30th October 2007

Finally got the car fixed but it has been a hectic afternoon. Still it was probably more hectic for the guys at the garage, as they turned it round pretty quickly. So I’m a little more optimistic tonight; which after last night’s depressing little piece is to be warmly welcomed.

I can’t believe it is Halloween tomorrow. I shall switch on the TV and I will not be answering the door to anyone. I sound like a right old moan don’t I? But I can’t be doing with this entire trick or treating shebang. It always strikes me that we shouldn’t take all this stuff so lightly. I’ll have a hunt around for a suitable Halloween picture.

I might write some prose later but if not have a happy Halloween and see you in November.

Had a good day...in a good mood...dont read this...

Sometimes life sweeps away all our notions of infallibility. Events arise unlooked for and a cold world enters so swiftly. Like the icy touch of the first frost on a leafy banana plant; that taken from the tropics to the arctic feels the kiss of autumn burns away its hope and dreams without warning. For it cannot endure and nor can we. Perhaps we could, but we may not and so make each journey home become a new magical adventure. An exploration of paradise in familiarity, comfort and the goal of a sanctuary against the ills of the world. For if you can just make it back there once more when all is lost and you are far from home then you shall truly have lived. For the heart is the home in which it has bled and yet been slowly shaped in joy into the instrument you know it to be now?

We can find love under the sun so easily

On the long beaches and sandy shorelines

Under shady olives, in whitewashed alleys

The sounds of lovers merge into the night

Caressed by cool breezes from the Adriatic

For in Greece we know the gods understand

Take your loves fill through a long summer

But think in the autumn a chill will arrive

The sun retreats and the nights grow long

The world moves indoors, waits for spring

Remember my friends to hold onto love

For it will keep you warm through winter.

Had a scenic drive with Nick this morning around some of the beautiful Trough of Bowland. We went via Clitheroe to Bashall Eaves (sounds like somewhere a hobbit would live,) Whitwwell, Slaidburn, Waddington and Dunsop Bridge. The light was excellent and it picked up the gold’s and oranges of the trees framed on the blue-grey sky. I didn’t have my camera but trust me when I tell you it is breathtaking. Have a look at the following sites and see if you don’t agree. I shall be back soon and this time I won’t forget my camera.

http://www.forestofbowland.com/visit_villages.asp

http://www.countryside.gov.uk/Images/JCA34_tcm2-21084.pdf

So please accept these photos I took in the garden this afternoon. All show the onset of autumn.
My high spot of the week was being told my blood pressure is 150/100 (quite high) so it’s a low sodium diet from here on in. But as I told the nurse if it is so high you’d think it could make it to the most important bit a bit more often...hope you had a good weekend.

Raw words and raw emotion seek to flesh away care

Your heart is steady and true and always you are there

I am perhaps not so soul dependable, but I may wish

That you can understand and still would so love me

For now autumn arrives at our open doors and sighs

We must enjoy what we have and watch time as it flies

Think I posted too many videos last night but I like them all. You Tube is an amazing phenomenon. What is not on there? (Poulenc’s Organ Concerto notwithstanding) is not worth watching. I guess one day they’ll have better quality videos and I guess then TV could be obsolete. By the way click the menu button for more of the same. I actually just found that out too....!

It soon got to Thursday evening again. Been a very busy day at work, but thankfully it is Friday tomorrow. Still haven’t fixed the car but hopefully I shall attempt it myself on Saturday morning...oh dear! Call the wreckers because by the time I’m finished! I remember Scott telling me a few months back that he needed to go to a garage and was going to have to put on a deep voice...that made me laugh so much. By the way thanks for your telephone message the other day. Thinking of you and your mum and wishing you both the best.

somewhere over the rainbow

Amy Winehouse=Rehab

Mark Ronson Valerie New Video

Mark Ronson 'Valerie' making of the video

The trees are all coppery hues and everywhere one looks the landscape is opening up as the thick layer of leaves fall allowing a view through the branches. The wind this afternoon shook the trees detaching whole branches of their golden cargo to descend in equilibrium with the raindrops.

Just been reading my old diary from 2000.....

Tuesday 24.10.2000

Autumn arrives

How shall I know its autumn? In the gilded leaves that fall groundward to soften footsteps. The air that hangs still, clear and enhances distant vistas whilst cooling fingertips and noses. Or the rain that falls icily and swift from swollen, bruised clouds to run down collars and faces. Or is it the early close of the day in a western sky of cerise and scarlet hues. It’s all of these things and I know it’s autumn, but just for a little while longer my heart wishes to beat summer,

Stars

Looking upward into the night sky a hundred stars sweep unordered across the surface like snowflakes on ebony water. I feel I should believe each point of light a beacon of hope and joy within my life from the past or in the future. My life, the great sum of blackness above, that is just daily routine.

