Molene

"We are part of the earth and it is part of us. The perfumed flowers are our sisters; the deer, the horse, the great eagle, these are our brothers. The rocky crests, the juices in the meadows, the body heat of the pony, and man--all belong to the same family".

Chief Seattle

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Sunday, November 30

Haikus by K

In the Pond

Shimmering
Green black reflections
Of trees
Are upside down

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A large Gray Hawk

A large gray hawk flies in swift
silence over green fileds!

(Fleeing cats!)

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Black Silent Flight

Crows flap large black wings
Rising into cold gray skies.
Cawing!

Kritik [ ] 30.11.03

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Saturday, November 29

Equi chic

Hob nob with Boris and co. Do le shopping. Salon du Cheval de Paris, 29 November to 7 December 2003, 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Late evening Tuesday 2 until 10 p.m.
Venue : Paris Expo - Porte de Versailles, 75015 Paris

Kritik [ ] 29.11.03

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Andrew Lloyd Webber

I was never a great admirer of the Pre-Raphaelites, until now, having seen some of the paintings collected by Andrew Lloyd Webber, I am enthralled by thier life and techniques. Go see the exhibition. "From the Holy Grail to the femme fatales, the Pre-Raphaelites caught the Victorian imagination with their remarkable blend of fantasy and naturalism. Andrew Lloyd Webber's collection contains works by the most significant Pre-Raphaelite artists." The Royal Academy of Arts : : Pre-Raphaelite and Other Masters 20 September—12 December 2003

Kritik [ ] 29.11.03

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Thursday, November 27

Rome is not a museum!

Carpark to be laid over Roman mosaics I was in Rome a few years ago, it was hot, August, full of tourists. Bits and pieces of excavation work was going on, roads and alley ways blocked. Down near the synagoga, not far from the river, in a small street someone had daubed on the wall "Rome is not a Museum!" It was quite understandable, as the Greeks would say "Ftani pia" enough!

So although this article is extremely interesting, one can sympathise with the Romans.

Kritik [ ] 27.11.03

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Wednesday, November 26

A Course in Evolution, Taught by Chimps

Our ancestors. "A major surprise has been that chimps turn out to live in territories whose borders are aggressively defended by roving parties of males." Plus ca change!

Kritik [ ] 26.11.03

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Sunday, November 23

Blog workings

I have been designing a blog for K who is a writer. I would like to be able to have comments posted which then show up on the main/home page. It is a blogspot hosted blog, I want just one button for comments. Asking readers to leave their views about the books being discussed in the blog. Not comments after every post. How is this possible? I have installed a Flooble chatterbox, but it is more like a guestbook.

Kritik [ ] 23.11.03

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JFK

There was an article about the early days of JFK's senate career in the Le Figaro magazine two years ago. It was very moving. I painted this picture from a black and white photograph. Jackie lighting the candles for dinner at their house in Georgetown.

"We must never forget that art is not a form of propaganda; it is a form of truth."
John F. Kennedy, October 26, 1963

Kritik [ ] 23.11.03

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Saturday, November 22

Shot in the afternoon

They are shooting over the hill. At the cart horse stud. Probably rooks. The ones in Molene are all a chatter. The ducks are quacking on the farmers pond. Memories of lost comrades?

Kritik [ ] 22.11.03

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Thursday, November 20

haiku by k

white birch

when the leaves fall from the tall brambles
I see the white birch.

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The white birch tree, Betula papyrifera, is the state tree of New Hampshire.

Kritik [ ] 20.11.03

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Monday, November 17

Parrotdy

I came accross this in How to Save the World. Many scientists are trying to teach other animals our human languages. Presumably the reason for doing this is that it will indicate their intelligence, and perhaps in the process make us realize that we have no right to treat them as insentient, insensitive automatons, or as property, and that as intelligent, conscious co-habitants of Earth they should have rights too.......If they're able to learn our languages but we can't seem to figure out theirs, which animal is more intelligent?

Kritik [ ] 17.11.03

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Saturday, November 15

Mum's the word!

What to do if your Mom discovers your blog...thanks Blogger!

