In separate petals shed, each like a tear...

Dante Gabriel Rossetti

On his Last Sight of Fiammetta 


Behold Fiammetta, shown in Vision here.

Gloom-girt 'mid Spring-flushed apple-growth she

stands;

And as she sways the branches with her hands,

Along her arm the sundered bloom falls sheer,

In separate petals shed, each like a tear;

While from the quivering bough the bird expands

His wings. And lo! thy spirit understands

Life shaken and shower'd and flown, and Death

drawn near.

All stirs with change. Her garments beat the air:

 The angel circling round her aureole

Shimmers in flight against the tree's grey bole:

While she, with reassuring eyes most fair,

A presage and a promise stands; as 'twere

On Death's dark storm the rainbow of the Soul.

Our Apple Tree in full Glory!

Bud well, bear well
God send you fare well;
Every sprig and every spray
A bushel of apples next New Year Day.

-19th century Worcestershire

Climate and Weather

Most hardy fruit trees need a certain amount of cold winter weather to end their dormancy and to promote spring growth. When winters are too mild, spring growth is delayed, irregular and slow. These factors extend the period of blooming, and thereby increase the possibility of frost injury.

On the other hand, extreme cold during winter dormancy may kill the fruit buds. Winter weather rarely threatens hardy apple, pear, plum and sour cherry varieties. Sweet cherry, however, is relatively sensitive to cold until it becomes dormant. Peach trees are very vulnerable to cold weather. Their buds can be killed by midwinter temperatures around 10°F.

As the fruit buds grow and open, they become more susceptible to injury from frost. The exposed buds can usually withstand temperatures near 24°F. However, the open blossoms of practically all fruit trees may be killed if the temperature drops below 27°F.

When a heavy frost is expected, covering the trees will sometimes prevent bud or blossom injury, provided temperatures do not fall too low and the cold weather is of short duration. Protective covering may be effective, and such things as cheesecloth and old bed sheets may be used.

During spring frosts, some commercial growers heat their orchards, but this method is impractical for most home gardeners. After a severe frost, injured blossoms may appear normal, but if the pistils (center part of the blossoms) are killed, the tree will not bear fruit.

A Lovely Sheep in Orchard Painting by Alfred Parsons

WHEN NATURE PAINTED ALL THINGS GAY
By ALFRED PARSONS 1847-1920

The Scottish Book of Common Prayer (1929)

TABLES AND RULES

FOR THE MOVEABLE AND
IMMOVEABLE FEASTS

RULES TO KNOW WHEN THE MOVEABLE FEASTS
AND HOLY-DAYS BEGIN

Easter Day (on which the rest depend) is aiways the first Sunday after the Full Moon which happens upon or next after the Twenty-first day of March; and if the Full Moon happens upon a Sunday, Easter Day is the Sunday after.

Advent Sunday is always the nearest Sunday to the Feast of St. Andrew, whether before or after, or the day of that Feast.

Septuagesima Sunday is nine weeks before Easter.
Sexagesirna Sunday is eight weeks before Easter.
Quinquagesima Sunday is seven weeks before Easter.
Quadragesima Sunday is six weeks before Easter.

Rogation Sunday is five weeks after Easter.
Ascension Day is forty days after Easter.
Whitsunday is seven weeks after Easter.
Trinity Sunday is eight weeks after Easter.


A TABLE OF ALL THE FEASTS

THAT ARE TO BE OBSERVED IN THE SCOTTISH
CHURCH THROUGHOUT THE YEAR

All Sundays in the year.
Red Letter Days:
The day of the feasts of:

The Circumcision of our Lord.
The Epiphany.
St. Kentigern or Mungo.
The Conversion of St. Paul.
The Purification of the Blessed Virgin.
St. Matthias the Apostle.
St. Patrick.
The Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin.
St. Mark the Evangelist.
St. Philip and St. James the Apostles.
The Ascension of our Lord.
St. Columba.
St. Barnabas the Apostie.
The Nativity of St. John Baptist.
St. Peter the Apostle.
St. James the Apostle.
The Transfiguration of our Lord.
St. Bartholomew the Apostle.
St. Ninian.
St. Matthew the Apostle.
St. Michael and All Angels.
St. Luke the Evangelist.
St. Simon and St. Jude the Apostles.
All Saints.
St. Margaret of Scotland.
St. Andrew the Apostle.
St. Thomas the Apostle.
The Nativity of our Lord.
St. Stephen the Martyr.
St. John the Evangelist.
The Holy Innocents.

