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Wednesday 10 February 2021

Miss Read, The Power of Chocolate, and Snowflake's Farewell


I was going to put some snow photographs in the post but then I remembered these paintings, they give you a wonderful panoramic view of the village across the valley.   Most days my walks take me through these meadows, up the farm track and down past the cottages.    Miss Read (some of you may well remember her, she has featured in this blog many times)   grew up on the farm in the left hand painting.

No need for the photographs, these are much better.    This is exactly how the village (I would call it a hamlet because it is so small, but it does have a church, so that disqualifies it) looks under a blanket of snow - and here is one of my photographs to illustrate.




We have had a few inches of snow, enough to make everywhere look magical and enough to have a snowball fight or two.   It can go now.

My granddaughter discovered that one of her Guinea Pigs had died yesterday.    She sat on her daddies knee and had a jolly good howl, may even have accidentally wiped her runny nose on his shirt, but was eventually consoled with a cup of hot chocolate dotted with marshmallows and swirled with cream.  

Once the hugs, plus the magical healing power of chocolate had soothed the raw emotions, her mum gently suggested that they should plan a funeral for the little animal.   

Owl Wood has a small pet cemetery within.  My dear old Toby One is buried there, along with assorted pet hens, a cat, a Guinea Pig, and a large wild mouse which the grandchildren found dead in their garden several years ago.


I found a suitable box, Grandpa dug the grave, and granddaughter set about writing a poem about Snowflake the guinea pig.     I added a tiny gold and pearl crown, some beautiful blue glass beads and a few assorted bits and pieces, small tokens for Snowflake to take on her journey.   A small handful of rose petals, ready for scattering, and we were ready to go.

The ceremony was brief, snowflakes fell from the sky as Snowflake was laid to rest.










18 comments:

  1. A sad but beautiful lesson for your granddaughter. It sounds as though she's being helped to understand death very well. And how lovely to be able to use Owl Wood for the purpose. Almost as lovely as having hot chocolate as the funeral baked meats!

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    1. Hello Mary, She coped pretty well, after that first burst of high emotion. It helps that there are still five more guinea pigs who require plenty of love and attention, of course!

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  2. Love the paintings and how good to have your own pet cemetery for special funerals

    Still snowing here in Suffolk this morning - so unusual

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    1. Hello Sue, Here we are four days later and the snow is still on the ground, feet deep in some places where it is whipped into drifts from the fields. I think we will all be glad to see it go now!

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  3. and how appropriate the snowflakes.

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    1. Hello Susan, Snowflakes and rose petals - oddly enough, despite the snow and the strong winds, four or five days later the rose petals still remain on the little grave.

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  4. May they all rest in peace in Owl Wood.
    Yours is a very snowy landscape. Walking goes on whether in sun, mud or snow. We have sunshine today. But my walks are along the road where my feet walk more safely so it doesn't make much difference

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    1. Hello Linda, It is a very tranquil part of the wood where lots of wild flowers grow through Spring and Summer.
      I hope you are still enjoying your walks. I am safer walking around the fields when there is snow and ice because the road surfaces become like an ice skating rink and I have absolutely no chance of staying upright! I have already had two falls this year, luckily onto my well padded rear!!

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  5. Sad when guinea pigs die I live the little things and both my wife and older son (33) would love one but at the moment it will have to wait. Years ago we used to keep guinea pigs and bought a couple of new ones. The shop owner said the were male and every day my son would go and see them till one morning he cam back and said there were three of them in the cage. Turned out one of them was female and had a couple of babies to his joy.
    Love your snow photos, if you are fed up with it then send it down were so I can enjoy it

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    1. Hello Billy, They are sweet little creatures. I had to smile at the tale about your son's guinea pig - shortly after Snowflake (and her sister) arrived here, she unexpectedly gave birth to three babies. Of course none of them could be sent away! They belong to the grandchildren but my husband does seem to spend an awful lot of time looking after them and my vegetable order often has to be expanded to include a few treats for the Guineas!

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  6. Oh poor Snowflake, sob. These sort of things still upset me and to think of your poor little Granddaughter, but how lovely to have a ceremony. Beautiful photo and painting.

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    1. Thank you, I like to think we gave Snowflake a very stylish and heartfelt send-off.
      I have noticed that my granddaughter is paying extra attention to all the animals around here at the moment. My old Toby boy and the two cats have no objection to that, nor do her other five guinea pigs. It will wear off as she works things out to her satisfaction.

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  7. Bless! Your poor little grand-daughter. Beautiful goodbye though for Snowflake and he is laid to rest in Owl Wood which sounds like the perfect place. keep well Amanda x

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    1. Six decades ago it was cow pasture, Amanda. It was planted up by a previous owner, to prevent anything being built next to the cottage. They had several cats, one of whom was run over and had been buried in there, with a grave marker. When we became guardians of the woodland it seemed appropriate to continue with the tradition.x

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  8. My first house of 20 years had a sizeable pet cemetery, and a large round stone at the head. My girls barely forgave me for leaving the marker stone. The second house of thirty some years has the cemetery in the old apple orchard. Even my children and grandchildren's pets, from miles and miles away, came to the orchard for burial.

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  9. And a fond farewell to Snowflake... May he rest in peace.

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  10. A very hard lesson to learn but done so beautifully.

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  11. What a kind thing you did for your grandchild. I love the idea of a little crown.

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Lovely to hear from you.
I will try to answer comments in the next post.