Friday, September 30, 2011

Song For The Spinning Wheel:


Song For The Spinning Wheel:
Founded Upon a Belief Prevalent Among the Pastoral Vales of Westmoreland

Swiftly turn the murmuring wheel!
Night has brought the welcome hour,
When the weary fingers feel
Help, as if from faery power;
Dewy night o’ershades the ground;
Turn the swift wheel round and round!

Now, beneath the starry sky,
Couch the widely-scattered sheep; –
Ply the pleasant labour, ply!
For the spindle, while they sleep,
Runs with speed more smooth and fine,
Gathering up a trustier line.

Short-lived likings may be bred
By a glance from fickle eyes;
But true love is like the thread
Which the kindly wool supplies,
When the flocks are all at rest
Sleeping on the mountain’s breast.

“The world is too much with us; late and soon”

The world is too much with us; late and soon,
Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers:
Little we see in Nature that is ours;
We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!
The Sea that bares her bosom to the moon;
The winds that will be howling at all hours,
And are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers;
For this, for everything, we are out of tune;
It moves us not. – Great God! I’d rather be
A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn;
So might I, standing on this pleasant lea,
Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn;
Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea;
Or hear old Triton blow his wreathèd horn.

by William Wordsworth

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

The last rose of summer



The last rose of summer
by Thomas Moore

'Tis the last rose of summer
Left blooming alone;
All her lovely companions
Are faded and gone;
No flower of her kindred,
No rosebud is nigh,
To reflect back her blushes,
To give sigh for sigh.

I'll not leave thee, thou lone one!
To pine on the stem;
Since the lovely are sleeping,
Go, sleep thou with them.
Thus kindly I scatter,
Thy leaves o'er the bed,
Where thy mates of the garden
Lie scentless and dead.

So soon may I follow,
When friendships decay,
From Love's shining circle
The gems drop away.
When true hearts lie withered
And fond ones are flown,
Oh! who would inhabit,
This bleak world alone?






The Last Rose of Summer is a poem by Irish poet Thomas Moore, who was a friend of Byron and Shelley. Moore wrote it in 1805 while at Jenkinstown Park in County Kilkenny, Ireland. Sir John Stevenson set the poem to its widely-known melody, and this was published in a collection of Moore's work called Irish Melodies (1807–34). In Ireland, it is claimed that the melody was composed by George Alexander Osborne, a composer from Limerick City.



For Mike and Lorraine

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

The Maples are turning color...




This is too funny



PGS all hands on deck to get shearlings ready!!!

This looks like a Boxer washing some Wensleydale lambs.

Monday, September 26, 2011

Dupplin Cross, Dunning, Scotland



he Dupplin Cross is a carved, monumental Pictish stone, which dates from around 800A.D. It was first recorded by Thomas Pennant in 1769, on a hillside in Strathearn, a little to the north (and on the opposite bank of the river Earn from) Forteviot and Dunning. In 2002 it was placed in the care of Historic Scotland, and was placed for preservation under the 12th century tower of St Serf's church in Dunning (also in the care of Historic Scotland). Open to the public April-September.

The Dupplin Cross is a high cross, that is a free-standing stone cross. While relatively common in Ireland, Northumbria and in Dál Riata, such crosses are rare survivals in the lands of the Picts, though fragments of shattered crosses (probably cast down during the 16th century Reformation) show that a number once existed. Early records report that a second cross, 'Cross of Dronachy', stood on the lands of Invermay, south of Forteviot and also overlooking Forteviot, but this is now lost. The cross base survives in situ, but the records do not provide details of its exact form.

The cross is carved from Old Red Sandstone, the cross stands about 2.5 metres tall, 1 metre broad over the arms of the cross. It is carved with various scenes, religious, martial and traditional Pictish animal carvings. The cross contains a partially legible inscription, of which only the name CUSTANTIN FILIUS FIRCUS can be read. This name is taken as the Latin form of the early 9th century Pictish king's Gaelic name Caustantín son of Fergus (fl. 793–820).

Since the inscriptio implies that the Cross was carved either during, or shortly after, the reign of Caustantín, it is particularly important as giving a fixed point in the chronology of Pictish sculpture. It also indicates that Gaelic was spoken at the time as it uses the Gaelic personal name of his father in Latin.

http://www.dunning.uk.net/news/1to36/mag15.html

Autumn is here and baking is on my mind,.




Saturday, September 24, 2011

Jesus Christ the Apple Tree




Jesus Christ the Apple Tree (also known as Apple Tree) is a poem written by an unknown New Englander in the 18th century. It has been set to music by a number of composers, including Jeremiah Ingalls (1764–1838) and Elizabeth Poston (1905–1987).

The first known publication of "Jesus Christ the Apple Tree" was in 1784 in Divine Hymns, or Spiritual Songs: for the use of Religious Assemblies and Private Christians compiled by Joshua Smith, a lay Baptist minister from New Hampshire. The hymn may have been based on an earlier anonymous poem first printed in London's Spiritual Magazine in August of 1761 crediting "R.H." as the writer.

The song may be an allusion to both the apple tree in Songs 2:3 which has been interpreted as a metaphor representing Christ, and to Jesus' description of his life as a tree of life in Luke 13:18-19 and elsewhere in the New Testament including Revelation 22:1-2. Apple trees were commonly grown in early New England and there was an old English tradition of wassailing or wishing health to apple trees on Christmas eve. The song is now performed by choirs around the world, especially during the Christmas season as a Christmas carol.





1. The tree of life my soul hath seen,
Laden with fruit and always green:
The trees of nature fruitless be
Compared with Christ the apple tree.

2. His beauty doth all things excel:
By faith I know, but ne'er can tell
The glory which I now can see
In Jesus Christ the apple tree.

3. For happiness I long have sought,
And pleasure dearly I have bought:
I missed of all; but now I see
'Tis found in Christ the apple tree.

4. I'm weary with my former toil,
Here I will sit and rest awhile:
Under the shadow I will be,
Of Jesus Christ the apple tree.

