Friday, October 04, 2024

Letter from Boulder

 I flew here on Wednesday.

A house along the street 


It’s wonderful to be with my lovely family.


Photo by Isaac


Photo by Isaac

They are all out - Isaac at work, the girls at school, Wendy on a trip. I am sitting in the garden in sunshine, having just finished reading Old God’s Time by Sebastian Barry. It’s dark but also wonderful. 

I’m waiting for it to warm up a little before I go out on my bike.

It’s so peaceful here,  and the trees are so beautiful, and it is hard to imagine the hell that so many people in the Middle East and East Africa - indeed, all over the world - are living in. I am so lucky, so blessed. 


Hot Spot by Mona Hatoum 


The flight here was smooth and calm and the airports the quietest I’ve seen them, which was very welcome to this country mouse.

My usual route is via Manchester and Heathrow, but my flight was cancelled on Tuesday and BA sent me on Aer Lingus via Dublin. This route has two advantages- I don’t have to get up so early in the morning, and I clear US immigration in Dublin and avoid the lengthy queue in Denver.

The disadvantage is that my two tasty apples were confiscated by the immigration guy. And they were coxes! And coxes are so hard to come by these days. I was looking forward to eating something fresh and delicious on the plane. 

You’re not allowed to take fruit into America and I understand that, but the guy was adamant I couldn’t keep them and eat them on the plane as I do on a BA flight. This is because technically once you pass through immigration you’re on American soil, despite being in Dublin airport.

I said “Can I go back there and eat them and then come back to be screened?” And he said “No” with an unsmiling face (you know what immigration officials are like) and held up his confiscated fruit bucket for me to put them in. I could tell I wasn’t going to persuade him so there was no point in telling him what I once told a greengrocer - that eating the first cox of the season is an orgasmic experience. 

Once past the barrier I sat down and checked my phone. Isaac had texted to ask if it was going ok, and I told him about my apples. “I’ll bring you one when we come to meet you,” he said. And he did, and it was big and juicy but it wasn’t a cox. They don’t have them over here.

Well, it’s lovely to be here in the sunshine. Look at today’s temperatures:


I haven’t seen any bears yet but we had a raccoon in the garden this morning.

Photo by Cece

Photo by Cece


Time to set off on a bike ride.




Love from Boulder. 



3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great post Sue. Can just imagine the coxes apple & US immigration story - not known for their sense of humour!
In Boulder is seeing a raccoon in your garden equivalent to seeing a squirrel here? It sounds so exotic & exciting.
Enjoy your family time. I'm on holiday with some of mine on the Croatian island of Hvar at the moment, beautiful place, happy times. Sally 😊

marmee said...

So happy for you Sue!! And I go to stay with my daughter on monday!

Sue Hepworth said...

Hi Sally, Cece says they see raccoons about twice a month at this time of year. So much less frequently than squirrels. It’s the first time I have ever seen one. They look cute but have sharp claws and can be vicious.
Hi Marmee, have a lovely time!