poliphilo: (bah)
poliphilo ([personal profile] poliphilo) wrote2017-01-13 04:11 pm

Wish I Was In Herefordshire...

I was taking some cardboard boxes to the bonfire site and my right-hand boot got stuck in the icy sludge that the horses have made and my stockinged foot came out of it and plunged into said sludge. I sorted myself out- avoiding the complete collapse that threatened- and then immediately repeated the sequence with my left-hand boot and foot.

The snow is going- either melting or blowing away, but the wind is cruel. There's something about this weather that makes me fidget and itch- and want to rake my forearms with my finger nails.

Two good things:

1. Ailz bought a coconut and fresh coconut is like dried coconut but even better- creamier, moister, more subtly and fragrantly flavoured.

2. Phil Rickman has just published the 14th Merrily Watkins mystery- All of a Winter's Night- and I'm halfway through it. Those who know the series will know that he mainly uses real locations- most of them in Herefordshire or elsewhere on the Welsh borders. This time the central location is the Romanesque church at Kilpeck with its wonderful carvings.











Wish I was there...

[identity profile] puddleshark.livejournal.com 2017-01-13 05:36 pm (UTC)(link)
I was just commenting to someone the other day how much I missed the experience of being stuck, wearing only one wellington, in a quagmire... Strange the things you miss when you give up horses!

A bale of straw spread over the mud helps. If you can persuade the horses not to eat the straw.

I wish I was at Kilpeck too. That is one church I would so love to see.

[identity profile] poliphilo.livejournal.com 2017-01-13 06:36 pm (UTC)(link)
I need to put something down I think. We don't have straw. Besides, as you say, the horses would regard it as breakfast.

Kilpeck can't be that far from where you are. A day trip perhaps?

[identity profile] puddleshark.livejournal.com 2017-01-14 06:23 am (UTC)(link)
About a six hour round trip, which is too long a drive for me these days. Everywhere is a long way from Dorset...

[identity profile] dadi.livejournal.com 2017-01-13 06:04 pm (UTC)(link)
wheeeee I did not know a new one had come out! Rickmann is on my watch list at Amazon.. I wonder why they didn't tell me! Bought it! Yay, perfectly in time for the long Sunday with all the train travel and waiting for people to check in and stuff! Thank you for the heads up!

[identity profile] poliphilo.livejournal.com 2017-01-13 06:37 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm about three quarters of the way through now. Beginning to have glimmerings of what's really going on...

[identity profile] cmcmck.livejournal.com 2017-01-14 12:25 pm (UTC)(link)
Stunning and just up the road from us now!

[identity profile] poliphilo.livejournal.com 2017-01-14 12:49 pm (UTC)(link)
Los of very interesting churches in Herefordshire.

[identity profile] cmcmck.livejournal.com 2017-01-15 11:46 am (UTC)(link)
We'll go exploring come the Spring.

[identity profile] internet-sampo.livejournal.com 2017-01-15 03:13 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm not familiar with PJ Harvey -- this sounds nice indeed!

[identity profile] poliphilo.livejournal.com 2017-01-14 05:17 pm (UTC)(link)
Yes!

[identity profile] splodgenoodles.livejournal.com 2017-01-15 12:46 am (UTC)(link)

Wish I was there too, but that very welcoming lady in the last photo needs some kind of ointment I think.

[identity profile] poliphilo.livejournal.com 2017-01-15 09:35 am (UTC)(link)
Because she's turning green, you mean?