5. This fruit doth make my soul to thrive,
It keeps my dying faith alive;
Which makes my soul in haste to be
With Jesus Christ the apple tree


Friday, September 23, 2011

The Firewood Poem

Beechwood fires are bright and clear
If the logs are kept a year,
Chestnut's only good they say,
If for logs 'tis laid away.
Make a fire of Elder tree,
Death within your house will be;
But ash new or ash old,
Is fit for a queen with crown of gold

Birch and fir logs burn too fast
Blaze up bright and do not last,
it is by the Irish said
Hawthorn bakes the sweetest bread.
Elm wood burns like churchyard mould,
E'en the very flames are cold
But ash green or ash brown
Is fit for a queen with golden crown

Poplar gives a bitter smoke,
Fills your eyes and makes you choke,
Apple wood will scent your room
Pear wood smells like flowers in bloom
Oaken logs, if dry and old
keep away the winter's cold
But ash wet or ash dry
a king shall warm his slippers by.

by Lady Celia Congreve



Most of this years wood is ash with a little cherry thrown in for good measure.


Wednesday, September 21, 2011

As Summer Into Autumn Slips



"As Summer into Autumn slips
And yet we sooner say
"The Summer" than "the Autumn," lest
We turn the sun away,

And almost count it an Affront
The presence to concede
Of one however lovely, not
The one that we have loved --

So we evade the charge of Years
On one attempting shy
The Circumvention of the Shaft
Of Life's Declivity."

- Emily Dickinson

WHITE BORDER COLLIES



Even more unusual than the red Border Collie is the white or mostly white individual. I don't know the AKC's attitude toward them; the British Kennel Club standard states: "A variety of colours is permissible, but white should never predominate." Breeders dislike them because the white puppy will often be the last to sell; I recently heard from a breeder who still has a white pup several months old, just because buyers don't want the white ones. In older days, it might be put to sleep right away.

The rationale against white dogs in sheep herding is that the sheep will not have sufficient respect for a dog that is the same color they are. (Marjorie Quarton, in All About the Working Border Collie: "There is a popular idea that sheep . . . won't move for a white dog, having no fear of a dog of their own colour." This strange idea, like most prejudices, falls apart when you examine it. Most importantly, it assumes that sheep are always white. The flock I work most often is composed of black, brown, white, and parti-colored sheep. If we needed a dog that is a different color than the sheep, it would have to be pink! The sheep have no problem recognizing each other in all those colors; why should they have trouble recognizing a different-colored dog?

I have also heard it said that the white dog is OK for herding as long as it has a colored head; the sheep apparently look mostly at the head to determine the dog's color. But many great herding dogs have been black with an entirely white head! What are the sheep looking at in that case?

I once helped start an all-white Border Collie in herding; she had some problems based on early obedience training, but the sheep had no trouble knowing that she was a dog. I imagine that in the next few years, when more and more new handlers come into the sport of herding, that we will see more of these white dogs on trial fields. The new handlers don't know that white dogs aren't any good at herding; the dogs certainly don't know it, and the sheep apparently don't either.

What makes a white dog? There are a couple of possibilities. Almost all Border Collies have some white markings (I know of exceptions to this, too), arising as in all dog breeds from three or more different genetic combinations. As far as I can find out, the basic three are all alternate forms (alleles) of the same "white-spotting" gene, and they produce progressively more white on the dog.

The first results in either none, or very little spotting on the toes and chest. These Border Collies often descend from W. Hardisty's Jim, a black and tan dog with very little white; his dam was Merrie, a black and brown dog with little white, and his parental grandsire, Dickson's Ben, was mostly black.

The second produces a white blaze up the face, white on the feet, legs, belly and tail tip, and in a broad collar area around the neck. The pattern is variable, but the important element is that white doesn't occur outside these areas. This is the most commonly seen pattern among Border Collies. It is also seen in many other breeds of dog (collie, sheltie, Aussie, Boston terrier, St. Bernards, corgis, boxers, etc.) and even in other animals (rabbits and cats, especially). The pattern is often referred to as "Dutch," since it occurs in a breed of rabbits known as "Dutch."




There is then at least one allele (maybe two) which causes extreme white spotting, ranging from just a little more than the previous to an all-white body. Greyhounds and pointers also often carry this extreme white gene. This latter, often referred to as "white factor," is a recessive gene, requiring both members of a gene pair to produce the white dog. But it is not entirely recessive; a single white factor will cause variable amounts of white spotting on the dog's body. Usually small spots on the hip or back indicate white factor; some breeders believe that any white extended up the hind leg into the stifle suggests that white factor is present.

Many of the great herding dogs have been white-factored. Notable among them was Gilchrist's Spot; he had white travelling up the front of his hind leg clear to the hip. His grandmother was a white dog named Ann, who was also, through a different line, the great-great-grandmother of Wiston Cap.

The white head appears to be a separate genetic trait, although I don't see any studies of this. It is the typical pattern of the Old English Sheepdog. Many Border Collies have either a half-white or whole white face, usually blending into the broad white collar. Since white hair often grows longer than black, these white-headed dogs, especially if male, may look like they have a great white lion's mane. As far as I have seen, they make perfectly good working dogs. The rarest combination is the white-bodied dog with a white head as well.

There is one genetic form of white Border Collie, however, that is truly defective and should be avoided by both buyers and breeders. It is the result of breeding two merles together; it occurs in any breed (collie, sheltie, Aussie) in which merles are present. If a pup inherits the merle gene from both parents, he will be mostly white, with small merle spots. Especially if the white overlaps his eyes and ears, he may be both deaf and have defective eyesight. In a litter born to two merle parents, a quarter of the pups will be negatively affected. Since merle is an easily recognized color, this sort of breeding combination can be avoided; don't breed two merles together!

You should be very cautious about any mostly white dog on which the colored spots are merled, whether red or blue. Of course, the normal merle dog can also have the same white body markings as any other. Be sure you know the color of both parents (are they both merle? do they show signs of white factor?) and have the dog checked carefully for both sight and hearing.



This was taken from All About Border Collies which was presented by the United States Border Collie Club, Inc. (USBCC). The USBCC is dedicated to preserving the Border Collie as a working stock dog; opposing the showing, judging, and breeding of Border Collies based upon their appearance; promoting only careful breeding for the preservation of working ability and the avoidance of genetic defects; and helping Border Collie owners and the public generally to better understand and appreciate the traditional Border Collie, bred for work.


http://www.bordercollie.org/health/kpwhite.html

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

The Heat of Autumn

By Jane Hirshfield

The heat of autumn is different from the heat of summer.
One ripens apples, the other turns them to cider.
One is a dock you walk out on,
the other the spine of a thin swimming horse
and the river each day a full measure colder.
A man with cancer leaves his wife for his lover.
Before he goes she straightens his belts in the closet,
rearranges the socks and sweaters inside the dresser
by color. That’s autumn heat:
her hand placing silver buckles with silver,
gold buckles with gold, setting each
on the hook it belongs on in a closet soon to be empty,
and calling it pleasure.


http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/jane-hirshfield

The Summer Lamb






Ignorant People


Funny how ignorant people act like being ignorant is virtue to be passed on down the generations. The ignorant have managed to dumb down religion to fit their political and cultural needs. 'Jesus died for mankind's sins, not to take people's minds away.'

