August 2019 – Into the Light

Hi Readers – Moses here!

 

This month I wanted to impress you with my feline erudition. So, I investigated the synonyms for ‘August’ and was delighted with so many of the items on the list – baronial, gallant, glorious, grand, heroic, imperial, imposing, magnificent, majestic, monumental, noble, proud, regal, royal, splendid, and stately. 

As most of those seemed to apply to me, I basked in the reflected glory and happy pleasure of believing that August must surely be my month.

Therefore, imagine my chagrin (annoyance, irritation, vexation, exasperation, displeasure, pique, crossness, anger, rage, fury, and wrath) when Layla (Little Miss Know It All) took the greatest pleasure in ‘advising’ that these words were NOT synonyms of ‘August’ the month. I was further wounded when she told me in no uncertain terms that I had more in common with the antonyms (flighty, frivolous, giddy, goofy, silly and undignified) and more particularly with the near antonyms of ‘august’ (coarse, crass, crude, improper, indecent, uncouth, unseemly and vulgar).

Build Progress

Well, there has certainly been a flurry of activity in recent weeks. In time honoured “We are a Grandmother” fashion, I can report that “We have a date for the extensions!”

Having signed off the new detailed drawings, the painful waiting, and waiting, and more waiting stage is over. Monday 9 September 2019 is the new magic date – when the oak frame team will return to Hazels to start building the East and West ‘ends’. Our Oakwrights project manager (Matt) confirmed this on his site visit just after the August Bank Holiday. Everything (including the crane) is now booked, so Mr Rod and SWhoMBO occasionally allow themselves a few barely concealed springs in their step.

The ‘pre-lash’ day is Monday 2 September 2019 when the new scaffolders ride into town.  We heard Mr Rod confiding to SWhoMBO that at last we have a scaffold company who both reads and understands the brief, arrives on time for appointments, asks pertinent questions and seems to know exactly what is required of them.

Lighting Design

This week we three were all but ignored for almost two days when we were forced to endure a visitation by a lighting designer – based in Yorkshire, no less. The three of them were in and out of house, up and down the ladder so many times that my head was spinning by the end. In my view, lighting is a very black art indeed. What we three cats don’t know now about up-lighters, down-lighters, across-lighters and the like is not worth telling. I assure you, if they go ahead with half of this, then our beautiful oak beams will be lit to within an inch of their rings, with no hiding place whatsoever.

We were very amused every time Mr Rod and SWhoMBO discovered yet something else in the ‘must have’ list for the world of illumination about which they had been completely unaware (and did not even know they wanted!). They are even considering electric blinds, but I have to ask the simple question “is there something wrong with their arms?”

I am sure there will be more (much much more – Ed) on this in later postings.

Layla’s Postbag

Layla has been crowing for days about the number of hits she received on the July blog and the quantity of comments generated by her effort last month. So, in the interest of peaceful sibling co-existence, I am including an edited selection (only) of her mail:

The international element of our reader base has been well represented this month. Maikl’s Mate in Helsinki says “Thanks to Layla for the blog update. Let’s hope the production of the new frame parts will go smoothly and the building work can continue in September. And it was very interesting to see the skilfully handcrafted bird boxes.”

The pictures below from Helsinki demonstrate that sunflower boasting has quickly become a global sport and Finland has its own answer to Van Gogh.

There was also a thought-provoking response from Hong Kong Buddy: “Thanks for another update. Think I like Layla’s style …. sssh! Whilst there may not be a lot of happening on the building front, the wildlife and horticulture updates keep us very amused! Totally agree that one should spend more time observing the wild behaviour of the new PM and the ever falling Sterling which is now at its all time low in 28 months !!! Mr Rod may have to keep an eye out on the escalating building costs.”

The West Wickham Wanderers are very well qualified to empathise with Mr Rod and SWhoMBO because they are living, sleeping and dreaming through their own building project. “Just to say we are very impressed with Rod’s sunflowers!  And of course Layla’s guest editing is superb! On our way home to see how much more mud they have dug up!”

Folkestone Friends have taken some precious time out from their UK travels to pen: “We suppose there is a lot of measuring going on (probably in secret) by Sarah and Mr Rod. Planners have cold hearts! However, we are really pleased that all requested plans have been approved and are looking forward to seeing the finished result.  Well done Layla on your interim report, we look forward to the September issue as there should be some material progress by then.”

In closing this section, I must report that Freddie, Layla and I are completely perplexed by what Mr Rod could possibly mean when he opined that Puttenham Pal has hit the nail on the head with: “Wow! You cats do have a wonderful life at Hazels!”

It is most important that we cats keep a watching brief on the build project as who knows what the humans will do once our backs are turned? As you can see below, there is plenty to keep our interest going.

Sunflower Wars

I never thought the day would come when an alpha male tomcat such as I should wax lyrical about flowers. But, much to my (no, everyones’ – Ed) amazement, Mr Rod’s enthusiasm for sunflowers seems to have rubbed off on me in a big, big way and I am now helplessly afflicted for life.

The exchange of banter and photographs to back up their assertions that their respective sunflower specimens are the tallest, healthiest and most radiant continues unabated between Mr Rod and Sarah.

Some snaps of Mr Rod’s offerings are included below so I will now leave it to you to draw your own conclusions.

I am smitten with the darned things but I hope you too enjoy the quotations.

I don’t think I could put it better than the wry observation of  J.R.Rim: “Sunflowers end up facing the sun, but they go through a lot of dirt to find their way there.”

Seemingly, the Sunflower is the only flower with ‘flower’ in its name! Helianthus is the scientific name – Helia for Sun and Anthus for Flower. The property of facing the sun is mostly observed in young flowerheads and this generally stops once the flower starts to bloom (mature sunflowers generally face east). This fascinating phenomenon of flowers following the sun across the sky is called heliotropism.

Legend has it that sunflowers are the symbol of faith, loyalty, happiness and adoration. A sunflower head can produce up to 1,000 seeds, so you can see why some kinds are grown for food, seeds and oil.

…………………….. is one of the most popular paintings in the National Gallery. Contrary to popular belief he never painted a single artwork entitled Sunflowers, instead, he did several renditions of the large yellow blossoms in two separate series, one during a stay with his brother in Paris in 1887 and another during his tenancy in Arles 1888-9.

Whilst it pains me to say it, I think this will be the last mention of sunflowers in the blog (but only until next season – Mr Rod)

Freddie is looking forward to being ‘the one’ to regale you at the end of September with tales of the next exciting ‘extension’ stage.