Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness
Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how to load and bless
With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;
John Keats
Keat's poem 'To Autumn' was written exactly 200 years ago: Whilst writing it he knew that he was suffering from tuberculosis, a disease with no known cure. It became his final poem and was included in a collection of his work known as Keats's 1819 odes. He travelled to Italy for the winter seeking warmer weather, along with hopes of finding a cure, but sadly died just over a year later at the age of 25.
We have taken several short breaks this Autumn, especially down to Devon/Cornwall - it's a very easy, quick journey for us. Whilst we have been absent several Roe deer have claimed ownership of the garden. They have nibbled all the remaining flowers on the begonias and geraniums, and are now happily dining out on the hedges. However, ultimately this will mean less work for the hedge cutting men when they arrive. It is the end of the gardening season so I am happy for them to eat whatever they fancy, they need all of the nourishment they can get to sustain themselves throughout the winter months. Usually two or sometimes three seniors turn up, but recently we have had a group of five very young ones visiting. Fortunately they appear to be well nourished and healthy, but are far more timorous than the older ones. When I watch the adults through the window, and they spot me, they neither flinch nor move away, but stare straight back as if to say "what do you think you're doing here?"
We visited this lovely Cornish location at the end of October, an area steeped in history and legend, but do any of you know who lived in this cave?
Not sure when I will be able to post again - the wretched computer keeps crashing!
Not sure when I will be able to post again - the wretched computer keeps crashing!
Hello Rosemary, My last house in Ohio I had numerous deer in the yard, but I never minded them, as there was no garden for them to harm. I too have been having computer problems, and have even started looking at potential replacements, although lately it has recovered a bit. The problem is that the latest computers are small and light, with small (but fast) SSD (solid state) hard drives, but I have tons of pictures and data to store.
ReplyDelete--Jim
Hello Jim - I am endeavouring to answer comments whilst the computer is working.
DeleteAt the moment it has a tendency to suddenly crash. I need help from my eldest son, but not sure when he will be over. I know that I too should consider getting a new computer but transferring everything, which I am not confident
about, seems a lot of effort.
It is good to read of your benign attitude towards the deer. They too must eat. I have no suggestions to offer as to the occupant of the cave, but it does somewhat bring to mind Fingal's cave and the magnificent music of Felix Mendelssohn. Different region of the coast I know. Good luck with your computer issues.
ReplyDeleteI do love that piece of music and it would be so easy to picture this cave too whilst hearing the music.
DeleteThe deer are happy to chomp away on as much as they want, but I shall have to chase them away in the Spring.
Mr Fingal? You are the first to quote Keats this year, and not even in a title. Congratulations!
ReplyDeleteSadly we were not in the Hebrides.
DeleteOoh, I love a puzzle. I am thinking a pirate or a saint, but no idea of identities. How wonderful to have the deer in your garden, and to be able to nourish them with your flowers. I love animals, especially the graceful deer. Your Autumn collage is lovely, showing all the colours of my favourite season.
ReplyDeleteIt's a lovely season Patricia as you have shown on your blog - bit chilly though.
DeleteThe photo of that deer so close is wonderful, glad they keep your garden cleaned up for you :)
ReplyDeleteThey come right up to the house and even peer at us through the window. This photo was actually taken from inside the house.
DeleteHow wonderful to have deer in your garden! Wildlife is rare here. We get the occasional squirrel, but nothing larger. John thinks there might be a fox as he's seen scat in the front garden. It could be cats, but cats usually try yo bury it. I love Keats; we did poetry in Eng Lit. I watched a documentary some years ago about the Cornish coast and there was mention of a Russian woman who'd lived in a cave. I can't remember any details. Best, Jane x
ReplyDeleteWe have lots of wild life in the garden and also interesting birds - a Great Spotted Woodpecker called today - we have plenty of foxes and also badgers which tend to upset my husband crazy sometimes when they have spent the night digging up his lawn looking for grubs.
Delete25 is a tragically young age to suffer from TB and die :( Amazing that Keats' work had enough time to become world famous. Just imagine if his career had run the normal length of time.
ReplyDeleteHe was very young - did you know that he was also an apothecary and a surgeon too.
DeleteI’m going to take a guess at Merlin! Love the idea of watching deer in the garden although I would struggle if they ate too many of my plants. Hope your computer is fixed very soon. B x
ReplyDeleteAt this time of year I don't mind Barbara, it also saves me time cutting things down, but I would have been happy to see the geranium and begonias carry on flowering for just a bit longer before they munched them down. Well done, you are right ✔︎
DeleteBeautiful poem and gorgeous photos. I had no idea Keats was so young when he died. Just imagine what he might have done with another 50 years.
ReplyDeleteSo many talented people died really young years ago - did you know that he was also an apothecary and a surgeon too.
DeleteNo I didn't know that. I will spend some time researching him. How interesting! Thank you for telling me.
DeleteYour collage is especially beautiful. A large family of deer visit my property every night. They are also welcome to what is left in my vegetable garden. Less work for me. I will have to retrain them in the Spring. My tulips are off limits.
ReplyDeleteDear Gina - the same applies here too - come the Spring and they will definitely be shooed swiftly away. I wonder what type of deer you see in your garden?
