Twa Corbies Thursday, Jun 25 2015 

Uncategorized acairfearann 10:13

Quite the start to the morning, glorious blue skies and full summer green…and twa corbies. One raven at the top of the tallest Norway Spruce and the other at the top of the lone Hemlock. Probably able to see most of the town and farther afield from those points since the spruce, located at the hill crest, stands over 100 feet tall, while the hemlock is nearly that. From that height, on a clear day, one would see as far to the east and south as one might be able; and higher elevations to the north and west would be a good ten miles away. I am sure the crow flock will chase them back off, but for the time they seemed quite happy up there!

For those who may not catch the reference:

http://www.rampantscotland.com/songs/blsongs_corbies.htm

Steeleye Span probably did it best:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDvCO2rSCa0

 

Fell the Future Wednesday, Jun 24 2015 

Uncategorized acairfearann 12:03

In this place there lies

A spark not yet crystalline

And shall it rise as living fire

Or hold fast as frozen stone?

None shall last past memory

And there will be no eternal place

But within the creating mind.

 

Approaches to History Thursday, Jun 18 2015 

Uncategorized acairfearann 21:36

We are used to Twitter updates on events now, I found this review of an historic event rather interesting and horrifying. It is much more real, in the 21st century way, than it would be as a dry summary. Somebody did quite a bit of work to piece it together.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/battle-of-waterloo/11676475/The-Battle-of-Waterloo-as-it-happened-on-June-18-1815.html

 

New England foundations Sunday, Jun 14 2015 

Uncategorized acairfearann 18:31

When the flowers rise

And the towers lie hidden

All is silver, green, and gold

What has been built will fall into time

And time passes into mystery

Somewhere the lilac speaks of it

The ancient peony blazes

A brief memory

That lives when stone has fallen

And the swords of the iris

Victorious

Where once was man.

 

 

37 Years Saturday, Jun 6 2015 

Uncategorized acairfearann 21:46

Finally!

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/american-pharoah-wins-the-triple-crown-190615384.html

 

No huffing and puffing allowed Thursday, May 28 2015 

Uncategorized , acairfearann 09:17

Amazing what we will do! Moving the Gay Head lighthouse http://vineyardgazette.com/moving-back-gay-head-light

With live cam!

 

Land Use Tuesday, May 26 2015 

Uncategorized acairfearann 19:46

Absurd ramblings.

I’ve had the pleasure? recently of contemplating land use, conservation, and budgets: working with a company for whom pristine land keeps their costs down but whose vast land resource appears to create in the short term a way to keep user fees down (by selling said land). Since keeping said user fees down is mandated by law….the end result is that as long as all costs associated with the land are paid for by the land, the land is tolerated. (That without the land, the user fees would go through the roof is politically inconvenient and thus ignored, also ignored is that without the land the resource in question would be a good deal scarcer….). It does, however, demonstrate that land can ‘pay its way’. If you own enough that is and the taxes don’t go up.

Then there are the families, maybe all of retirement age, who want to do something else. A hundred odd acres of prime land for sale, some of the nicest I’ve seen. (not in any way connected with this family) Conservation would be nice, cash would be nicer and is necessary. Can one really blame them? I don’t know. I have to admit, looking at those acres; that I would prefer to see them actively managed. We can’t afford a land use pattern split solely between houses and untouched open space.  Not here at least. It doesn’t work either ecologically or financially.

But somehow, we have lost the idea of active land stewardship. Maybe because, aside from a gargantuan scale, the finances don’t work (take care of the land, it takes care of you), maybe it is cultural. Not mind you that we need subsistence farming for the majority, I’ve studied enough history to know that ‘nasty, brutish, and short’ doesn’t have a romantic bone in it. Though it has a lot of bones. But the great British estates (Clearances aside!!) are an interesting model. Except they sort of need an expansionist empire….

I have it. Land conservation requires the space programme! 🙂

 

21 Years this weekend Saturday, May 16 2015 

Uncategorized acairfearann 21:16

He’s thirty now, doing pretty well (daily pills aside!) for Ancient in Thoroughbred years.

Twenty one years ago we picked him up out of a cow pasture in the Catskills. Aside from a few years in Ontario, he has been here ever since.

RobN’Run, by Grey Legion by Secretariat out of Robyn Banks by No Robbery

IMG_0749

 

Nightmares Thursday, Apr 30 2015 

Uncategorized acairfearann 21:19

There are, of course, many things to keep one up at night. I don’t usually post about the house here, only the garden and the odd bit of history. That is mostly due to requests by various family members. The house is a nice house, a bit too sprawling perhaps with an eclectic interior. It has a lot of family heritage in it, quite complete.

I am, no surprise to those that know me, something of an Anglophile. Indeed, were it not for this place, I’d likely be quite happily back over there.* Part of this is due to an appreciation for the British approach to estates. It may be, often is, observed in the breach; but there is an idea that an estate should be maintained and passed on to the next generation and reciprocally that the generation in question has a responsibility to it. This, of course, is less common in the UK than it used to be; but it has never been common here.

Frequently, generations of the same family work to maintain such estates; increasingly they are at the forefront in agriculture, forestry, museum, library, and other such professions. These aren’t just tourist attractions, but a working legacy to be passed on, with a love for the sentimental past balanced with practicalities of modern budgets and interests.

This place is nowhere near the size or grandeur of such places; but I feel a certain kinship to such people. What will happen to this place? I don’t know. I do know that when one works daily to maintain and improve such a place one does, in a very real sense, fall in love. It is part of one, whether you own it legally or not.**

There are day time worries, usually about taxes and bills, but then there are the nightmares. I confess, my thoughts went to the people of Clandon House, Surrey, England today. There are much greater tragedies of course, but I can’t imagine what the staff feels like right now.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-surrey-32528435

Good reason to double check the electrics.

 

*As odd as it may seem, despite still firmly believing the American principles, I find the lower level of hypocrisy in British politics refreshing; they are still All bastards but they are more honest in admitting it.

** Is it stupid of me? That is a matter of opinion.

 

It’s Tax Day! Wednesday, Apr 15 2015 

Uncategorized acairfearann 05:44

Rattlesnake

 

 

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