Morning y'all

CORINNA'S DIARY: Saturday 6th March. Morning all. Before we left Woolsery I had decided to make notes to log the more unusual, or downright annoying, or funny incidents of our expedition. This, of course, including a record of people-watching, because people can be peculiar beings sometimes.

This plan changed slightly due to the fact that just before we left, two coins were found on the office floor. No-one is sure where they appeared from but it was somewhat of a surprise to note that both were of foreign origin - one being American and the other Mexican. No such thing as a coincidence, I am often being told - and over the last few months I have erred towards the same opinion.

So, from the moment my right foot left the platform at Barnstaple and placed itself on the train, out came the notebook. It was not long before the first subject of noteworthiness boarded the train - at Crediton, to be precise. A young man sat at the end of the carriage facing me and from the moment he sat down to the moment we left at the next stop - Exeter St. David's - he proceeded to masticate on a piece of chewing gum. I have nothing at all against folks chewing gum but some people do seem to forget what they are doing - I have been there myself, and - somewhere out there - exists a video of yours truly ballet dancing in a show doing just that. I was concentrating so much on balancing on point and remembering my steps that I chewed my way throughout the whole performance.

This young chap was not partaking in some occasional tooth moulding of the sticky substance, but a full blown mouth open job that made me sigh with relief that I was not actually sitting in the seat directly in front of him as I am sure the sound would have impelled me to either slap him or remind him that it is rude to eat with one's mouth open and that I would rather not have to see the grey matter being thrust from one cheek to the other accompanied by the noise similar to someone running very quickly through sticky mud.

Eeek! I am turning into my mother! Critical, aren't I? Well, I have reached the age now where I am allowed to be, so there.

There are several other things I could write about here, but if I did it would probably end up as a short story, so I shall have to save them for another time.

I am now sitting in Naomi's office typing this as I look out on the vista before me. So far, on this first morning in Texas, I have seen a hawk lazily fly past, and four vultures hovering overhead and can actually say that I am not in Woolsery anymore.