A Bluestocking Knits

Thursday.  Fine.

Went at Farmer Cotton’s urging to a shockingly early meeting at the Ivy Bush inn for a BIG VILLAGE MEETING (“make sure you use capital letters for that Orlo BIG VILLAGE MEETING”) to hear the Shire Assessor’s judgement read out.  More wrangling between Farmer Cotton & Sandyman, all attempts from Miss Brandybuck & Mrs. Cotton & Fosco Burrows to keep the peace only partly successful.  Feelings certainly running high.  The letter from the Shire Assessor disheartening – Bywater is not a village.  I was surprisingly distressed by this announcement.  What can be done to help make Bywater a proper village?

After the meeting broke up, Orlo suggested that I walk along with him.  He must have wanted someone to talk to, for after some idle conversation he admitted that he used to daydream about being someone important – “not with loads of power or anything, just to be useful.”  It turns out that he isn’t the official postman at all, he simply does it because it needs doing.  I think he has a very kind heart.

Foraged in the evening – Hedge Mustard, various mushrooms, some delicious Raspberries far out at the western edge of the village.  Hah, I do think of Bywater as a proper village!

Thursday.  Fine.

Talked with Nora about setting up a Foraging Club.  She thinks that Miss Brandybuck would be the ideal hobbit to lead it, but that she (Miss Brandybuck) is too modest to think that anyone would want to learn about foraging from her – but I do!  I’ve been picking up things here & there, as one does of course – mostly mushrooms & berries – but there must be much more to learn.  Nora also suggested that little Daisy Took would be interested, & so first I legged it up to ask her & Willow (the cunning plan being that the more of us are interested, the better, but that a youngster like Daisy might be less alarming to Miss B!). 

Saturday.  Fine.

When I asked little Daisy if she would be interested in joining a Foraging Club, she jumped up & down & said, “Yes!”  “Well, that settles it!” I laughed.  “Erm, what’s a Foraging Club?” she wondered.  Walked with her to Delphinium’s – she thought it was funny that my steps were much longer than hers, & so I made her laugh by taking three big steps, waiting for her to catch up, taking three big steps, waiting, all along the way.  She is puzzled by a “ridder” that Nora had given her: “In the eye of the lake, there stands a tree.  And in its roots, you’ll find what you seek.”  Will have to think about that one.

Delphinium agreed shyly to our request, & we three students – Nora, Daisy, & I – were set the first task, of foraging three items around the tree under which is Delphinium’s home.  I suspect that it was only three items because of Daisy!  I went the furthest, to give Daisy some extra time, & found a Wild Beef & two Chanterelles.  And so we have a Foraging Club!

Nora asked me to talk with Old Noakes about a fishing club, & Delphinium suggested that I invite him for a meal, & to ask Marigold Potts at the Ivy Bush for some advice about getting round him.  Dashed down to the Ivy Bush, & discovered that Marigold Potts worked ten years at the Prancing Pony in Bree.  That Marigold Potts!  Well, of course although we have never met each other, we are already friends now – she was at the old Pony, who’d have thought?  She laughed about Old Noakes’s crossness – “Is he threatening to use you as bait?  That means he likes you.  You’ll be alright!”

When I got home, I realized that I’d completely neglected to water my garden at all!  Thank goodness for that rain the other day!

Later. – Went out after my supper to forage something to serve Old Noakes & Marigold tomorrow.  There is a ruined old tower atop Orlo’s hole, & I climbed up the stairs inside.  What a view!  How many turns of the moon has that old tower stood here, I wonder.  It’s seen better days, certainly.  But I could see the curves of the hills, the birds flying in to nestle in the trees, the ripples from the wind raking across the grass – beautiful.

I quite forgot about foraging anything, & had to run home in the dark.

Sunday.  Fine.

Luncheon here with Old Noakes & Marigold – made Cool Taters & Beans & a Rich Rhubarb Pie.  The latter was I suspected a bit sour as Marigold pursed her lips after taking her first bite, but it was edible at least, & she bravely said it was quite good. 

Talked with Old Noakes afterwards about leading the fishing club.  He wanted convincing to do it.  Began to quiz me & of course I knew next to nothing, but that proved my point & I said how would we ever learn if he didn’t lead the club?

Farmer Cotton was quite the opposite, when I spoke with him at his Award-Winning Pumpkin Patch.  (He said it like that – but with justification, to be sure.)  Mrs. Cotton thinks that he has too much to do already, & that Young Tom can’t really do it as he’s busy enough himself.  “But it has to be run by a Cotton!”  Rosie Cotton, standing nearby with a determined expression on her face, said, “I’ll do it, Dad.  I know a lot about gardening.”  Well, Farmer Cotton doesn’t think so, & it was therefore agreed to have a competition for the leadership & that I would give Rosie a hand.  More likely the other way around, but there it is.  She seems awfully confident, does Rosie Cotton.  Well, when I’ve harvested something special, I’m to bring it to her.