Lauren's Lair: Here be dragons...

[Sephirah]

When I was researching my family history, I found a valley in Yorkshire that bears our family name. I met a guy from there, same last name but no relation, whose nephew is a photographer. He sent me several black and white photos of the valley and the hills. He said it didn't matter to him that it bears our name; he just thinks it is the most beautiful place in the world.

I wish the photos had been in color because the green hills and valley do look beautiful there.

Yorkshire is kind of known as a country within a country in the UK. Folks are fiercely proud of the heritage, and rightly so. I live right on the southern tip. On the border with Derbyshire. Not like in the really gorgeous parts of Yorkshire. But it has some of the best landscapes outside of the Scottish Highlands. Proper breath-taking stuff.

To give you an example...

[Lori Dee ✅]

Wow. That is beautiful!

[Sephirah]

Yeah, I'm not normally overly patriotic because there's a lot of the UK that's quite messed up... but we have a pretty amazing country with a whole heap of history and landscape. And more castles than you can shake a Frodo Baggins at.

[Dances With Trees]

thanks, Sephirah, for the stunning glimpse of the world in which you live! Way too much green, otherwise it could pass for parts of Montana.

[Sephirah]

thanks, Sephirah, for the stunning glimpse of the world in which you live! Way too much green, otherwise it could pass for parts of Montana.

Montana is 3x the size of the whole of England. With 50x less people. Isn't that mind blowing to think about?

[Charlotte_Ringwood]

Yorkshire is a very pretty county in a lot of places for sure. I used to live in Leeds and regularly go to north Yorks around Harrogate. One of my favourite places too is Burnsall. A beatiful pub and river there. Those parts of Derbyshire are nice too though.

There are lots of beautiful bits hidden throughout the UK. In the summer I can walk 5 mins from my home and feel like I'm miles from any town. The only real shame is the litter problem. I dont get it and it ruins the illusion of paradise very quickly.

[Dances With Trees]

With 50x less people. Isn't that mind blowing to think about?

Not if you're into sheep and cattle. Personally, I thrive in emptiness. But, Sephirah, what you've shared of the beauty of northern England, well, you're not missing much.

[Sephirah]

Yorkshire is a very pretty county in a lot of places for sure. I used to live in Leeds and regularly go to north Yorks around Harrogate. One of my favourite places too is Burnsall. A beatiful pub and river there. Those parts of Derbyshire are nice too though.

There are lots of beautiful bits hidden throughout the UK. In the summer I can walk 5 mins from my home and feel like I'm miles from any town. The only real shame is the litter problem. I dont get it and it ruins the illusion of paradise very quickly.

Funny you mention that, Charlotte. I will have to try and get a picture of it but there's a place not too far from where I live with a Blair Witch type woodland, babbling stream... and a big huge sign warning people against fly tipping. Which totally ruins the mood, lol.

Not if you're into sheep and cattle. Personally, I thrive in emptiness. But, Sephirah, what you've shared of the beauty of northern England, well, you're not missing much.

You and me both, Anni. As you put it: "Big sky country." I am not a city girl. Like... at all. I would feel on edge literally all the time. Give me a camp fire and a sea of stars at night, and I'm yours.

[Lori Dee ✅]

Give me a camp fire and a sea of stars at night, and I'm yours.

Now you are speaking my language.

Ditto.

[Dances With Trees]

As Garth Brooks so eloquently proclaimed, "No fences."

Bring your own wine (I prefer Moscato). Hot dogs roasted over an open fire are right up there with haggis.

[davina61]

I like Yorkshire, I have been to York and out and about on 2 coach trips with mum. It was a shame to see the moors burnt. We have views here at the Malvern hills to rival you picture, looking across the Severn vally to the Cotswolds.

[Dances With Trees]

Give me a camp fire and a sea of stars at night, and I'm yours.

It's a date, Sephirah!
Although, I would suggest we wait until June. If you build a campfire in Montana in January, you're probably in deep-sh** trouble. Or ice fishing.

[Sephirah]

It's a date, Sephirah!
Although, I would suggest we wait until June. If you build a campfire in Montana in January, you're probably in deep-sh** trouble. Or ice fishing.

I mean, I would not be opposed to ice fishing. I know you folks in the US have like insane weather compared to the mild stuff we get in Britain. But I do not do well in heat. Like... at all. If I went to Montana in Summer, I would probably melt before I got off the plane. I am the person who jumped into an ice hole in a lake for some training, and said "The water is lovely, jump in!" where everyone else was practically fainting from the cold. I think my blood is about 50/50 anti-freeze.

