The Signs Of A Changing Season.
- Clear, cold nights and misty mornings.
- Lighting the stove at night and dampening it down for the day.
- Visitors from far away:
- Fingers numb with cold after bringing in coal and filling up the fresh water supply early in the morning.
- A fat Lolly, wrapped in winter fur.
- Tea made on the stove and hotpots eaten beside it:
- Darkness coming early.
- The soft patter of leaves as they fall onto the roof of the boat.
- Smoke from boat chimneys:
- Putting summer clothes away and unpacking winter woollies.
- An extra blanket on the bed at night.
- The lane becoming a pond after autumn rain:
posted by valonia at
4:49 AM
7 Comments:
It may be getting cold, but I like the cold in the UK and here in Oz. Your words and images are quite, quite lovely.
Thanks V.
Nice to hear from you again.
V. what a lovely blog - sums up the approaching Autumn beautifully. It is further enhanced by the home you live in - that stove looks simply superb.
Years ago, when in the army, we had stoves that worked like yours, but very plain and utilitarian. On a winter night each barrack room tried to out do the others in being the first to get their whole stove transparently yellow-hot - wonder they did not melt!
Beautiful! It must be special to experience autumn onboard a canal boat. Now, if only I could agree with herhimnbryn re winter in the UK :-(
Valonia
A wonderfully descriptive piece that conjours up the joy (for me) of Autumn. Like Avus, I love your stove.
It was always mine and mrs Knowleys dream to retire onto a narrowboat. This has now given way to us trying for the possibility of emigrating to Australia. No major canals out there, but you never know, I might be able to get a boat onto the Swan river.
Thanks for sharing
Pete
XX
V. this is for k-p with your permission:
Have you considered combining both dreams? Get the narrow boat and sail it to Oz!
Hhb - I love the UK winter too, though it doesn't snow as much as I'd like it to here. I like to wake up to crisp, chill mornings and watch the day start with a cup of tea, sat beside my stove.
Avus - We used to have a proper boatman's stove, originally used in back cabins so it was too big to have in the saloon, but it had an oven compartment so when people came to stay we'd make them have our bed so we could pull the futon out and put our feet up against the oven and use it as a giant hot water bottle!
Sharon - I must confess I do like winter - though I'm not so keen that it gets dark so early!
Kp - I agree with Avus. Get a narrowboat and sail it to Oz!!!
Oh, it isn't that I dislike winter. I just don't much like British winters :-) Winter for me means snow. Lots of it!
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