The Woods are Lovely Dark and Deep, Plus More of Matt

 Upon arising this the 27th day of July - exactly one month before we will be released - we decided that it was a day to see a local sight. Off the beaten path, and definitely not something a traveler passing through would take time to visit, we trotted off to the Oxford University Arboretum. Situated about six miles out of the city center, it was an easy drive. 

In July, there are not many flowers to see, but it is not difficult to imagine what it would be like in April - glorious! As it was today, the woods were beautiful. We walked through meadows and into magnificent woods overgrown with ferns and high-canopied trees. Immediately upon entering, we were met with the cool hush of the forest. You would never have known that a bustling city lay nearby. 

That is a gift that England gives its people. Forests are everywhere and are protected. With all of the rain, the landscape everywhere is green, lush verdant green. As a rule, most of the vegetation is given a bit of a free hand to grow up and over anything it chooses, and except for the immaculate landscaping of castles and large estates, has a charm to it that is difficult to describe. It goes hand in hand with the idea of a cottage to me.

We walked through, admiring the trees, the ground cover and snapping about a hundred pictures, content with our tourist-trip of the day.

Among my contacts for the day was Matt. I sent him a short video of a quote from Elder Uchtdorf (what's not to love about anything he says?) and he responded with a thanks and an invitation to dinner! 

At the appointed time, we met him at a restaurant in the mall nearby. He had told us about it and said that they had excellent hamburgers. It is called Dirty Bones, and according to Matt has Americanized food. At his suggestion, we ordered a hamburger that was topped with brisket and mac and cheese. On the side we ordered mayonnaise and a hot spicy sauce. It was incredibly delicious! - every single bite.

We spent three hours with him over dinner talking about everything imaginable - from philosophy to time, to the Joseph Smith story to flying an airplane, to volunteering with the NHS to give COVID shots, to the purpose of life, to flight training in Goodyear Arizona and much more. It was a fascinating conversation.

At the end of the evening, we said goodbye and we walked the less-than-ten minutes home in the cool quiet of the night, circumventing the puddles and the mud - it had rained while we had been inside.