,
Jenn XOXO
Lever action commanding 22 tons of strength
Wedge-shaped battering ram dominates some of the stubbornest of knots
Our locally, annually rented Log Splitter :D It runs on gas and is easily transported behind a vehicle on a trailer hitch. It's one of our best friends of the season. We're a four-person team; Dad, Jenn and I take turns lifting the original log into place, operating the lever, and putting the split logs into the lean-to, while Mom operates the beverage dispenser and drive-through. 
A little helper for especially shy logs.
Jenn taking a break.
Renewed strength
A pin releases this model so it can operate vertically for those REALLY heavy logs.
About those heavy logs...
It takes a lot to stand up to 22 tons.
'Extra help for the operator' lol!
Transferring the split logs into our convenient lean-to.
Approximately half-full. We need over and beyond 15 cords of wood to last us through an average Canadian winter. Actually, we fire up the stove about mid-September for those chilly mornings and finish off around the middle of May, while our winter goes from November to April. A linear cord corresponds to 4ft x 4ft x 8ft of carefully stacked logs. 
Dear Mum and Dad, 
