Remember, remember the fifth of November, gunpowder, treason and plot. Heard on the wireless just now, not for the first time obvs, but the words resonated. Roll nicely off the tongue. I like words that roll nicely off the tongue. That’s how I roll 🙂
Won’t be heading to the Lindum fireworks display even though it is just down the road. Was fine when the kids were at home but reality is long queues for the bar and these days far fewer people we know. All our contemporaries are in the same boat. Kids have left the fold and far easier to stay in front of the fire with a warming glass of 1996 single variety cognac or words to that effect. That kind of thing. Must put mine in the fridge.
The beef casserole carefully prepared on Friday is now being warmed up on the top of the stove prior to sticking back in the oven on gas mark one for another three hours or so. It must be said it tastes great. A result. Quite good at casseroles, me. Spuds peeled and green beans trimmed.
One of the guests is bringing a fruit crumble although THG is a dab hand at such delicacies. Fair play. I need to set the fire. Nowt like a log fire in the autumn and obvs totes appropriate on the fifth of November.
Tis a beautiful day out. A nice morning to get things done in the garden, I’d imagine, not that I particularly indulge in such activities. When one has a head gardener, highly proficient in the management and control of nature on the estate it would seem pointless. Disrespectful even. Who am I to suggest that such and such a bush needs pruning?
Responsibility for management of the grapevine has been delegated down but according to the RHS guidance that doesn’t need doing until next month. This is something I have been reading up on and indeed did a lot of on location research during our time in France in September. Never seen so many vineyards. The main takeaway from that effort was the vines seemed a lot tidier than ours and this is down to active pruning during the growing season. Grapevines grow very quickly innit.
Research into this important subject area will continue in 2024 and I daresay you will be kept abreast of my latest thinking.
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Everything is in place for lunch. Fire blazing away in the grate. Primordial. Bought a new hand axe yesterday that made light work of a piece of fence for kindling. No idea where the felling axe is but that’s a bit overkill for fence and somewhat on the heavy side.
A fence is a very recent thing. I guess we have to have them, at least if you live in close proximity to other people. The place we stayed at in Cahors had a wall with a gate at the front but was open to the fields at the back. I doubt anyone ever came anywhere near the place. It wasn’t the kind of joint that would attract casual passers by.
The noise of a fire is on its own soothing enough even if you couldn’t stare mesmerised into the dancing flames. It’s a bit like listening to test match cricket. You nod off a bit and when you wake up nothing much has changed. At least that’s how it’s supposed to be. Doesn’t always work out like that, especially with our lot. Ah well. I’ll stick with the fire for the time being.