byslantedlight | Entries tagged with somerset

I swear the world is running away with me already. I seem to remember thinking January last year had flown by - and suddenly it's nearly the end of January the next year... And actually by the time I'm finishing this post it's the 1st February, so... *headdesk* (and also, pinch-and-a-punch-for-the-first-of-the-month... gosh, aren't kids violent...!)

So I only managed two posts in January, but I guess that's better than one... Anyway, January looked like this in my wee part of the world...

There was a Roman villa...

And rainbows and snowdrops...

( More pics... )

And just before the month ended, I went on a day course at a local environmental centre, and look what I made!

2023-01-28 03WillowPlantSupportsFinished

It's a plant support for my sweet peas, made out of willow - very traditional Somerset, that. And I even cut some of the green willow for it myself (the top of the "skirt"). My plan was to use it this year, but apparently if we put them out this year they'll take root and grow... So now my plan is to try and find little cups to put over the feet... only it's like the Luggage, it's got lots of them, so maybe tin foil cups...! There were half a dozen of us in the group, and of course the last pic shows everyone's finished plant support - mine is the one in front on the floor, to the left.

And other than that, I've read Pros, and bits of books, and watched Our Flag Means Death, and Reservoir Dogs and Obi-Wan Kenobi - all of which were excellent. I've been getting ready for my new job of course (today I bought an ironing board - an ironing board! I haven't owned an ironing board since before I went to Alaska... and that was a long time ago now... *sighs for Alaska*

So how was your January? *g*

Today has been one of those horrid days when everything seems to go wrong right from the start, so I went for a quick walk around Avalon Marshes to try and break the pattern. It didn't work, but I did take some photos...

A lone swan swimming up a green-covered ditch beside the road, and winter-type tree reflections.

It took me a while to decide whether this first one was a real bird or not - it turned out there were wooden carvings of birds all along the track! But there were lots of real birds too.

It was all quite peaceful.

I realised that these birds weren't quite real straight away - and then I saw some other cool things on the same fallen tree...

I turned around to head back to the car, and there was the moon, hanging peacefully in the sky.

And a minute later, three white swans flew past, their beating wings loud in the sky - a nice thing to remember when I got back to the next bit of the day's chaos... *headdesk*

How're you doing? *g*

Blackberries and elderberries in the hedges, blueberries from my own wee bush. *g*

What's that thing coming over the hill? Is it a....?

Nope, it's yet another noisy really low helicopter...

So - how're you doing?

A bit like late summer around here...

I have been so lousy about posting to lj for months now, and I've decided that I'm going to take September as a sign that I need to make more effort - I'm going to see if I can manage a post each day of this month!

If nothing else I do like September, and it's gorgeous hints of autumn-to-come, which is probably my favourite season. Although I'm somehow not entirely convinced I've had summer this year - I don't mean heat (I'm quite happy for it to be a bit cooler), I just mean the glorious promise of adventure and exploration and... *sigh* It was nice to stay in my friend's caravan, and I'm lucky I had the chance, but I do miss road-trip type holidays!

But there are some very cool things coming up in September, so I shan't whinge too much. I was mostly at home working today, so the pics aren't too exciting, but I did get out for a wee walk, which looked like this...

I have moles! Very active moles... I'm a little worried the paving stones will cave in and bonk them on their burrowing little heads, mind... or that the big oil tank they've also been burrowing around will sink slowly into the ground... I am also surrounded by suddenly-appearing wee calves in the fields! Well, obviously they appear the usual way, but there are just more each day at the moment. Very wobbly wee things. *g*

Autumn is starting to creep in though... I always think crows are winter-ish (especially after living in Alaska, where they're a Christmas bird!), but these guys have been around all year, and must have a rookery up there. This was just after they'd been frightened out of the trees by a big cargo plane that flew past lower than they sometimes fly. It banked right over the farm yard before heading off, and made me come out running too...

I'm also still living in a happy glow from having got together with a fandom friend yesterday, and chatting Pros for literally hours and hours. Such a lovely day, and I'm looking forward to more! And Felicity M. Parkinson's stories are being posted to AO3 too - yeay. *g* Plus Reading Rooms to look forward to! Ooh - must re-read this week's story!

