Saturday 5 April 2014

A Two day gap.

I am sorry about missing two days of blogging, but I really do not know where the time has gone.   Both days have been full from dawn to dusk; not a bad thing in itself, but there has really been no time to think of a post, let alone put it on to the computer.

However, after a busy morning, I am here this afternoon, so time to catch up.

A visit to our Feed Merchant's (I always go along for the ride) brought about a sight that I haven't seen for a long while.   I would love to have a photograph to show you, but - isn't it always the way - I hadn't taken my camera.  At the entrance to a farm along the way, a mole-catcher was advertising his trade and his expertise.   When I was a child in Lincolnshire countryside, where moles were always a major problem, most farmers employed a mole-catcher and there was great competition for trade, hence the need to advertise.

Moles are a problem on grassland, particularly in the time coming up to silaging.   The little heaps of soil they push up in the grass are really no good at all mixed in with the grass for silage.   So somehow moles have to be cut down (they will never be eradicated, thank goodness - they are really quite pretty little creatures and it seems sad that they have to be 'hunted' at all - but farmers can't afford to be sentimental.)

The farm we passed had the mole catcher's advert along the barbed wire by the gate - a long line of dead moles hung on the wire.   There were about twenty of them strung up - the mole catcher obviously saying 'employ me and I will do a good job at getting rid of moles on your land'.

When I was a child the row would include stoats, weasels, crows, jackdaws, moles, rats, mice, squirrels - anything in fact which posed any kind of threat to the farmer.   Times have certainly changed, although the farmer has been catching very large mice all week as they have been attacking the wild bird food - ten so far.

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Something silly is happening to the font type on my machine.   It is probably my fault (most things on the computer are) , but I shall not try to change it in case I lose the lot.   Apologies.

It was our monthly village coffee morning this morning and as usual I went with friend W.   For our village there was a jolly good turnout of forty five folks.   J and A who set the tables  make a really good job of it.   There are nice plates of biscuits, nice white china and this morning, each table had a tiny vase holding a couple of daffodils and a sprig of forsythia.    The last coffee morning was on S. David' Day and each table had a tiny Welsh flag. It is touches like this which make the whole thing special.
                                       
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We had a few moments quiet during the morning to remember three villagers, two  had lived in the village and the other only left a short time ago.   All have died during the past week.   They were all a good age (one was 108) but they will all be missed.

Also this morning I was thinking of a lady who is usually very active in our coffee morning but who is this morning undergoing an operation for breast cancer.   Two other friends have also been diagnosed with the disease and both of them have their operations on Wednesday morning.   Such events serve to remind us to make hay while the sun shines and get on with our lives, enjoying every minute.

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Let's finish on a more cheerful note.   Tonight, all the Friday morning coffee gang are going out for a Chinese to say good-bye to friend H, who leaves us on Monday to live down South, nearer to her children.   This is about the third farewell dinner we have had because, although she lives in a delightful cottage very near to the centre of our little town, her sale took an awful long time to go through.   Selling and moving can be such a stressful time can't it?

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On that note I shall sign off.   A joint of ham is in the Aga cooking for tomorrow's lunch.   I shall read a few blogs on my sidebar, then I shall light the woodburner and settle down to watch the Grand National horserace on the television.   Tomorrow evening we go to a Poetry evening in our Arts Centre, where a local poet is reading her work and asking for others to read theirs too.   I shall look through and choose one or two of mine, but whether I read them will depend upon the prevailing atmosphere on the night.
 

14 comments:

Cro Magnon said...

I used to do a good job of Mole catching when I still had my old fashioned English Mole trap. Recently I exchanged it for the French equivalent, and haven't caught a single Mole.

Anonymous said...

We have pocket gophers in Southern Arizona. I don't know how they can dig in the super hard ground here. I know how time flies. I finally finished my rug, taking a drawing with charcoal class at our local community college and going to start planting our summer veggies. I enjoyed reading your "Writers Group" composition. You have a wonderful way with words. Keep at it!
Sandy @ myyellowswing.com

Willow said...

The Grand Nationals sounds like fun , enjoy.

Hildred said...

Did miss you Pat, but now have enjoyed your long and varied post.

When Charles planted his line of curly willows along the entrance lane to our house he was very diligent about moles, and successful, I must say....

jinxxxygirl said...

What a full life you lead Pat. We had the same varmit problem in TX when we lived there but a snake moved in (harmless variety) and the varmits soon moved on.. :) Glad your back i did miss you! Hugs! deb

Gwil W said...

The two day gap is what Dylan Thomas and Charles Bukowski often had in common. And lots more of us too!! Enjoy the poetry club.

angryparsnip said...

I think Moles are very cute but I understand the problem. Where I live Pack Rat are cute but so destructive. I have a service that comes out 4 times a year to catch them and destroy the nests.
It was fun to catch up with what is going on.

cheers, parsnip

Rachel Phillips said...

My cat brought me a mole into the bedroom two nights ago. It was dead. Cats like to catch moles but they never eat them.

Heather said...

You are allowed the odd day off you know! I'd love to attend one of your village coffee mornings. Good luck to those ladies for their ops. this morning and on Wednesday. Enjoy your Poetry Evening and I hope you get the chance to read some of your work.

John Going Gently said...

At least you are still here pat x

JoAnn ( Scene Through My Eyes) said...

I did miss you - and loved the catching up - you have so much fun. Love that small town stuff. We have a LOT of moles in Washington - lots and lots - one or two in our yard now and then but nothing serious - so we are able to let them be.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Thanks for the visit.

Crafty Green Poet said...

we saw some a long line of molehills recently, those little creatures can certainly turn over alot of soil!

MorningAJ said...

I'm glad I didn't see the moles. I think it's a heartbreaking sight. Mole traps can be really cruel when they don't make a clean kill.