Aug
09
Firstly, welcome to our new blog site: www.wrightaboutnow.com. There is so much that I want to add to this site in the next 2 weeks. I will upload some photos to the gallery and intersperse the stories with photos. At the moment we are still not on broadband, so if I want to upload photos to the net, I have to travel a few miles across town to use the internet at my sister-in-laws pub, The Hare and Hound, in Bidborough. There have been a few days lately when I have started question whether I am going to have enough to write about each week, then a week like this one comes along and I start to wonder if one blog will be enough…
Monday was scheduled to be the day our container arrived in Tilbury harbour. From the day we left SA we had been told that our container would arrive in the UK on Monday the 3rd August. We called the shipping company on Monday and got confirmation from the agents that the ship would dock later that afternoon, but that it would take about 2/3 weeks for it to clear customs. Then, on Friday morning (5 days after the ship was due) we got a letter from the shipping agents to say that our ship will now only dock on Monday the 10th (tomorrow). Well, what more can we do, but just wait? We have now been “camping out” since the 15th of June when our container was packed back home. If anything, it has taught us that we can actually live with just a few meagre possessions.
If I had to find 2 words to describe this week, I would have to go with “hot air”. The weather in Kent has given us perpetual sunny days with blistering hot temperatures, the eagles at the wildlife park used the thermals to soar high into the sky, but most of all because this was the week of hot-air balloons. On Tuesday night we took an evening walk and soon we were stopped by some very flustered looking guys from a hot-air balloon company. They were frantically searching for a balloon that had “gone down” and they could not make mobile phone contact with the pilot. We found the balloon in a field and soon found the place where it had carved its path through the trees on its way to the “landing” spot. Then, last night we took a drive into Tunbridge Wells to go 10-pin bowling. As we drove along the freeway we spotted another balloon (mysteriously the same colour and logo as the one in the field). Anyway, it rose, but not too high off the ground and within a few moments it drifted slowly towards the trees, crashed into them, and toppled over slowly and effortlessly. Within a little while it deflated and disappeared behind the trees. We don’t know what the outcome was. I just know that I am reconsidering my romantic notion of going up in one of those.
10-pin bowling ended up being a blast and this was the first time that Jenna had played.
On Wednesday we took a drive to Bewl Water. (www.bewl.co.uk) This is a very large dam just outside Tunbridge Wells. It must surely be the water sports dream of the South East. Paddling, sailing, zip-lines, 
king-swing, windsurfing, cruises, yachting and even giant plastic bubbles that you can get into and run on the water. The dam is surrounded by the most beautiful forests, playgrounds, and a restaurant. We hired mountain bikes and took a ride part-way around the dam. Now, I am missing my bike more than ever.
One thing which has grasped my attention a lot this week has been “the gathering of the geese”. Every evening, around the same time, flocks of rowdy geese have begun to fly in a V-shape over our house. They didn’t do this in the first few weeks that we were here and it is starting to make me think that they might know something about the changing seasons that we might still be taking for granted, thanks to the beautiful summer weather. They are beautiful birds and every evening when they fly over, I run outside to see them, but photographing them is proving to be more difficult than I thought.
Friday morning began under a cloud of misty fog. It was a beautiful sight to look across the open fields and see the fog hugging the trees and almost hiding them from our view. I think those moments might make for some good photographs in the coming autumn and winter months.
On Friday night my cousin Kirstin travelled down to visit us. We have not seen each other for more than 6 years and it was a wonderful evening of catching up, dining out and a whole bunch of laughs.
On Saturday we took a drive through to Sevenoaks and then went on to the Eagle Heights Wildlife Park. (www.eagleheights.co.uk) This park has Siberian Huskies, Meerkats, Cheetahs, Camels, Reptiles and of course every species of eagle and owl. They gave us a flight display by eagles, a South American Condor and various falcons that was absolutely fantastic. Sitting out in the open with those massive birds, whose wing spans are beyond belief, soaring just a few feet over our heads was breathtaking and a reminder to me that this planet is not owned by us. There are creatures of immense beauty and strength that we, more often than not, take for granted.
Do you have any idea what you can discover by walking around in the open fields for 3 hours? The recycled grass that the horses leave lying around does not smell bad, even when it is stuck to the bottom of your shoe; Ladybirds, which you hardly ever see in SA anymore, live on all over the UK; Dock weed really does undo the sting from the nettle bushes; apples growing in the wild can be seriously sour, acorns fascinate me, and little 7-year-old girls can walk a lot further than you think… well, that was just some of the things I enjoyed.On the other hand, Mitchell looked at me on Friday evening and said: “Mom, I just want to say thanks for bringing Jenna and I here. I know it’s not easy for you and dad and I know that you are doing this for us, but I want you to know that we love it here”. Well, if I was ever going to need affirmation on our decision to come here, that moment was it.
This is Kerry Wright!
August 10th, 2009 at 7:13 am
Hi there “This is Kerry Wright”… looks like you have taken to your website like a duck to water. What do you think of the current theme?
If you would like a custom theme made, let me know what you want and I can make one up for you. I have a cool theme maker.
Glad you guys are enjoying yourself and thanks for putting links on the website. It’s always interesting to hear about a place from other people.
I am thinking that wildlife park. We saw it when we last drove through Sevenoaks and was thinking we need to visit!
Take care,
Mike
August 13th, 2009 at 10:55 am
Hi Kerry – keep going – enjoying the journey!