LOCATION: Housesitting in the Yorkshire Dales

WEATHER: Pretty miserable. Highs in 30s. Rain all day

Due to the weather, we stayed inside most of the morning, brushing the dogs and playing with them. The homeowners kindly left us lots of Yorkshire specialties, including some Yorkshire cheese, bread, and ham which we had for lunch.

We decided today would be a good museum day, so we drove about 10 miles to the village where James Herriot grew up. He is the author of the series of books about being a vet – like All Creatures Great and Small, which was also a BBC TV show that I loved.

When our children were small, we watched this show every Saturday night. Touring the museum, especially during the film I got a bit teary-eyed, remembering those good times.

This is the real James Herriot. Herriot was his pen name. We learned that he couldn’t use his real name as that would have appeared as illegal advertisement.

This is the car that he drove in the TV show…

The house includes rooms that he used as a surgery and as a pharmacy…

It was quite interesting. After the museum, we stopped at a local pub for a drink. It was a coaching inn in the 1700s and we saw the rooms and stables in the back part.

Back home, after walking the dogs in the rain, we hunkered down inside. The weather is supposed to improve starting tomorrow.

DINNER: Appetizers were Scotch eggs. Then, leftover fish pie with a side of steamed asparagus and mixed sauteed mushrooms.