Sunday, September 18, 2011

James Clerk Maxwell


James Clerk Maxwell of Glenlair FRS FRSE (13 June 1831 – 5 November 1879) was a Scottish physicist and mathematician. His most prominent achievement was formulating classical electromagnetic theory. This united all previously unrelated observations, experiments and equations of electricity, magnetism and even optics into a consistent theory. Maxwell's equations demonstrated that electricity, magnetism and even light are all manifestations of the same phenomenon, namely the electromagnetic field. Subsequently, all other classic laws or equations of these disciplines became simplified cases of Maxwell's equations. Maxwell's achievements concerning electromagnetism have been called the "second great unification in physics", after the first one realised by Isaac Newton. He was the first cousin of notable 19th century artist Jemima Blackburn.

Maxwell demonstrated that electric and magnetic fields travel through space in the form of waves, and at the constant speed of light. In 1865 Maxwell published A Dynamical Theory of the Electromagnetic Field. It was with this that he first proposed that light was in fact undulations in the same medium that is the cause of electric and magnetic phenomena. His work in producing a unified model of electromagnetism is one of the greatest advances in physics.

Maxwell also helped develop the Maxwell–Boltzmann distribution, which is a statistical means of describing aspects of the kinetic theory of gases. These two discoveries helped usher in the era of modern physics, laying the foundation for such fields as special relativity and quantum mechanics.

Maxwell is also known for presenting the first durable colour photograph in 1861 and for his foundational work on the rigidity of rod-and-joint frameworks like those in many bridges.

Maxwell is considered by many physicists to be the 19th-century scientist who had the greatest influence on 20th-century physics. His contributions to the science are considered by many to be of the same magnitude as those of Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein. In the millennium poll—a survey of the 100 most prominent physicists—Maxwell was voted the third greatest physicist of all time, behind only Newton and Einstein. On the centennial of Maxwell's birthday, Einstein himself described Maxwell's work as the "most profound and the most fruitful that physics has experienced since the time of Newton." Einstein kept a photograph of Maxwell on his study wall, alongside pictures of Michael Faraday and Newton.

Early life, 1831–39

James Clerk Maxwell was born 13 June 1831 at 14 India Street, Edinburgh, to John Clerk, an advocate, and Frances Cay. Maxwell's father was a man of comfortable means, of the Clerk family of Penicuik, Midlothian, holders of the baronetcy of Clerk of Penicuik; his brother being the 6th Baronet. James was the first cousin of notable 19th century artist Jemima Blackburn.

He had been born John Clerk, adding the surname Maxwell to his own after he inherited a country estate in Middlebie, Kirkcudbrightshire from connections to the Maxwell family, themselves members of the peerage.

Maxwell's parents did not meet and marry until they were well into their thirties, which was unusual for the time; moreover, his mother was nearly 40 years old when James was born. They had had one earlier child, a daughter, Elizabeth, who died in infancy. They named their only surviving child James, a name that had sufficed not only for his grandfather, but also many of his other ancestors.

When Maxwell was young his family moved to Glenlair House, which his parents had built on the 1500 acre (6.1 km2) Middlebie estate. All indications suggest that Maxwell had maintained an unquenchable curiosity from an early age. By the age of three, everything that moved, shone, or made a noise drew the question: "what's the go o' that?". In a passage added to a letter from his father to his sister-in-law Jane Cay in 1834, his mother described this innate sense of inquisitiveness:

"He is a very happy man, and has improved much since the weather got moderate; he has great work with doors, locks, keys, etc., and "show me how it doos" is never out of his mouth. He also investigates the hidden course of streams and bell-wires, the way the water gets from the pond through the wall.

Education, 1839–47

Recognising the potential of the young boy, his mother Frances took responsibility for James' early education, which in the Victorian era was largely the job of the woman of the house.[19] She was however taken ill with abdominal cancer, and after an unsuccessful operation, died in December 1839 when Maxwell was only eight. James' education was then overseen by John Maxwell and his sister-in-law Jane, both of whom played pivotal roles in the life of Maxwell.[19] His formal schooling began unsuccessfully under the guidance of a sixteen-year-old hired tutor. Little is known about the young man John Maxwell hired to instruct his son, except that he treated the younger boy harshly, chiding him for being slow and wayward. John Maxwell dismissed the tutor in November 1841, and after considerable thought, sent James to the prestigious Edinburgh Academy. He lodged during term times at the house of his aunt Isabella. During this time his passion for drawing was encouraged by his older cousin Jemima, who was herself a talented artist.

Edinburgh Academy, where Maxwell was schooled

The ten-year-old Maxwell, having been raised in isolation on his father's countryside estate, did not fit in well at school. The first year had been full, obliging him to join the second year with classmates a year his senior. His mannerisms and Galloway accent struck the other boys as rustic, and his having arrived on his first day of school wearing a pair of homemade shoes and a tunic, earned him the unkind nickname of "Daftie". Maxwell, however, never seemed to have resented the epithet, bearing it without complaint for many years. Social isolation at the Academy ended when he met Lewis Campbell and Peter Guthrie Tait, two boys of a similar age who were to become notable scholars later in life. They would remain lifetime friends.

Maxwell was fascinated by geometry at an early age, rediscovering the regular polyhedron before any formal instruction. Much of his talent however, went overlooked, and despite winning the school's scripture biography prize in his second year his academic work remained unnoticed[21] until, at the age of 13, he won the school's mathematical medal and first prize for both English and poetry.

Maxwell wrote his first scientific paper at the age of 14. In it he described a mechanical means of drawing mathematical curves with a piece of twine, and the properties of ellipses, Cartesian ovals, and related curves with more than two foci. His work, Oval Curves, was presented to the Royal Society of Edinburgh by James Forbes, who was a professor of natural philosophy at Edinburgh University. Maxwell was deemed too young for the work presented. The work was not entirely original, since Descartes had also examined the properties of such multifocal curves in the seventeenth century, but Maxwell had simplified their construction.