How's your September so far? *g*

Good morning! Yesterday was a good work day - the document was not only actual proofreading rather than re-writing, it was an archaeology one! And I was good and started today's early-deadline one - and it also turned out to be proofreading instead of the usual basically-re-writing. Whee! So now I have half a day's work today - except that when it's the latter kind of doc it takes much longer. But still - cross fingers!

And there's going to be sun! It's misty right now, but it's already starting to clear, and there's blue sky appearing above my office-shed as I type this.

And look - my potted bush is coming out all flowers already! Plus more of my bulbs are starting to come up. *g*

Here's what yesterday looked like. I settled my two main veggie beds on Wednesday, and added some organic peat-free compost to start doing its thing. Yeay! I planted some seeds inside too, and they're all snug on my windowsills now. *g*

I even managed a quick walk yesterday around sunset, despite all that work. *g*

That's not a strange giant hare-type thing, that's one of the deer of course... *g*

Oh, but hang on - I have to show you my Monday walk! It was totally magical... First of all, I know you can't see it, but that first picture is of a woodpecker! I've never seen one around here, and of course I heard it first, and... woodpecker! A great spotted woodpecker, because it had a red tummy rather than a red head. *g* It's the next picture that's amazing though. I wondered what the silvery-line along the grass was as I walked through the paddock, because it looked like a suntrail on water - it turned out to be spider webs, and it moved with me as I walked across the field, because in fact it covered the whole entire field! It was a carpet of spider webbing, which seemed to radiate out from the far corner! I have never seen so much before!

I don't have a pic of the next magic, but then I saw a barn owl flying low along the river, up past this old barn, and away...

...and last but not least, met three of the deer as I was on my way back. Such a spring countryside walk! *g*

And it will still be light at 6pm tonight. Yeay! Le weekend!

I'm a day late now - this was yesterday! Tuesday, that is. *g* And I'm getting a kind of Christmas-y vibe from these two pics, for which I do apologise (since we've not had bonfire night yet...), it wasn't intentional! I think it's all that white paint looking like snow...

It was the first time since covid that I went and sat in a pub - socially distanced, with a long hall open to the outside at either end and open doors leading off to the room we were in, but still - an enclosed space with people I didn't know! I thought about wearing my mask at first, but obviously you can't do that and drink coffee and talk effectively, so... well, it would be really really unlucky if I went into somewhere once and caught it then, right?

Anyway, the occasion was meeting up with LW, who I knew way way back when at Manchester Uni, when we started up Warped - the University of Manchester Science Fiction and Fantasy Society! And the cool thing about that? It's still going! Thirty-five years later (we counted - and gulped), our SF/F society is still going. *g* I think it might be the most long... longev... longevitous thing I've done in my life. You know - it lasted a long time. *g*

It was very cool to meet up with LW again (thank you for hooking us up,

helenraven!) - I swear she looked the same, very much still her, and a couple of hours passed pretty quickly, catching up all those thirty-five (thirty-five!) years. She lives not too far away, and hopefully when all this covid stuff is sorted out we'll get together again. Amongst other things there's some metal detecting to be done at her place too... *g*

(In a bizarre twist, LW is a science fiction author, and I ordered one of her books from the local Waterstones a week or so ago, after a rec from Helen Raven. I phoned on Tuesday morning to see if it was in/expected/what's going on with book orders in lockdown, to be told that the distributor didn't have it in stock after all, and they couldn't say when it would be back again. Sigh, but okay... Only this morning (Wednesday) I had an email from Waterstones saying the book I'd ordered had arrived and I could go and pick it up at the branch. What?! How can it be out of stock and simultaneously being sent to the branch...? Did they send it and then report to me that it was out of stock cos actually I'd ordered the last one, so it wasn't there any more?! Anyway - at least I can read one of her books now! *g*)

Today was a bit of an odd one - I was waiting for the Job 2 go-ahead, which didn't arrive, so sort of filling in time trying to be useful, but not feeling as if I was accomplishing much. So I went out to find a place I've been meaning to find for ages - a local wood, apparently centred around a dozen round barrows (I thought there was only supposed to be one - going to have to go back and find them all now. A dozen - wow!) there's a standing stone on top of one of the mounds, though that's probably 17th century. And the Fosse Way, a Roman road, runs straight along the edge of the wood (and was what I drove on to get there). Nice idea, but I could hear all the cars whizzing by as I wandered the wood, so probably more atmospheric back in actual Roman times!

