A Small Trespass

An interesting morning. I delivered a copy of the Book Club book (Days of Grace) to a new member and was invited in for several cups of very strong delicious expresso and the grand tour. J is American and they bought this tradtional farm, plus myriad of outbuildings, two years ago. Raised beds, greenhouses, sunroom, artist's studio and most impressive of all, a tiny cottage more or less given over to books, they've been working very hard.

They live at the end of a very tiny road and on my way down I just had to stop at only other building in the area, now closed up after the death of the elderly farmer several years ago. His van is still in the pulling over area, slowly being covered by brambles, as is the entrance to the house - now a riot of rhododendrons. The door was firmly locked, the windows closed but I pressed my nose to the pane and peered in - everything still there as though he had just walked out for a moment - his jacket still on the arm of a chair. This little window, complete with chicken wire, was at the end of the house where an animal would have been kept originally. It all felt rather mournful.

Off to see Annabel and Klaus tonight to hear about their recent trip to Barbados - swimming with turtles, temperatures in the 90s, palm trees and tons of wonderful beach finds. Annabel's sister, Sailorwoman, went too - yes, they did manage to bring most of this lot back!