Kind of why I think places like Alaska, or Antarctica are so appealing. Hell even Siberia. I don't feel cold nearly as much as I do hot. I love snow, ice, all that stuff. I am in my element.

[Emma1017]

I agree, Sephirah, I am a winter person.  I hate summer heat!  You would love the annual Quebec Ice Festival.  We went two years ago.  Not as cold as Danielle's Alaska, but it was -26 degrees Celsius.  They have an ice hotel that you can actually stay in.  I chose the ice bar for warm drinks instead.

I love Northern England.  I have spent many years excavating on Hadrian's Wall.  It gave me so many chances to see sunsets and sunrises from the Wall. I love the combination of nature and history throughout England.  You all are very lucky!

[davina61]

To quote an English phrase (no offence meant) bugger that for a game of soldiers, any thing below 10C is cold for me but then if its over 25C its too hot!!

[Sephirah]

I agree, Sephirah, I am a winter person.  I hate summer heat!  You would love the annual Quebec Ice Festival.  We went two years ago.  Not as cold as Danielle's Alaska, but it was -26 degrees Celsius.  They have an ice hotel that you can actually stay in.  I chose the ice bar for warm drinks instead.

That actually sounds awesome. I think I would avoid a Flaming Sambuca in case the place melted.

I love Northern England.  I have spent many years excavating on Hadrian's Wall.  It gave me so many chances to see sunsets and sunrises from the Wall. I love the combination of nature and history throughout England.  You all are very lucky!

I think if Hadrian hadn't built it back in the 2nd century, the Scottish would have in the 20th, lol. It's so cool that you're into Archaeology, Emma. You might like this:

https://www.youtube.com/@TimeTeamOfficial 🔗

To quote an English phrase (no offence meant) bugger that for a game of soldiers, any thing below 10C is cold for me but then if its over 25C its too hot!!

Haha, none taken. *stamps your Brit card*

...

So... uh, yeah. Bit of a rough week. Anxiety and a weak heart do not make for good bedfellows. But it seems like I've only posted about woe-is-me stuff here recently and I can only imagine it's about as much fun to read as it is to write. So... enough of that!

I am getting my house re-wired next week. I doubt I'll have internet access from Monday-Friday. Knowing the kind of cowboys who do stuff here in Britain, that may end up being 'till March, when they inevitably break something. Or lots of somethings. Whole bunch of sweaty electricians marching around wondering why I don't have tea-bags, or sugar in the house ("What kind of Brit are you?!"). That'll be a fun conversation. As if I don't have enough people romping round already. Ugh. But hey, at the end of it I'll have more plug sockets than NASA, so... yay?

My house is quite old, though. And it needs doing.

[Lori Dee ✅]

But hey, at the end of it I'll have more plug sockets than NASA, so... yay?

When I was much younger, I helped rewire an old house and drop the second floor to allow bedroom space above it in what was the attic. Fortunately, no one was living in it at the time. The walls had been stripped down to the frame, and all the old wiring and plumbing had been removed.

Lowering the ceiling from 10 feet to 8 feet was an interesting project that took a couple of months. But once that was done, the wiring only took two weeks.

Hopefully, they will have you juiced up and ready to go in no time.

Hugs!

[Sephirah]

When I was much younger, I helped rewire an old house and drop the second floor to allow bedroom space above it in what was the attic. Fortunately, no one was living in it at the time. The walls had been stripped down to the frame, and all the old wiring and plumbing had been removed.

Lowering the ceiling from 10 feet to 8 feet was an interesting project that took a couple of months. But once that was done, the wiring only took two weeks.

Hopefully, they will have you juiced up and ready to go in no time.

Hugs!

I don't even need it. I literally live in one room, lol. But people need to make money. As long as they aren't expecting tea

[Sephirah]

I wanted to talk about this. And spoiler warning... this will be political. So please go read something else if this doesn't press your buttons.

So... the whole Trump Greenland thing. What is this guy actually smoking? The UK government are thinking of putting in place a sort of conscription thing where vets can be called up until the age of 65. I mean I could get called up under these measures even though I would be more of a liability than a help.

What is even going on? We did training exercises with our brothers and sisters in the US military. And now we're supposed to see you folks as the enemy because some orange guy in a suit wants a slushie?

I don't, this makes no sense. I thought we got rid of Hitler in WW2. How did you manage to elect another one?

[Pema]

I truly believe a lot of this has to do with the Mercator projection of the world map, which makes Greenland look 5 times larger than it actually is. Plus, it's near the US and seemingly vacant.

Things like history and international relations don't mean anything to him.