Thursday, 6 September 2012

Little Notes from the Shire.

I killed my neighbour’s three cats today. After what Dr Bellamy said about the dangers they pose, I thought it in everybody’s best interest.

Actually, I made an extra fuss of them, just to spite Dr Bellamy. I think the modern mania for risk avoidance is going a bit too far and we’re losing sight of the fact that if you completely stop people taking risks, you stop them living.

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I also lifted the onions, about a month later than usual. It was a poor crop this year, courtesy of the cold, wet spring and farmer Robinson’s heifers trampling all over the onion bed in May. I estimate they should keep me supplied until about Christmas. They usually take me through to at least March.

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I didn’t go up the lane to see the sheep this evening. I was worried that leaning on a gate which a sheep might have breathed on could be injurious to my health. So instead, I took the downhill route via the post box and the pub, and then along Church Lane. The view across the valley isn’t quite as extensive as it is from the higher point, but the view of the sky is slightly better, since it’s relatively unencumbered by power cables. And what an interesting sky it was. Most of it was what you’d expect of a post-sunset western sky during a spell of high pressure – a mixture of pale blue and feathery orange. But there was a line of clouds sitting on the horizon that were hard edged and almost black. I’ve never seen clouds look so much like ink blots.

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