James Clerk Maxwell statue in George Street, Edinburgh




http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Clerk_Maxwell

Robert Burns Song, Ye Jacobites



The poet Robert Burns lived not long after the Jacobite Uprising of 1745/46. Following the conflict, many songs were written, usually in support of the Jacobite cause. But a few were written putting the government/Hanoverian point of view. When Burns was putting together a collection of songs he had found while going round Scotland, he found one of these and wrote his own version. While Burns had expressed sympathy for the French Revolution, he clearly had no liking for the Jacobites.

Jacobites by name lend and ear.....



William Maxwell, 5th Earl of Nithsdale (1676 – 2 March 1744) was a Catholic nobleman, who took part in the Jacobite Rising of 1715.

He was the eldest son of Robert, fourth Earl of Nithsdale (1627/8–1683), and Lady Lucie Douglas (d. 1713), daughter of William, eleventh earl of Angus and first Marquess of Douglas. He was probably born at Terregles Castle, near Dumfries. The early death of his father ensured that he was raised by his mother, the Dowager Countess, who educated him to be a faithful and conventionally devout Roman Catholic and a partisan of the Stuart cause.

On reaching the age of twenty-one, in 1697, he visited the Jacobite Court at Saint-Germain to give his allegiance to the exiled King James II & VII, where he met his future wife Lady Winifred Herbert, daughter of the Duke of Powis. After their marriage at Saint-Germain in 1699, they settled at his family seat at Terregles. As a prominent Catholic in the predominantly covenanting Lowlands, he was on a number of occasions the object of Presbyterian assaults on his estate, on suspicion of harbouring Jesuits.

Despite his discretion, he was long suspected of Jacobite sympathies. In the Jacobite rising of 1715, after some hesitation, he proclaimed James III and VIII at Dumfries and Jedburgh, before joining the main Jacobite forces at Hexham under General Thomas Forster. Nithsdale was captured at Preston together with other Jacobite leaders, found guilty of treason, and sentenced to death. The night before the day appointed for his execution (24 February 1716), he effected an escape from the Tower of London meticulously planned by his daring and devoted Countess, who had been admitted to his room. By exchanging clothes with his wife's maid, he escaped the attention of his guards. He fled to Rome, where he lived in poverty and happiness with his wife until his death.

I Bought Some Home Grown Carrots Today



I went to the Open Meadows UMC Annual God's Portion Sale with my Mother and had a great time. I saw allot of old friends from high school and brought home a cool old toaster, some fresh carrots and a big pumpkin among other things.

Friday, September 16, 2011

A History of Govan to the 12th Century

As I posted before, Govan and Gorbals is where my family immigrated from to America. It is now a part of Glasgow but Govan was at one time its own burgh. Many of my ancestors are listed as living on Uries Row which no longer exists but was a row of houses that were rented out to mining families working for Govan collieries and Dixons Iron Works. For more on Govan look back three posts.

We know that people were in the Govan area c. 3, 000 BC because of the evidence of a Stone-Age canoe found at Kingston Dock. We also know from the (now gone) Iron-Age mound at Govan Cross, and the name ‘Govan’ itself (old Welsh, meaning ‘place of the ironworkers’), i that pagan Celts lived and worked there c. 1, 000 BC. ii The Romans reached this district of the ‘Damnonii’ in AD 81 iii and, after building a wall from the Clyde to the Forth (AD 142),iv they withdrew c. AD 190 and left Govan to its own devices.

After the Romans left Britain for good (AD 410), 5 separate groups began to fight for territory in what came to be known as Scotland. These were the Britons of Strathclyde, who lived in the Clyde valley and further south; the Scots (or Gaels), who had come over from Ireland and now inhabited Dal Riata (West Scotland); the Anglians (Saxons) who had migrated from Germany, and who lived in the south east of England; the Picts (an amalgamation of various tribes v), who lived in north and east Scotland, and finally the Scandinavians (or Vikings) from Norway, Sweden and Denmark. As Christianity slowly replaced these peoples’ pagan worship, they built their first churches upon the same spot as Druidic colleges and sacred places vi which is probably what happened at the site of Govan’s Old Church where Druidic remains have been seen. Christianity arrived late to the Govan area because the earliest written record near this site is a note on the death of Glasgow’s patron saint St. Kentigern or ‘Mungo’ in AD 612. vii

When the King of Scots (Constantine 1) allied himself to the Viking King of Dublin, this helped lead to the capture of the Strathclyde Britons capital at Dumbarton Rock c. AD 860. At this time Govan was not just the pre-eminent religious centre of the area, but also held the King of Strathclyde’s royal church and palace – across the river from the royal estate in Partick. This was also the time when the Scots took over the Strathclyde kingdom and it is almost certain that the property at Govan was Constantine’s reward. Another reason for thinking this is that it was from this time that Govan blossomed into the largest centre in Europe for the production of stone carved Celtic Crosses and carved memorial tombstones – Christian and Viking. The church that stands on the site today, Govan Old Parish Church, contains an extraordinary collection of 27 Celtic crosses, a sarcophagus (see below) and 5 hogback tombstones, which were all carved c. AD 800-1100. When the Vikings had first arrived in Scotland (c. AD 800) they brought with them their longhouses, which rose in a curve like a hog’s back – just like their stone memorials (‘Hogbacks’) which are little houses to contain the souls of the dead. Many of them have Christian connections and they are the largest and the heaviest of any type of hogback known. Their sculptural styles show connections with Cumbrian, British, Scottish, Pictish, Irish, Saxon and Scandinavian art – in fact, they can be seen as the first expression of a truly national style. viii

Although ‘Saint Constantine’s Sarcophagus’ (at Govan Church) is thought to date from the 550’s, this may in fact be King Constantine’s own coffin from the late 800’s ix for while the Saint’s identity remains uncertain, the sarcophagus shows an armoured horseman out hunting stags with his dogs, which are well known symbolry for Royal hunting scenes. When King David 1 shifted cult patronage in the 12th century to St. Kentigern in Glasgow, he did so because Govan held too many memories of the old royal house, and Govan’s production of crosses and hogbacks ceased. x

© Brian Thom McQuade MA, First Draft (for GalGael), 1/7/2004

http://www.citystrolls.com/people/govan-history.htm

I am stacking firewood today.




Check out our Booth this Weekend


Fingerlakes Fiber Festival
September 17 & 18, 2011
Hemlock County Fairgrounds
Hemlock, NY

Their website seems to be down this morning buy its on the Hemlock Fair Grounds. Jim and Dani have already left to go set up this morning. Look for The Rams Horn in the main exhibition building.

