[Part one of the Diary (with a brief introduction) may be found here, part three here, and part four here.]
Tuesday.
Completed my first Club mission! — foraged eight stems of Hedge Mustard.
Had Nefi & Marigold here for luncheon.
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Overheard in the Square: “Sometimes I see a Puffball mushroom & I have the urge to just give it a kick”! True, actually.
Wednesday. Rain.
Completed a Fishing Club mission. “You might not know a lot about fishing,” Old Noakes grumbled when I told him, “but you know more than you used to.” Patience. That’s the secret. So practice it!
Thursday. Fine.
Farmer Cotton & Rosie here for breakfast — early because “a farmer’s work is never done,” as he is fond of saying.
I’ve been doing well enough in the Fishing Club for Old Noakes to give me a new rod, with a fine new bobber! AND earned a new mixing bowl in the Cooking Club. Find that I am quite enjoying cooking — especially for friends — & the washing-up takes no time atal, wh. is a constant wonder to me, as I always found it a bit of a drudge in Bree.
It has just occurred to me that I didn’t say “back home in Bree” — I am starting to feel truly at home here. This pleases me no end!
Overheard in the Village Square: “I swear I saw Delphinium crunching on a mushroom like an apple”!
Being a somewhat absent-minded hobbit, I am spending the evening drawing a map of Bywater on which I mean to note the locations of the various fruit & nut trees &c &c. One doesn’t wish to be caught short of Apples when it is time to make Baked Apples Filled with Oats, to be sure.
Am also a hobbit who loves maps.
Friday. Fine.
Went to Nefi’s forge at his request. to learn that I’m to be allowed to fish from Ladle’s Jetty! “Catch many fish to make the mad Hobbit happy,” Nefi said. I’m pretty sure that was a joke. Ladle just quacked & looked a bit perplexed, as Ladle does. Still haven’t figured out why Ladle wears a helmet. Perhaps that’s also a dwarf joke.
Saturday. Fine
Had Delphinium & Sandyman here for an early supper. Made a Baby Marrow Tart & Tuckborough Pikelets — a recipe that Delphinium gave me. They’re sort of like crumpets, but with Currants & mushrooms & nuts, so a bit more substantial.
Have been doing pretty well in the Foraging Club, too, enough for Delphinium to give me a lantern so that I can forage when it’s getting dark — very handy indeed!
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Spent the afternoon foraging — Blackberries & Elderberries — there are quite a lot of each along the lane outside my front gate — then the evening making jams. Made nineteen jars all told! I’m sure that my face is as red as Rhubarb. Went outdoors for a little while before bed to enjoy the cool evening & the beautiful stars.
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& the dirt under my fingernails! Found myself inspecting them multiple times this morning, waiting my turn at Farmer Cotton’s stall.
At Ladle’s Jetty, I caught a splendid Tench, twelve pounds if it was an ounce. Felt very pleased with myself! Then in full view of Nefi and Ladle, I ran straight into the timber support around the Burrowses’ back door as I left, wh. kept me humble.
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was so involved in deciding yesterday evening what to plant where that it was utterly dark when I rushed to bed — taking my watering can with me!
Tuesday.
An exciting day! Had spent much of it out & about — fishing, mostly — when I ran into Willow Took, who completely flabbergasted me by admitting that she’d fixed my front door & opened up the passage & the room beyond! I could barely stutter out my thanks before dashing home to see it.
It is a lovely big room with a fireplace & a little sort of alcove off to one side. It will be perfect done up as a bedroom for uncle — I must write & tell him. And start looking out for furniture, of course.
Lit a jolly big fire, as it was quite cold! & of course the room need airing anyway —
Fished at Ladle’s Jetty later. A beautiful afternoon — the cold water so clear that I could see the shadows of the fish on the bottom, & so blue that it was like the sky but for the ripples on the surface.
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time to draw & so I chose the Club Mission to forage Walnuts, wh. should be a simple matter. I declare, I never saw such a place as Bywater for Walnuts.
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my garden gate! Spent quite some time this afternoon just sitting there on the little step, enjoying the autumn sunshine, the sounds and smells.
I will need more orange paint at this rate!
Sunday. First day of Winter. Frosty already.
