[Magdalen] Who turned the heating off?

[ROGER STOKES]

It mus t have dropped 30 degrees overnight.  When the weather forecast says the expected high for the day was recorded justr after midnight Something Has Happened.  The weather yesterday was decidedly not clement, especially when the sky started leaking as well. This meant my sightseeing was decidedly limited. I did enquire at reception about a bus into town but was advised to drive.  Given the weather and what I heard today about some people waiting for a bus that never showed that was probably a wise choice.  The most interesting part of yesterday was looking at the covered market and a venture to the peanut store where I grazed and bought some Christmas gifts.

Today the weather was decidedly better.  It was dry and the sun shone, both of which were good things. I had decided to attend the main service at Grace Episcopal, for which I arrived in good time.  The Rector spotted my collar and greeted me before the service, which was a confirmation conducted by Bishop John Buchanan but with the Rector preaching. I explained that I had presided and preached last weekend at Summerville, then pointing out that it had been at Good Shepherd rather than elsewhere.

I had arranged to have lunch with Capers and her husband Walter at a nearby frestaurant.  That was a good meeting and a good chat about various things which revealed that our thinking is very closely aligned on matters ecclesiastical and medical, Capers being a hospital chaplain and Walter an ER doctor. The weather also came up as Walter had been enjoying the warmth at a meeting in Chicago until Thursday morning when he left - ahead of the snow.

After we went our separate ways as Walter had to go to work I did enjoy a wander round Charleston including being able to see across the water from Waterfront Park, something which had been impossible yesterday.  The area around where I am staying is pretty well devoid of reasonable places to dine so I headed back into town this evening to a bar I had found yesterday.  As I ordered my meal a couple of younger (to me) women appeared and one observed that I do not have an American accent.  They are a couple of Brits over here doing some training so we had a good old chat which certainly improved the evening for me, and I hope for them as I was the first Brit (apart from the Brother of one of them) they had encountered in the month they have been here so far.

After two days of relatively short trips a longer run awaits tomorrow as I notch up another state, though not one electing a senator this year.  Talking with Sharon and Emma this evening, and some comments I have heard from Americans while I have been over here, I wonder how well many Americans know their own country.  Certainly I understand I have seen more of the USA than some Americans have and Sharon was saying that US series that havemade it across the pond are not necessarily that well-known in their home country.

Roger