Let’s be thankful it is almost over, unendurable politicking here.
We do have a couple of minor items left to deal with
Author: Low Wattage
Expat Welshman, educated (somewhat) in UK, left before it became fashionable to do so. Now a U.S. Citizen, and recent widower, playing with retirement and house remodeling, living in Delaware and rural Maryland (weekends).
Fantasticks – December
That strange book Fantasticks, by Nicholas Breton (1554-1626) is something of a favorite. Not many people know about it, but those who do seem to like the archaic language and ritual cadence of it.
It is out of print, so since October I’ve been copying bits out, beginning with the section on the months, this is the third. There are a few chapters on special days, Christmas, Easter etc. so there may be a bonus post a bit later this month.
But for now here is December.
November Poetry Competition Winner.
Thank you for your participation in the November competition, you know who you are
I enjoyed the various takes on our fireworks theme, the entries are here.
The usual suspects one might say but always some new views of an old story, and why not indeed.
One from FEEG to start us off
Then three not quite in a row from Janus (prolific as always)
Soutie tucked one in between
OZ with an early entry (for him at least)
And a last minute entry from TR (without help)
Guy Fawkes Innocent – New Evidence
Government records disclosed after a four hundred year embargo prove that Fawkes was innocent of any wrongdoing. He was in the cellars conducting an audit of tally sticks which showed that members of parliament had been abusing their prerequisites.
‘Tis the Season.
Well it is here, it’s Thanksgiving and I thought it might round out the feast to have some local oysters, enough for a few raw and a few fritters and enough to make some oyster stuffing for the turkey tomorrow. We are seating twelve.
So yesterday afternoon my neighbour and I set off down to the local dock, (about three miles) and waited for the oyster boats to come in. There was no shortage of choice, a couple of the boats were loaded with oysters to the point of foundering. 30 minutes later we had two bushels of fine bay oysters split between three large coolers and were back home in the small shed making sure they passed our rigid quality standard, two dozen or so later they were judged plenty adequate and have been iced down awaiting a major shuck in the morning.
One of the few big advantages of living in the wilderness, guaranteed off-the-boat fresh oysters for $50 per bushel (about $0.30 each).
November – Fantasticks
Fantasticks
by Nicholas Breton
(c1554-1626)
The Second in a series from a long forgotten book. November just to cheer you.
Breton’s words chronicle the change of seasons
November
It is now November, and according to the old Proverbe, Let the Thresher take his flayle, and the ship no more sayle: for the high winds and the rough seas will try the ribs of the Shippe, and the hearts of the Sailers. Now come the Countrey people all wet to the Market, and the toyling Carriers are pittifully moyled. The young Herne and the Shoulerd are now fat for the great Feast, & the Woodcocke begins to make toward the Cockeshoot. The Warriners now begin to plie their harvest, and the Butcher, after a good bargaine drinks a health to the Grasier. The Cooke and the Comfitmaker make ready for Christmas, & the Minstrels in the Countrey beat their boyes for false fingring. Schollers before breakfast have a cold stomacke to their bookes, and a Master without Art is fit for an A.B.C. A red herring and a cup of Sacke, make warre in a weake stomacke, and the poore mans fast is better than the Gluttons surfet. Trenchers and dishes are now necessary servants, and a locke to the Cupboord keepes a bit for a neede. Now beginnes the Goshauke to weede the wood of the Phesant, and the Mallard loves not to heare the belles of the Faulcon: the Winds now are cold, and the Ayre chill, and the poore die through want of Charitie. Butter and Cheese beginne to rayse their prices, and Kitchen stuffe is a commoditie, that every man is not acquainted with. In summe, with a conceit of the chilling cold of it, I thus conclude in it: I hold it the discomfort of Nature, and Reason patience.
Farewell.
Autumn – Geese at Dusk
Here’s a quick one from me.
Not so Bad, so Far.
Front end of Sandy has blown out of the creek, the storm is still about 1500 miles wide so the back end will not arrive until later. (tomorrow maybe?)
The storm went right overhead a cat 1 hurricane merging with a big low pressure trough.
About ten inches of rain according to my rain gauge and no power since early Monday pm.
Sandy’s Antipodean Connection
HMS Bounty, a replica of Breadfruit Bligh’s ship was abandoned powerless and sinking off the Carolina coast early today. The ship had been in Chestertown, Maryland over the weekend for our annual Downrigging Weekend, cut short this year by Sandy. The crew were heading South to Florida and probably thought themselves fairly safe as Sandy was already well North of their course. The ship was built for the Brando film “Mutiny on the Bounty” but has appeared in several of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” films.
Story is here:
http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/10/29/14775512-helicopter-sent-to-rescue-17-people-who-abandoned-hms-bounty-off-nc-coast?lite
Here’s a shot of the Bounty in better days passing by the head of the creek that I took this July just after the 1812 celebrations in Baltimore.
She was a fine and happy ship, unlike the original, and the crew always welcoming and pleasant, I wish them all safe.
November Poetry Competition.
OK, lets see if I can get this done before I lose my internet connection.
We are well into the season of mellow mists and fruitfulness, so it’s too late for that. There is however considerable disgruntlement about political happenings just about everywhere. In spades here because of the thankfully soon to be over presidential election and elsewhere pertaining to potential acts of northern British secession, attack dog behaviour of ex-pat. Welsh antipodean prime ministers, or even the fare dodging antics of Chancellors.
So how about “A modern Guy Fawkes” any length or scheme (but as always, extra points for rumpy pumpy)
By the time judgement day comes around (no not November 5 or 6, let’s make it November 30) at least we here in the US will be free of the pols. until January, when hopefully a freezing cold Washington inaugural may take out some of the weaklings.
Boadicea's Chariot 
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