Rambling Man...

This last week I decided to get some walking in so I have been out daily exploring the abundant tracks and trails that connect the forests around this area that cover the higher ground. I also had a companion to carry out this task, one with experience of all the sights, sounds and smells of the local forests, namely Rosita, a local Jack Russell. 

These forest tracks are used frequently by walkers, Mountain bikers and enduro riders. Mainly though, the local hunters use them for seeking out the Cinghiale and deer and are vehicle wide so make easy hiking routes. Connections can then be made on smaller, interesting paths that climb up and down deeper through the woods frequently used by porcupines and hares....and lions and tigers and bears!...oh my!

With a dog, a stick, a notebook and google maps loaded on th’ipad I set off on my mornings ramble to find and connect the paths. Using coloured spent shotgun cartridges as markers at junctions I traced and re-traced all the paths until I had walked and mapped the whole area by the end of the week.

A strong wind brought snow to the area by the end of the week but we weren’t deterred and my little companion thoroughly enjoyed herself!

Gaining height and finding clearings in the woods gaveus fantastic views below, across the Valdichiana towards Montepulciano, over to lake Trasimeno and up to Cortona.

Oh naive little me
Asking what things you have seen
And you're vulnerable in your head
You'll scream and you'll wail till you're dead

Today’s fabulous track is ‘Rambling man’, the first track I ever heard by British songwriter, Laura Marling and was immediately drawn in by her lovely voice, enchanting lyrics and sultry guitar. Here a hit from her 2010 album. Enjoy!

https://youtu.be/1YXKWOTGskY

Harvest Moon...

Harvest 🌓 

Having just had the biggest super moon of the year at the end of January it inspired me to look into its influence on the gardening front. Spending more and more time outside digging and weeding as the days get longer it gave me the idea that maybe I should be adopting some celestial wisdom by taking a leaf out of the past. A time when wise old sages like Arthur Aristotle, founder of the veg patch, claimed that the moon was quite important and we should pay a little more attention to it.

The old theory goes like this....the moon has 4 phases during the calendar month and if you sow plants in the right lunar phase then they will grow stronger, be more productive, and in turn have more vitality and energy and resistance to pests.

Having not been born with ‘green fingers’ or a classic wispy beard my previous method of ‘bung stuff in and hope’ I felt, needed now to be addressed with these new revelations.

Around here they seem to pay attention to this ancient knowledge and using age old formulas passed down through generations, whether it be for pruning vines, planting crops or even having a haircut or having a party there is a way that has been adopted by many that follow some ‘earth rules’ so I have decided to give it a go too. If it was good enough for Pliney the Elder a few thousand years ago then it’s worth a try for ‘Gary the Trowel’, the new Arian Zodiac mind-warp moon-child of Cortona in 2018.

I browsed the ‘Old Farmers Almanac’, an impressive advisory resource and a leader in all things agricultural since 1792 and learnt that ‘leaf‘ crops need to be planted when the lunar cycle is a waxing ‘new’ moon and then ‘root’ crops go in after a ‘full’ moon when the moonlight decreases and before it starts to wane too much and this is when it’s good for the root growth. This ensures that seedlings get the benefit of the gravitational pull drawing up the water, increasing hydration at the right time and promoting healthy plants.

Ok, so that sounds simple enough and makes a fair bit of sense to me.

So lettuce have a look at the facts, stop ‘beeting’ around the bush and admit it’s thyme to turn over a new leaf....It could be complete claptrap, folklore or botanical boloney but modern science has not managed to disprove it yet. So armed with my new trusty ancient Etruscan ‘Moon gardening App’ I have calculated that if I dig my furrows at the right time my spuds will start to swell, my zucchini will reach a fine length and my prizewinning melons will be massive and be bursting with flavour in the coming months.

So as the werewolves start to howl and the suicide, arson and violent crime statistics rise, a shadowy figure will be digging furiously under the stars, backlit by the light of the silvery moon in a vain attempt to plant a few seeds that will lead to a bumper crop in the summer.

Neil Young’s ‘Harvest Moon’ was the obvious choice for this one!

https://youtu.be/n2MtEsrcTTs

Aries Traits: Enterprising, Incisive, Spontaneous, Daring, Active, Courageous and Energetic, the Aries are the proverbial infants, guileless and optimistic to the fault. However, they also are impatient, impetuous, vain, proud and egoistic”

The Community of Hope...

It had rained heavily over the past few days so it was a bonus to set off from Terontola with bright blue sky above. We headed south on the 2hr train trip to the capital, Roma.

No sightseeing today, just down for the match.

We wanted to see what sort of opposition ‘The Azzurri’ would be this year as we headed off to the Olympic Stadium in Rome for England’s opening match of the Six Nations 🏉.

At Orvieto the train filled up with the local team and the beer and the pre-match banter started to flow. With a rendition of the ‘Tight Fit’ classic “The Lion Sleeps Tonight’ they tried to taunt us but admitted later it was an uphill battle supporting heir national team. They lived in hope so we wished them well at Rome Termini central station and skipped on a few stops on the metro to Flumicini and then walked the rest along the banks of the River Tiber up to the impressive Olympic Stadium. It was a full house for the 70 plus thousand inside and the game went pretty much to plan with a less than impressive performance from our lot but a 30 point clear win nevertheless.

Tonight, on the way back, the Moretti would taste a little sweeter!

Today’s track by Polly Harvey...

https://youtu.be/qsLqsqbObyg