Saturday 8 October 2011

Fettling up


We went to the Yorkshire Dales for a week, where the weather was glorious! The rose that twines through my front railings had burst into a second flowering. Many years ago I took a sprig of it from the front wall of a derelict water mill further down the dale. I don't know the variety, and in truth, it doesn't look anything special, but for sentimental reasons I am so pleased to have it.


The front garden is just a narrow strip, small enough to knock back into some sort of order whenever we visit. What is called in Yorkshire, 'a bit of fettling up'.
The wooden seat is well placed for catching any sunshine and for watching village life go by.



The back garden is a wild piece of paddock - just the place for a bonfire!

In the early evenings, after the heat of the day, we walked on the moor tops. It was strange to experience such warm, balmy weather but with the heather already having flowered and gone. I know that as a Yorkshire woman I am a bit biased, but surely it can't get much better than walking on the moor in weather such as this!

When we got home, guess what? There was plenty more fettling up to do.



9 comments:

  1. A good bonfire - wonderful, Cher.

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  2. Fettling is a new term for me and I love the sound of it...
    I can almost smell that bonfire and before you know it, it will be Guy Fawkes Day.
    Those roses look lovely on the fence and the Yorkshire Dales look like a great spot to spend a week.
    We are having a Thanksgiving holiday long weekend here in Canada and I have been harvesting beets and zucchini and am making a roasted root veggie dish to go with the turkey.
    Take care,
    Hostess

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  3. I love the rose rambling across and over the fence. Bonnie

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  4. i don't know what i love more, the rose or the fence it's climbing on. together they are remarkable!

    xo
    janet

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  5. And I enjoyed sharing your cottage for an afternoon and having a good chat - we bloggers never run out of things to talk about do we?

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  6. The pictures are (as usual) lovely. It makes me feel cozy and warm.

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  7. Fettling...now there is one I have not heard in a long while. I love that rambler rose.

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  8. A good bonfire is one of my favourite activities in the garden, Tom.

    Dear Hostess, Do you know that Guy Fawkes was a Yorkshire man? The boys at the school he attended in York have a fire on bonfire night but never burn an effigy of him.
    I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving - that food sounds good!

    Dear Bonnie and Janet, Prior to having the railings put in position, just a few years ago, the rose was a large, undisciplined hedge. It had to be cut right back so that the railings could be fixed. I'm glad that it survived the massacre and I'm pleased with the result.

    Dear Weaver, Oh, we bloggers know how to chat! And thank you for the tasty eggs.

    Dear Starting Over, Thank you. And, just for a change, we were both cozy and warm!

    Hello Doc, I think 'fettle' is a very old English word. I wish I knew the name of the rose, but it is 'in fine fettle'!

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  9. your blog is gorgeous! full of colours, scents and tastes. i like it here. i`ll be visiting : )

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