Thursday 3 March 2016

Village Life

The news is going round the village today that there has been an accident.   The farmer, working in the fields this morning, saw the Air Ambulance hover and land.   Because we are so far from a major hospital (forty miles) the Air Ambulance is vital.

It seems that someone, somewhere in the village, has fallen from a ladder and has been taken to hospital.   I shall no doubt hear more in the morning when I meet 'the gang' for coffee.   This is not village nosiness in my opinion, but just an important part of village life in that we look out for one another.  I just hope the person has not been seriously injured.

The farmer continues with his 'muck spreading' today as the sun has been shining and a strong wind overnight means that the ground has dried up a bit again.   Drainage work on our own land should be possible next week if the weather holds.

Suddenly the rabbits seem to have multiplied.   For weeks I have hardly seen one and this afternoon as I drove up the lane on my way to the hairdresser, at least a dozen ran across the lane in front of me.   And so the cycle of life on the farm continues.

How different village life is from the city life I led for twenty years in the middle of my life.   Give me the country life every time.   Do you come down on the city side or the country side?

32 comments:

The Cranky said...

Country, always country. Sadly, I'm stuck in a small city.

Thickethouse.wordpress said...

Country life, every time...But I live at the outer edge of a sort of suburb, though a township. Across the road at the end of my road there are farms. And I live near a beautiful National Park which allows several farms to operate in it.

Frances said...

Dear Weaver, I think you know that although I live in a huge city, I do have country dreams.

Hoping that the injured person will be all right. Having that rescue service is extraordinary.

xo

Simon Douglas Thompson said...

Even in this sizeable town, the helimedics land from time to time. We have a lot of bad road smashes round here, given our location at a nexus of trunk roads.

Derek Faulkner said...

The late manager of the reserve that I've been part of for the last thirty years used to comment as per yourself and the rabbits. Around 20 years ago it was easily possible to walk round the reserve on a summers evening and count 800-1000 rabbits and then they got a virus that caused them bleed from both ends and that combined with annual myxy. saw their numbers plummet to around a hundred and then with unwarranted ferreting, a lot less. In recent years a reserve that once had 1000's of rabbits now has probably 30-40 and yet on his weekly visits he would see a dozen rabbits and exclaim that the place was alive with them and call in the shooters. I couldn't get it across to him that a healthy population of rabbits was vital as part of the wildlife food chain.

Pondside said...

I miss our country life, but find that life in a village, even if it is more urban, is really pleasant, with neighbours who look out for one another.
We have seen rabbits lately on our morning walks. Our Cairn, Rory, would love to give chase, but he is leashed until we get to the beach, so no harm comes to the bunnies.

Cloudia said...

We thought we loved urban Honolulu / Waikiki. But living in the N. California country suits us very well! Nature in abundance, Space, and Quiet are some of the things we are loving. May you both safely enjoy your Country in fine health for a long time to come!

A Heron's View said...

It is a rural lifestyle for me every time as I dislike towns and townies even more so.

John Going Gently said...

Apart from traffic accidents ladder falls can be the most destructive........good luck to the fallee

angryparsnip said...

I would love to live a country life.
Right now I live in a neighborhood in the foothills of the Catalina Mountains.
Yes, I do have a houses around me and a market but I am really far away from the city.
I love it. I have more birds and wild animals walking by my home than cars. Lovely.
I hope the person who fell off the ladder will be fine.

cheers, parsnip

rachel said...

In what was once a little village now on the outskirts of a sleepy town but five minutes walk to get onto Exmoor, I like the semi-rural best - and could be happy in a small town too - but it can be rather invigorating to get into the city now and then! So long as you can get home again quickly when it all gets too much......

We are always grateful for the air ambulance here too.

Barbara said...

Your air ambulance is the equivalent to our Aircare...those folks are my heroes!
Living so far out in the country, with curving windy roads and lots of mountains, a helicopter is often the only way to the trauma center that is about 50 miles from here. The local team kept my daughter alive after she was hit head-on by a drunk driver and given just a 5% chance of survival. It is a vital service for our community, although I always shudder when I see them set down in the ballfield in the village.
Best wishes for a speedy recovery for the injured person!

Rachel Phillips said...

I love village life and I love city life. My brother fell from a roof when we were making a grain store. He stood up and lived on. I hope the man who has fallen from a ladder is as lucky as my brother J.

Midmarsh John said...

Having been born in a large town and lived in London and Coventry for a few years there is no way I would want to leave village life now. On the rare occasion I drive to my town of birth the first thing I notice on getting out of the car is the smell. No longer the odour of fish meal there used to be years ago but just general air pollution. Walk around my village and even strangers will say hello in passing. Walk round the county's towns and the vast majority of people seem to be either looking straight ahead or at the ground.