Monday and Tuesday in Easter Week.
Monday and Tuesday in Whitsun Week.


A TABLE OF THE DAYS OF FASTING
OR ABSTINENCE

TO BE OBSERVED IN THE YEAR

I.
The Vigils before the Nativity of our Lord, Easter Day, and Pentecost. Note that if Christmas Day fali upon a Monday, the Vigil shall be kept upon the Saturday next before it.

II.
III.
The Forty Days of Lent.
The Ember Days at the four Seasons, being the Wed nesday, Friday, and Saturday after:
1. The First Sunday in Lent.
2. The Feast of Pentecost.
3. September 14.
4. The Third Sunday in Advent.

IV. The three Rogation Days, being the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday before Holy Thursday or the Ascension of our Lord.
V. All the Fridays in the year, except Christmas Day, the Epiphany, and the Fridays in the Octaves of Christrnas, Easter, and the Ascension of our Lord.

The Greater Fasts are Ash Wednesday and Monday to Saturday before Easter.

A TABLE TO REGULATE THE SERVICE WHEN
TWO FEASTS OR HOLY-DAYS FALL
UPON THE SAME DAY

When two Feasts or Holy-days fail upon the same day, then shall be said the whole Service proper to the day named in the left-hand column of the following Table; and the Service for the day in the right-hand column shall be transferred, if therein directed.
First Sunday in Advent St Andrew, transferred to Monday.
Fourth Sunday in Advent. St. Thomas, transferred to Monday.
St. Stephen, St. John Evanelist, Innocents’ Day, Circumcision. First Sunday after Christmas. If local circumstances make it desirable, the First Sunday after Christmas may take precedence of St. Stephen's, St. John's, and Innocents' Days.
The Epiphany. Second Sunday after Christmas.
*St. Kentigern. First Sunday after Epiphany. * The Collect of the Sunday shall follow that of the day.
*Conversion of St. Paul. Third Sunday after Epi phany.
*Candlemas. Fourth Sunday after Epiphany, Septuagesima, Sexagesima, Quinquagesiina.
Septuagesima, Sexagesima. Conversion of St. Paul, transerred to Monday.
Sexagesia, Quinquagesima, Ash Wednesday, Sundays in Lent. St. Matthias, transferred to next day.
Sundays in Lent (except Palrn Sunday). St. Patrick, Annunciation, transferred to Monday.
Palm Sunday to Easter Tuesday, inclusive. Annunciation, St. Patrick, transferred to Tuesday after Low Sunday.
Easter Day and Octave. St. Mark, St. Philip and St. James, transferred to Tuesday after Low Sunday.
St. Mark, *St. Philip and St. Jarnes. Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Sundays after Easter.
Ascension Day. St. Philip and St. James, transferred to Friday.
Whitsunday to Trinity Sunday. St. Barnabas, St. Columba, transferred to Tuesday after Trinity Sunday. § That is, those days which are included in the Table of all the Feasts that are to be observed.
*Holy-days from Trinity Sunday to St. Margaret of Scotiand inclusive.§ Sundays after Trinity.


On Great Festivals, that is, on Christmas Day, Epiphany, Easter Day, Ascension Day, Whitsunday, and Trinity Sun day, no other Collect shall be used except the Collect of the day.
If a Holy-day fall on, or be transferred to, a Monday, Evensong on Sunday is the first Evensong of the Feast, the Collect of the Sunday following that of the Feast. If a Holy day fall on a Saturday, Evensong on Saturday is the second Evensong of the Feast, the Sunday Collect being added; except the Sunday be Advent Sunday or the Fifth or Sixth Sunday in Lent, when Evensong on Saturday is the first Evensong of the Sunday, the Collect of the Feast fohiowing that of the Sunday.
When St. Matthias’s Day is observed on the day after Ash Wednesday, Evensong on Wednesday is that of Ash Wednesday, the Collect of St. Matthias’s Day following that of Ash Wednesday.
When May 1 is the Eve of Ascension Day, Evensong on Wednesday is the first Evensong of the Ascension.
When St. Philip and St. James’s Day is observed on the day after Ascension Day, Evensong on Thursday shah be that of the Ascension.
If both St. Columba’s and St. Barnabas’s Pays fall in Whitsun Week, the Service for St. Columba’s Day shall be transferred to the Tuesday, and that for St. Barnabas’s Day to the Wednesday, after Trinity Sunday.

