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| deadly nightshade |
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| rabbit |
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| anyone know this one? |
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| a Severn salmon above the church door |
We saw a rabbit. I picked up the littlest boy so that he could see it over the wall. When I put him down, I accidentally put him in an enormous patch of stinging nettles. He was particularly cross with me.
It was quiet out there by the river. Even the river was quiet. So much calmer this far upstream. I'd like to live in the countryside I think. I suppose you don't know 'til you try it, but I imagine a rural life would suit me quite well. That's not to say it doesn't suit me here, it does. Just that the peace and the wildlife and the ancient walls and old orchards are so very appealing. I do love to dream.
It's nice to be home though. I lugged the ragged snail-destroyed hostas out to the front garden this morning and planted them there. Hopefully the gravel will deter the slithery slitherers. It will won't it? I planted a balloon flower, a pink lavender and a little traily white flower in the pot instead. You've no idea how happy it makes me to look at that rather than tattered hosta leaves while I'm washing up. I'll take a photo tomorrow. The pink lavender is divine. No doubt it will hate the winter, but for now it's pretty and it's fragrant.
Life is busy here at the moment, in a good way. Lots on the calendar for the boys in these last few weeks of term. And lots for me to do as well. Some writing, and all the usual things with the house, the garden and the allotment. I'm trying very hard to make time in my week for writing, and it's been quite encouraging to actually sit down for an hour or two at a time.
There is still sport to be had. Both the big boys won football things yesterday, and there is a little cricket still on the horizon. I think I may get to watch my first match this week. I do hope I'm allowed to read or knit, it's how it all plays out in my fantasy. I fear in reality I may be required to watch every ball and talk knowledgeably about every moment afterwards. It's bound to be better than football in January though isn't it?
Everywhere looks so green and lush right now. I hope you found some docks leaves to soothe the nettle stings. L once fell over in a patch of nettles and the next morning had a horrible rash everywhere and skin that looked like bubble wrap. It was awful, but it did fade quickly, mercifully. Hope you have a lovely week and that you get to read and knit at cricket :o) xx
ReplyDeleteGorgeous pictures - very wet and miserable where I am right now, so it's lovely to see some fairer weather. I find crochet works well as a spectator activity, reading not so much - fingers crossed you manage to make it work for you (and the right team wins!)
ReplyDeleteoh CJ, if that is your countryside, I could quote happily live there as well. it really does look peaceful and romantic. the lush greenery is quite beautiful, and one could even tolerate the nettles for views and fields like those :-) thank you so much for sharing, you take wonderfully evocative photos, and I enjoy them so much.
ReplyDeleteLovely rural walk you enjoyed. We have tons of grasses in our pasture like that. Maybe someday you can move to the countryside! I know you'd love it. That yellow flower is an iris. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)
ReplyDeleteThis landscape is incredible! I am so much like you when it comes to dreaming about living in the countryside! Like you said I think it would be so peaceful!!! I'm glad to hear that you are all busy in good ways! And I would love to see those new plants...they sound fantastic CJ! Glad the boys won their games! Make it a great week my friend! Hope you get some of that knitting in! Nicole xoxo
ReplyDeleteWe have nightshade here too and I think it's very pretty. I love the little fruits on it. I don't pick them, obviously, but I love spotting them. It grows wild here, in the harshest conditions. It's really beautiful where you live, CJ, and I always enjoy seeing more of it.
ReplyDeleteI once set my son down in a pile of fire ants. It was at night and I couldn't figure out why he was so unhappy. :-( Oh well, our boys will survive us ----- probably. ;-)
ReplyDeleteI would love to live more rurally too. I would especially love to live along a river or canal. Maybe once Steve retires I can make that happen.
I think I'd quite to live in the country too, although it is very handy to be able to walk into town. Gorgeous photos - I don't think I've ever seen Deadly Nightshade before, it's rather lovely. Enjoy the cricket - I'm sure a little knitting/crochet would be allowed and you may start a trend! xx
ReplyDeleteThe flower you wanted to know looks like an Iris, the more common variety is a lovely blue. Sounds like some great plans for the near future, I say take a project with you and enjoy.
ReplyDeleteI love June too, everything is still so fresh, although we've been sneezing a bit here too. Your flower is a stinking iris (iris foetidissima), they have the most amazing seed pods when the flowers have finished. Lovely pics as always CJ and I'm glad you're finding time for some writing. Have a lovely week xx
ReplyDeleteI love June too, everything is still so fresh, although we've been sneezing a bit here too. Your flower is a stinking iris (iris foetidissima), they have the most amazing seed pods when the flowers have finished. Lovely pics as always CJ and I'm glad you're finding time for some writing. Have a lovely week xx
ReplyDeleteI loved your journey upstream. There's something profound about following the course of a river. I'm not sure what it is, but it seems profound. Good luck with the cricket commentary. I still count myself fortunate that the sport my son took up was rowing, which is pretty difficult to spectate apart from the finish, and even then it's pretty much 'who got there first', and many of the events took place in England so we couldn't travel to watch without being classed as 'weird'. Strange, isn't it - sometimes your parental presence is essential and at other times it's not.
ReplyDeleteAre there salmon fisheries on the Severn e.g. netting on a commercial scale? I grew up beside one of Scotland's famous salmon rivers so I'm curious.
