“To his eyes all seemed beautiful, but to me a tinge of melancholy lay upon the countryside, which bore so clearly the mark of the waning year. Yellow leaves carpeted the lanes and fluttered down upon us as we passed. The rattle of our wheels died away as we drove through drifts of rotting vegetation–sad gifts, as it seemed to me, for Nature to throw before the carriage of the returning heir of the Baskervilles.” Continue reading “Dartmoor: with thanks to Conan Doyle”
An A – Z of those I own
Part 2: D – F
Time to move on in the alphabet; it’s now the turn of D, E and F. All six from the first two lists of those I own and those I don’t have been read (with Christmas and various other books threaded in between). And the close contender which just missed the cut for ‘B’ in those I don’t – The Birdwatcher by William Shaw – is being read this week. Continue reading “An A – Z of those I own”
Sound, Silence and Safety
Under the trees, in the bedrock of the valley, I feel surrounded by an entity primeval and powerful. And the wind roars.
I have discovered that it is possible for a February night to be both warm and cold. There was a duality to this night. This was my thought as I stepped through the door and stood outside in the dark. Was it the night that was warm and the wind that blew cold? No, it was the other way around. The wind was whispering warm: later in the year it might be described as sultry. It had a siren’s song, a susurration that spoke of secret things and of temptation. The sound was so soft it fell around me as silence. Continue reading “Sound, Silence and Safety”
The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens
Published as a serial 1836 – 1837
(Reviewed as part of The Classics Club Challenge) Continue reading “The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens”
The View from Here: the maiden apples and the mighty oak
The view from here was much changed, but as ever, the passing of time has softened the blow.
This is a view of our field in the first summer we were here.
Continue reading “The View from Here: the maiden apples and the mighty oak”
Six Degrees of Separation: from Lincoln in the Bardo …
Six Degrees of Separation is hosted by Kate at books are my favourite and best. This will be my second month of taking part. Each month Kate chooses a book as a starting point for a chain of six books, each one linked in some way to the book before. Everyone’s chains are so different! Mine this month has certainly surprised me. I’ve tried to go with the first book that came to mind as I went along. My mind certainly works in mysterious ways! Continue reading “Six Degrees of Separation: from Lincoln in the Bardo …”
The View from Here: water, water, everywhere
The view from here has been aqueous
January draws to a close. One month ago this evening – on New Year’s Eve – it was wet. Torrentially wet. The tale of our attempts to enjoy the NYE celebrations at Looe may resurface at more length one day but for now I shall say only that the weather played a significant, and not very pleasant, role. B’s face probably says it all. Continue reading “The View from Here: water, water, everywhere”
The View from Here: Christmas 2017
And that moment captured the essence of this year’s Christmas, which for me was all about the very old and the very young.
It is the twenty-fifth of January. This time last month was another 25th. It was Christmas Day. Yes, a distant memory already; we’ve been back in the real world quite long enough to have packed away all thoughts of Christmas with the baubles and the tinsel. When it comes to including Christmas here in A Corner of Cornwall I’m even later than last year, but I do want a record of it and it is just a month back after all. Not so very long ago. But be warned. And if you really can’t stomach the thought a brief foray back into festive realms I can’t blame you. I suggest you move along briskly. Continue reading “The View from Here: Christmas 2017”
Six Degrees of Separation: from No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency to England, Their England
Six Degrees of Separation is hosted by Kate at Books Are My Favourite and Best. Every month she provides the title of a book as a starting point and the idea is to link it to six other books to form a chain. A book doesn’t have to be connected to all of the others on the list – only to the one next to it in the chain. I’ve often enjoyed reading the chains created by others, and it’s fascinating how different they all are. I’ve thought about joining in several times. I’m a little late in the month, but I’m going to dive in anyway. Continue reading “Six Degrees of Separation: from No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency to England, Their England”
The View From Here: reaching back
For me there was an atavistic connection: strong and raw. Unsophisticated, preliterate.
There was a darkness so thick it felt like a warm bath, yet the air was crackling sharp with cold. And the pin-bright sliver of moon hung over the water between the cliffs. A scimitar shining; sprinkling magic. Continue reading “The View From Here: reaching back”
A Corner of Cornwall 