And then there was the steam train
On Sunday, we rode aboard the Kent and East Sussex light railway. The KESR website tells me “light railways are equipped with full size trains, but have steep gradients and operate at low speed.”
Steam trains. That’s all you need to know.
The current active track is 10½ miles long, between Tenterden Town and Bodiam Station.
And a little bit beyond. The end of the line is just past the last station, as they work to connect the heritage line with the proper rail network – and then it’s a functioning commuter service again.
We rode from one end to the other and then back again. The whole ride is unspoiled fields and woods and grazing sheep. I’ve never seen such a year for mayflowers.
This is my new thing to think about while I’m trying to fall asleep.
Pictured: the Man of Kent steaming into Rolvenden Station. That’s where they have their works, and we came off the train here to tour the locomotive shed. Sweet.
June 6, 2023 — 7:13 pm
Comments: 3
We’re seriously cottagecore, y’all
Poor old Uncle B. All Winter long, he carries bags of logs and buckets of coal into the house, then buckets of ash out. All Summer long, it’s endless watering of pots and flower beds. And some years – like this year – the two seasons overlap.
They’re claiming this is the seventh hottest May on record. How they’re standing up that lie, I do not know. We’ve only not had a fire at night maybe twice since September.
Some day, I suspect, he will haunt this place – a weary shade carrying heavy stuff around and around the grounds.
June 5, 2023 — 7:48 pm
Comments: 5
Frustrating
Well, the speckledy ones are quail eggs, if that gives you an idea of scale.
So I think top right is a bantam chicken, and the one below is a chicken chicken. Bottom left is a duck or goose and top left is maybe a swan or a big goose.
All the other ones? Who the hell knows. There wasn’t a key and there was no-one there to ask. This make weasel mad!
Have a good weekend!
June 2, 2023 — 6:45 pm
Comments: 6
A tale of two teacups
The one on the left has been through the dishwasher a bajillion times. The one on the right hasn’t.
Not the most interesting post ever, but at least it isn’t bloody livestock again!
Is it Friday yet…?
June 1, 2023 — 6:13 pm
Comments: 8
Horse girls
These little girls were amazing. They were little, too – all twelve year olds. Doing some sort of pony relay race in teams of four. I’m sure the horsey among us will tell me what that’s called.
The course was a sort of figure 8. There were low jumps, and then a place where they had to slow their horses to a walk, then hell for leather down the last two jumps and pass the baton.
They were incredibly poised. The two youngest ponies acted up. One ran up to the jump and noped out a couple of times. One indulged a little bucking and rearing. Both girls got their mounts under control and finished the race.
Why is it always girls and horses? I wasn’t a horsey little girl, but I knew plenty. Why is it never little boys and horses?
I should say, our local team placed first and second.
May 31, 2023 — 7:12 pm
Comments: 9
And then there was the Pearly Queen
Not exactly livestock. The pearlies are a charitable organization. Victorian street sweeper and colorful urchin Henry Croft was the first. He sewed pearl buttons to his clothes to raise attention to his fundraising for the local hospital.
When he died in 1930, he was followed by a procession of 400 pearly kings and queens. They raise money for lots of charitable organizations, traditionally hospitals.
I remembered pearlies in Mary Poppins, but on reflection, I think they’re just cockneys with ornamental buttons. They’re not quite buttony enough for royalty.
This lady seemed to enjoy having her picture taken, but she didn’t hit us up for any money.
May 30, 2023 — 7:03 pm
Comments: 2
Levitating ewe
After a winning performance in the ring, something about the harness around her muzzle irritated this ewe. She began to bounce in the air while her handler tried to calm her down. Uncle B managed to grab this shot of her at full pronk.
I know what you’re thinking: Weasel’s been to a country show and we’re going to get a whole week of cow and chicken pictures. Well you’re wrong, smarty – we got the livestock ring too late and missed the cows.
And, once again, there were no chickens thanks to avian flu regs. Bitterly disappointing, but otherwise an excellent agricultural show. We walked ourselves stupid.
The weather for the whole weekend was gorgeous. It’s a holiday Monday here, too, but dedicated to nothing in particular.
There are two bank holidays in May, on the first and last Mondays. I have no idea why. They’re called the Early May Bank Holiday and the Late May Bank Holiday. This year, though, we pushed the early on forward a week in celebration of Coronation Day.
I’m getting out of the habit of working.
May 29, 2023 — 6:58 pm
Comments: 9
It begins!
Tomorrow is the best country show of the year.
Okay, last year the poultry was under quarantine so the poultry tent just had pictures of chickens. That was pretty lame. Saw some lurvly sheep and cows, though.
It’s a long drive but it’s mostly country lanes. I have honestly never seen the mayflowers so abundant. And cow parsley and elderflowers, also white. It’s going to be a sunny day and a fantastic journey, like driving through tunnels in snow.
We’ll pack sammiches, because the food there is expensive and sometimes disappointing.
Have a good weekend, everyone! I better see me some fancy chooks tomorrow.
May 26, 2023 — 7:57 pm
Comments: 5
My month as a blue check
Okay, it’s only been 20 days, but I have to make up my mind soon whether I want to renew.
By far, my favorite part is bold and italic. It’s a little thing, but it pleases me. I am an emphasis abuser going way back.
I don’t like having a bajillion characters. I prefer the discipline of having to make my point in 280 or fewer. Twitter doesn’t seem like the right place for long-form commentary to me – I never read the long ones, myself. (It remains to be seen whether it will work for video, as Tucker intends).
You only get edit powers on your own tweets, not on comments. On comments, there’s delay before it actually posts them, and you watch the circle count down. It’s like 20 seconds. On the upside, that does force you to proof your tweet one more time, but I almost always hit the button to make it post immediately. Don’t think I like this feature.
I was hoping for higher engagement and I’m not sure about that.
Of course, tarnishing the status symbol for the old blue check brigade is delightful. I expected to be taunted for having bought my check, but that hasn’t happened.
I’m just not sure…
p.s. One of these days, I’m going to fix that poor weasel avatar. The muzzle is too cat-like and it has a hump on its back.
p.p.s. I’ve got a four day weekend coming up, starting…now.
p.p.p.s. Kitty seems all better. Phew!
p.p.p.p.s. No, nobody had Tina Turner this round.
May 25, 2023 — 7:38 pm
Comments: 8
First!
Six radishes. First crop of the year. Uncle B said they went from planting to crop in a month.
I ate one right away to see what it was like (nice texture, spicy). I put two and a half in soup (it adds a surprisingly nice flavor to soup) and the other two and a half in coleslaw (haven’t tried it yet).
Salad days have arrived.
We did something spontaneous tonight – went to a charity auction. We bid on a couple of things but didn’t win. People were bidding way over market value, because charity. I have a hard time doing that, because cheap.
Anyway, back late and knackered. Toodles!
May 24, 2023 — 8:50 pm
Comments: 11