It must be quite tiring for the royal family to move from palace to palace like that. I'm wiping the sweat off my brow just thinking about all that effort.
This post, sadly, reminded me of a podcast I heard this morning about the threats to the Maasai tribe in Tanzania. Tourism and the royalty of the United Arab Republic are pushing them off the land they've inhabited for 400 years. Of the 100,000 residents of this area of the Serengeti many are being encouraged by various means to move to a resettlement area which offers 5000 new houses. This is to make room for the UAR royalty to use this area as a hunting and recreational ground. The king has already seized and built upon a piece of land his own palace. The area around it is for visiting pals. As one gets nearer to the property an alert pops up on cellphones that says "Welcome to the UAR."
I find this a bloody outrage that someone makes claim to the land like this that has absolutely nothing to do with their country or people or the inhabitants' best interests. This is all fine with the Tanzanian president because she' promoting tourism to bring big bucks into the country.
I hope that by the time I get to your place the slow worm will have gone into hiding. Looks very unattractive and I wouldn't want to step on it.
I haven't seen the slow worm for several days and I think I only saw it because we were turning over and digging up a bunch of the soil. I will keep you two separated as best I can! Can I distract you with a couple of palaces and fortifications nearby instead?
And I had not heard that about the UAR and agree that is particularly horrible in this day and age. How depressing.
Ooooh, I'd read this when you'd published it, Sabrina, but hadn't stuck around to comment - so here I am again! I love all the English Heritage sites on your beautiful island - Osborne, in particular, makes for an incredible day out.
So pleased you found a slow worm! Incredible creatures. 😊
Ah, thanks for circling back again Rebecca! My 8 year old neighbour in Devon squealed with delight and came bounding over the fence when I asked him what this long white worm/snake was the first time I saw one. So it is from him that I learned to react positively when I see them. I was so pleased to find one here too.
And yes, yes, to Osborne house! We have been back since winter to spend more time in the gardens and still feel as if we have just scratched the surface of what there is to explore and enjoy.
Yes, it's strange, isn't it, this endeavour to 'make a mark on the landscape'. Is it a statement of ownership? Keeping up with the Joneses, creating sanctuary, an aesthetically pleasing viewpoint? Any or all, perhaps.
For me, it's creating a space that speaks of calm both inside and out. Out of that has grown a real love of not just gardening but the land as well. When we purchased our farm, my husband's comment was that he wanted to leave it even better than when we took over. He wanted to build the soil, plant as many trees as possible (thus far on the way to 2000). For me in the garden - making it a space I love, which has led me to learn about gardening and discovering a passion.
In respect of history, we lived in an old house (1800's) the year after we were married, 47 years ago, and I still adore the place. I felt I was living in my own Regency novel, down to my horse in the paddock next door and riding along the riverbank. We were living the dream at that time. Wonderful!
And wow! Seymour Dorothy Worsley is rather beautiful, is she not? That magnificent red riding habit!
I love the idea of you living in your own Regency Novel! How grand that you were able to think of it that way! I'm with you and gardening. I've loved the continuous learning that gardening stimulates: learning about the new plants and way of growing in a completely different climate and raining regime. It took me two or three years living in this rain-infused climate before I could leave in the summer and not worry about the plants drying up. Now I am learning about water-logged soil and avoiding wind-desiccation rather than surviving a 6-month drought season. The best is finding plants that I know from one region that also work well in the other; it's like reconnecting with an old friend, and the joy of learning the attributes that allow it to thrive in this other place.
Great stories about the lovely Seymour Dorothy Worsley: she was quite the paramour! She had her outfit in the painting designed to match Sir Richard's regimental uniform.
Hope you are continuing your recovery well, prue! ❤️
Loved this, as always. As the son of two immigrants (father from Brazil, mother from Italy), I’ve never lived in someplace that has been in the family for generations. Perhaps we’re such a mobile society that such things don’t occur as often as they used to? I recently realized that my own somewhat nomadic life is palindromic in form: born and raised in San Francisco (and Marin); moved to Williamstown, Massachusetts, for college; followed Heather to Texas after college; moved to Washington , D.C., for a few years after the birth of our first child; moved back to Texas; moved to Williamstown after Heather died; and moved back to S.F. in 2021. I hope to God I’m done.
Martin, I think you have had a very symmetric boomerang in housing locations, and I hope if any other move is needed it is for a very good reason! You have landed in such a wonderful spot, and it is a warm home base for you now. I believe we keep all the places we have lived stitched in our hearts some way, and that ensures we never quite leave them behind, and they stay as part of us, always.
