derrickjknight

A Birthday Bunch

It being Jackie’s birthday today I collected a few photographs In the cool, diffused, early light.

At 5 a.m. the direct sun only reached the front garden.

For diffusion I chose a random walk around the back. Each image bears a title in the gallery.

This afternoon Helen visited bearing gifts; she was soon joined by Becky and Ian on the same errand, who accompanied Jackie and me later to dine at Rokali’s where they were as impressed as we are. My main meal was Naga Chilli lamb and special rice. We shared onion bahjis, and puris. Ian and I drank Kingfisher; Becky and Jackie drank Diet Coke.

Before going out we enjoyed a Messenger Video chat with Flo and Ellie, which was great fun.

Beef And Mushroom Pie

Today I read much more of Huckleberry Finn.

This evening Jackie photographed the beef and mushroom pie dinner which she had cooked for our dinner. I finished the Malbec.

Humming Bees

We were very fortunate to escape one of today’s heavy showers when we transported another car load of garden refuse to the Efford Recycling Centre. Rain hammered on the car as we drove home’

I use the cut glass pattern on a small wine container to measure my intake at each evening meal in order not to overdo the consumption and regret it. If she can help it the next morning, Jackie never leaves the renamed local council dump without making a purchase from the Reuse Shop. Today she bought a larger glass

which she placed on the kitchen table between yesterday’s bottle of Malbec and the measuring glass so that I could use the smaller glass as such to gauge a point on the larger for a change. I sampled it while drafting this post. Definitely more pleasing.

Although the sun produced warmth between fierce showers, Martin had to move on from weeding paths which became too wet, and carry

out more general tidying.

I took advantage of the sunny periods to photograph

bees entering a white foxglove, alighting on a geranium palmatum,

and those whose massed hum emanated from the Chilean Lantern tree to which they are inevitably drawn. Accessing the gallery should help spot one in each of these pictures.

This pink budding rose in the Patio Bed will be the colour of Peach Abundance in the Oval Bed when it fills out.

Other roses include the white rambler Félicité Perpétue; pale pink New Dawn; white climbing The Generous Gardener; pink Festive Jewel; white Winchester Cathedral: and a red climber.

The first of these clematises is on the front garden trellis; the next two pictures on the patio fence include Doctor Ruppel, another example of which decorates the Brick Path.

Fuchsia Delta’s Sarah, of which we have a number, is hardy enough to survive our winters; this allium is now in full bloom, as are the heucheras.

Here are two more shots of the Rose Garden.

and one from alongside the Cryptomeria Bed.

This evening we dined on spicy marinaded chicken; boiled baby new potatoes; and al dente carrots, cauliflower, and broccoli stems, with which I drank more of the Malbec.

Flipping Flies

Immediately after lunch, before I had a tooth extracted by Mr Matt Hefferen at Birchfield Dental Practice, We took a forest drive.

Rhododendron Ponticum is ubiquitous in our area. One, beside the ancient Burley signpost at the bottom of Castle Hill is reflected in pothole pools,

alongside which a young foal vigorously rolled in a vain attempt to flip flies from its nether regions.

One seemed to manage alone;

another tried scratching with a hind hoof or catching the breeze engendered by its mother’s twitching tail;

alternatively trying to distract her from a mutual grooming exercise.

This evening we dined on tempura prawns, spring rolls, and mixed vegetables on a bed of Jackie’s colourful savoury rice, with which I drank Reserva Privada Chilean Malbec 2022.

Blooming Wonderful Grandparents

Just before lunch on this blustery-rain-day doing its best to refill to invisibility the pothole booby traps on the pock-marked tarmac, wary of oncoming traffic doing the same thing, we slalomed around them to Milford on Sea GP surgery for the changing of my hand dressing now looking much better.

Afterwards I photographed the display of our “Wonderful Grandparents” present from Flo and Dillon now in full bloom, then settled into an afternoon with Huckleberry Finn.

This evening we dined on spicy marinaded chicken and Jackie’s colourful vegetable rice, with which I finished the Alentejano.

The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer

Trilling songbirds heralded dawn this morning,

soon after which I embarked upon completing my reading of

Writing a review, and scanning pictures, which was to occupy me until well into the evening.

This undated edition by Heirloom Library Limited bears the inscription “Gordon Xmas 1949”. It is my loss that it has languished unopened on my shelves for the 50 years since I bought it, presumably in second hand bookshop.

With the authors dry wit and sound knowledge of boys, their philosophy, their deviousness, their fluctuating relationships, their machinations, their vulnerable bravado, their games, their likes and dislikes, and their fundamental honesty, Twain introduces us to the eponymous protagonist with a series of exchanges of fast moving dialogue and descriptions of scrapes and speculation. Family, friends, and enemies are featured in this manner, while we have many examples of the author’s descriptive powers encompassing characterisation, place, and the natural world. He has an in depth knowledge of plants and wildlife effortlessly woven into tales of Tom and those around him.

Imaginary scenarios are invented and played out until exhaustion or boredom causes interest to wane; the passion is easily transferable.

Twain’s prose is poetic, with plenty of metaphor, such as “the sermon that wagged its crippled tail at the end of each and every one of them”; and alliteration, as in “varnished foliage and festooning vines” or “voluptuous votary of fashion”

Soon the action picks up and the important adventures begin, with excitement, dread, and wavering progress. We are reminded that even courageous children can wilt at the drop of a hat. Throughout everything the courage and leadership of Tom prevails.

Geoffrey Whittham’s immaculate illustrations are drawn with such perfect precision of perspective and movement.

The frontispiece is featured above; Here are the cover boards and spine;

and the endpapers, repeated back and front.

Where the black and white drawings appear opposite a page of text I have included this for those who wish to sample Twain’s prose.

