In Like a Lamb, Out Like a Lion

The weather is toing and froing. One minute it's blowing a gale and the front garden is vertical with wind shock and the next I'm sauntering around in my sun hat planting seeds and babbling at the hens.
This year a lot of trees have come down in the storms and it's impossible to walk in the woods or the parkland without seeing a fallen tree. During the dry patches I've been able to get outside and feel the ripple of spring in the valley. Here are some of my findings and doings;



We got a good view of inside this tree as we walked along the river at Respryn

 

I finally found the well of St Hydroc and a whole new unexplored upper garden

Chilling with the chooks

 

He's come out early. I'm a bit worried for him. Hope he finds a hole.

 

Aphrodite in all her splendour. She's the only one who'd pose long enough.

 

 

 

A cormorant driven upstream by the floods

 

 

The magnolias are flowering in the upper garden at Lanhydrock house

 

Sweet Dreams Sebby

I recently went to see Jackie Oates. If you'd like to read my review of her new album, it's here at my A Wood of One's Own blog.
But I thought I would post these nice photos here as well:

 

Happy New Year

 

I haven't posted for awhile. I guess that's not unusual but I wanted to explain. In October I started studying for a degree and it seems I have re-awakened my drive to becoming a writer. I have three years to make something of myself before they start to draw back every penny they (the government) so ungenerously gave me.
It's time for me to get myself together. I've started a new blog called A Wood of One's Own which will comprise of reviews, essays and some creative pieces. Mainly about books, theatre, music and film. I'm not abandoning this blog, I'm hoping to update with crafting, travelling and gardening and maybe outfit stuff periodically over the next three years.



 

Starting Out

I'm starting to sell off things from my wardrobe. Nice things like pretty dresses that are really too small now or things that I have thought looked nice but really weren't right for me and a few bits of uniform from my Fat Face days. 

It's an attempt to raise some funds for university and to let my small room take a big sigh of relief. 

First, there's this floral romper:

And then, this flowery dress that just doesn't fit, however much i breathe in!

Hanging out to dry;

 

At some point I intend to open an etsy shop and do this sort of thing properly. Selling things that are actually vintage and maybe some crafty bits and pieces too.

Three Chooks

Our three chooks, Hagar, Brangwen and Aphrodite, following Luke down the garden.

We lost Brangwen last week. We think she was egg bound.

The morning before we found her I saw a dog fox from the bedroom window. His coat was faded and I imagined him an older, wiser fox. He was relaxed, unbothered by the chickens, just calmly looking out over the valley. I think he was an augury. 

Montmartre

This time last year I was getting excited about Paris and the prospect of looking out of my window at this scene from Rue Lepic in Montmartre.

It was my boyfriend's birthday and we dropped all our worldly concerns, packed our bag, picked out a suitable book each and made sure we had enough money to eat well and see what we wanted to see. But we weren't interested in being tourists. We just wanted to collapse into each other in a beautiful and exciting place. We walked and browsed and chatted and drank good wine from La Cave des Abbesses and ate good food.

We found Njinski in the cemetery.

Admired street art.

And again. Good wine. 

 We'll meet again Paris xx

The House in the Woods

I always feel suprise to discover that I haven't updated my blog for four months, six months, ah alas, now almost a year. I always have lots of ideas for posts and then they slide out of my consciousness and i carry on with life content as if I'd posted them. I find the same with letters to friends. 

    Last time I blogged I had just finished reading A Boat in the Evening; a book i picked up on my trip to Oslo to see my lovely friend and her beautiful daughter.

   Now they are moving back to the UK and I have moved to my pretty house in the woods. Well on the edge of the woods. The creatures that reside their make little note of border marking copse from garden as the badger's desire path makes plain. The occasional sight of deer nibbling the turf lifts one's heart. Deer, however numerous in statistics, have a rare effect and I can't help feeling I'm being allowed to watch something very secret and beautiful. 

This is the view of the valley from our front room window. I took this picture in November on the first morning we stayed here overnight. From that moment I knew I was somewhere good and that I would stay a long time.

This is the magic oak tree in the field just below our house. The deer take shelter here on sunny days and I fancy it will be a nice place to sit with a book when the summer comes. 

I shall post this before I allow the necessity of going to work to dissuade me.  

I shall leave you with Olof Arnolds and Surrender.