The winds have been staggering for the past couple of days. The strength of the majestic trees is amazing as they flex to the point where they should break, but don't. I say that but, on the way to town to buy some bread this morning, we encountered two enormous beech branches filling the road. A couple of phone calls later and the local farmer came up with a tractor and disposed of them like so much kindling. One was at least 18" thick and the road had been completely impassable. It showed how much power a tractor has when needed. Sadly, I'd left my camera on the desk at home having been changing coats through the previous day due to constant drenching.
The Jubilee was celebrated with the Tinners' Fair in Chagford on Saturday where my son and other pupils at the school performed a fantastic puppet show. Chagford was made a Stannery town in 1305, hence the Tin reference. It was a lovely day with the threat of rain that never actually arrived. On Monday we watched the Two Hills Race rather than run it. It's been going for 35 years and is a gruelling slog up and down Meldon and Nattadon Hills, mostly over stumbly rough ground and a section through a bog.
Enormous puppets of the Queen and the Tinner made by the pupils of Chagford Primary School
As usual, the half term holiday has restricted my walks and I have reverted to my role as social secretary and taxi. Birthday party and friends over while partner and I have tried to restore the kitchen after building works have finished. A series of minor disasters involving a slight size disparity between Ikea and other company's units have meant progress has been slow but tonight we had use of the sink for the first time in weeks. Hooray!
The gale force winds have had a rather detrimental effect on the garden. Huge clumps of wood Forget-me-nots, Columbines and my particular favourite, Billy's Button (Water Avens) have been flattened. Nothing I can do other than cut them back and hope for a second flush from the Billy's Button. Nice posy on the newly scrubbed kitchen window sill though.
Billy's Button and Columbines
No work with Trigger this week but back to it next week in earnest. Rug on yesterday thanks to 'unseasonable temperatures' and torrential rain. I had my winter waterproof gloves on too. I had to include this beautiful Jay's feather, sadly the result of a predator's meal. Jays are very plentiful here and we often see them, despite their reputation for elusiveness.
Just a few more photos from this week and I'll hope to have more to tell next time.
Glorious view
Heath Bedstraw flowering everywhere. Used between bed sheets in the past because of its beautiful smell of vanillary new mown hay when dry. I tried drying it but sadly that smell is eluding me....
Leaden sky
Have a lovely week.
Loved your photos. Didn't the children do well with those huge puppets? I shall always call my Water Avens "Billy's Buttons" in future! Mine are flowering now too and managed to escape the worst of the wind as they are in the shelter of a wall and the woodshed.
ReplyDeleteYour sleeping foals picture is divine.
They did amazingly well. About forty of them with puppets of various sizes tramping up the hill to the square for the performance.
DeleteI love Billy's Button as much for the name as for anything else! One of my wild flower books says of the colour of the flowers that it is 'very subtle and difficult to describe'. I've tried and failed to do so too. Orangey, greeny.....hmmm. What would you say?
So glad you like the foals; you wouldn't believe the trouble we're having with them. I have piles of scans and copies trying to get a true reproduction. I just can't send them out unless I'm happy but at some point I'm going to have to accept less than perfection or the shop will never open.
Weather lovely today so I hope it is with you too. Have a lovely weekend.
Em