A View of America

I'm here. safely landed at Charlotte airport, North Carolina after a bit of a bumpy flight and a huge sigh over paperwork at Heathrow Airport (thank you to the wonderful young Muslim member of staff who admirably looked after me - even though his shift had finished!) 

Cathy Helms, my dear friend and fantastic graphics designer was at the airport to meet me, along with her Mom Lynn and Mom-in-law Julie (lovely to meet them) ... and the heat. North Carolina is hot and humid. Bit of a change from damp and breezy Devon!

Customs at  Charlotte was fun. I had arranged for assistance as my misty sight makes me a bit panicky (its difficult when you can't see clearly) so I had an escort (which meant queue jumping) but I had to be honest on the arrivals form that I had to fill in: had I recently been on a farm. I couldn't really avoid 'yes' could I seeing as my address is Windfall Farm. Had I been in contact with livestock? Again yes - so that meant I had to go through two lots of customs to confirm that no I had no soil, seeds or meat. No the shoes I had on were not the ones I wear in the pastures (as I said with all the recent Devon rain boots are the main footwear not fancy best shoes!)

So that done and baggage reclaimed we set off for 'home'...

Cathy's new-built house is wonderful and she and her husband have made me so welcome. My room surpasses any hotel! And as for Julie's cooking.... 5 star chef definitely!

I'm not used to sitting indoors all day I must admit - usually we lunch on the veranda or out the front of the house back in Devon, but then I'm not used to being cooked in what is similar to a furnace outside either! Indoors is cool (in all senses of the word!) 

lunch at home in Devon (with guests

We've squirrels on the lawn, I've seen a cardinal bird, heard the crickets (and we fended off the wasps determined to build a nest under the veranda table) and all in all.... having a wonderful time!

We are off to Denver for the Historical Novel Society Conference tomorrow - tune in again next week for my second American Instalment!

Previous post : What's in a novel? Fact v Fiction