THE 17th ANNUAL FINGER LAKES FIBER ARTS FESTIVAL will be held at the spacious Hemlock Fairgrounds, Hemlock, N.Y this weekend. This is a 2-day festival is devoted to all fiber arts with a special focus on hand spinning. There are a wide range of exciting fiber arts workshops scheduled. There is a fleece show and sale as well! There are demonstrations, competitions, exhibits, fiber animals and 80+ high quality vendors of equipment, books, patterns, dyes, yarn, raw and processed fiber and beautiful finished goods.

There is also great food, sheep dog herding, sheep shearing, free horse and wagon rides and ample parking that is handicap accessible.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Just thinking today...


No one owns God. It's absurd how so many groups and individuals think they do. On the other hand, if you are diametrically opposed to the concept of answering to a higher power and you think of God as a threat there is a very good chance you will not see God even when His presence is obvious to others. -BMB

Gorbals and Govan, West Glasgow, Scotland



Govan and Gorbals is where my family immigrated from to America. It is now a part of Glasgow but Govan was at one time its own burgh. Many of my ancestors are listed as living on Uries Row which no longer exists but was a row of houses that were rented out to mining families working for Govan collieries and Dixons Iron Works

Early history

Recent studies of the archeology of old Govan have revealed the presence of an ancient Christian church. Two associated Christian burials are radiocarbon dated to the 5th or 6th centuries, making Govan the earliest known Christian site in the region. Govan is believed to have then been part of a kingdom ruled from Dumbarton Rock, known as Alt Clut, the rock on the Clyde. During the Viking Age, perhaps following the sack of Dumbarton Rock in 878, Govan is believed to have been one of the major centres of the Kingdom of Strathclyde. According to John of Fordun, Constantine, a 7th-century king of Strathclyde, founded a monastery at Govan, where he died and was buried.[citation needed] In 1855, an elaborately carved sandstone sarcophagus was found during digging in the churchyard.It is now kept inside the church. It may have been used to contain the body or relics of Constantine, although the style of carving indicates an origin in the 10th or 11th centuries.[citation needed] This King Constantine is first mentioned in the 12th-century Life of St. Kentigern by Jocelyn of Furness, where he is said to have been son of Riderch Hael. He is likely a literary invention. The early church in Govan is dedicated to a Saint Constantine, about whom nothing else is known.

Govan's earliest recorded name may be found in the Historia Regnum Anglorum attributed to Symeon of Durham. This is a 12th-century Latin source, but one believed to be based on much earlier materials; it records a place near Dumbarton Rock named Ouania. Based on this, Govan's Cumbric language name has been reconstructed as *(G)uovan. Govan is Bàile Ghobhainn (smith's town) in Scottish Gaelic. Bishop Leslie in his Scotia Descriptio of 1578 says it got its name from the excellence of its ale (God-win), whereas Chalmers in his Caledonia says it is derived from Scottish Gaelic, Gamhan (a ditch).

The earliest references to Govan are found in connection with the Christian church. In 1136, when Glasgow Cathedral was formally consecrated, King David I (1124–53) gave to the See the lands of Partick and also of the church at Govan (on opposite sides of the River Clyde), which became a prebend of Glasgow. The Govan Old Parish Church was rebuilt in 1762, 1826, and again 1884-1888. Within it and its roughly circular churchyard is one of the finest collections of Early Christian stones in the United Kingdom, dating from the 10th and 11th centuries.

By the 16th century, extensive coal mine workings had been developed around Craigton and Drumoyne. As the village grew, new trades and crafts, such as weaving, pottery and agriculture, were established.

A part of Blaeu's 1654 map of Scotland. Modern Govan is at the site labeled Mekle Gouan. The small town of Glasgow is on the north bank of the Clyde, across from Litle Gouan.

There is an oddity whereby part of eighteenth-century parish of Govan (which was in Lanarkshire) is counted as being within Renfrewshire. There existed a hospital in the area, and as quasi-religious foundations were not taxed, it had never been assigned to a sheriffdom. Thus, when Renfrewshire was created out of a sheriffdom of Lanarkshire in the early fifteenth century, the lands associated with the hospital (Polmadie) were not technically in the newly created shire, as they were not part of the sheriffdom. They were, however, very much a part of the physical landscape that became Renfrewshire. A similar uncertainty existed regarding the nearby lands of Pollokshields and Westends. People lived with the inconsistency in the records. When the railroad was to be built in the late nineteenth century, however, the confusion over proper descriptions in the land titles made necessary legal transactions difficult and had to be reconciled. The county added to the description of these lands, the phrase: "but now by annexation in the County of Renfrew."

By the early part of the 19th century, Govan was rapidly losing its rural appearance and assuming the character of a town with the development of new industries and factories, including Reid's Dye Works and Pollok's Silk Mill. Town officials arranged for the deepening of the Clyde in 1759, the reclamation of the channels between the islands (The Whyte Inch, The Black Inch, and The King's Inch), and the construction of quays and docks. This facilitated the development of shipbuilding as a major industry. By the 1860s, the village needed a higher order of administration and it was made a burgh in 1864, under the General Police (Scotland) Act 1862. At the time, it was the fifth largest burgh in Scotland.

With Morris Pollok as its first Provost, the Burgh and its Commissioners ensured that during the next 48 years Govan became a well-equipped, modern town. During the late 19th century, the population of Govan increased more than tenfold: from 9,000 in 1864 to 95,000 by 1907. In 1901 Govan was the 7th largest town in Scotland. In 1912, Glasgow annexed Govan.

A prominent feature of the Govan landscape was the Doomster or Moot Hill, which stood near the river, north of the present Govan Cross. It was removed in the early 19th century and Reid's Dyeworks was [[erected on the site. The origins of the Doomster Hill are a mystery. One hypothesis is that it was a prehistoric burial mound. In 1996, a team from Channel 4's Time Team programme carried out an archeological excavation at the site. They suggested that the hill may have been a 12th-century Norman motte.

A useful reference source for this period is given below.

20th century to the present

Traditionally viewed as a working-class area, Govan has typically supported the Labour Party, but the Scottish National Party (SNP) has also been strong there. In 1973 SNP won a by-election with Margo MacDonald as their candidate. The SNP won another by-election victory in 1988, this time with Jim Sillars as candidate. The latest victory for the SNP was in the 2007 Scottish parliamentary elections, when Nicola Sturgeon became the MSP for the constituency.

