A fallen tree and a cold moon
Monday 5th December. Dog walks seem to be done all in a rush these days, a race against the dying light. This evening, I make time to walk further and longer. To Netherclay, along the ridge that overlooks Orchard Portman. The fields are scattered with oaks here. One has been listing for some time and we arrive to find that it has fallen. The perfect height to jump with a horse, much too high for the spaniel. He and I walk round, whilst the setters hunt in the hole left by the roots.
Tuesday 6th December. I do not beat the light this evening and the nearly full moon is hanging over the trees by the time we get out to walk. Moonlight means clear skies and clear skies mean cold nights. I fumble around in the dark to find my precious tweedia, a tender perennial. It is too heavy to carry to the greenhouse (and the greenhouse is full) and it makes it into the studio instead. It takes up most of the floor space and I have to manoeuvre round it to pack Christmas orders.
There are a lot of Christmas orders this year, it has been incredible, so a huge thank you. I have spent quite a bit of time with David, my local postmaster, discussing the impact of the strikes and the general overwhelm on the lasting posting dates & we have decided together that the last date for general orders is midnight Monday 12th December. Tomorrow if you are reading this on Sunday night. Tonight if you are a Monday morning reader.
Wednesday 7th December. I feel slightly foolish for all the rushing around. It is nippy but not unpleasantly so. The sun warms the grass quickly and streams through the window. This is not always predictable in the winter and I make the most of it and take photographs of the foraged bracken and branches. I also film a demonstration about styling the Christmas table to accompany an interview I did with Rebecca Stuart of The Garden Gate Company last week. My favourite bit is trying out five different hand-dyed tablecloths.
Napkins by Christine Lewis (they are just incredible), plates by Simon Kneebone, candles by Baileys Home. Other ceramics by Simon Kneebone and Annie Rigg.
Thursday 8th December. The moon. Did you see the moon? Did you see the moon? It was huge and orange and just incredible.
I saw something the other day about the moon defying depiction; its size when it hangs on the horizon is an optical illusion to which the camera is not subject, so it never looks the same in a picture. What I am trying to say is that this photo does not do it justice. It was enormous.
Technically the December full moon, the Cold Moon, was yesterday but for some reason, it looked extra-special tonight.
Saturday 10th December. Snow. A morning trip to Gothelney and the lovely Field Bakery for mince pies and membrillo. An afternoon putting up Christmas decorations. Honesty and dried ammi feature heavily, but it doesn’t feel finished until I have added a copper strand of lights.
Did you ever get told it was too cold to snow? It was something my mother used to say which I thought it was ridiculous. However, it turns out it is true. My new favourite follow on Instagram is Tristan Gooley [www.instagram.com/thenaturalnavigator] who explained that this is in fact true. His observations on the spines on holly genuinely changed how I view holly. There’s also a moral in the story about people, I think. Watch the video and then let me know if you agree.