Of course you can see Glastonbury Tor from the edge of the woods. *g*

No berries on the holly here, which surprised me after that amazing bush the other week.

This last pic is from when I was out foodsaving later - Halloween has come to the village! *g*

Things picked up after the walk too - I finally remembered to drop off a tool that my movers had left, weeks ago, then I headed for the DIY store and bought some loft boards and some bits of wood to lift them off the insulation, and nipped into the supermarket next door too. Home, got the ladder out, and hefted the boards up. Turned out there was only one patch without wires laid all around, so I could only use one of the two boards I'd bought, but I got that set up, and then piled on the boxes from packing that I'd been storing in my car, and also my Christmas boxes (it's not time yet, no matter what the shops have got out! Not that I haven't been musing on a certain Pros challenge and card exchange and things like that... *g*)

Then it was dinner, and off out foodsaving - and I came home to find my Yuletide assignment in my inbox (that's going to be interesting... *g*) and also Job 2 had got back to me at last! So a couple of tasks there, and now I'm all set to carry on with it tomorrow after all.

So - it was sort of one of those days that went from nothing to lots of quite good somethings! Hope you had a happy Monday!

Wet outside today, but I was back in meetings, so didn't mind too much!

We finished early enough for me to nip out before dark though - last time for a few months too, as the clocks go back tonight.

Had a wee wander around Frome (and might have stepped into the stationery shop... *g*), then grabbed a couple of essentials, and home again.

And now it's that time of day again... Goodnight!

Roadworks and having to find diversions around isn't all bad...

Those aren't rabbits in the second pic - they're deer! Deer in the field! *g*

I wasn't taking any chances with the second wave looming, and decided to book a hair appointment while I could - to my surprise L was free within the week, and today was the day.

I drove out past the autumn fields, and over to Glastonbury where Samhain was already in full swing!

Thought I'd fallen into Diagon Alley, but this is Gauntlet Alley... *g*

And here's the gorgeous view from yet another carpark...

...all the way up to St Michael's Tower on Glastonbury Tor!

And then it was home to try and catch up on work... until 2.45am... *headdesk* With very short hair. *g*

Finished an ongoing proofreading job, which is more fun than the usual (kids education books) but did seem to be dragging a bit as I waited for the docs. Nice to have cleared that from my books (as Nico Rathe might say... *g*). And I had rather alot of regular proofreading today too, and actually finished earlier than my normal 1.00am sessions, so yeay - not that I took myself to bed much earlier, cos I needed to prepare software etc. for a work meeting for the next night, and then you want to wind down... *headdesk* But I did make time earlier to go for a walk up to a neighbouring hamlet... (actually that first pic is looking back to my village!)

It's looking very autumn now - and a bit winter-ish (by tradition rather than reality): look at the holly berries on that bush! I don't think I've ever seen such a thickly-berried holly bush! Of course they do say that lots of holly berries means a hard winter - hmmn! I guess we'll see!

Lots of other berries around too, which I love seeing.

I also adored these rainbow sheep! Of course since doing that spinning course last year, I know what the rainbow marks mean... *g*

Bumping into an old neighbour and stopping for a chat (how convivial!) meant that it was sunset before I was heading back - but what a sunset!