There are things I miss, ease of access to London's museums, live orchestral concerts and ballet in Coventry but they aren't life essentials.

Dawn said...

Country life every time, having done the city town stuff wild horses wouldnt drag me back, back online again gret to catch up with you :-)

Penny said...

Country, it is nice to know your neighbour's and care about them.

Heather said...

Definitely country life, though I am probably only on the edge of country living. Three cheers for Air Ambulances - they must safe hundreds of lives. I hope the man who fell was not badly injured. Three cheers for all paramedics too as my husband needed them earlier this week having contracted pneumonia and is now safely in hospital. In spite of all the dire stories about having to wait for ages, the response time was very quick.

Wilma said...

I love living remote. When we lived in Minnesota, we were only 5 miles from the center of the small city of Rochester but surrounded by woods to the back and farm fields across the road. We could only see 4 other houses and 2 of those were across the valley. I love the peace and quiet and am uncomfortable around hustle and bustle. Having internet connection helps keep family and friends close even though we are 600 or so miles apart. No air ambulance here, though. Hope your fellow villager comes through OK.

Mac n' Janet said...

I prefer the country. We live 8 miles from town, but in a subdivision of nearly 100 houses. We're all on acreage so it doesn't seem like that many people. We've always avoided living in town if we could.

Joanne Noragon said...

I like hearing the birds in the morning and the crickets at night, far more than auto traffic.

Cro Magnon said...

Our village was filled with the sound of an air ambulance a few years back. My good friend José nearly cut his foot off with a chainsaw, but just managed to get to our house where he collapsed. The rest was all rather fraught. He's fine again now.

Even so, country life every day!

JoAnn ( Scene Through My Eyes) said...

I like the country best and we've spent most of our married life in the country - now we live in a city of 100,000 people - though we are supremely lucky to have found a house on a very quiet street - with a view of only one neighbor to the back side of the house - woods across the street and very little traffic - yet in less than five minutes we can be right in the midst of the city. This is our last home - and we are lucky to be close to doctors and a major hospital (ranked 5th in the nation), yet quietly nestled in our little quiet neighborhood - we see far more walkers than cars.

I do hope the person in the accident is ok.

Librarian said...

I hope the person who fell off the ladder is OK - and will be more careful in the future.

For me, I have found the perfect place: Near to the centre of my home town (90.000 inhabitants), but in a quiet road and in the second row from the road, so to speak. Also, it only takes me about 10 minutes to get to the fields when I want to, but only 5 minutes on foot to the station, to the shops and to all the other things one needs from time to time such as the post office, hair dresser's or doctor's.
As I do not drive, much as I'd love to live in idyllic countryside, it would not be practical - how would I get to and from work there, and do my shopping etc.?

Maria said...

I lived and loved the country, then I turned into a "spoilt" city girl. I hope the injured person is fine? Greetings Maria x

Gwil W said...

I have a big city which I like for its theaters and cafes and museums and nearby I have a lot of trees and hills (Vienna Woods) so that's just fine with me.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Thanks for the replies everyone - seems we slightly go over to country life with a few living on the edge so to speak. I am sure we all hope that Heather's husband soon recovers from his pneumonia.

Yorkshire Pudding said...

Having lived in both city and country I can't decide. Your village sounds nice but some would be very lonesome I think. As for the farmer muck spreading, why can't he keep ugly gossip to himself instead of communicating it to all and sundry?

coffeeontheporchwithme said...

Country life, for sure. We are at the edge of a little village, but surrounded by farm land. However, we are 8 minutes to a small hospital and 10 minutes to a slightly larger one. A neighbour was airlifted to a much larger center several days ago and the whole community is holding its breath for him. His was an accident in which he was pinned under farm equipment and things are uncertain about the use of his limbs. I sincerely hope the person who fell from the ladder is going to be o.k. -Jenn

Heather said...

Thank you for the kind comment and good wishes you left on my blog Pat. Dick is looking much better but will remain in hospital for a few more days I think.

Gerry Snape said...

...well being a farmer's son's daughter...if that makes sense!...I always thought that it would eventually be country. However I realise that also being brought up myself in the city...I would miss that hustle and bustle...who knows what we end up with!!

KitKatCot said...

I live in a village about 30 miles due North of you and to be quite honest, half an hour in Darlington makes me want to head back to the hills!

I certainly couldn't cope in a city, although, if I had to, I may be persuaded if the city were York.

jinxxxygirl said...

country life....i like to visit the city...hugs deb