Saturday 9 January 2010

Will they get to Heathrow?, No visitors,19th century blog, Milk Collection


Whilst we are still enjoying the holiday feel that prolonged snow brings, due to the sense of being apart from the world and the silence and lack of callers, there is small but growing anxiety in the Eldest Son's cottage. He lives there with KT and very cosy it is too, however, they are due to fly out to New Zealand on 21st January from Heathrow to visit Younger Son and to have a marvellous holiday for 5 weeks.
Will they be able to get to Heathrow?
Will their flight be able to leave?
With the weather people telling us today that this Narnian climate is to continue for the rest of the month and that more snow is due, well, you can imagine that there is is certain amount of concern.
I'm sure that they will be able to go and while they well may leave us all in sub-zero temperatures, they will be returning to the beginning of Spring when they get back to UK at the beginning of March and we will all have forgotten about the Great Winter of '10.

I mentioned that we have not been having callers lately, which is hardly surprising, but we do in normal times have a constant stream of people passing through the kitchen. I suppose this could be labelled chronic hospitality but it is great that people do call. It is rare that more than 2 days go by without someone arriving and most come in for cup of coffee. The kettle is always on the Rayburn and I do try to have something in tin at all times.

Oddly enough despite not having visitors for this past week and not having left the farm for three weeks I'm not suffering any kind of cabin fever or sense of isolation. I think it must be something to do with the light...I do love the clarity of air & light that comes with a snowy landscape; also the fact that just keeping warm is great excuse to sit by the fire and read.

I have just re-discovered a lovely book that could be described as a 19th Century rural blog...'Our Village' by Mary Russell Mitford. Written in the 1820's, it is a sweet account of life in small village in Berkshire, of the local inhabitants both high and low, the landscape and the natural history. It very readable and describes a world long gone though one that lingers on in the back catalogue of many peoples' minds when regarding the countryside and rural life.

Well, the milk tanker driver rang us 8.30.am to say he was on his way, so the Farmer went out to end of the road to meet him again, only to find out an hour or so later that the lorry had broken down on farm that he was supposed to be collecting after us! We have no idea when he will now come as they are waiting for a mechanic to arrive. Like history, it is just one..... thing after another (See Alan Bennet; The History Boys).

Post script; The tanker has not even collected the milk from our neighbour where he broke down and has had to return to the depot. Will our milk be collected today? Who knows! We will just await developments. Its all so frustrating for the Farmer & Eldeset Son.

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