I was working on this post when we got the terrible news of more gun deaths in the US (including another school shooting in our beloved Colorado). Again, I am uncomfortable sharing our travels when things are so awful for so many people. However, many of you have encouraged me to continue, so I will. However, please put this aside and review it when you are ready. 💔
At the end of August, we took the dogs on a walk down our lane on a beautiful day. ☀️
The next day was cloudy but still enjoyed the walk down the lane. 🌥️
Steve drove down to Exeter (about an hour away) see New Zealand play Japan in the Women's Rugby World Cup. I watched it on TV but Alfie was not interested. 😴
Lots of time to read (or nap) on this pet sit and Alfie didn't really care about US Open tennis either. 🎾
We went back to Wells for an afternoon show called The Music of Trees with Trio Paradis at the historic St. Thomas Church. It was a lovely concert with great sound in a beautiful setting. 🎼
Saw this cutie after the concert. 🚙
Nice view of the Gothic architecture of Wells Cathedral (started building it in 1175!). ⛪︎ Wells Cathedral ... is a Church of England cathedral ... and is the seat of the bishop of Bath and Wells and the mother church of the diocese of Bath and Wells. There are daily Church of England services in the building, and in 2023 it was reported to receive over 300,000 visitors per year. The cathedral precincts contain the Bishop's Palace and several buildings linked to its medieval chapter of secular canons, including the fifteenth-century Vicars' Close.
Vicars' Close is a dead end street ... and it is reportedly Europe's oldest residential street with the original buildings still intact. John Julius Norwich called it "that rarest of survivals, a planned street of the mid-14th century". It consists of numerous Grade I listed buildings, totalling 27 residences (originally 44). 📸
The Wells High Street (what we call Main St in the US) next to the cathedral grounds. 🛍️
After doing more research on Ancestry, I found a possible relative in my grandfather's family tree. We communicated via email and found out we were only an hour away from each so we planned to meet for lunch. It was a thrill to meet Jane - my (new) third cousin! 🧑🧒🧒
Her grandfather (CJ Kenna) and my grandfather (Lane Kenna) were cousins .. and quite dapper back in the 1920s! 🎩
We had a great time sharing family stories. Jane's father was from the Isle of Man (IOM) and moved to England before she was born. She spent many summers visiting the IOM to see extended family. We promised to keep in touch and visit again when we planned to be back in the UK next July. 📆
Another rainy day back in Somerset meant lots of naps. 💤
After the rain cleared, we went to a nearby park for walkies. 🥾
Quick stop to the grocery where they had this super convenient service hub - right in the grocery car park. 👍
Along with the two cute doggies, Steve took care of 5 chickens. We also had two sheep in the paddock but they belonged to a farmer down the road so we just got to enjoy having them nearby. 🐓 🐑
Steve took these beautiful pictures on a walk when the moon was rising. 📸
It was the end of summer so we got to attend two local flower / produce shows. The first was a joint effort of two tiny villages, Dinder and Dulcote. 🌼
The Pilton Show was in a larger village so they had a much larger event. 🎪
There were dog and photography shows in addition to the flowers and produce. They also had beer, cake, and rides! 🎡
We had more rain so I included these photos. I have been getting a few questions about the lack of rain in England. 🌧️
I woke up early after a rainy day and was treated to a beautiful sunrise. 🌅
Lara was the younger dog (2 years) and she definitely put the spring in Springer Spaniel (image is from the short video below). 🐶
