Tales of walking, eating, watching and playing. Vintage treasures and simple pleasures ... the things that make her happy.

Wednesday 20 February 2013

Driving home ...


... with a boot full of firewood,
bartered from a friend,
ready for another cold snap.
Stopping to watch light on water.
The Somerset Levels still drowning.
Ducks, swans and waders amass.
Fields awash, droves hidden,
trees paddling.
'Somerset' - 
thought to have derived from the prehistoric word Sumorsaete, 
meaning 'Land of the Summer People', 
so called because winter flooding restricted people's 
use of the levels to the summer months.
VJ is happy to live in the land of the Summer people,
Wide open countryside and big skies.

The scaffolding will finally be coming down next week ...
New windows keeping the heat of the fire in.
Keeping the frosty night out.


21 comments:

Jane and Lance Hattatt said...

Hello Marina:
How very wet everywhere does look to be. The best place surely is indoors beside a roaring fire.

primrosesattic said...

So much water still. Lovely pictures, keep warm in front of your fire.
Rosezeeta

Outcast said...

Winter nights like this sound fantastic to me, great post Jane, loads of firewood is definitely a necessary for this kind of thing.

KC'sCourt! said...

I live in Somerset too! So much water. I hope nobody mentions the word 'drought' this year! We need to dry out!
Julie xxxxxxx

Flaming Nora said...

beautiful pictures, very atmospheric. Enjoy being toasty and warm.

rusty duck said...

Big skies indeed!

Loving your new windows too. We inherited white uPVC in a 350 year old cob thatch.. I'd dearly love to replace them with more sympathetic hardwood frames, but there's just too many things on the list at the moment.

A Normandy kitchen said...

Hello Marina,
The land of the Summer people, that sounds so beautiful (I never knew that!). We also are burning wood at great pace at the moment - one of the best bit about winter!! Great pictures, amazing how high the water is against the trees!
Ivan

Vix said...

Your new windows are lovely and so's Somerset. Our fire's all ready to be lit later, it's freezing. x

Sylvia said...

Such a beautiful place but so much water ... what a pity !
It's cold here too, better stay inside, so cosy and warm :-)
Have a nice evening,
Sylvia

Rosemary said...

Walking on our local Common which is 750 feet high up, and which we have never known to be soggy before. I noticed that there were still puddles everywhere, which means that the water table is full up to an enormous height. Normally when it rains here the water disappears almost instantly.

AliceAndFlorence said...

Well you learn something new every day! Beautiful photos, and the log fire to keep you warm.
Wendy x

greenthumb said...

Lovely light on the water, a land of summer people sounds very nice.

Ashley cramp said...

I love that your posts always teach me something...usually something I didn't know I needed to know...Thank you
D x

nilly said...

I love that - the "Land of the Summer People." Your lovely golden stone fits this image well too.

A Treasured Past said...

Somerset sure id beautiful, as too is your home. Its nice to see real wood windows, and toasty fire. Stay warm, Tam x

vintageandart said...

Such lovely pics of your beautiful countryside, stay warm Marina.

Angy is my name. said...

Oooh how exciting... can't wait to see more photos of the finished project!

*Maristella* said...

Hi Marina.
Here is very cold and maybe snowing today.
You know that I like the winter...
Maybe we'll be there for you in the month of May, for July we have problems with our grandson and we have to change the programming... but I notice when we are sure of the date....
I can not wait :):)
Beautiful places, sigh....
Hugs and kisses, *Maristella*.
(with translator)

freckleface said...

I'm a Somerset girl too! Although life has taken me away from there for now. I don't think any stone can compare to honey golden warmth of Hamstone. I may be biased, but.

I always loved the name and have often proudly told people about the land of the summer settlers. Lovely photos and a lovely post.

Your fire is heavenly! xx

Maria said...

~ I have a toasty fire on as I type...Ooh nothing quite like it! I agree with Miss Daisy! I always pick some thing up on my visits here too!I have never been to 'The Land Of The Summer People'.....It sounds and looks delightful! Leaving You with a smile
:) love Maria x

Willow said...

Love the big skies jane!