Kritik [ ] 15.11.03

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Invasive Species Weblog

"Somewhere, a koala bear is shaking its head in disgust" What can one say, this is an article about Eucalyptus trees that were cut down. I found it on an interesting blog invasivespecies.blogspot.com A freind suggested the other day that some trees should be thinned, by chopping some down! There are not enough on the planet as it is. I also know someone who had a whole line of huge poplars cut down, just to "re-landscape" the property. All the nesting places and animal homes were destroyed!

Kritik [ ] 15.11.03

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Winter reading

Around the House and in the Garden:
A Memoir of Heartbreak, Healing, and Home Improvement by Dominique Browning

For six years, House & Garden editor-in-chief Dominique Browning has written a monthly column that weaves together personal stories and tips about home decorating, gardening, and raising children with universal themes of domestic life.

This sounds quite interesting.

Kritik [ ] 15.11.03

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Thursday, November 13

Outside

I just went outside, the moon is very bright, so are the stars. There is fog behind the pond, in the feild, an eerie mist on the surface. I heard a bird over towards the lower pond warbling. Something crackling the leaves by the road. It is so bright, almost daylight. Very cold.

Kritik [ ] 13.11.03

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Wednesday, November 12

Eat the view

Helping to keep the wonderful earth for future generations.

Kritik [ ] 12.11.03

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Tuesday, November 11

Weather or not?

This must be the perfect present, snow reports and alerts when it snows via email, mobile, voice and fax

Kritik [ ] 11.11.03

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Sunday, November 9

Weeeed

Weeds are on the menu every day here. K Goes weeding meticulously, when walking in the park we are alerted about not trampling any lucious specimens. Dandelion, nettles, dock and angelika. They all end up in salad or tea. Mysterious brews with other strange smelling leaves invade the kitchen.

Kritik [ ] 9.11.03

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Thursday, November 6

Sun, frost, and potatos

The frost that came about 2 - 4 weeks early left our potatos wilted, death by frost. Did they grow long enough to develop little potatos? Was planting potatoes by cutting up sprouting potatos from the kitchen the right way to plant potatos, even though they grew tall big leafed plants? (K fertilised them with horse manure from down the road.) So, it was with a bit of trepidation that we dug them up; and with joy that we beheld, right under the surface, little red and white potatoes!!! About twenty-five of them, ranging in size from about like a marble to about 3 inches long by 1 inch around. We cooked them today and had them with turkey and carrots; They were some of the best potatoes I have ever had, not just because we grew them ourselves, honestly they were good potatos.

It has become so warm that we eat lunch at the table on the lawn, and watch the sun playing off orange and yellow leaved trees reflecting off the pond: We have gone without heat for two nights. Too bad our little carrots didn't have more weather like this!

Kritik [ ] 6.11.03

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Wednesday, November 5

Camels and bananas

Today our friend kind Herve sent us a postcard from Paris, of a man kissing a camel. Then on Radio4 there was a funny story about Cairo and camels. It was so loud and discordant that it caused K to drop the chopping board onto a Chinese cache pot in the kitchen.

It has been a splendid day here clear and sunny, we lugged piles of leaves to the Banana tree and packed them into the fence K had erected around the base. This will protect the roots from frost. The banana tree is on a kind of compost island built up over the years, at the end of the pond.

Then we tried to read the electricity meter. The man had been last week, he left a card to fill in, the gates were shut and the bell doesn't work because it had been mown through last year. The meter box is in amongst the birch trees, the pylon and box almost invisible, submerged in ivy. This turned out to be impossible as it had a new fangled digital display system. With specs on and holding up a cigarette lighter, we could see many different combinations of numbers, none of which seemed to correspond to the pretty blue and pink card. So I'll have to ring them tomorrow and explain.

The moon is bright, Tabatha and the visiting cat Theo are playing on the rue Molene, Jardina is watching from the greenhouse roof.

Kritik [ ] 5.11.03

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Tuesday, November 4

Figaro 1,000

Madame Figaro magazine made a list of things you can buy for 1,000 euros to mark it’s 1,000th anniversary. It wasn’t very interesting except for these:-

A jeroboam of Chateau la mission Haut-Brion 1995
A bottle of Cos-d’estournel, 2nd grand crue classé de Saint-Estèphe, cuvée 1928
A bottle of Chateau Margaux, 1982, chez Legrand
A bottle of Dom Perignon oenothèque 1962, from their collection of rare bottles

By the way we are having a “Bring a bottle party”....!