How're you doing? All staying safe, I hope! *g*

I decided today was going to start off calmly and I was going to stay in absolute control of the chaos - so of course the first thing was an email asking if I'd received a second job for today... *headdesk* But that was okay, because I got it done, and even did some closet clearing and bathroom-bag clearing, and went for a walk while the sky was brilliantly blue (and the wind was very cold - more clothes tomorrow!) I even managed to change the address on my driving licence and my vehicle reg. online (and wasn't that more of a palaver than just sending the things off used to be...) But I did all that and got my work done before midnight, and made leek and cauliflower soup for lunch, so I'm actually feeling quite ahead... *g*

Loved this cloud as I walked up to the village, with its slash of brilliant blue sky... *g*

And is this a Japanese maple? I'm probably wrong, but gorgeous colours!

I've no idea what these round things are - fruit of some kind? They almost looked like conkers, so seedpods? Anyone know? I don't remember seeing them before!

And there are so many seagulls around that I swear I felt quite seaside-y as I walked home... *g*

The weekend is mostly set fair (except for that rain that's suddenly crept into the forecast for tomorrow) so I'm determined to do two things - more sorting out and packing away (and rearranging again because I've found the only loft-space trapdoor that opens outwards instead of inwards, and is thus blocked by my second fandom shelves... *sigh*), and then I'm going to go detecting! I miss detecting! It's been weeks since I dug up ~~crap~~ history from the fields! It must happen tomorrow. Or the next day. *g* Or both!

Also, there is going to be Pros in my life, by hook or by crook! I re-read Siren by Sebastian this morning, to try and find an answer to

tinturtle's question about the worst line in Pros fandom. - no luck so far. I mean come on, this is Sebastian! So I shall read through the rest of the series, and see if I can find it... *g*

Oh, bliss - the weekend!

I should have been in London now, ready for the whirlwind of Job 2, perhaps having had a quick meet-up and natter with a London mate... Instead there is this, at least.

Monday Escape after work

Tuesday Escape

I keep meaning and meaning to post again, and I haven't for ages. But tonight I want to just post some pics for

firefly1311, and generally say hi again to everyone at the same time. Hi again! *g*

It's been a glorious few weeks over here, and now we have clouds and rain for a bit, which the ground is sooooo thankful for! And veg plots and flower beds, and metal detectorists who want to dig in the hard dry ground are thankful for it too. *g* (Though it's not really been much yet...)

There's been some detectoring, and some scarecrow-making for our village scarecrow trail...

Beautiful evenings...

Amazing moons...

Lockdown exercising...

...and the garden and gardening.

So even though I'm back at work again, it's not too shabby really. Driving me slightly mad that my usual exam-work break from proofreading isn't on this year, and I'm definitely going to have to take more breaks as I go along (otherwise my eyes and my brain give up entirely *g*), but... Oh, and I've started my re-read of Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin books. I've been waiting so patiently because I knew once I started I wouldn't want to read anything else until I'd read all 27 or so, and then I realised I'd been patient for about ten years, and that means I'm definitely allowed to indulge! Plus I'd forgotten just how joyful they are. *g*

How're you doing? *g*

Today was another Very Happy Day. It started off for the second time in a row nice and early - because I was off to meet

helenraven for an unexpected and bonus breakfast! And the sun was actually shining, and if it was a little chillier - well, the sun was actually shining! My path to the cafe took me alongside waterways and past ducks and swans and moorhens - just a few minutes from where I was staying in the opposite direction to the one I'd taken that first night!

And then interesting chat over coffee and pancakes (Happy Shrove Tuesday!) I have got to go and visit the Icelandic Phallological Museum... *vbg*

( Read more... )

One more happy for the day though - I had an email with official go-ahead for the foodsharing - yeay!

