The Bluestocking, where the short days shorten and the oaks are brown

[MarieDeGournay]

Welcome all, regulars and newcomers, to the Bluestocking Women's Pub, a place of refuge and inspiration and camaraderie and silliness, where all alcoholic drinks are non-intoxicating, cakes contain no gluten, sugar or calories, but still taste yummy, and the attentive staff are small but very professional rodents wearing snazzy little outfits.

Other roles - such as acting as foot stools, looking decorative in the garden, or just being impossibly cute when you need something impossibly cute to go awwww at - are filled by a team of miniature pigs, quokkas, wombats, etc etc.

If real life is difficult, you can bring your troubles to the Bluestocking and a comfy chair will be found for you at a roaring fire, a miniature pig will settle down happily to support your tired feet, and a gerbil will serve you promptly with a comforting drink - very large G&Ts or massive mugs of hot chocolate with extra cream and marshmallows are popular choices [don't forget: no calories in the Bluestocking].

Katsura, isn't it? As some part of the name. I remember smelling it at Hillier Gardens once - gorgeous warm sugar/caramel smell in the air, next to a line of different maples. Mmm.

It was very foggy when we went out, not much of a breeze so it's taken ages to clear. As a plus the moisture beaded on all the spider webs, the orb webs looked stunning even the ones that were damaged. Some of the flat, trip webs in the grass or on the tops of bushes had collected little pools of water. They must be hydrophobic, the water looked like mercury. Also saw a family of goosander, the duck and some well grown babies, geesander? No sign of the male, a gandersander?, unless he was in eclipse.

Cercidiphyllum japonicum. Katsura is the common name. We have one at work but it's currently hidden by scaffolding so I've missed it this year.

Sad that @Taztoy has bowed out for now. Sometimes its best to avoid issues that are to raw and too close to home.

Time and distance can help heal.

oh @Bannedontherun , just the hedgehog, I saw a 17th century portrait and wondered was it one of your distinguished ancestors?

Glad I’ve made it.

(TLDR: fell into a slurry pit and stung by nettles.)

Well, I had a bit of a disaster of a dog walk this afternoon. I like to do a long walk through the woods these days; beautiful and very quiet. I have to walk through the farm first (there’s a footpath and a few stiles) before I get to the woods. The footpath goes through a field which often has cows in it. The cows are never problematic and I’ve been walking through it most days for eight years. I’m friends with the farmer and he has explained it’s because they’re dairy cows, and so would never be aggressive. This has proved to be the case until today.

So I’m walking through the field and one cow spots me in the distance, holds her gaze and starts power walking towards me. I pick up the hound, in case that spooked her, and she stopped. Successful move, I thought. But then she continued. The other cows were gathered round the stile at the far end (the one I was heading for) so I kept to the edge. Then they all started following her. They were also power walking. They were getting closer and a couple started to run.

I stepped onto a raised rough area next to the boundary, but they kept coming. They seemed angry. There was a low barbed wire fence, only a foot high, and I had to step over that. I kept going but it was waist high with the most dense nettles I’ve ever come across. I had thick jeans so I just stamped onto them to walk. They wouldn’t stamp to the ground as they were so dense, but they lowered so I could walk on the nettle bed.

There was a higher barbed wired fence and then the huge farm house about ten yards away. I could see a gap to the left (still in dense nettle land) so headed that way. I saw a patch that was less dense so I stepped that way. And I sank. Fell into what I think was an old slurry pit. I was still holding the hound aloft but could feel myself sinking. I tried to grab on to the nettles to pull myself out but couldn’t. I shouted for help, but there was no response. I managed to pull myself out somehow by grabbing into the nettles and dragging myself over them. Because it was a hot day, I’d worn my ankle wellies so I was sodden.

I decided to carry on with my walk, in the end. Had to put everything on a hot wash and hand wash the wellies and do the same to me. Kitchen was a mess. I have been massively nettled on my right hand and arm and, strangely, on my right ear.

I can only think it was an old slurry pit. Was only small, but square ish. It was like black mud, a bit oily. Couldn’t work out the smell, but the laundry drying smells of sulphur. Any experts, please let me know. I think I deserve a very strong gin!

Goodness Swashy, what an adventure! I think you deserve ALL the gin!

