Yorkshire–a walk on the moor

We stopped in York on our way home from Scotland.  Jeff’s aunt lives there with her family so they were due a visit.  we arrived at sunset and Cousin Suzie and Uncle David met us at our little cottage bed and breakfast to chat for a while and get reacquainted.  The next morning we headed out early to pack in a walk on the moor.  We had been listening to the Secret Garden audiobook as we drove so the kids were anxious to see where Dicken lived and roamed free.  We drove to the North York Moors National Park and got out to walk. Since I was little I’ve read and dreamed about the moors and I was so excited to actually be walking on them. It was drizzly and the grey sky and air made the green lush and stunning.  It was all that I had imagined and more.   As we walked we talked about what Dicken’s life might have been like out there on the moor. I explained to Hazel and Charlie how Dicken was probably wet most of the time, how he didn’t have rain gear, how he probably bathed once every few weeks in a tin tub.  How his chores were probably things like going to fetch the daily water, tending to and sheering the sheep, cleaning and drying meat. Charlie was especially excited about this lifestyle and said that he wished that instead of Disneyland (he actually did say that) he could go on a “Moor Experience” where you lived in a little cottage and didn’t have any rain gear and only had to take a bath once every few weeks.  I kind of agree with him.  I would love to try living like that with my kids for a week.  Is that weird?  I wouldn’t want it for more than a week, though a beautiful (and modern) little cottage on the moor for a summer sounds heavenly. I am sort of obsessed with ferns right now.  Isn’t that slow uncurling of all that detail and complexity beautiful?  My sister Shawni saw that and said it reminds her of how we are all unfolding, especially our kids.  Revealing their complexity and beauty and who they are leaf by leaf.  Hazel of course spent most of her time gathering flowers and making me perfect bouquets.  Have I written about that yet?  She told me that her dreamy day would be herself in a field full of flowers (daisies mostly so that she can make daisy chains) and a book.  I love that girl. Peter liked roaming free after being stuck in a car seat for so many hours. This is the gate we had to climb over to get onto the moor.  Charlie thought it was pretty awesome that he could figure it out and the cows couldn’t.  Smart boy.Isn't the lushness so soothing?Here’s our attempts at a self timer.  I need to take some lessons. 

I never saw a moor,
I never saw the sea;
Yet know I how the heather looks,
And what a wave must be.

- Emily Dickensen

I’m happy to have finally seen a moor. Now I just want to live on the moor for a summer (see that little house in the picture above?).  But, until then,  I hope can carry that peaceful sight in my mind. I hope on a chaotic day it will pop back into my head and I can feel the cool mist on my face and be calmed by all that green.