The area has had a reputation for deprivation and poverty, partly due to the construction of housing estates in the 1930s to relieve the overcrowded slum district of The Gorbals, Glasgow. The most famous of these housing estates is Moorpark, sometimes referred to jocularly as "The Wine Alley". It was parodied by the BBC sitcom Rab C. Nesbitt. Although Govan the stated setting for the show, episodes were seldom filmed there. In the post-war years, many Govanites were relocated from the town, often reluctantly, to outlying areas such as Drumchapel, Pollok, Darnley, Priesthill and Penilee by the Corporation of Glasgow.

Despite these developments, there were numerous older buildings around Govan until quite recently, most notably the terraces and tenements situated around Govan Road. These were not cleared until well into the 1970s.

Due to boundary changes, Govan in the early 1960s incorporated some surrounding more prosperous areas at its boundaries. Although technically part of Govan, residents of these areas have maintained a distinct identity separate from the area.

The Govan Fair is celebrated on the first Friday in June each year.

Economy

Govan was at one stage the centre of the world-renowned Clydeside shipbuilding industry, although few yards remain today. One of Govan's original yards remains one of two large shipyards to survive on the Upper River Clyde, the other being Yarrow Shipbuilders Limited based in Scotstoun. Both of these yards form a large part of BAE Systems Surface Ships.

In 1841, Robert Napier first began iron shipbuilding in Govan, and in 1843 produced its first ship, the Vanguard. He also procured a contract with the Royal Navy to produce vessels, notably the Jackal, the Lizard, and the Bloodhound. He also allowed naval officers in training to visit at the shipyard to familiarise themselves with the new vessels. Napier's Shipyard in Govan was later acquired by William Beardmore and Company in 1900 before being sold on to Harland & Wolff in 1912. Napier's shipyard finally closed in 1962 and most of the site redeveloped into housing.

Govan's other major shipbulding firm was founded in the 1860s as Randolph, Elder and Company, later John Elder and Company. In 1885 the yard moved further west to its present site and was reorganised as the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company Ltd. This company continued until 1965 when it filed for bankruptcy. In response, the yard was again reorganised in 1966 as Fairfields, which was guaranteed by the government. The following year Fairfields and the other major Clydeside yards (Stephens, Connels, Yarrows and John Browns) were merged to form Upper Clyde Shipbuilders (UCS).

In 1971 the Upper Clyde Shipbuilders went into receivership and the Tory government under Edward Heath refused it a £6m loan. Rather than go on strike, which was the traditional form of industrial action, the union leadership of the yards decided to have a work-in and complete the orders that the shipyards had in place. In this way they dispelled the idea of the workers being 'work-shy' and also wanted to illustrate the long-term viability of the yards. The work-in was successful in the short-term. YSL withdrew from UCS in 1971 and Govan was sold off in 1973 as Govan Shipbuilders.

In 1977 the Labour government of James Callaghan passed the Aircraft and Shipbuilding Industries Act which nationalised Govan and grouped it with other major British shipyards as British Shipbuilders. In May 1979 Margaret Thatcher was elected as Prime Minister and her administration soon began its privatisation programme. British Aerospace, established by the same act, was privatised in 1981. British Shipbuilders' road to privatisation was not as swift, and the group was sold piece by piece throughout the decade.

Kværner of Norway, as part of a planned development of a large international shipbuilding group, took over Govan. British Shipbuilders' sale of Govan to the Norwegian firm was completed in 1988 and the yard was renamed Kvaerner Govan.

In 1999, GEC's Marconi Marine division purchased the yard when Kværner announced its exit from the shipbuilding industry. GEC's Marconi Marine division already owned YSL (purchased in 1985) and VSEL (purchased in 1995). Marconi Electronic Systems and its Marconi Marine unit were sold to British Aerospace in 1999 to form BAE Systems. The shipbuilding operations became BAE Systems Marine, which subsequently became part of BVT Surface Fleet, a naval shipbuilding joint venture between BAE Systems and VT Group, which became BAE Systems Surface Ships in 2009.

Alexander Stephen and Sons also established a Shipyard in nearby Linthouse in 1870. The yard eventually closed in the wake of the collapse of the Upper Clyde Shipbuilders consortium in 1971.

The Gorbals (Scottish Gaelic: Na Gorbals) is an area on the south bank of the River Clyde in the city of Glasgow, Scotland. By the late 19th century, it had become over-populated and adversely affected by local industrialisation. It became widely known as a dangerous slum and was subject to efforts at redevelopment, which contributed to more problems. In recent decades, some buildings have been demolished for a mixture of market and social housing; others are being refurbished and restored to a higher standard.

The Caledonia Road Church, one of the finest examples of architecture in Glasgow, is located in the Gorbals. Designed by Alexander 'Greek' Thomson and built in the 1850s, the former Presbyterian church was gutted by fire in 1965. It is now an impressive ruin.



Meaning of placename

The name is first documented in the 15th and 16th centuries as 'Gorbaldis', and its etymology is unclear. It may be related to the Latin word garbale (sheaf), found in the Scots term garbal teind (tenth sheaf), a tithe of corn given to a parish rector. The taking of garbal teind was a right given to George Elphinstone in 1616 as part of his 19-year tack (lease). The placename would therefore mean "the Sheaves". The name is remarkably similar to a Lowland Scots word gorbal/gorbel/garbal/garbel (unfledged bird), perhaps a reference to lepers who were allowed to beg for alms in public. Any Gaelic form of the name is conjectural, since none survives from medieval times. Gort a' bhaile (garden of the town) conforms with certain suggestions made by A.G. Callant in 1888, but it is possible to produce a list of other interpretations.

In the 19th and 20th centuries, the area was home to large numbers of immigrants from Italy and Ireland, attracted by the industrial jobs and leaving social problems and poverty in their homelands. In particular, huge numbers of Irish Catholic immigrants from County Donegal in Ulster poured into the Gorbals from the mid-nineteenth-century onwards. This huge immigration from County Donegal continued for most of the twentieth-century. The area also housed the new wave of Jewish immigrants from eastern and central Europe, and housed the great majority of Scotland's Jewish population. The Jewish population moved out of the area as it rose in educational and social class; although the Irish Catholic population has diminished to an extent, many have remained since the area's redevelopment.

History

Govan parish was one of the oldest possessions of the church in the region. The merk land of "Brigend and Gorbaldis" is referred to in several sources. The village of Brigend was named after the bridge which Bishop William Rae had built in 1345 over the River Clyde; it lasted until the 19th century. Lady Marjorie Stewart of Lochow was said to have had a hospital built for lepers and dedicated to St Ninian in 1350, although this year is contested by current historians' estimates dating her life and activities. The lands on which the hospital was built were named St Ninian's Croft, and they were later to be incorporated into Hutchesontown.



