Tuesday 14 July 2009

The Lane AGAIN?

















































Regular readers of my blog will no doubt be saying, "Not that lane again?" But I assure you, dear readers, that my beloved lane is never the same two days running. This afternoon, straight after Tesco's Lasagne (with the first peas and runner beans out of the garden), Tess and I set off for a two-mile stroll.





The sky was a deep, deep blue (it looks even deeper than it is through my tinted spectacles) and there were lots of puffy white clouds. As tomorrow is St. Swithin's Day here in UK, we always keep a weather-eye open in the twentyfour hours leading up to it. (St. Swithin lived from 800 to 862 and was Bishop of Winchester and chancellor to King Ethelwolf). For legend has it that whatever the weather on his Saint's Day, so will it be for the following forty days.





The trees on the lane are in full leaf and in places they meet across, forming a green tunnel all leafy and beautiful. At our turning point I leaned on the gate and looked down the woodland ride while Tess did her usual rabbit/deer check on every blade of grass. Looking down the ride, as the poet said, not a breath of wind, not a leaf stirred, there was not a bird to be seen (all moulting and keeping a low profile) and there was absolute stillness and silence - the best antidote I know to stress.





Walking back we came across a patch of bistort in a damp gateway. I stopped to take a photograph while Tess did her usual (see above). On the other side of the gateway our neighbouring farmer's herd of cows were grazing peacefully - another lovely Summer scene. But by now the sky was turning an angry grey. Yesterday, at about this time, we had a thunderstorm and half an inch of rain fell in ten minutes. So, still half a mile from home, we put our best feet forward only stopping to photograph a magnificent angelica plant already going to seed and standing tall and stately.





Today is Bastille Day in France, celebrating the storming of the Bastille in Paris in 1789. On this same date, according to today's Times, the first woman to reach the top of the Matterhorn achieved her objective in 1965 (in case you ask, her name was Yvette Vaucher).





Back home, no rain, sunshining again. Poor TFE (see my blog list) is so fed up with the rain over there in County Clare, that I fear he is developing webbed feet.









































































































20 comments:

Heather said...

How could we possibly be fed up with your lovely lane, or the walks you take us on. I love angelica and all the umbelliferous plants - their shape and seed heads are wonderful. The woodland ride is not unlike some views of the Forest of Dean. I don't mind the rain so much as the strong gusting winds which are accompanying it at the moment. They are so damaging. Hope it is fine tomorrow!

Cloudia said...

Ah! Tis always lovely and worthy of our attention. Just as I photograph Diamond Head often, you share a lane that is different every day, in every season, time and light. Keep it up!
Aloha-

Comfort Spiral

Jenn Jilks said...

I find our frog pond the same, as Cloudia said, well worth a photo each time. If you lok hard eough, always changing.

Pondside said...

Isn't it lovely to see a familiar and beloved place in a different light? I enjoyed that little walk.

Grizz………… said...

Your lane is worth walking any time and often, as the sights and sounds are ever-changing, the experience always different.

The same is true on my riverbank. Or anywhere else. Nature never runs the same show twice. This was a great walk and a lovely post.

Tess Kincaid said...

I will never tire of hearing of your lovely lane. Ever.

Elizabeth Musgrave said...

Love your lane. I have the same sense about our hill so know just what you mean. I have been catching up and really liked your blog about Blackpool. Our holidays were all in Scarborough but the Blackpool illuminations were the highlight of the autumn!

Totalfeckineejit said...

St Swithins day tommorrow? I fear the worst.It rained yesterday and the day before ,oceans of it,it rained today on and off-mainly on.It will rain tomorrow and for the next forty days,then it will keep raining slowly heavily constantly,rain upon rain, drop upon drop,till by the end of september the whole island of Ireland will be submerged,sunk hook line and sinker.Welcome to Atlantis.

Beautiful (glug) lane (glug)by the (glug) waaaaaayy glug glug glug gluhh...........plop.

steven said...

weaver, you can write about your lane, show pictures of your lane . . . that is a walk that refreshes and heals and is filled with all sorts of stories that bear repeated telling. have a peaceful day. steven

Amy said...

hey there, thanks for your comment re: mad bush farm, to tell you the truth Liz over there is a good friend of mine, we've known each other for a few years :D

Leenie said...

I think most people who enjoy going for a walk have favorite places. Mine is the pond. But even Main Street has plenty of personality and change. Love the photos. Your blog is always a treat to visit.

Poetic Artist said...

I could never grow tired of that lane.
It is truly beautiful.
Katelen

Midlife Roadtripper said...

Blow some of that rain across the ocean to the southwestern United States.

From the looks of that lane, I'd go for a walk with you anytime.

Crafty Green Poet said...

It's a lovely lane, thanks for sharing the photos and thoughts...

Anonymous said...

The lane is lovely
It naturally changes with the time of day, the light, the seasons etc
Many, unfortunately don't take the time to notice or appreciate the fact
I for one will never tire of it
I often think that the image of the lane, where the road disappears from sight, reminds me of Alice in Wonderland and the small door that she has to shrink down in size to, in order to enter.

Dave King said...

Lovely post - gives we townies a taste of what we're missing.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Thank you - all of you - for the endorsement that I can continue to report the goings on on the lane!
Something funny has happened to my blog, so that there is a large open space between the text and the comments button - but it hasn't deterred you all - so thanks for that too.
Poor TFE does seem to be struggling under the weight of unlimited rain there in Ireland - unfortunately they seem to be sending it over here when they have finished with it!

Gigi Ann said...

I always enjoy the strolls down your beautiful lane. And I especially like the picture of the overhanging trees, it was great strolling through the trees.

Unknown said...

Hello Weaver,

Looks like I missed the walk! Glad you didn't get caught in the rain though. We've already had some this a.m. so looks as if the saint will be good to his word!

Re the large gap at the bottom of your post; it usually happens when you add lots of photos. Seems automatically to add line feeds. You can always scroll down to the foot of the compose box and then backspace to delete them up to your writing. You could do it on this post by editing it if you wished.

Dinesh chandra said...

Hi nice picture , great blog such i seen in my life .

regards

dinesh chandra
dineshchandla.blogspot.com
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