It must be quite tiring for the royal family to move from palace to palace like that. I'm wiping the sweat off my brow just thinking about all that effort.
This post, sadly, reminded me of a podcast I heard this morning about the threats to the Maasai tribe in Tanzania. Tourism and the royalty of the United Arab Republic are pushing them off the land they've inhabited for 400 years. Of the 100,000 residents of this area of the Serengeti many are being encouraged by various means to move to a resettlement area which offers 5000 new houses. This is to make room for the UAR royalty to use this area as a hunting and recreational ground. The king has already seized and built upon a piece of land his own palace. The area around it is for visiting pals. As one gets nearer to the property an alert pops up on cellphones that says "Welcome to the UAR."
I find this a bloody outrage that someone makes claim to the land like this that has absolutely nothing to do with their country or people or the inhabitants' best interests. This is all fine with the Tanzanian president because she' promoting tourism to bring big bucks into the country.
I hope that by the time I get to your place the slow worm will have gone into hiding. Looks very unattractive and I wouldn't want to step on it.
I haven't seen the slow worm for several days and I think I only saw it because we were turning over and digging up a bunch of the soil. I will keep you two separated as best I can! Can I distract you with a couple of palaces and fortifications nearby instead?
And I had not heard that about the UAR and agree that is particularly horrible in this day and age. How depressing.
Palaces and fortifications would suit me a lot more, thank you. Plus walks, food, and beverages.
Ooooh, I'd read this when you'd published it, Sabrina, but hadn't stuck around to comment - so here I am again! I love all the English Heritage sites on your beautiful island - Osborne, in particular, makes for an incredible day out.
So pleased you found a slow worm! Incredible creatures. 😊
Ah, thanks for circling back again Rebecca! My 8 year old neighbour in Devon squealed with delight and came bounding over the fence when I asked him what this long white worm/snake was the first time I saw one. So it is from him that I learned to react positively when I see them. I was so pleased to find one here too.
And yes, yes, to Osborne house! We have been back since winter to spend more time in the gardens and still feel as if we have just scratched the surface of what there is to explore and enjoy.
Yes, it's strange, isn't it, this endeavour to 'make a mark on the landscape'. Is it a statement of ownership? Keeping up with the Joneses, creating sanctuary, an aesthetically pleasing viewpoint? Any or all, perhaps.
For me, it's creating a space that speaks of calm both inside and out. Out of that has grown a real love of not just gardening but the land as well. When we purchased our farm, my husband's comment was that he wanted to leave it even better than when we took over. He wanted to build the soil, plant as many trees as possible (thus far on the way to 2000). For me in the garden - making it a space I love, which has led me to learn about gardening and discovering a passion.
In respect of history, we lived in an old house (1800's) the year after we were married, 47 years ago, and I still adore the place. I felt I was living in my own Regency novel, down to my horse in the paddock next door and riding along the riverbank. We were living the dream at that time. Wonderful!
And wow! Seymour Dorothy Worsley is rather beautiful, is she not? That magnificent red riding habit!
I love the idea of you living in your own Regency Novel! How grand that you were able to think of it that way! I'm with you and gardening. I've loved the continuous learning that gardening stimulates: learning about the new plants and way of growing in a completely different climate and raining regime. It took me two or three years living in this rain-infused climate before I could leave in the summer and not worry about the plants drying up. Now I am learning about water-logged soil and avoiding wind-desiccation rather than surviving a 6-month drought season. The best is finding plants that I know from one region that also work well in the other; it's like reconnecting with an old friend, and the joy of learning the attributes that allow it to thrive in this other place.
Great stories about the lovely Seymour Dorothy Worsley: she was quite the paramour! She had her outfit in the painting designed to match Sir Richard's regimental uniform.
Hope you are continuing your recovery well, prue! ❤️
Loved this, as always. As the son of two immigrants (father from Brazil, mother from Italy), I’ve never lived in someplace that has been in the family for generations. Perhaps we’re such a mobile society that such things don’t occur as often as they used to? I recently realized that my own somewhat nomadic life is palindromic in form: born and raised in San Francisco (and Marin); moved to Williamstown, Massachusetts, for college; followed Heather to Texas after college; moved to Washington , D.C., for a few years after the birth of our first child; moved back to Texas; moved to Williamstown after Heather died; and moved back to S.F. in 2021. I hope to God I’m done.
Martin, I think you have had a very symmetric boomerang in housing locations, and I hope if any other move is needed it is for a very good reason! You have landed in such a wonderful spot, and it is a warm home base for you now. I believe we keep all the places we have lived stitched in our hearts some way, and that ensures we never quite leave them behind, and they stay as part of us, always.