The span of a life; a journey through familiarity that must touch the special and precious at least once to show us the world lives in spite of us and every second is precious. My only unknown is how many stars are left to me? How many more times shall the monotony be corrupted into pure joy? Ponder awhile the thought and realise that all is worthwhile and waste nothing.

It’s going to be a chilly night but I managed to take a photo of the moon this evening up in the garden and also the bark on the tree fern. Hope you like them

Managed to take this photo of my record player's stylus last night. I thought it was pretty clean but no.....I’m pretty pleased with that. Now I can check on them regularly and replace them if they get too damaged.

Here’s an extract for October from the book “A Country Year” by Teresa Hooley published in 1925 or in Roman numerals MCMXXV. If I haven’t written it I think it’s very important to give recognition to those who did.

‘When in a flaming and rain-washed October, the orange and scarlet of the dying leaves is stabbed through by the sunlight, and tinged to a deeper purple and crimson by the lustre of the underlying boughs, it is the supreme moment of all autumn’s splendour.’

Today’s entry is;-

Rooks plundering acorns. White frost and a delicate rime underfoot –

The leaves unsodden
Where infant frost has trodden
With his morning-winged feet
Whose bright print is gleaming yet.

For my attempt I shall say;-

A feisty dowager in gold arrives
The weather has failed and autumn comes
Robes that rustled across her gravel drive
Become melody, softened under fallen leaves
She passes by and the front door closes
The fire is lit and the curtains drawn
She will not now leave again till spring’s dawn

Hopefully below are the sunsets I promised to post last week.

22nd Oct 2007

Been busy for a few days but now the nights are dark and time should be on my side (whether I like it or not!) It had been a good weekend, but you know how an argument starts then develops like a thunderstorm into a brooding, black beast that finally roars and thunders scattering everyone in its wake. So when you have 2 people of the same persuasion it can only wreak devastation till the weather turns to clear skies once again.

Getting to be quite cold now at night, as last week the neighbouring gardeners recorded -3 on their greenhouse thermometer temperature scale. I’m trying to think if that is cold for this time of year but like a morning mist my brain is a little hazy. This proves the value of notes (or a blog). Next year I can just look back on here and see. Just bought a little microscope which I can hook up to the computer so I’ll have a look at that soon and see if i can get some interesting pictures...it’s primarily to look at stylus (gramophone needles) for the record player but it may have other uses.

Gladiator soundtrack

Just posted Fantasia on a theme of Thomas Tallis by Ralph Vaughan Williams...enjoy. What a find as it's a breathtaking piece and this is a live video. Thanks to cheetomoskeeto for putting this on. Off to look for Poulenc Organ Concerto. No can't find it...if you feel like exploring and finding it i'd be grateful. Still enjoy the Gladiator track with Lisa Gerrard's vocals. She is so special she desrves a post all to herself.

Ralph Vaughan Williams: Tallis Fantasia

Here is the sunset tonight from the back step. (When Blogger starts to work again. Hopefully it is a good omen for tomorrow. I’m listening to the Crusader’s track “street life” on vinyl of course from the album of the same name. It’s a great extended version on the album. I love Randy Crawford’s vocals on this track...have a listen here. I added it through YouTube.

A sunset is the last kiss of day
Orange lips envelop horizons
Shade blue sky in dimming fire
Engorge hearts and calm minds
In a tranquillity of closure

The Crusaders - Street Life (1979)

Real life seeps into the cracks of the armour I try to wrap myself in. I am sure if I am honest that I don’t like it very much for it has tinnitus and pain that emphasis the waning years of a life lived in some vigour that are now passing. Though perhaps we become less in physicality we move to be greater in thought and memory. I am perhaps a shadow of who I was but still greater than I ever thought it would be possible to become. That is one secret that may be laid to the world that is real.

15th Oct 2007

Thought you might enjoy these autumn pictures from the garden. I like them all but the one with the cobweb filled with large drops of water is my favourite. These misty mornings fill every shrub with thousands of silken architectural creations. One is under no illusions about how many spiders there truly are in a few feet of ground.

I spent a little time in the garden over the weekend and at this period of the year the time is taken with maintenance and getting things ready for the winter. Still it was a dry and pleasant day although the clouds came later as I finished.

Mikes’ sister and husband came for dinner Saturday. We had a lovely four course meal and watched the England and France rugby match. We won so it was all bearable in the end. Our team played well and deserved to win.

Not long now to the autumnal equinox and the clock change by one hour. Then darkness shall wrap both the mornings and the evenings. Not my favourite time of the year I have to say. Hope you had a good weekend.