Gorbals has been redeveloped, and it now has a modern library and learning centre. Some tower blocks remain but the city plans to redevelop some and demolish others.

After the Protestant Reformation, in 1579 the church granted the land for ground rents (feued the land) to Sir George Elphinstone, a merchant who was Provost of Glasgow (1600–1606). The barony and regality of the Gorbals was confirmed in 1606 by a charter of King James VI, which vested Elphinstone and his descendants. These powers descended to Sir Robert Douglas of Blackerstone, who in 1650 disponed (legally transferred) the Gorbals to Glasgow's magistrates for the benefit of the city, the Trades' House, and Hutchesons' Hospital. The magistrates from then on collected the rents and duties and divided them: one fourth to the city, one fourth to the Trades' House, and the remaining half to Hutchesons' Hospital.

In 1790 the lands were divided into lots for development; the City acquired the old feus of Gorbals and Bridgend, and also the Kingston portion of the Barony of Gorbals; the Trades' House obtained a western section; and the remaining section lying to the east and south was allocated to Hutchesons' Hospital. The Hutcheson's Trust then sub-feud a portion of their lands to an ambitious builder, James Laurie. (His grave, along with those of many other builders of Gorbals, is marked with well-carved masons' implements, indicating his Master status. The gravestones are visible at the Burial Ground, established in 1715 and now called the Gorbals Rose Garden). Laurie built the first house in St Ninian's Street in 1794.

The districts are now known as the Gorbals, Laurieston, Tradeston, Kingston, and Hutchesontown. What was once known as Little Govan to the east is now known as Polmadie. It was a successful industrial suburb in the late 19th century, and attracted many Catholic immigrants from Ireland and Italy, as well as Jewish immigrants from Russia and eastern Europe. At one time this area had the great majority of all Jews in Scotland. Industrial decay and over-population overwhelmed the area, which became a center of poverty. The Gorbals railway station opened on 1 September 1877. Changes in the area meant a decrease in business, and it closed to passengers permanently on 1 June 1928.


The Gorbals has long had a reputation as a gritty and rough area of Glasgow. The City Improvement Trust first cleared some slum tenements in 1866. Industrial restructuring meant a loss of jobs, while old factories and support buildings fell into ruin. The Glasgow Corporation's replacement of old, outdated and crowded housing with new high-rise towers in the 1960s did little to improve the area. In the twentieth century, the problems of concentrated poverty and lack of jobs contributed to high levels of crime. Those people who managed to advance in education and economic status left the area for newer housing and work elsewhere.

Throughout the 1980s, the Gorbals was often referred to as the most dangerous place in the UK, as street gangs and casual violence were rife. The poor design and low-quality construction of the concrete, 20-storey flats led to innumerable social and health problems in the area; many of the blocks developed mold and structural problems, and the design prevented residents from visually controlling their internal and external spaces, adding to the social issues. The most infamous of the towers, the Queen Elizabeth Square flats designed by Sir Basil Spence, was demolished in 1993 to make way for a new generation of housing development. In 2004, Glasgow Housing Association announced plans to demolish more of the decaying high-rise blocks, and to comprehensively refurbish and re-clad others.

Much of the area, particularly Hutchesontown, has now been comprehensively redeveloped for the third time, providing a mix of private and social housing. Earlier phases of this recent redevelopment tended toward yellow-brick reinterpretations of traditional tenements, in a post-modern style. More recent phases, masterplanned by Piers Gough, have employed noted modern architects such as Page/Park, Elder & Cannon and CZWG, resulting in more bold and radical designs, accompanied by innovative street plans and high-quality landscaping. They incorporated many pieces of public art. The Gorbals Leisure Centre opened in January 2000 and the number of shopping facilities in the area is on the rise. In 2005, fire destroyed the Catholic church of Blessed John Duns Scotus as a result of a fallen candle. The church was restored and reopened for worship in September 2010.

Since 1945, the well-known Citizens Theatre has been based in the area at the former Royal Princess's Theatre, an historic Victorian building. The area also has a local newspaper Local News for Southsiders. The area is served by Bridge Street and West Street subway stations and numerous bus routes. Plans were unveiled in March 2007 to provide another subway station, in the heart of the redeveloped Hutchesontown.

A famous (and controversial) pub in the district is The Brazen Head, located at the northern end of Cathcart Road. The pub (formerly a railway pub known as The Granite City) is particularly associated with Irish Republicanism. The pub is very near the famous Caledonia Road Church, a now derelict mid-Victorian structure.



Sir Thomas Lipton came from Gorbals (1848 – 1931) He was the famous grocery mogul, perennial America's Cup contender and founder of Lipton's Tea. Also Allan Pinkerton (1819–1884), who achieved fame in the United States by establishing Pinkerton's detective agency was born in the Gorbals.

http://www.glasgowwestend.co.uk/people/gorbalsgoven.php

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorbals

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Govan

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Home Sweet Home





Inner Peace


The word "peace" comes from the Greek word eirene, the Greek equivalent for the Hebrew word shalom, which expresses the idea of wholeness, completeness, or tranquility in the soul that is unaffected by the outward circumstances or pressures. The word eirene strongly suggests the rule of order in place of chaos. When a person is dominated by peace, he has a calm, inner stability that results in the ability to conduct himself peacefully, even in the midst of circumstances that would normally be very nerve-wracking, traumatic, or upsetting...Rather than allowing the difficulties and pressures of life to break him, a person who is possessed by peace is whole, complete, orderly, stable, and poised for blessing.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Monday, September 12, 2011

Paul Roberts plays Lowland Pipes



Paul Roberts plays 'Malcolm Caird's Come Again' from George Skene's 1717 manuscript from the North Eastern Lowlands; currently the oldest known notated Scottish bagpipe music.

The border pipes are a type of bagpipe related to the Scottish Great Highland Bagpipe. It is perhaps confusable with the Scottish smallpipe, although it is a quite different and much older instrument. Although most modern Border pipes are closely modelled on similar historic instruments, the modern Scottish smallpipes are a modern reinvention, inspired by historic instruments but largely based on Northumbrian smallpipes in their construction.

