Tuesday 6 October 2009

A new hill in October


AND SO THEY DROVE their house again to a new place. As the hills pulled up their autumn hoods and leaned into the wet winds of October, one of the hills wore a Bedford as its hat, and smoke rose like hill-thoughts from the chimney. From there they could see for miles all around and began to think about wintering. The walk to town is even further now, and the wet lanes are spotted artists' palettes of umber and ochre. They are busy, with paintings and woodworkings and visitings and doings and proppings of back wheels on slopes and under-stackings of wood for colder days. There will be more news when the camera-that-takes-black-photos has been fixed! And Rima says thank you for many many kind birthday wishes.
Meanwhile pheasants with autumned feathers strut by the crisscross windows and cock-a-doodles welcome their wet grassed mornings. When the nights come in, earlier now, they can see the grey layers of faraways blackening as the sun goes down, all dotted with lights as people Over There kick off boots in porches of warm houses and begin their imagined evenings.

24 comments:

pRiyA said...

Your writing, even if it is just a paragraph of a blog post, is exquisite. I wonder how the storybook you are working on is turning out...

jfidz said...

Beautifully written.

Pamela Terry and Edward said...

Oh Rima. I am so sorry to be late for my birthday wishes. I feel as though you gave me a birthday present with the photographs of your amazing portrait. Just beautiful. My husband, the Songwriter, and I talk with each other about you often. We both so admire your art, and your journey through life. May you enjoy a lovely autumn season and a lovely 30th year!!

Kirsi Halla-Seppälä said...

How very poetic and lovely writing! I had to read it aloud to myself to really feel the atmosphere. Autumn is my favourite season. It's beauty really stirs up the creativity.

Ciara Brehony said...

Belated Birthday Blessings dear one!

Beautiful portrait. Beautiful words.

Hope you had a beautiful day!

Love Ciara x

KeKe said...

Hi Rima and happy belated birthday!!
I have been follwoing your blog for quite ahwile, excpet while in transition tween here and there...
Your posts, your artwork and even your life seem very intriguing...Your post is beautifully written. I almost feel like I'm there. (I wish I could visit you!!)
Take care

Lorac said...

A new move, a new dawn. Getting ready for winter in a van must be challenging. How do you heat it?

Tess said...

I always look forward to the next chapter of my vicarious adventures with you!

mermaiden said...

a gorgeous bit of enchantment. autumnal bliss set to pen.

Basht said...

Wow, the green of that place is incredible. You see and experience so much beauty.

Shelley Noble said...

Rima, your real life reads like the finest fairy story ever told. And you spin it as finely as any teller has ever told a tale.

Rusted Wings said...

lovely autumn visions...a new season on such a magical journey!
hope there comes a warm place to winter over...
xo abigail

Griffin said...

I hope you're not getting coughs and splutters and are keeping warm and well.

Yes Autumn is a fabulous season... even if my birthday is in it... dammit! But all that blaze of glory and the intense greens and greys and grey-browns are wonderful to see.

Anonymous said...

I hope you are cosy and warm with all the rain. Aren't the colours beautiful. Things are just starting to go red and orange in the Lake District.

mixdbrew said...

How dreamily you write Rima. It's like the mountains and the wind themselves talk to you, tell you their stories and you just pen them down as is. I find myself in the place that you describe each and every time. You are truly gifted.

Joan Tucker said...

Rima, In a lifetime of reading and collecting stories.. your story wins the " most romantically told tale"-- especially knowing that much of it must be hard and no journey is without struggle.

Your writing is like being wrapped in a warm blanket with a cup of hot cider in candlelight. Totally heart warming and soul satisfying-like a cherished novel. I am a tree in your "out there" audience who loves that you read to us...
Birthday wishes, Joan T

Elizabeth said...

What a beautiful portrait.
Thinking of your very different and wonderful life from very urban New York.
Fall/autumn greetings.

laoi gaul~williams said...

perfect view, perfect words...as ever :)

Mokihana Calizar said...

Rima and Tui,

We are gathering up to move to a wintering spot in the near while, too.

Blessings to you both from the ledge folk soon to be folks somewhere else.

Take care,
Mokihana and Pete

Anonymous said...

The Hill curled up in his bed, his mattress soft, warm and giving as another year passed and he gently felt the others go to sleep, watching the colours change around his shoulders, warmed by Sun as she travelled lower in the sky.

Then he felt something brush his side.

‘What’s this?’ Asked Magpie. ‘Look everyone, look.’

‘It smells of engines and people.’ Said Little Badger and he crept closer to his Mother.

‘I’ve not seen them before.’ Said Fox. ‘I’ll hide here and watch them, then wait until dark and investigate.’

‘Shush now, little ones.’ Said Hill. ‘I know them, though they don’t know me. You make more noise than they do with your chattering. Maybe they’ll light a fire with Summer’s hair from Oak and Ash to warm my toes.’

Oak shrugged his shoulders and twigs and leaves fell around his waist. ‘Is someone talking about me?’ He said tiredly. ‘What’s this bother? I’m too old for nonsense.’

‘Some people have come.’ Said Magpie. ‘Look everyone, look.’

‘No bother, friend.’ Said Hill to the Oak. ‘They’re but passing through.’

And Hill rolled over in bed, smiling at how Oak thought himself old, comforted by the warm mattress he had found for himself.

Through the night Fox looked on, and in the morning, she kept her secrets to herself.


*(Love your blog - The Citygent)*

Claire Dean said...

Hi Rima,
Just wanted to say thank you for the link and that I'm so happy to have followed your name back to this amazing blog! Your work, your writing and your thoughts are inspirational, I can't wait to visit again!
Best wishes,
Claire

Sarah said...

Ahhh, there you are! There is a warm fire burning and cups of tea here waiting to welcome you both back, when you tire of the west country and make your way back east! oh.. Happy belated Birthday. Hugs to Tui too xx

m said...

Finally got around to reading your whole page instead of dipping in like a child into a biscuit tin. I feel the magic through your words. If youre ever up north drop us a line and pop in for a cup of tea or a nice meal or even a bed for you all for the night, though you'd probably find yourselves sharing with a dog and / or cat.
thanks again. xxx

T Z said...

Your paragraph is like a clam chowder, pleasantly stocked with extra clams, leading one to anxiously await the entree to follow.

So glad to have found your blog!