If you’re reading this Scott...hope you’re ok. No had any e-mails so wondering. Take Care.

I’m having a bad car week (again). Why can’t they just run forever? Slight case of overheating makes it look like “Thomas the Tank Engine” as it travels down the street as it billows steam from under the bonnet. Other than that it has been a relatively quiet week with mainly dry weather. If i get chance i shall wrap the Gunnera up ready for the winter. I cut a heap of bracken last week and it works as a good straw substitute. In some ways it is better than straw as it keeps the crown of the plant much dryer and insects do not like it.

On a different note add this to your favourites. Johan Hari is a writer in the Independent and this is his piece from this week. I am not sure I entirely agree with some it but I do believe that maybe we need less legislation and more focus on basic right and wrong. To disseminate all societies groups and somehow enshrine their protection in law seems to be a path to madness and will ultimately fail. We need to be moving forward as one whole nation without any influence on how any others live by large groups with antiquated belief systems. However there is not much chance of that anytime soon.

http://www.johannhari.com/index.php

Rant over...time to calm down so enjoy the picture below which was taken at the Quince Honey farm in Devon a few weeks ago. Have a good weekend.

I was watching Brokeback Mountain last night. It’s probably the third time I have watched it and it is a film that reveals itself in ever deeper and sadder layers that are tempered by the uplifting hope shown despite the harshness of an ignorant world. How brutal is nature to any non-conformists to the established order of living.

It is incredibly well shot and it seems hard to believe that such scenery is still found that has the touch of unspoilt world about it. Magnificent vistas set in deep blue skies and crystal running rivers set a heart to soar. If you’ve never seen this film because of prejudice or some other reasons please watch it. It is worth it.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2005/12/16/brokeback_mountain_2005_review.shtml

A soft night dissipates to usher in a golden morn in the soft moving October air. There is music in the air like single notes from a plucked harp that reverberate under the yellowing canopies of the trees. I am witness to autumn born

When the last firework faded
In decaying bursts of embers
From the cool midnight sky
I took your hand and smiled
For life is a huge pyrotechnic
That lights my world in bliss

Hope you enjoy these photos of the small red insect and the wasp. There are still a lot of wasps about but they remain in good spirits. While I was in the garden on Sunday saw quite a few wasp queens looking for somewhere safe to overwinter. I took lots of photos and will post then soon.

Went to Southport Saturday night to see fireworks set to music. This was my favourite music piece. It was a good evening with lots of fireworks. This is a large video file so please be patient.

Below are pictures of
1. Sidmouth harbour and the cliffs
2. Drogo castle
3. The misty dawn from the tower
4. Th house and its tower (Rower Fort)
5. A masterpiece of masterbaking
6. Tree at Bicton park
7. Exeter Cathedral organ
8. Palm leaf in palm House at Bicton

Devon 2007
The house was situated high on top of Rower Hill close to Honiton in a little village called Stockland. On all sides it overlooked the rolling Devon hills. The slopes a patchwork canvas of varying shades of green to the freshly ploughed fields with deep ochre soil. Sunrise and sunset were particularly spectacular. There was a full moon on the Wednesday and the absence of any artificial light made the surrounding countryside dazzlingly bright. Enough light to be able to see 2 red deer grazing below the tall windswept Scots Pine. The only drawback to the situation of the house being the wind, but this was at the top of a hill you must remember.

We visited the villages, towns and cities of..click the link below and pick one

Tiverton
Cullompton
Branscombe
Lyme Regis
Exeter
Sidmouth

http://www.devon-online.com/accommodation/accommodation-welcome.htm


Some National Trust properties.

Knightshayes Court

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-findaplace/w-knightshayescourt

Drogo Castle

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-findaplace/w-castledrogo/

Bicton Park

http://www.bictongardens.co.uk/

Other attractions were

A Donkey sanctuary (no feeding the donkeys and not many donkeys). But hey it's free

http://www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk/site/1/home.html

Dinosaur World (bit of a rip off at £12 each)

http://www.dinosaur-park.com/

Quince Honey farms (excellent in every way)

http://www.quincehoney.co.uk/

My favourite thing was baking fresh bread in the Aga and jolly good it was too. It was a nice relaxing break. On the way home called in at Salisbury for a few hours. This has a magnificent cathedral. I’ll edit this and put links and photos in the relevant sections tonight.
Have a good day.

Evening sunlight hits the sky and the world below explodes into light. Such are October skies when the light diminishes and yet becomes strangely intensified into a soft glare. Autumn colours and sounds take a day and turn it into a painting by Monet. Everything blurs in this season and all that cannot endure must cease and venture existence on spring. We can only pause and regret the passing of the essence of summer.

Had a wonderful time in Devon and will post it soon. Got lots of great photos so watch this space.