Kritik [ ] 4.11.03

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Monday, November 3

Fiennes feat

Sir Ranulph Fiennes and Dr Michael Stroud his freind ran 7 marathons in 7 days in 7 continents, an amazing accomplishment!

Kritik [ ] 3.11.03

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Sunday, November 2

Deer, deer, deer,

Just after tea this afternoon, we saw 3 beautiful deer running scared around the pond. They were looking for a way out, then ran back down to the lower pond. They were so elegant and swift. Possibly 2 babies and their mother.

There has been evidence of large animals sleeping on the irises in and around the lower pond, also bark has been rubbed off some of the cherry trees. A few weeks ago I saw something late at night running away on the rue Molene. It had been investigating some Turkey legs left out for the cats. I hope the deer are safe now.

Kritik [ ] 2.11.03

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Mushroom matters

We set off on our mushroom identification expedition. Plastic bags for specimens, comprehensive countryside manual, assorted cats, thorn gloves and wellies. Down the rue Molene, across the lawn ( it is actually a golden leaf display area, except for a few gigantic piles that K spent 2 hours raking yesterday) into the trees. Past the barn, we stopped to admire a scintillating poplar peeking from above the grey wet roof.

K pointed out the pile of black walnuts, quietly rotting. I had collected them last week, but it was decided that they may as well rot outside, I'll collect them again when they mush and the nuts are visible. Having looked impressive, like very round green apples in a Chinese bowl on the dining room table, they were turning into a mould wizened black mass, plastic ones might be more Maison et Jardin?

We looked for the pitch fork head in the long grass and nettles, it had been there in the summer and would be perfect for turning the compost. It was invisible. The cats started zooming up tree trunks showing off, sometimes one behind the other, making it scary for the first to clamber down. We went down rosehip way, leaves sticking to our boots, brambles brushing our sleeves. K marched ahead brandishing the book, he had already recconoitered the mushroom enclaves, whilst picking berries for Francesca that morning.

We came to Sequoia crossing and turned right, Leafy appeared from one of her burrows and jumped on my shoulder. K slowed down, here was the first lot, orangey gold, small, the undersides slightly lighter. It was impossible to be sure which ones they were from the photos. We had already had a near fatal incident with other mushrooms by the pond and wanted to be sure. (There was also the incident of "the violent throwing up" in Toulouse. (having eaten ones found on a roundabout, traffic island) which persuaded K that perhaps a book was needed.He had picked and cooked mushrooms whenever he found them, having skimmed through a fungi book in Mendocino in the mid 80's. Which said that if it looked like a mushroom it probably was edible!)

We continued past the Sequoia and turned left into greive hollow. The undergrowth is thick and rife with birds when the cats aren't about. This is where 4 properties meet, Molene, Bramble stud, la ferme and mac mansion. The ducks were squabbling on the mac mansion pond. Ping WA came bounding gleefully out of Boris's field. Here mushrooms were scattered everywhere, whiter with curly rims, thick stems, tiny burnt orange ones too. After going through the mushroom sections of the book several times, it was impossible to be sure about any of them, much to K's chagrin. We walked home, carrying fallen cherry limbs for the fire, the cats as usual milling around like dogs.

We agreed that we should invest in a mushroom book, with more photos etc. I don't really go in for these fancy champignons, I prefer good old cow pat mushrooms. We used to find in Sark when I was little and have for breakfast, some of them where the size of saucers, inky black underneath. I have only found them in a restaurant once, in the late 70's in Milano, sprinkled with cheese.........

Kritik [ ] 2.11.03

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We hope that some of you who visit Molene, feel as we do about trying to keep the earth and all it's creatures from going extinct. There are several links below to sites that care, please check them out and see what you can do too. Thank you.

See more on ecozen - animals ecology philanthropy

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What you can do to make a difference take action

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"Not to hurt our humble brethren (the animals) is our first duty to them, but to stop there is not enough.

We have a higher mission - to be of service to them whenever they require it.

If you have men who will exclude any of God's creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men."

Saint Francis of Assisi

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