Monday

Wellow Brook in summer

But now 'tis Winter, child,

And bitter north winds blow,

The ways are wet and wild,

The land is laid in snow.

Taken from Robert Bridges - The Idle Flowers

Soon it will be the Solstice, the turning of the year and then of course Xmas.  Sometime at this time of the year it is difficult to write about things, yesterday I sorted through my blogs on the East Kennett long barrow but that was about all.

East Kennett Long barrow hidden behind a screen of trees

  The family have been for the weekend to the cottage, my two middle grandchildren still have friends in Whitby.  Matilda's birthday last week, LSs birthday this week, no trip anywhere but a  meal out. This will probably be at Loch Fine restaurant, which you can gather  is a fish restaurant.  LS has avoided this restaurant for ages, basically because at our last meal there with friends he got what he considers re-fried fish cakes, scooped out of the dustbin; now whether that last is really true I don't think so but it makes a good story. 

The back of Stoney Littleton

I quite look forward to the Solstice, it reminds me of Stoney Littleton long barrow, in which on the 21st December the sun rising is supposed to hit the back of the chamber.  Introducing LS to Stoney Littleton and East Kennett Long barrow in those early days were the 'happy times of summer' when the sun shone and the wild flowers bloomed and an element of nostalgia creeps into one's mind! And he says that a trip to Stoney Littleton and a meal at the pub in Wellow would be his choice of a 'special occasion'

Moss also enjoyed the treks to the barrows

http://northstoke.blogspot.co.uk/2008/08/windmill-hill.html

http://northstoke.blogspot.co.uk/2008/09/east-kennet-longbarrow.html

http://northstoke.blogspot.co.uk/2009/02/badgers-and-barrows.html