Thanks, Inky; I’ll take it ☺️

They are very small bottles but they will add up.

It’s my distinguished 5x grandad

he was well known in our community for being a loner.

He was an expert in identifying leaves, as good or bad bedding, and knew which tree they came from.

he delivered the odd lecture on this subject.

he was as also known for fighting well as his frame made him a large round ball to be contended with, and had a fast getaway should a human fancy roasting him for dinner.

as i understand it from folklore he was stabbed by a fork and spent his final days in a box by a fire.

Here is a photo of him as a young hog you see he was less grumpy looking and full of hope.

Thanks, Inky! Well, there’s plenty of them so I’m sure you’re right 🙂. It will keep the gerbils busy with their fine motor skills.

Gosh swashy that sounds scary, also sounded like the start of a jolly good novel

Your x5 grandfather sounds like a wonderful man, Banned. Good genes, innit.

Not an expert on slurry, but I'm glad you & the hound are safe, Swashy.

I’ll be honest, Banned, it was a bit scary. Feared drowning in slurry. But once I realised I wasn’t being sucked downwards, I knew I had time on my side. After that, it just became bloody annoying. Bastard cows, bastard nettles, bastard farmers, bastard slurry.

The thing is, I always say something to the cows before I walk through and I’ve always sensed them giving me the nod. I tend to say something like “May I pass, ladies”. You know, just showing respect for their space and sharing the womanhood vibe. Won’t be doing that again! Utterly betrayed…Bastards.

I followed a trail of Tunnock’s wafer crumbs - what a lovely new Bluestocking this is - thank you @MarieDeGournay.

Dammit, there must've been some damage to one of Boily's stashed boxes. She'll never forgive me.

Anaerobic bacteria, they produce hydrogen sulphide gas (h2s). Invariably found at the bottom of ponds. That sounds actually quite frightening. First of all a bunch of bolshy cows, then stinking quick mud.

You're supposed to let the dog run if cows come after you like that. It's apparently the dog, a predator, that triggers the aggression. I'm not sure I could bring myself to do that though. I don't believe dogs would be in any danger. I don't think the cows could catch it, but I'd be worried about it getting lost. I've heard that dairy cows, especially those with young, are actually the most dangerous. Perhaps because they're the type dog walkers are most likely to mix with? Were there any calves with the herd?

I've never had a face off with a whole herd, but a single animal went after me at Chatsworth. I turned and faced it and it stopped then we both carried on with our day. If it hadn't I'd have had to jump in the river.

That sounds awful, Swash, but I was once chased by some very very angry - and very very big, when you see them up close - cows, and barely escaped being trampled.

I told somebody in the nearby village about it, and expected to be laughed at for being a silly city slicker who is scared of cows.. she said she was not afraid of her own cows, but she was afraid of anyone else's..

I won't go into a field full of cows since then, and I suspect you won't either.

At least I didn't fear drowning in slurry, and I wasn't stung by nettles😧
Poor you! have all the gins in the world, they are Bluestocking gins that cheer, but do not inebriate.

I’m sure that Boily will be so grateful to you, for bringing her stash from the annexe, that she will reward you with several boxes!

Thanks, Cake.

No, I don’t think it would have been safe to let him run. He would have been terrified and they were such a dense mass, that I don’t think he’d have made his way through their legs. He’d have spend his time barking to try to get back to me.

There were no calves.

Hmmm i have a memory of a distant thread involving claiming @boiledbeetle stash i think our plan was foiled

I'm no cow expert but I would've been surprised for calves to still be with a dairy herd. What a bunch of fuckers...sorry...effers heifers!

Interesting, Marie.

I’ve had the odd stand off with a single
cow. I’ve tended to say something to them in a firm tone and they have just turned away.

I remember specifically asking my farmer friend about his cows in the pub. This was because I’d been avoiding walking through the field after reading about a woman who was trampled to death by a herd. This meant I had to go the long way round through other fields.

He assured me that his cows were mild mannered and safe because they were dairy cows, so I have happily walked through them since. You’re right, I won’t again. But it’s awkward because I can’t get to the woods unless I walk through the cows.

I remember that too! 🤣

But she’s not here, so I’m going with her happily handing out her stash because it’s the sabbath.