Combination of Poisons

Old Man's Beard, also known as Traveller's Joy (clematis vitalba) and Black Bryony (tamus communis), although attractive growing in the hedgerows in their season are both poisonous.  The former has been known to be the rare cause of death in cattle.  Legend says the plant does the  work of the Devil by winding through others and choking them. It is a bane in our garden as it is so difficult to pull the roots up.  The latter has brightly coloured berries in the autumn garlanding amongst the hedgedrows but they are poisonous although related to the Yam.  I always remember at school, the music mistress's daughter was called Bryony and shared the name with one of the school dogs!

A steady rain all day today.  Boring things today like visiting Currys to check whether our dishwasher is still insured as we have lost the papers and the old machine has gone on the blink!  T has driven to Barnstaple in Devon for the week-end to a stag party of an old mate who he went through school with and who now lives in London.  N has gone to the pub in the village to meet J who has recently lost his wife, and P whose wife is away for a few days and we are having fresh plaice for supper!