( The less happy bit )

But - I did eventually get to my destination, and had a wee walk in the refreshing sea air, so that was something. It wasn't metal detecting, but I did get a change of scenery. Plus - as I left home there was a rainbow! Over blue skies (well, the big grey clouds had just passed). *g*

The moon always makes me happy too. *g*

Came home via the supermarket (trying very hard not to breathe in anyone's direction, but I realised that I just couldn't cook tonight...) and bought chicken soup and garlic bread for an easy dinner, then crashed in front of the second Worzel Gummidge ep from Christmas, and tonight's The Voice, both of which also made me happy. Caught Live at the Apollo after that, with comedians I'd not seen before who all three made me laugh (Ellie Taylor, Tez Ilyas (brilliant) and Fin Taylor), so that was another happy. *g*

And finally - tomorrow is another day, and before then I hope there will be cold-drugs and sleep... *g*

1. ( The mould update )

2. I've been watching The Detectorists, which my brother recommended. I'd heard of it, but sort of connected it to The Office, which I didn't like (the connection is Mackenzie Crook, who was in The Office, but wrote, directed and is in Detectorists), and so ignored it really - but it's bloody brilliant, and I love it to death! It's a sharp but gentle comedy, filmed in a way that makes England look just amazing (probably because it was filmed in Suffolk, which I've always loved) and I keep putting it on repeat. I might also be eyeing up a new hobby... *g*

3. It's tax month. Queue dread-tummy and panic-face (well, ever since the returns were due back last April, to be honest...), but bravely sticking to my decision that if I had to be self-employed again, I'd get someone else to do them for me this time. So I did. Which was it's own panic-face, but... I'd massively massively over-estimated what I'd have to pay! I can afford to pay them! And deal with some other stuff! And... have enough to perhaps treat myself to a new hobby... *vbg*

4. Work continues blah, exam work is now contracted to continue blah, tutoring has vanished after all, and I'm still waiting to hear back about the food saving re-application.

5. I've started work on my Mt TBR for this year - Darkhaven by A.F.E. Smith, which I thought someone had recommended, but is actually signed to me by the author, suggesting that I gave into one of those author-tables somewhere... can't remember where... But it's good! I'm enjoying it, actually. Not that I'm signing up for Mt TBR or any reading challenges. I'm trying not to succumb to counting how many books I read this year...

6. And when I finally dragged myself out into the world today, this is what it looked like today!

And - and - I saw a kingfisher! My first kingfisher ever! The most gorgeous flash of blue, as it zipped around the Bishops Palace moat, and then went and sat on some greenery on the wall - me cursing that I'd not brought my proper camera. In fact I thought there were two, and apparently there are two there, so it might have been. A kingfisher! *g*

So really I should be saying less blah, and more don't-I-live-in-a-lovely-part-of-the-world... *g* In other news, we're down to -3C tonight, but sunshine is forecast again tomorrow!

It's been a rough few days (weeks...), what with Job 1 and Job 2 and on top of that continued bombardments from Madam about my foodsaving project, but with no concessions whatsoever (gaaargh!), but I snatched a couple of hours today to wander up to the nearest Cathedral city for a bit of shopping, and happened to get there just at dusk...

Tonight was supposed to be my last Job 2 night, and I actually booked a day off tomorrow - and then I stupidly said yes when I was asked to pick up some Job 2 slack, so... waaaah! All I want is a bit of time to just dust! This weekend - surely this weekend I will have time for catching up on things like dusting and taxes (yeurch) and then lovely Pros-y things? Surely...!

How're you doing? *g*

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Hold Your Breath, Sunshine

A ship is safe in the harbour - but that's not what ships are for.

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I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night. (Sarah Williams)

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Could've.
Should've.
Would've.
Didn't. Didn't. Didn't.

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Page generated Monday, 16 June 2025 02:45 am

By Slanted Light

Hold Tight and Pretend it's a Plan.

Entries tagged with somerset

Is it still January? Not any more...

One of those very stoopid days

8th September - day belated

6th September - Early morning walk

2nd September

1st September

Friday morning!

Tuesday 3rd November - the one with the old friend

Monday 26th October - a day of doings

Saturday 24th October - laptop again... with an earlier finish!

Thursday 22nd October - long views

Tuesday 19th October - haircut day

Wednesday 14th October - a walk and work

Friday 9th October - Friday! vbg

A Week to Escape

How is it June already...?

100 Days of Happiness 2020 - Day 30 - Holiday Tuesday

100 Days of Happiness 2020 - Day 6 - Sunshine and Rainbows

January so far

Just because...

Agent Profile

Hold Your Breath, Sunshine