The name, which is modern, comes from Scotland's border country, where the instrument was once common, so much so that many towns there used to maintain a piper. The instrument was found much more widely than this, however; it was noted as far north as Aberdeenshire, south of the Border in Northumberland and elsewhere in the north of England. Other names have been used for the instrument: Lowland pipes and reel pipes in Scotland, and in Northumberland. However, the term reel pipes historically refers to instruments similar to Highland pipes, intended for indoor use. The term half-long pipes is now used to refer particularly to surviving examples from the 1920s when there was a partially successful attempt to revive the instrument.

http://lbps.net/lbps/

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Blessed are They that Mourn



Lament For Kinlochmoidart

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. -Matthew 5:4

A spiritual life

"If you want to have a spiritual life you must unify your life. A life is either all spiritual or not spiritual at all. No man can serve two masters. Your life is shaped by the end you live for. You are made in the image of what you desire." -Thomas Merton

Let us Pray...



GOD GUIDE ME

God guide me with Thy wisdom
God chastise me with Thy justice,
God help me with Thy mercy,
God protect me with Thy strength.

God fill me with Thy fullness,
God shield me with Thy shade,
God fill me with Thy grace,
For the sake of Thine Anointed Son.

Jesu Christ of the seed of David,
Visiting One of the Temple,
Sacrificial Lamb of the Garden,

Who died for me.

Saturday, September 10, 2011

Characteristics of flock structure in Sheep



Characteristics of flock structure.

Research has shown
that different breeds have different flock structures
(Arnold et
al., 1981):
1. Merinos are a tightly knit flock and rarely form subgroups.
They graze close to each other and disperse
into sub-groups only under extreme food shortage,
when sex and age groups segregate out.
2. Southdowns usually form a few sub-groups and are
closely associated when grazing, but not when camping.
3. Dorset Horns always form many sub-groups.
In cases where sub-groupings occur, the flock maintains
a social entity because membership of sub-groups
is constantly changing. The identification of a flock
structure is important to understand when managing
sheep. One important aspect is that, irrespective of
breed, flocks of sheep drawn from different sources do
not readily integrate into a socially homogeneous group
(Winfield et al., 1981). This means that if the paddock is
large enough, each group will use a different area, even
if the food is better in one part. This can lead to some
sheep being under-nourished.
In a gregarious breed, such as Merinos, the flock
moves as a unit and is unsuited to grazing in pastures
that are not uniformly abundant. The net effect of such
behaviours, particularly on an extensive scale, is that to
increase or decrease stocking rate will not necessarily
lead to improved animal production of an area. This is
because the non-random spread of animals in that grazing
area makes some sectors virtually psychologically
unavailable to some individuals.



http://animalbehaviour.net/JudithKBlackshaw/JKBlackshawCh3b.pdf

The September Grazing is Good.



Since it cooled down and we have had allot of rain the pastures all greened back up.

Friday, September 9, 2011

The Rams Horn at 17th the Finger Lakes Fiber Arts Festival



We will be at the The 17th Annual Finger Lakes Fiber Arts Festival at the Hemlock Fairgrounds in Hemlock, NY September 17 & 18, 2011. We hope we see some of you there.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

The Holly Berries have turned scarlet now...




Sheep have panoramic vision




Sheep have panoramic vision of 330°–360° and binocular
vision of 25°–50°. They are thought to have colour
vision and are able to distinguish between a variety of
colours: black, red, brown, green, yellow and white
(Alexander and Shillito, 1978). They have no accommodation,
so must lift the head to see distant objects. This
also means that they are unable to judge depth.
Sheep eyes possess very low hyperopia with little
astigmatism. Such physiological optics are likely to produce
a well-focused retinal image of objects in the middle
and long distance (Piggins, et al., 1996).
Sight is a vital part of communication and when
sheep are grazing they maintain visual contact with
each other (Crofton, 1958; Kilgour, 1977).



Each sheep throws its head to check the position of the other sheep.
This constant monitoring is probably what keeps the
sheep in a mob as they move along grazing.
Psychological stress induced by isolation is reduced
if sheep are provided with a mirror, indicating that the
sight of other sheep has stress-reducing properties
(Parrott, 1990).




http://animalbehaviour.net/JudithKBlackshaw/JKBlackshawCh3b.pdf

Edward Dowden, In September

"Spring scarce had greener fields to show than these
Of mid September; through the still warm noon
The rivulets ripple forth a gladder tune
Than ever in the summer; from the trees
Dusk-green, and murmuring inward melodies,
No leaf drops yet; only our evenings swoon
In pallid skies more suddenly, and the moon
Finds motionless white mists out on the leas."

- Edward Dowden, In September

The foliage

"The foliage has been losing its freshness through the month of August, and here and there a yellow leaf
shows itself like the first gray hair amidst the locks of a beauty who has seen one season too many."
-Oliver Wendell Holmes

Saturday, September 3, 2011

My Video of the Celtic Festival in Mayville a week ago....



I made a musical slide show with pipe music today. The 6th Annual Jamestown Regional Celtic Festival & Gathering of the Clans was held on Saturday the 27th from 9 AM till 11 PM on the grounds of the Mayville Lakeside Park, Mayville, New York. Thanks to all who came out to enjoy the bands and the wonderful exhibits and booths by the shores of beautiful Lake Chautauqua. We hope to see you there in 2012 for the 7th Annual Celtic Fest.

The Autumn Garden

"In the garden, Autumn is, indeed the crowning glory of the year, bringing us the fruition of months of thought and care and toil.
And at no season, safe perhaps in Daffodil time, do we get such superb colour effects as from August to November."

- Rose G. Kingsley, The Autumn Garden, 1905

"September" by Helen Jackson



THE golden-rod is yellow;
The corn is turning brown;
The trees in apple orchards
With fruit are bending down.

The gentian's bluest fringes
Are curling in the sun;
In dusty pods the milkweed
Its hidden silk has spun.

The sedges flaunt their harvest,
In every meadow nook;
And asters by the brook-side
Make asters in the brook.

From dewy lanes at morning
The grapes' sweet odors rise;
At noon the roads all flutter
With yellow butterflies.

By all these lovely tokens
September days are here,
With summer's best of weather,
And autumn's best of cheer.

But none of all this beauty
Which floods the earth and air
Is unto me the secret
Which makes September fair.

'T is a thing which I remember;
To name it thrills me yet:
One day of one September
I never can forget.


"September"

by Helen Jackson
(1830-1885)

September

Departing summer hath assumed
An aspect tenderly illumed,
The gentlest look of spring;
That calls from yonder leafy shade
Unfaded, yet prepared to fade,
A timely carolling.

- William Wordsworth

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Nice Jacob Ram For Sale Locally


My friend has a very lovely ram lamb for sale. He is a two horn Jacob.
The price is $225.00 for this handsome healthy ram. Leave a message here on the blog if you are interested.



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