My first big shared meal! Sent invitations yesterday to Fosco, Hobson Hornblower, Nefi, & Rosie, who all said yes & met me at the Green Dragon for luncheon. Made Very Good Fish Cakes — “one of my favourites!” said Fosco — Coney & Bacon Stew, a Baby Marrow Tart, & Lily Cotton’s recipe for an Amazing Autumn Tart with the last Peaches & Blackberries in my pantry. It was a long and merry meal!
Stopped by Delphinium’s to say hello — she has offered to let me use her tree-top place for shared meals. It’s quite a curious place — am looking forward to some delightful gatherings there!
Note to self: Velvet Stems grow on tree trunks, & look very like the Wild Beef though in a different season.
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Saturday. Fine.
Lily Cotton & Nefi here for second breakfast, to talk about Nefi joining the Cooking Club! Who would have thought?! Made Oatbarton Stew & Creamy Coney & Bacon Stew, which I think is one of Nefi’s favourites, for she said as I brought it to the table, “Happy thoughts of this have filled my mind”!
Yes, apparently Nefi is a lady dwarf. Am utterly relieved that I have not said anything foolish all this time — perhaps Dwarves would not take insult at such a mistake, but I wouldn’t like to find out. She could certainly toss me around as easily as she tosses that hammer of hers.
I drew this portrait surreptitiously at the Ivy Bush this evening & coloured it when I got home.
Sunday. Fine, but cold.
A wretched day. Discovered after replenishing my seed bag at Farmer Cotton’s stall this morning that I have not been careful with my pennies & am quite short, alarmingly short. V. dismayed & conscience-stricken. Went to Ladle’s Jetty with my fishing rod & sold the entire catch in the Square directly my pack was full — 5 Dawn Dace, 3 Bywater Bleak, 4 Blue Gudgeon, 2 Stone Loach, & a Common Perch, a really fine one & the first I have ever caught, over 9 lbs. That one hurt like billy-oh, but it was my own fault. Stayed home the rest of the day, didn’t want to see anyone.
Monday. Light snow.
Another fishing day. Sold my whole catch again, very early, everything that fit into my backpack, felt a bit better, & another whole catch after that. Didn’t enjoy the fishing part nearly as much as I usually do, but there it is, it had to be done, of course. Old Noakes & Orlo here for a late-ish luncheon, made a Crispy Fish Pie & Very Good Fish Cakes with the Dawn Dace & Stone Loach & Honeyed Chub that I held back. Noakes gave me his own recipe for Fish Stew THE REST ARE RUBBISH & that is exactly how he said it! It was good to have them here.
Tuesday. Snowy.
Orlo & Delphinium here for afternoon tea — Raspberry Jam & Apple Tarts & Tuckborough Pikelets.
Perhaps Orlo knew somehow that I’ve been down lately, for afterwards he showed me his favourite fishing spot, rather hidden in the Old Stone Tower at the western end of the East Road, where it leaves Bywater proper. I didn’t know that you could get into that Tower. Old Noakes says that you should never share a good fishing spot unless you share it with a friend — Orlo is a good friend indeed. I was much moved.
Wednesday.
Stood for a while on my little garden bridge, listening to the sound of the waterfall beneath my feet. It’s a wonder that the stream hasn’t frozen over, come to think of it. But perhaps Old Ruby’s grandfather chose his situation very well indeed, & the stream runs well enough down to the Bywater Pool to stay flowing throughout the winter. I might take some little pies some time and explore the stream’s source — Orlo might like to come along
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Called in at the Ivy Bush before dinner to look over the club boards for this week. Chose the Striped Eel mission over the Ruffe, as it has been snowing lightly all day & there was plenty of time to leg it up to the Tree Root Pool, wh. seems to be the best place for eels and they seem to like the snowfall. My very first catch was a Ruffe. And no Striped Eels!
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[Cot]ton Farm Pond very well stocked this morning — caught a Ruffe & 2 Dawn Dace, a Honeyed Chub, 2 very good Common Perch, a Blue Lamprey, a common Eel, & best for last my first Striped Eel, & thirteen pounds it if is an ounce! Kept the eels & one of the perch, sold the rest.
Stopped by Old Noakes’s to tell him about the Striped Eel, & he said — wait for it — “You might not know a lot about fishing, but you know more than you used to”!
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