Sunday, August 8, was a day for goodbyes.
Some were able to do lunch at the grandparents’ house before heading out.
Most were worn out.
Mick and Jill tried to teach the kids an old family card game called WHOT. Zeta, being English and a Graham, took to it quickly. Reuben, being American and a Thompson, much preferred running toy cars into the house of cards Tony was trying to build. As an analogy this may be simplistic, but those are my two sides.
That’s your last pic of Zeta, I’m afraid. But her dad reads this site occasionally — you can petition him for more.
Not that we’re done with kid shots. Here’s a good one of Reuben
He didn’t stay still very often to take pictures. Displaying key traits I did not have at his age, Reuben is not only athletic and active, but also has the social skillz. He spent most of the weekend hanging out with some 11-year-old girls he met at the hotel. Far more interesting to him than family.
My dad and family stuck around an extra night, so we did our evening meal in a pub the next town over. Walking distance.
The pub people told us they couldn’t seat us for dinner because they had a big party coming in at 7:30, and wanted to see what space was like. Come 7:45, none of this alleged party had shown up. Eventually we were seated in the lounge area, which was probably more pleasing anyhow. The music was ’80s — but not American ’80s, English ’80s, so it resembled my childhood memories more than your average VH1 nostalgia show. Yeah they had “Hey Mickey,” but also numbers by Erasure, Mel and Kim, Baltimora, Stephen Tin Tin Duffy, Bros, Wham, and so on.
Some other pub patrons taught Reuben to play pool, again something I couldn’t do at his age.
and I suspect Adam was calling a casting agent to put him in BABY GENIUSES 3
Food was good, not spectacular but solid, and better than at the Poacher’s. We look good n’ stuffed with it in this pic, anyway.
Walking home in the utter darkness of English countryside night produced some interesting images. Here, Adam and Reuben appear to be approaching the Black Gate of Mordor.
And low light plus motion equals visual fireworks — literally.
This night shot of the Poacher’s Inn has a real SPIRITED AWAY quality to it.
Not much else to report on the day, really.
Still one more to go (with more happening, I think. Sunday was mostly just family closure).
