Have you ever wondered why gates are so perfect in Britain? Probably not but I have. The one above proves that they really are quite “perfect” in England. Of course, this one has golden edges, and it is located at Windsor Castle (where the Queen likes to kick back on the weekends). But that’s beside the point.

Even the ones in Britain that are old beyond imagination are often restored, refurbished, and reused. Not in America, we discard things like gates. We place them on the side of the road for garbage collection, and then drive to Home Depot or Lowe’s where we purchase new ones. Can you imagine see this one on the side of the road in Windsor waiting to be carted away to the recycling center or worse—the garbage dump? Never! It chills my soul to think about it.

Have you ever had one of “those” days when you wanted to hop on a train and just ride until you can’t ride any more? Well, today is “one of those days.” In fact, do you remember the ad on TV (if you are in America) that said, “Calgon, take me away!”? It was a marketing campaign created to “take us away” mentally from the stress of the day. This photo was taken a couple of years ago while I was in England. The thought of it flashed back through my mind today and immediately, I was there and not here. What was I thinking about the moment I took this picture? Getting back to London to have dinner with friends. . . . . Calgon take me away!!

Hang with me because I’m about to take a right hand turn tomorrow and promise that the posts that come next will be in a new direction. This one was taken in Oxford, England, while walking down a lovely lane.

I’m trying to understand why some things seem more beautiful in England than in the States. A rose that has grown up beside a well-seasoned downspout—who would have thought this would draw anyone’s attention but it did . . . and the memory lingers.

This old gate is one that C. S. Lewis would have passed many times on his way to Holy Trinity Church at Headington Quarry in England. I don’t know why I thought of this quote from Prince Caspian when I posted it last night; I just did. I hope you enjoy it, too. And if you have not read Lewis’s Narnia books, the summer is a great time to do just that—read.

“He led them to the right of the dancing trees—whether they were still dancing nobody knew, for Lucy had her eyes on the Lion and the rest had their eyes on Lucy.”