DeleteOur deer are the larger Mule Deer. A large herd has spent last Summer only one field away. They have visited my garden every night and often even during the day.
DeleteI have looked at your Mule Deer on the internet Gina, they look as if they need to eat a lot as they appear to be quite large!!!
DeleteIs that Merlin's Cave at Tintagel? I've been there! (But at low tide, so we could go in the cave). I blogged about it here: https://shewhoseeks.blogspot.com/2010/02/merlins-cave.html
ReplyDelete✔︎ well done Debra - I didn't know that you had been to Tintagel, it must have been before I knew of your blog. I will take a look at your posts.
DeleteYes, it was 10 years ago when we went on a pagan/arthurian tour of southern England and Cornwall. We had a fabulous time!
DeleteA beautiful final shot. The deer portrait is quite something to see.
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed seeing the deer William.
Delete😀
ReplyDeleteLove the look on that little gals face! I agree, I must be Merlin’s cave.
ReplyDeleteYes, she is definitely a girl, and she is staring me out through the window. Merlin is right ✔︎
DeleteLovely poem with your beautiful Autumn collage. Though bush fires are raging to the north of us, here in Melbourne the weather is decidedly cool. We have also enjoyed some good rains and everything is growing so fast, especially the weeds!
ReplyDeleteGlad you have had a nice break in Cornwall, Rosemary.
I am pleased to learn that your area of Australia has rain and that everything is growing well. The photos that we have seen from around Sidney look horrific, as are the flooded areas here in Yorkshire around Doncaster.
DeleteLovely set of photos. T.B. has directly inspired quite a few poets and writers. A terrible disease but full of emotion and creativity. A deadly muse.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that is good today is that so many of these diseases have now been eradicated.
DeleteA lovely time of year
ReplyDeleteIt certainly was until this latest swath of rain appeared especially for those living in and around Doncaster.
DeleteWonderful natural time of year is autumn, the colours are magic.
ReplyDeleteThe colours will soon be gone until next Spring.
DeleteA beautiful set of photos. Not so many Autumn mists in recent years, I feel. It's amazing how bold your deer have become, I suspect that they must have been dining on garden plants for a while, whether they are welcome or not. We have Muntjac that visit gardens around here and there are Fallow Deer in the area though they seem to keep away from houses and gardens.
ReplyDeleteWe are surrounded by common land, and the deer seem to think that our garden is theirs. When my family living in your area visit, they are amazed at just how many animals call into our garden on a regular basis..
DeleteBeautiful poem and photos that match perfectly, gorgeous autumn colors , a real feast to the eyes !
ReplyDeleteSince I took these photos the rains have arrived - hope that it soon departs. I noticed on the news that Venice has had plenty of rain too and is flooded.
DeleteDearest Rosemary,
ReplyDeleteLovely Autumn Magic photos and especially that lovely doe!
How could anyone ever pull the trigger when looking at such eyes?!
We came home from the local theater the other day and there were a couple of does walking paralel to the driveway, on the lawn towards the back of the garden. Pieter has started feeding them corn and like you, we never do mind them, nor any other critter!
Hugs,
Mariette
Dear Mariette, I think that it is a joy to to able to enjoy wild animals in the garden - today the areas where so many animals used to freely roam are becoming more and more eaten up by development.
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DeleteLovely post dear, glad you have been enjoying your trips around the West Country.
ReplyDeleteHow kind you are welcoming the deer to eat in your lovely garden - they couldn't have chosen a lovelier dining room!
Ours have been coming at night, especially enjoying the bird feeders I believe!
Hugs - Mary
Dear Mary - I couldn't shoo them away as several are in dire need of nourishment - they are very thin, but come the Spring I shall have to, as I don't want them chomping away on my new plants.
DeleteDo they knock your bird feeders around in order to spill the nuts and seeds to the ground do you think?
Sending you both hugs.
Lovely photos of your countryside and the coast. The deer here are quite a nuisance and the city is trying to figure out what to do with them. We are fortunate not to have any such visitors to our garden. The cave is beautiful and I have no idea who lived there!
ReplyDeleteI don't really mind the deer at this time of year although the begonias were looking rather lovely before they were eaten by them.
DeleteI shall have to shoo them away though come the Spring.
The seascape with the cave is lovely, although I don't know of anyone who lived in a cave in Cornwall. An ideal place for a selkie-human tryst perhaps?
ReplyDeleteYou are heading along the correct road Jenny - a mythical selkie is the same type of character that supposedly lived in the cave.
DeleteDear Rosemary - “To Autumn” is one of my favorite poems. It sounds very familiar to me because the images and sentiments of early autumn in the poem are similar to those of Japanese. I hadn’t known it is one of Keta’s last poems. Deer roam into the gardens of private houses in and around Nara Park area. Didn't the deer in your garden leave droppings? I hope Puff the Magic Dragon lived in that cave.
ReplyDeleteYoko
Dear Yoko - they do sometimes leave droppings, but not very often fortunately. It would be a nice little spot for Puff the Magic Dragon to live wouldn't it?
DeleteSorry I'm late again Rosemary. Lovely photos. I like that you don't mind the deers, I would be the same. The markings around its mouth are beautiful
ReplyDeleteI too was really taken by the markings around the mouth and also those lovely penetrating dark eyes.
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