There are 8 full page colour plates, including the frontispiece.

This evening we dined on the last of Jackie’s tasty chicken and vegetable stewp accompanied by pizza, with which I drank more of the Alentejano.

Doctor Ruppel’s Cricket

This morning I continued my dead heading race with the plants and some gentle weeding, while Jackie concentrated on clearing out spent compost from hanging baskets, planting up more, and redistributing the compost.

These baskets are some of last year’s which will receive her attention.

Here are two of the clematises that border on the patio, the second of which is a Doctor Ruppel;

ascending the Gothic arch is another one such, today providing a resting place for a minuscule cricket.

The climber, Paul’s Scarlet occupies the Wisteria arbour from where similar coloured poppies can now be seen half way along the Gazebo Path.

We have lost the label for this white rose in the Dragon Bed, but

I remember this one is Winchester Cathedral, situated in

The Rose Garden, where we will also find

Rhapsody in Blue and this pale pink climber.

The rhododendron in the Cryptomeria Bed is now in full bloom,

as are a number of aquilegias and a few day lilies.

Finally, Erigeron festoons corners of the patio.

This afternoon we shopped at Tesco and I read more of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain begun yesterday evening.

This evening we dined on Jackie’s wholesome chicken and vegetable stewp with fresh crusty bread; I drank Almocreve vinho regional Alentejano tinto reserva 2020.

Jane Eyre

Today I finished reading

This superbly constructed story of the search for love of a heroine wishing to blend passionate physical needs with the emotional and spiritual aspects, bearing in mind the constraints of duty and a strong Christian faith, has rightly stood the test of time since its first bursting on the literary scene in 1847.

We are carried along with fluid prose at a breakneck speed. Bronte has full command of dialogue, and the thoughts of Jane as she struggles with her wishes and her sense of propriety. She experiences a lifetime of self denial. Humour is absent.

There have been so many filmed versions of the story that we all think we know it well. Knowledge of the finish could have affected my reading, but it really didn’t, and I hope not to give the game away in this review.

Our author has observant descriptive powers of place and person and uses this to good advantage in setting her scenes. This is lyrically demonstrated on the very first page: “A small breakfast room adjoined the drawing room. I slipped in there. It contained a book-case: I soon possessed myself of a volume, taking care that it should be one stored with pictures. I mounted into the window-seat: gathering up my feet, I sat cross-legged, like a Turk; and, having drawn the red moreen curtain nearly close, I was shrined in double retirement.

Folds of scarlet drapery shut in my view to the right hand; to the left were the clear planes of glass, protecting, but not separating me from the drear November day. At intervals, while turning over the leaves of my book, I studied the aspect of that winter afternoon. Afar, it offered a pale bank of mist and cloud; near, a scene of wet lawn and storm-beat shrub, with ceaseless rain sweeping away wildly before a long and lamentable blast.”

The harsh weather is a constant feature reflecting the unrelenting cruel neglect of her childhood that gave her a sense of having no value to anyone, yet unable to quell her inner strength.

Fear of failure in “habituating [her]self to new rules and unwonted tasks” was to dog her adult life. Her such for love was apparently unsuccessful, partly because of the strong principles outlined in my second paragraph.

Throughout Jane’s time at Thornfield there is evidence of a dark secret during which we are misled into imagining a misleading source. Another secret concerning her upbringing emerges later.

There is no shortage of exciting activity. The wreck of a storm blasted chestnut tree; “the cloven halves…not broken from each other” becomes a prophetic metaphor by the end of the tale.

J.H.’s introduction puts the work in the context of the Brontes’ lives and time.

Anthony Colbert’s lithographs are evocative of the mood of the story.

This evening we dined on tender roast lamb; boiled new potatoes; firm broccoli and cauliflower, the chopped leaves of which produce cabbage; and crunchy carrots, with meaty gravy. I finished the Sangiovese and Syrah.

Brick Path Weeding

Early this morning GP Practice Nurse Jill Jefferies changed the dressing on my injured hand. This involved cleaning the wound, cutting away another flap of dead skin, padding and bandaging the affected limb.

This means that any pressure applied by the palm or the fingers hurts a bit. Today I decided to rest the hand, meaning little use of computer keyboard, or the camera shutter; much more of Jane Eyre was therefore read.

Martin, meanwhile was active as ever in the garden, among other things weeding a good stretch of the Brick Path.

Here is the finished section followed by the rest demanding his attention.

This evening we enjoyed our second helpings of last night’s curry with which I drank more of the Sangiovese.

Garden Views From The Ground

First thing on this surprisingly cool morning, I took advantage of the diffused light to

walk round the garden with my camera. All these pictures are titled in the gallery.

Later, we visited Boots Opticians for my post-operative test for new glasses for which I was measured and consequently ordered for delivery in a couple of weeks.

We then picnicked in the shade at Mill Lane. Because, although I will have 20/20 vision with the new specs, my eyes had not readjusted after the drops making me light sensitive and seeing everything in a blur, Jackie took these

photographs of the scene (entitled in the gallery),

and ponies and foals on the way home (also entitled in the gallery).

Having recently posted about the demise of Red Chilli Indian takeaway we have received a flurry of leaflets advertising others. This evening we opted to try Royal Spice in Old Milton, which turned out to be a fortunate choice. A long established outlet we visited to check it out and brought home tandoori king prawn naga for me; ponir makhani for Jackie; and garlic rice, plain paratha, and onion bahji to share. We were given free popadoms with certainly passed our test. The food was plentiful, very well cooked, and quickly produced by friendly staff. There will be enough for second helpings tomorrow. Next time we will have it delivered. I drank Sangiovese & Syrah Toscana 2021.