Trains, Ambulance Rides and a Priory

It started as such a nice day.

Fred and Bessie were excited to take their first British train ride, and we waited patiently, content to watch the huge white clouds roll across the azure blue sky. The kids chattered and Hubby checked through the tickets one last time, and I took an inventory of the camera bag. Imagine how startled we were to hear the soft quiet, "Um, help please", coming from the train tracks.
Bessie had stepped a little closer than she should have to the tracks and her hoof was caught. It was kind of amusing at first. I think Fred maybe even grumbled at her a little bit -- until we heard it. The train was coming! I was running across the car park, Hubby was trying to grab Miss Ky, but we both knew there was no way we'd reach Bessie in time. Thousands of thoughts rushed through my mind and I felt like I was living one of those nightmares when you're trying so desperate to run but your legs are filled with lead.

That's when he did it.
The most heroic thing I have ever witnessed.

Fred THREW his body into Bessie's, knocking her clear of the tracks, and the train swooshed past.
We were all so relieved that Bessie was safe, that it took a few moments to realize that Fred wasn't getting back up. He lay motionless on the pavement.

As you can imagine, it was a very emotional moment and I learned something very interesting about how I will react in a crises. I did not shoot any pictures. I have nothing to show of the level crossing, I don't have photos of the train. I am not even totally sure that I didn't throw my camera down as I was running for those cows.

I did however, catch the tender moment when Bessie leaned down in relief to kiss Fred when he told her she was standing in his view of the ice cream shop. After a 9-hour surgery, Fred's horn is going to be good as new. In fact, he's feeling so good, we went sightseeing today.

Bessie stayed close by him all day. This is their first view of Castle Acre Priory.
Fred's had his bandages changed recently...

Silly cows making faces like the gargoyles

Isn't it gorgeous?

From Wikipedia:

Castle Acre Priory, in the village of Castle Acre, Norfolk, England, is thought to have been founded in 1089 by William de Warenne the son the 1st.Earl of Surrey who had founded England's first Cluniac priory at Lewes in 1077. The order originated from Burgundy. Originally the priory was sited within the walls of Castle Acre Castle, but this proved too small and inconvenient for the monks, hence the priory was relocated to the present site in the castle grounds about one year later.

The church itself was consecrated sometime between 1146 and 1148. While the Warenne family may have been the main benefactors of the priory, others also gave generously to it, for example Scolland, steward of Alan Earl of Richmond, who was in fact buried there. The

nave of the church is one of the oldest parts of the ruin, however subsequent additions continued to be added up until the priory was dissolved in 1537 under Henry VIII, and when the King gave the dissolved priory to the Duke of Norfolk complete with its estates, the remaining monks were turned out. The estates eventually passed to Sir Edward Coke, whose descendant, the Earl of Leicester now owns the ruins and Castle Acre Castle.