http://justus.anglican.org/resources/bcp/Scotland/Scotland.htm

Greetings and Joy to you on this Pentecost Sunday!

Pentecost (Ancient Greek: πεντηκοστή [ἡμέρα], pentekostē [hēmera], "the fiftieth day") is one of the prominent feasts in the Christian liturgical year, celebrated the 49th day (7 weeks) after Easter Sunday (the tenth day after Ascension Thursday). Historically and symbolically related to the Jewish harvest festival of Shavuot, it commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and other followers of Jesus as described in the Book of Acts, Chapter 2. Pentecost is also called Whitsun, Whitsunday, or Whit Sunday, especially in the United Kingdom.


WHITSUN CAROL

Now Whitsuntide is come you very well do know
Come serve the Lord we must before we do go
Come serve him truly with all your might and heart
And then from heaven your soul shall never depart.

How do you know how long we have to live
For when we die oh then what would we give
For being sure of having our resting place
Since we have run our simple wretched race.

Down in those gardens where flowers grow in ranks
Down on your knees and to the Lord give thanks
Pray unto the Lord that angels he may bring
And then in heaven your soul shall sit and sing.
(repeat the tune for the last two lines on the following two lines)
Down on your knees and pray both night and day
Pray unto the Lord that He will lead you the right way.

Both young and old, both rich and poor, give ear
Don't allow your children to lie, boast curse nor swear
Do not allow them to keep ill company
For that will surely bring them to shame and misery.

Come all those children all in the streets we meet
All in their pastimes so even and complete
So its how you may hear them lie, boast, curse and swear
Before they do know one word of any prayer.

Now we may bring you the royal branch of oak
God bless our King and Queen and all the royal folk
God bless our King and Queen and all the world beside
Then the Lord He will send us all a merry Whitsuntide.


Recorded by Peter Bellamy and The Young Tradition

The Song of Wandering Aengus

 
I went out to the hazel wood,
Because a fire was in my head,
And cut and peeled a hazel wand,
And hooked a berry to a thread;
And when white moths were on the wing,
And moth-like stars were flickering out,
I dropped the berry in a stream
And caught a little silver trout.
When I had laid it on the floor
I went to blow the fire a-flame,
But something rustled on the floor,
And someone called me by my name:
It had become a glimmering girl
With apple blossom in her hair
Who called me by my name and ran
And faded through the brightening air.
Though I am old with wandering
Through hollow lands and hilly lands,
I will find out where she has gone,
And kiss her lips and take her hands;
And walk among long dappled grass,
And pluck till time and times are done,
The silver apples of the moon,
The golden apples of the sun.

W.B. Yeats (1865–1939)
The Wind Among the Reeds. 1899.

In Irish mythology, Aengus (Áengus, Óengus, Aonghus) aka Aengus Óg ("Aengus the Young"), Mac ind Óg ("son of the young"), Maccan or Mac Óg ("young son") is a member of the Tuatha Dé Danann and probably a god of love, youth and poetic inspiration. He was said to have four birds symbolizing kisses flying about his head (whence, it is believed, the xxxx's symbolizing kisses at the end of lovers' letters come from . His parents were the Dagda and Boann. He was said to have lived at Newgrange by the river Boyne.

My Apple Tree is Blooming

The apple tree in front of our house is blooming right now.  If we don't get a frost it looks good for a nice apple crop.  I love that tree.  It is such a nice shield from the road and all the birds love it.  There are two American Robins nesting in it this year. I always feed allot of the apples to the sheep in the fall.