I don’t know what happened, maybe it is the awakening of a new spring, but lately there is not one quiet weekend in the Shire. One event is hunting the other, and I am getting worried about loosing my diligently gained waist length here. I have to be careful and eat more pies.
What was first? I don’t know, can’t even get the pictures in order.
First of all, Miss Dittany moved out. She was in Bramblebury only for quite short a time, but a wonderful neighbour she was. She let me use her windmill, so I had fresh flour whenever I needed it. I am sure that improved my catfish cakes a lot. Lucky that my new neighbour, Master Peppy, decided to keep the windmill and to let me use it all the same! And also the strange lass of number 2 decided to move – probably to the Golden Woods, as she thinks she is an elf. Or she moved back to Woodhall, where she came from. Number 2 is now the home of Master Tallic, a friend from the Order. He likes my catfish cakes and leaves the window open when I am baking. A pleasant neighbour, too, I must say.
He helped with the chicken run, a terrible ordeal! The feather I stuck to this page is from one of the chickens, a horse pulled it out on the horse farm North of Bree. Yes, Bree - we went that far, and even farther!
And the ice fishing trip. After Miss Lina and Master Tallic offered to come, too, I posted a notice at the kin hall, and at the end we were quite a large expedition to the icy North, and we all came home with our baskets full of fresh fish. Some fish were roasted at the spot, and while gutting a very large salmon, I found really strange things inside! But that is another story and will be told another time in detail.
We are celebrating the fourth anniversary of our Green Dragon Fridays. Last Friday was band night, and the Brableburian band with no name was playing, too. Best of all was playing the bouncing song for Miss Lina, it was an honour, and it was nice to see her hop for a change. And very hard to keep from hopping ourselves! After that, Bywater saw the greatest fireworks in the history of the Shire. We made the Firework Show in Bree look like a dim candle!
The G.O.A.T. was giving another play in Appledores, speaking of which... I still have to write my lyrics to that Shire Apple Tree Song. I had seen the play already, but to see it in Appledores was a special pleasure. What better environment for “An apple a day”?
Two days ago, the STROOOOOLLERS gave their first concert of the Farms-of-the-Shire Tour. Many hobbits came to Bamfurlong, a cheery crowd, and the music was great, as always! I hope the Strollers won’t get problems with farmer Maggot though, I am sure his mushrooms were only half as much after the concert, and some of the mushroom tents had firework burns.
(picture by Miss Rowana)
And then yesterday, the Riddle Run through the Shire! What a great event! The organisation committee did a great job! When we all met at the Mathom House - even some dwarves - we formed teams of four hobbits (or dwarves), and Miss Carme gave us our riddles, which were pointing to different locations within the Shire. And Miss Firefern was there, too, wearing a lovely new dress, an orange one of course.
(picture by Miss Carme)
Lucky I was in one team with our clever Shirriff Nimelia, who got four of the five riddles solved at the spot; Miss Tibba, who was the one to go to the bees, a truly fearless lady; Master Jerremiah, who solved the final riddle without which we would never have found the last place; and my humble self, knowing every inch of Rushock Bog since my early childhood and finding my way to the destination in no time. I was the first to arrive there. To my surprise Master Tallic came right behind me. He is from Little Delving and, I am sure, has not spent as much time in the bog as I have…
Well, at the end we were the first to arrive at the Golden Perch as complete team – a dwarf slowed another team down that would otherwise have outrun us. And the prizes were grand! I nearly fainted when I got all the gold and loads of mathoms for our team from Miss Carme. And loads of strange scrolls and ornaments! I have to ask Master Simbo about them, he will know what they mean. And if he doesn’t I can still use them to wrap fish in them. Which reminds me of the fishing contest tonight… I have to prepare my hooks and baits at once! No time for further scribbling!
