Letter To Darling

A Memory of Bottesford.

Dear Herbie, You tell me so many great stories. I'd like to tell you one. On our way to Thirsk that day in 1990, Molly, Cassie and I spotted a castle tweaking our curiosity. We bumped over a 2 track path winding around and up the hill. It must have been a farm trail. We found ourselves on the side of the castle. We wish we had taken notes and better pictures, because we don't even know what castle it was. It was guarded by gnarled, moss covered, ancient trees whose branches rubbed a spooky, creaking protest from far above. Around the bottom of the castle, we imagined we were looking at dungeons. We walked around to the front at the foot of the castle, peering downward to the village below. A friendly fat sheep came to us. I wanted to take a picture of little Cassie sitting on her. Molly was skeptical, but I insisted, so over the fence they went. I never got the picture because just as Molly set her down, a ram charged us. We thought it came around from the other side of the castle, but now that I have the pictures blown up, I can see him lurking in the background. Molly tossed Cassie to me clambering over the fence in the very nic of time. As we tried to calm our hearts, our next assailant was a castle caretaker who ushered us out rather unceremoniously issuing threats. It was really cool!

PS Mol, Ihave found a letter you wrote to Granny after this day. It was Belvoir Castle. You disappeared exploring. I couldn't follow cuz of my crutches. You saw dungeons and garden mazes. When you came back, you wanted me to see it so badly, you drove up a woods path to get me closer.