Halloween fun

 

 

A visit to Shropshire - Wenlock Edge

August 6th

We’ve been learning -oems by heart.

1. Housman’s On Wenlock Edge.  We visited the spot in June this year, and walked around, along an easy path from much Wenlock, then a trickier one down the other side of the through the woods, until we could see the Wrekin’s ‘forest fleece’.

We later spent half an hour or so in Uricon (Wroxeter)

On Wenlock Edge the wood’s in trouble

His forest fleece the Wrekin heaves

the gale, it plies the saplings double

and thick on Severn snow the leaves.

‘Twould blow like this through holt and hanger

when Uricon the city stood

Tis  the old wind in the old anger

But then it threshed another wood.

then, ‘twas before my time, the Roman

At yonder heaving hill would stare

The blood that warms an English yeoman,

The thoughts that hurt him, they were there.

There, like the wind through woods in riot

Through him the gale of life blew high

The tree of man was never quiet.

Then ‘twas the Roman, now ‘tis I

The gale, it plies the saplings double

it blows so hard, ‘twill soon be gone:

Today the Roman and his trouble

Are ashes under Uricon

Labels: Housman, poetry., Uricon, Wenlock Edge 

Long Mynd.

The Long Mynd - Shropshire

 Another ‘literary’ pilgrimage - I read loads of Malcolm Saville’s adventure stories when I was a child.

But the walk was lovely, through Ashes Hollow, along the stream, as the heat increased throughout the morning. We reached the summit at around eleven, then headed down to Church Strettlon via Townbrook Valley.  a most welcome coffee and cake set us up for the hot walk back - only a mile or so along the road!  The light umbrella/ parasol came in very handy!

And a few more…

 More flowers as the season moves on.

Primroses

A different magnolia

Marsh marigolds/ kingcups

A white snake headed fritillary

and the first dandeli9n clock I have seen this year

More flowers

 

From a morning stroll around Gretton.

More signs of spring

 Blackthorn blossom on the bridle way and field edges

Lambs in the fields - quite well grown ones

Gardens in their spring time yellow

More magnolia

and more sightings of brimstone butterflies and orange tips, ‘lus one peacock seen in the garden this morning

Springtime

 Flowers and butterflies in Weekley Hall Wood. (31st March).

No photos of the flutters but we saw a comma, several brimstones and some whites , probably small whites.

Flowers were easier to catch on camera!

primroses…

wood anemones..-

a fine magnolia

and coltsfoot.

Lots of celandine too.

Partial solar eclipse

 Projected through binoculars at 10.38

and 10.51

 

and through holes in a lemon squeezer soon after 11 am

Puppet’s progress

 Onward to Saint Patrick’s Day

Patching up a favourite sweater

 An alpaca sweater which Harry bought for me in Holt, Norfolk, in 2016, not long after our visit to Chile.

It’s comfortable, comforting, warm and very lightweight.  Not a garment to be discarded!

Photo of the sleeve…

Visible mending rocks! 

Yet more ‘visible mending’

I’m very fond of these soft alpaca wool socks, which I wear as slippers. So when they began to wear out … I guess I should have posted the before photo!

more darned socks …

 

Getting through them -

The process

blanket stitching on a darning mushroom….

and another darn (ed) sock

 

Mending and making do!

 A sleeve, with basic darning.

and a sock with honeycombed blanket stitch plus weaving! Not sure how comfortable this will be with shoes…

Christmas 2024

 In Totton, as usual.

Silly faces at the table?

Pre Christmas Advent Calendar

and jigsaw

Personalised cards by Harry

Our puppet

Our stars

Our tree

on the table a card by Esther.

Burns Night 2025

 As we have done for the past few years, we invited four of our friends over for a meal and celebration of Rabbie Burns birthday. 

Harry prepared a meal of haggis and traditional vegetables - neeps, sprouts, baked potatoes  all served with a sauce of leeks, mushrooms and Guinness with a touch of stewed apple.

The haggis was addressed by our mini-guest and MC for the evening.

The main course was followed by apple crumble, served with cream or yogurt.

Afterwards we had performances of some traditional Scottish and Irish songs - Harry on ukulele, me on recorder, and Kevin on mouth organ.

Halloween again

 A few photos from yesterday.

We had lots of Halloweeners/ trick or treaters - all very polite and gruesomely dressed up.