Scarborough with Rosie and Inga at Orchard Lodge!

Chuck and I made our way to Flixton near Scarborough for our last pet / house at Orchard Lodge. Scarborough is a summer resort town on the North Sea. It has a statue dedicated to Queen Victoria and was the place to stay during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. We stayed at the Royal Inn the night before heading to Orchard Lodge. The Royal Inn was a great but tired old hotel but our room was large and there was plenty of hot water and the view was gorgeous. It was also decorated for Christmas! Yay!

Our last Trusted Housekeeper's house/petsit was at Orchard Lodge, an absolutely delightful Bed & Breakfast in Flixton. Andrew and Lucinda entrusted us with the care of their two magnificent black Labs, Rosie and Inga.

We were lucky enough to spend a couple of days with Andrew and Lucinda before they went on their vacation to learn the lay of the land. They did warn us, however, that Rosie liked to eat stones but as long as she was on a lead, no worries. Chuck and I took walks with the girls and spent one afternoon at Filey Harbor strolling on the boardwalk. Surprisingly, there were quite a few surfers out. It was cold and windy! Brrr! 

Inga and Rosie really enjoy their walks but when we got up our first Sunday morning during our stay, Rosie had a terrible limp. She could not put her left back leg on the floor. We decided to take her to the vet. Rosie absolutely loves going to the vet. She knows her way around and does not mind being poked and prodded. The prognosis: nothing specific, a shot to help with inflammation, a daily pill (that she loved) and no walks. This was the first time in our 14 Trusted Housesitter assignments that we had to take one of the pets in our care to the vet. :( 

We had a wonderful time visiting Scarborough and walking along the harbor. We were able to visit Scarborough Castle and even had our own personal tour guide. The views from the castle were breathtaking. Ren, our guide, made the history alive. Even though it was very cold and windy, it was time well spent.

We were surprised that milk was still delivered and left outside the door!

Chuck and I had such a wonderful time in Scarborough and Orchard Lodge with Rosie, Inga and their humans, Andrew and Lucinda. They made us feel right at home. They offered to let us stay in the B & B side of their house after returning from their holiday to Germany. The Orchard Lodge is by far the best B & B we have had the opportunity to stay while on our Grand Adventure. The views are beautiful, the rooms are comfortably and tastefully furnished with an en suite and it's dog friendly! You could not ask for better accommodations or better hosts. It's within driving distance to Filey (a quaint little sea village), Scarborough, and York is only an hour away. There are also lots of places for long walks through the moors and countryside.

Andrew and Lucinda certainly made our last stay as Trusted House special. Lucinda prepared a wonderful Sunday Roast that we shared and when we left for the airport, they got up really early to see us off. We've made new friends. There was only one incident that caused some excitement and a little bit of trepidation. Rosie managed to eat a stone after Lucinda and Andrew returned home. She got to return to her beloved vet's office for surgery to remove the stones she had consumed, but she's home now and doing well.

I have sad news to share. Our little Reanult Clio that we named Frankie became ill and developed a really bad cough. So bad, in fact, that at times we did not know Frankie was going to make it to Scarborough. Chuck and I decided it was time for Frankie to go to the big scrapyard. Frankie was almost 20 years old and she gave us all she had for six months. It was sad to see her go but we later found out that even though she had been scrapped, she was able to give life to other Clios through organ donations and skin grafts. Frankie, we miss you!