Clash of the titans

I let Boris out of his pen today as I was repairing the damage done by yesterday's storm, and like a galleon in full sail he majestically glided across the field to mirror the juvenile male, Darcy in his pubescent posturing in the far enclosure.
I love watching the stags doing their masculine thing. There is no overt aggression in this kind of joust, no sudden moves and not much noise. just the gentle rattling of their wing feathers as they scrape the grass and the heavy snorts of concentration as both birds circled each other in a half moon shaped dance.

I could have watched them all day

Les Miserables (in tights) The Flames Of Paris

The live performance of The Flames of Paris ( from the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow) was a truly wonderful experience. It is not a ballet that I am familiar with, and on the surface it does resemble a jolly romp through familiar Les Miserables territory!
After all we do have a French revolution, revolting peasants , much flag waving and barricade rushing.......but more importantly we have some of the best dancing I have ever seen in a ballet production.
The flames of Paris is a cracking ballet! A huge cast of pure talent is given space and time to show what they can do, and I loved the fact that even the smallest characters within the ensemble perform some spectacular set pieces, the best being the heart stopping "Dance of the Basques" at the start of Act 2.
The Ballet's two leads; Ivan Vasiliev, (he who has buttocks like two rockhard footballs stuffed inside a condom!) and snow white look-a-like ,Natalie Osipova have to be seen to be believed! I have never seen dancers that can leap so high and so powerfully in a production before, and their ability truly takes your breath away.(see photos)

I will have to give the Bolshoi production a magnificent 10 out of 10......eat your heart out Cameron Macintosh, Jean Valjean and "One Day More"!

A storm & Mrs Jones' arteries

I knew we were in for some bad weather from the north today, but the severity of the storm that whipped in from the sea caught me a little by surprise.
Sheltered in the lee of Gop Hill most of Trelawnyd had been sheltered from the worst of the wind, sleet and snow, but we, on the Northern tip of the village got caught in the direct blast from up the valley.
It has been a while since I have seen purely horizontal rain, and looking a little like Dorothy Lamour from The Hurricane, I battled around the field for a while trying manfully to save my polytunnel and cloches that had all been ripped from their moorings, and had been blown into the churchyard.
The turkey poults had taken shelter in their robust house, but after a particularly strong gust of wind, I heard a bang, and the whole house was blown onto it's roof with all the birds shrieking and calling inside.

Luckily all four turkeys were fine when I got to them as was Mary the bantam and Kate Winslett, a buff, who was sheltering with them. The coop itself, was damaged, and the roof "door" was ripped off completely. It has taken me an age, in the freezing sleet and snow to repair it . (No photos I am afraid...my camera batteries are being recharged!)
The bad weather coupled with unusually high tides have caused chaos all over the North Wales coast. In Llandulas, residents have been evacuated from the Promenade area as the sea has burst into their houses so I can't really complain even after my polytunnel sailed majestically over the gravestones!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/8597110.stm

The village seemed completely deserted when I took the dogs to deliver some eggs, but I wasn't surprised when I bumped into sprightly Mrs Jones, braving the elements on her way to the post office. In her late seventies ( or perhaps older) Mrs Jones, with her sing-song Welsh accent and big smile is always a joy to bump into. A retired farmer's wife, she calles down to the field regularly for eggs and a chat about the animals, and knowing that I am a nurse, I always get to hear about the problems she experiences with the "arteries in her head".......a condition that constantly baffles me to this day. I am always careful not to give advice about confusing symptoms like "problem arteries", but I never worry about giving her a bit of sympathy! even in the sleet and snow.

Tonight we are off to see a screened performance of the Bolshoi Ballet in The Flames Of Paris, let's hope the heating is back on in the Scala

Thought for the day

"There comes a point in your life when you realize who matters, who never did, who won't anymore, and who always will. So don't worry about people from your past, there's a reason why they didn't make it to your future."
~Unknown

Back to a dirty reality and field jobs

Sorrel went home this morning and she seemed to have enjoyed her visit very much, despite the gloomy weather.
Obviously it is nice for Chris to have her up here; my immediate and extended family all live nearby, so I suppose this fact does make Chris feel slightly isolated from his family from time to time.
Having said this, Chris does have a rather special and close relationship with Sorrel and together they do resemble a bit of a double act. They banter away all day long like an old married couple and obviously enjoy each other's company in a way I never ever experienced with my parents, yet, I never feel pushed out when they are together.It's just nice that they get on so well.

Anyhow, this afternoon I have regained my usual scruffy (and dirty) daily garb and returned to work on the field. The weather, we have have been told will take a turn for the worst, so all of my cauliflower seedlings have been covered safely with cloches and polytunnels.

The old guinea fowl coop that was broken into by the badger has been recycled into a passable shelter for Boris and Gloria (below), and not surprisingly the opportunistic hens have used it all day during the heavy showers we have experienced. Perhaps the turkeys will get a look in tomorrow.

Gloria's neck has just about healed since her rather nasty turkey poult attack. She has started laying eggs this morning too!

Bodysgallen

The final "Sorrel Birthday" treat was a trip to the Elizabethan Bodysgallen Hall for afternoon tea.
We had the works! whatever type of tea you wanted-----( I had not got a clue) sandwiches cut into slices (without the crusts), freshly baked scones and a shop front of pastries and cakes!
Everything tasted better given the lovely historical surroundings, the peace and quiet and the classy decor.
You felt as though you wanted to curl up in front of the fire in the huge grate with a good book and read the rainy day away

Below the main staircase

Below a quick shot of the walled garden, which originally dated from 1620.

Sorrel goes home tomorrow. I was going to get on planting out cauliflower, onions and shallots but there is some talk of snow being on the cards again, so I may have to postpone the work.

I am slightly jaded, just two hours sleep this morning

Libera, O SANCTISSIMA

The visuals are a bit....well twee!.....
but the music is just right for a lazy sunday

Thoughts on A Single man

The homophobia of 1962 mid America was perfectly judged in the movie A Single Man. Living in 2010, I can honestly say that bigotry and prejudice never really features in our present day lives and existence.
Now I am sure that they (the bigots) are there! I know for sure that there is a "Christian" faction within the village that despises our existence, but to be honest it doesn't bother me in the slightest. I don't see homophobia because I just don't look for it.
Now, is that because I fit into that heterosexual stereotype image of middle class professional? ( at 11 hours a week at the hospital, perhaps that is pushing it!)..... a professional that is "settled down" with dogs, a garden, a mortgage and with a partner who is a Doctor and who has a great repertoire of curt one liners?
I think there must be some truth in all that. Being a part of a partnership, being a part of a couple does perhaps makes us feel "part of the group" as it were. In this world of "twosomes", having a partner does I guess makes life and the whole damm living thing a whole lot easier, and even today, in our enlightened times, it oils the wheels of social interaction and community a little more than it once did.
However I digress.
In the movie, Colin Firth's character had to suffer the painful rejection by his dead partner's family. To them, the relationship was seen as nothing more than a moral embarrassment, and that disregard IS something I have experienced from certain family members many years ago. Thankfully by a process of osmosis, patience and natural (charm! ) things got ironed out quite nicely and today it never crosses my mind that I wouldn't have the same say and status within my relationship with Chris as the Queen has with Prince Philip!
It is just a given to me.

Anyhow, I am working nights tonight, so Sunday will be a quieter day. No trips out, no birthday treats for Sorrel. Tomorrow we take her to Bodysgallen Hall for afternoon tea (so English you could scream), but today it is Sunday lunch at home, Church for her and Chris and some planting out for me.