the happy- clappy world of facebook

'that stormy petrel frederick rolfe, the self-styled baron corvo, spent the years 1895 to 1898 in holywell, under the name of father austin, first printing a series of banners for the roman catholic church, and later as chief contributor to the  holywell record. it is impossible not to marvel at the complaisance of those who employed him. for his vitriolic articles set the town by the ears , and caused the newspaper's circulation to wane until it ceased publication.' 

1906 finds rolfe in crickhowell at gwernvale; 'frederick rolfe ('baron corvo') spent many weeks there as a guest of the pirie-gordon family, until he showed himself in his true colours and the hospitable house closed its doors to him.'  (both of these references are from welsh border country by maxwell fraser). 

christmas vegetables

well there are plenty of leaks and just enough brussel sprouts for everybody who wants them to have a decent(ish) portion. there's some beetroot and some chard.  there are potatoes (in a sack and in the ground). there are plenty of apples and damsons. the carrots are long gone. the runner beans likewise (unless there's some frozen somewhere). 

ok horsemouth is back from the forge. 

horsemouth thought it was the black cat but it's the crow. 

his mum's just gone over to the woodshed with the log basket (that's probably horsemouth's cue to go over there and carry it back).

it's now a tuesday morning. horsemouth is uncertain what the plan is for the day. he is worried that the plan involves relying on the local buses (they are only reliable monday, thursday and friday). 

four years ago horsemouth and a friend were worrying about what the tories might get up to 'push state retirement age up to 80, the introduction of top-up fees some NHS services and a 2 decade wage freeze in the public sector.' of course all this still looks possible, it will just be labour doing it. 

this morning a friend request. horsemouth wonders what is going on there. it is the least likely person to join in the happy- clappy world of facebook.