a gift

[OT from cottage renovations]

came back from a walk this afternoon to find that Peake or (more likely) Cat Van Beek had left an offering in front of the cat door:  a mouse head.  not knowing where the rest of it is I am planning on indoor footgear for the next couple of days. 

sorry, no illustrations, but you get the idea. 

things to come AND GO

previous owners of this cottage laid down beige carpet.  lots of it. 

I've never cared for it, but haven't been ready to do much about it on the grounds that most of the ground floor rooms in which it can be found are a mix of old and new construction.  in the older parts of the house it might well be concealing some interesting old floorboards but in the newer areas what's under it is probably nothing but cheap subflooring:  plywood or chipboard or the like. 

only recently has it occurred to me that upstairs in front it's unlikely that any of the flooring is new.  curiosity finally got the better of me this afternoon and a small amount of exploratory surgery seems to have borne this out, at least in the small area exposed for inspection. 

underneath that beige carpet ... old floorboards

the first thing I noted on pulling back the carpet was that it was installed before the posts for the loft railing.  it's also clear that when this area was painted the anticipation of carpet was a deterrent to the use of drop cloths.  but the old floorboards are certainly there, waiting for their chance to be restored.  I won't be able to take that on just yet, but now it's going to eat away at my mind until I get started on it. 

watch this space. 

a walk through the fields

[OT] from cottage renovations]

this afternoon the light returned so I pulled on wellies and headed out to revisit the fields along the Grove's S border.  it's a wonderful place but I don't go there as often as I would like because fellow trespassers are often accompanied by some large unleashed dog with aggressive tendencies, though this did not happen today. 

developers and road builders have already made plans to lay the area to waste and it is already dotted with survey markers and capped-off test wells, so it makes no sense to miss any opportunity to experience it before it is lost. 

here's a part of what was there (click any thumbnail for a larger image): 

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this branch with bright yellow fruit and sharp thorns
combines elements of allure and danger


the intricate details of this seed pod
are worthy of the architecture of the Barcelona Cathedral
[I stand corrected: these are the winter remains of the flowerheads of Queen Anne's Lace]


this bittersweet shows a riotous display of colour
but the eye is drawn to how vine encircles branch


thorn and barb won't ward off builder and bulldozer


grasping for height,
this milkweed towers above the surrounding vegetation


cattails
(no actual cats were harmed ...)
[I stand corrected: this is dried teasel]


this tree stands out from the hedgerow marking the field's perimeter


insect incubator, berry and thorn in afternoon light

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[many thanks for corrections to the Grove's resident naturalist betsy_beekeeper whose actual knowledge of these species vastly exceeds my own, which can be encapsulated as "ooh, look at the pretty flower" :) ]