It is magnificently green at the moment, isn't it? I do sometimes wonder about country living but in the end, it is just too much to consider. I am not so terribly well organised and the thought of not being able to pop out to the corner shop for a pint of milk by car puts me off. We were on holiday in the Highlands once where it was a 5 mile drive to do just that! Shame about the nettles, I hope the young man has forgiven you. Have a lovely week. x
ReplyDeleteEverything is so wonderful right now isn't it. Hope that a full recovery has been made from the nettles1 xx
ReplyDeleteOh, it does look lovely where you are. Having moved from town to countryside a few years ago I highly recommend it. The ups definitely outweigh the downs. I think that is an iris foetidissima (as Jane already said) and they do stink – we have some in our garden. I read a whole book at a one-day cricket match once so I think you'll be fine. As long as you clap when everyone else is clapping and notice if someone whacks the ball really hard you'll get away with not paying too much attention! I hope your hostas recover. Sam x PS What's a balloon flower?
ReplyDeleteI often think I'd like to live in the countryside too, but then I remember the things I'd miss about living in a town. I think I've got the best of both worlds where I am, I'm on the doorstep of the countryside, I only have to walk five or ten minutes and I'm surrounded by it, but I only have to walk five or ten minutes in another direction and I'm on a main street with a selection of shops and I'm only a short train ride away from a large city too. Enjoy these last few weeks of term, I miss the hive of activity there was when my two were in primary school.
ReplyDeleteI do so enjoy your posts with their wonderful pictures and this one is no exception. Flighty xx
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful walk - it looks so peaceful. I have plenty of bunnies here in my garden - grrrrr. Little bunny has turned in to rather large Peter Rabbits! If they would only keep the grass mowed, I'd be fine, but they seem to prefer astrantia and buds! Enjoy the cricket. I always seem to miss the vital ball and have to ask someone what happened! :) x
ReplyDeleteI live in the countryside though not too far from the town. It's a great place to live.
ReplyDeleteI could see you living in the countryside for sure. Congrats to the boys on the victories. I hope you get in a bit of knitting this week during the other matches. It seems only fair :)
ReplyDeleteSimply lovely scenery - great job of capturing it CJ. I really enjoy the little "tours" of England that you offer us. Perhaps you could send some of that stinging nettle over this way? My husband is looking for it everywhere we walk - he wants to ferment it to make a type of kimchi. Luckily (for me anyway) he has not found any yet.
ReplyDeleteCJ, I think you need a column in a national newspaper somewhere. I love your writing style SO much. This paragraph is just the most fabulous thing I've read all week:
ReplyDelete"We saw a rabbit. I picked up the littlest boy so that he could see it over the wall. When I put him down, I accidentally put him in an enormous patch of stinging nettles. He was particularly cross with me."
I love the photo of your 3 boys standing on the fence. I hope the littlest has recovered from the stinging nettles! Enjoy the cricket. Do they have cake?!
ReplyDeleteThe countryside and the river where you live is so beautiful, how fortunate to have all of this within walking distance. I love the meadows with all of the grasses and wildflowers, they look so pretty. I visited a place which was close to my heart yesterday and came away feeling so disappointed with how it has been neglected and deteriorated. Wonderful images dear C.J., a lovely photos of your boys together looking at the river. Enjoy the cricket match!
ReplyDeletexoxoxo ♡
Lovely photos and a great looking walk, having lived in the country for the last 16 years after growing up and living in towns until then, I wouldn't want to be anywhere else but here in the countryside, but its not for everyone. It has its positives and negatives. I hope the Hostas do better in their new home, there is nothing so sad as seeing plants struggle when we want to see them at their best.
ReplyDeleteWhat a super walk! Can you believe it that several years ago I cultivated this beautiful plant in my garden, it was so pretty and then someone pointed out to me that it was deadly nightshade!! It's a busy time of year in the school calendar isn't it, esp for primary school children. I really fancy living in the country, I keep looking for something suitable...
ReplyDeleteCaz xx
Lovely post! Beautiful wild flowers and a great walk. Love to see your adventures. Take care, J9x
ReplyDeleteLovely post! Beautiful wild flowers and a great walk. Love to see your adventures. Take care, J9x
ReplyDeleteCan you believe how fast this term has gone by?? I can't!! I'm not ready!!
ReplyDeleteBet you thought I'd disappeared down a rabbit hole... I'm finally catching up with everyone's blogs. I love the photo of the grasses, and the one of the three boys... And I'm a sucker for a rural postbox!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you're finding time to write - and I hope you continue to do so.
Our hosta is absolutely huge (it needs dividing, actually - I suspect there are many plants). Only one leaf has been nibbled, and I found the culprit hiding underneath the rim of the pot. I'd definitely recommend putting hostas in a large pot (with feet) as I think that's why ours has escaped being scoffed.
Cricket's a lovely gentle sport to watch. It lasts ages, you get to sit down and nobody expects you to watch avidly for hours on end. Take a book and some knitting, clap when everyone else does and look up occasionally. Better still, wear sunglasses. That way nobody knows what you're actually focusing on.
S x
In my experience boys cricket is a much more civilised affair than boys football ... I was always allowed to knit, and there was usually cake, often made by someone else.
ReplyDeleteJust catching up on some reading.
ReplyDeleteLove the pictures, enjoyed your post ... and isn't there always something good about seeing our red pillar boxes - be they small or larger. Thank you Mr Postman
All the best Jan
I thought you did live in the countryside, as wildlife and natural history seem so central to your blog. You did a good job of fooling me. ;-) I'm really glad you made some time to do some writing, I know you've said before how hard it is to make time for it in a busy life, and I hope you're enjoying it. Did you get to knit at the cricket? I hope so. xx
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