Saturday, November 05, 2011

Still life and woodpecker

Oh my, I am tired.  Been doing this and that all quite interesting but left me no juice left to write about any of it.

Here's a still life, because where there's still life there's still hope.


Some if it was scrumped, some otherwise serendipitously acquired, some just bought.  Scrumped included the medlar, which is useless since it is not yet bletted.  I thought I had found the last word on medlars here,(and the source of another wonderful and enriching on-line friendship), but then there was this post at twisted rib just the other day, which is amazing and hilarious and somewhat filthy and in places oh so right (DHL, looking at you and it's true I'm afraid even though you did write Bavarian Gentians, and The Song of a Man who has Come Through, and Shadows ...)

~

Then there was this fellow who came and alighted in the eucalyptus and shouted and yaffled 'IT'S GOING TO RAIN!!!'  for a full couple of minutes before flying off and he was right, it did.   


~

And now I really must go to bed.

12 comments:

the polish chick said...

didn't figure you for a robbins fan, am glad you are, because surely that title is no coincidence, is it?

i love the dying bananas, they do add a poignancy to the whole shot, as i'm sure they are meant to.

good night.

tristan said...

sleep well ... and wake well

xx

marja-leena said...

Medlars? bletting? is this English? Had to reach for the dictionary.... always something new to learn, even in the English language!

Love your still life photo, like a Dutch painting!

herhimnbryn said...

Oh grand post Lucy! Of course I went to the Twisted Rib link. Gorgeous, rich and 'filthy' too! Had me laughing over my breakfast, thankyou.

Good to see a Woodpecker in a gum tree instead of a Kookaburra for a change.

J Cosmo Newbery said...

And Cape Gooseberries too! (I'm showing off because I only learnt what a Cape Gooseberry was last year).

Lucy said...

Thanks chaps.

PC - a complete coincidence, I'm sorry to say I knew nothing whatever of the book or its author. I feel I should read it now, but somehow it doesn't quite grab me - is it any good?

Crafty Green Poet said...

Lovely! Not seen a green woodpecker for a while, very handsome bird.

I've only eaten medlar once and was suprised by how much I enjoyed it

rr said...

What serendipity! We're practicing synchronised bletting. Although given this is the medlar season it's not so incredibly surprising really. I've never eaten a medlar before so am looking forward to the fully bletted experience.

Unknown said...

I love that stuff about medlars. I once found a medlar tree in St James's Park in London. I don't know if it's still there. Medlar jelly is apparently very good as is medlar cheese, made with eggs and butter like lemon cheese.

Lucy said...

That medlar's not up to much anyway, as I bit into it out of curiosity to see what it was like unbletted, which is to say like a very dry and underripe perry pear, so there are teethmarks in it. The tree is splendid and beautiful in its autumn colours, with a lot of fruit, so I think when I next pass it I will carry our my resolve to knock on the door and ask permission to gather some, as according to one of rr's links says you can blet them in controlled conditions off the tree.

I have a small quantity of the pulp from last year in the freezer, I had a notion to make a kind of custard tart with it. Really though, it doesn't need too much messing about with, as it gives the impression of being already spiced, sweetened and cooked.

Apparently in hotter countries the fruit ripens normally, but whether it's the same flavour I don't know.

Rouchswalwe said...

Like Marja-Leena, I reached for the trusty Wordbook. The sun is just setting here. I yearn to hear a wise woodpecker ... am glad they stay over the winter.

Dave King said...

I misread your title and was expecting Still Life WITH Woodpecker - now, that would have been something. I've half a mind to try it!