Thursday was the most therapeutic day of the trip. It was a lazy day because we hardly did much in the way of manual labor. After a late sleep in and vacuum, emails were checked and our bags were packed for London. Vacuuming was our attempt at cleaning but we justified putting an end to domesticity in the name of procrastination. We unanimously decided to clean in the morning. The rain helped us keep the pace nice and slow. After lunch we ventured outside for a drive through the countryside. We had to complete a mission. We needed to find a final resting place for our friend Stef. (Yes. It is what it sounds like. Quick background..Stef was our stand-in guy friend and best bud. He was fixture in all our lives. He was older, kinda wiser and a total jokester. He passed away last spring after suffering from a major stroke.) We figured England was an appropriate choice since we planned to tour Europe with Stef before he fell ill. I’m still pissed at him for that but since he couldn’t make it, we brought his ashes.

We drove up to a small local airstrip to admire the view…of the fog. It was lovely. We then moved on to uncharted territory by selecting the uber narrow roads lined with adventure. Scratch that, those were trees. They were beautiful, sparkley from the rain. Completely peaceful. Our meandering path led us to Collyer’s Brook where we got out to stretch our legs. Its located in Dorset and is part of the Dorset Wildlife Trust. We followed the foot path through the woody fields, over the fences and up Sutton Hill. Our part of Florida is rather flat and approximately one foot above sea level. Climbing a hill was suddenly a novelty! And what a gorgeous view!

I’m quite proud of my camera handy work too. I managed to grab a shot of all three of us as we avoided cow patties and mushrooms. We all managed to stay upright for the entire trip. Just as we made it to the top, it started to sprinkle so we gingerly made our way back down hill. I kept expecting Ewan McGregor to pop up wearing a Barbour coat and wellies, offering us sanctuary and cup of tea. Amazingly enough, he didn’t show. But it would have been cool if he did.

By the time we made it down to Collyer’s Brook, I was convinced this was the perfect place for Stef.  There was a moment of silence and a giggle before Stef floated down the creek. He would have been highly amused. We briefly considered putting him in a bottle with a note…”Hi, I’m Stef. Throw me back in, I’m going for a ride!” But we didn’t think strangers would have appreciated his sense of humor. I miss Stef. I miss his jokes, his ridiculous stories and his uncanny ability to find designer clothes on sale. He was my cheerleader, my dinner date, my sounding board, my antagonist, my friend. And that’s just me. He has a whole lifetime of people that miss him too. But I’m comforted by the fact that Stef isn’t in Florida, Minnesota or even Collyer’s Brook. He’s with me.

Melancholy aside, it was a really nice day. It was our last day in Dorset. By morning, we would be heading to London. With feather boas.