So, yesterday, despite the cold easterly wind, overcast skies and a desire to be at home, finishing off my self-imposed task of weeding the vegetable garden, I waited.
My queue of one waited on the green verge opposite the old blacksmith's forge. No one else appeared, but then no one else visits the mobile library these days. I waited in vain. Twenty minutes passed.
I had plenty of time to admire these beautiful old doors. The new owner of the blacksmith's house is working through the house, giving it a full renovation job. The day will come when he turns his attention to the old forge and the old doors will be gone, replaced with goodness knows what. It was nice to be able to take the time to fully absorb the beauty and the history of them.
That amusement wore thin, eventually.
So then I turned my attention to the top of the road.
A barley field, with one of the four public footpaths which run through it, marked out in gold. This one leads to the churchyard. I idled away some more time looking at that view.
Our 13th century church fell into disrepair, so Sir Henry Vane had it dismantled and the stone carted over to his place (a couple of fields away) to be used in his manor house. This happened way back in 1660, so there is nothing we can do about it now. I should really get over it, stop holding a grudge.
It seemed to me that the view was lovely, but how much nicer it would have been with a church tower nicely placed between the old yew trees.
After 20 minutes of standing, idling, I gave up on the library van and headed home, stopping to buy a dozen eggs from my neighbour.
She has five beautiful dogs, well bred ones, quite unlike my second-hand, recycled ones! Soon she will have six.
Time for a cup of tea.
This is my favourite teapot. I bought it many years ago. It may not be a Brown Betty, but who cares. It makes great tea. I drink my tea from a bone china mug.
Mug of tea in hand, I took the time to stand and stare at the patio.
More weeds.
We have changed the fly screen door, too many flies were coming through it with us. Now we have
one of those chain mail dangly things..
So far, so good.
The problem will come when one of the cats comes through it with one of their victims, but that is a problem for another day.
I had my tea and then got on with the weeding.
No wonder I am unable to cope with city life these days.
I wonder what happened to the library van … did it disappear into thin air, as we say?
ReplyDeleteWe don't seem to be plagued by flies, so no need for a chain curtain. Maybe there are more flies in the countryside? What a lovely garden you have - most envious! And a lovely teapot, too!
Margaret P
Goodness knows - I could ring and find out, but I'll just wait until next month and hope they turn up on 26th June! As to flies, let's just say that we generally get through a lot of old fashioned fly papers, Margaret, but so far that curtain seems to be doing the trick. Most of what you can see through the patio doors is the vegetable garden, which then leads on to Owl Wood. So far the weeds are leaping ahead of the vegetables!
DeleteMaybe the prob with the library van was that it was a Bank Holiday weekend? Most things come to a halt because of Bank Holidays and the days immediately after them.
DeleteOwl Wood sounds so lovely - right out of Wind in the Willows or Peter Rabbit or Winnie the Pooh!
Margaret P
Is there a library website that may explain the missing library van? I suppose it could have just broken down. The green between the flagstones on the patio look fine - not at all like weeds.
ReplyDeleteI could ring and find out, Marcia, but I'll just wait until they come next month. There are lots of dandelions growing on the patio, I uproot them but still they manage to return each year - I don't use weedkillers at all.
DeleteShame you were the only one there, when ours never turned up some one would phone and let a person know it was not coming. I used to work for a black smith when I was 15, spent a couple of years helping him when I came home from school in the evenings and weekends. Used to love that old blacksmith forge. Now he has gone the forge has been made into a home. His last years were spend living next door to where I live now and he was godfather to my kids. It was a very sad day when he passed away. Hope they make the forge there into something nice so the building is not lost.
ReplyDeleteWorking with the blacksmith must have been a brilliant experience, especially as he sounds as though he was a really nice man. Do you have any of his work? Did he work with horses, or did he do other work?
DeleteYes I do have some of his work part of the original altar rails from our church, I cut it up to use around the garden as a reminder and a small bench anvil. I did have a book in blacksmithing work but I seem to have lost that. You could say he was my Mentor
DeleteTouch wood that hasn't happened to me yet. It would be a Tragedy! as it would mean waiting another 4 weeks to get the books I'd ordered.
ReplyDeleteThe Tragedy was that I had lugged 10 very heavy library books along with me, fully intending to try and get paperbacks this time! Luckily, I haven't finished reading all the books, so all is not lost.
DeleteGlad you have a photo, of those wonderful old doors.....
ReplyDeleteWhat happened to the Van???? Is there anyone to call, to find out? Are you the nearly only 'customer'? -sigh- Can see how "they" could decide that it is no longer "useful." -sigh-
I wouldn't have your patience, I know. But your patience does well by you... Just look at all the thinking, and appreciation of surroundings, you got in!
That Sir Henry Vane deserves, to still have a grudge held.
The library service has been assured for another year, it limps along! Sometimes it does us good to just stand and wait, we all rush around busy, busy all the time. It definitely gave me a nice chance to study those doors and the old building, to imagine echoes of the past. I quite enjoyed it. Time to stand and stare.
DeleteI looked up a map of our local public footpaths the other day and found that most arent connected to anything or just end in the middle of nowhere , one does end at the sewage works which was fairly non inspirational , thought id waddle round and look and a lot start and end on land theres no access to. It was a plan to take the munchkin for a wander , not sure what plan B is
ReplyDeleteI would be looking online for some much older maps of your area - check out what used to be there, but I am a nosy old baggage! I hope you found a walk to suit you and the munchkin - and not to the sewage works.
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