What do you enjoy?

[Owlswing]

Well, I'm an on-and-off reader; I build up half a dozen or so books, and then spend my evenings reading for a while.

I'm still larping, and doing/coaching Tai Chi (just bought my first metal practice broadsword!).

We also enjoy dressing up for events - mostly steampunk, but we might do something a bit different for our visit to Whitby Gothfest next Saturday...

ht

Are you going to MCM ExCel by any chance?

[Bramble]

I've just bought an Austrian scythe to cut my lawn. I hate motor mowers and I thought it would be fun. It is, but it took me nearly 2 hours to cut a patch that used to take about 10 minutes. And it looks like a bad haircut. Good exercise, though.

[horsethorn]

Are you going to MCM ExCel by any chance?

Unlikely, although I'd love to. Long-distance travel is a bit difficult for my wife at the moment

Whitby gothfest is probably as far as we're going!

ht

[Gonnagle]

Dear Brambles,

I've just bought an Austrian scythe to cut my lawn. I hate motor mowers and I thought it would be fun. It is, but it took me nearly 2 hours to cut a patch that used to take about 10 minutes. And it looks like a bad haircut. Good exercise, though.

Have you, have you indeed

This reminds me of highly intelligent people doing daft things, and it reminds me of a true story.

My oldest nephew, brainy bugger sorry forgot who I was chatting to, brainy chap, if you have ever donated to a charity using a mobile phone, that's him, his company specialises in optimising charities profits, anyway he now lives in Texas, he has a garden twice the size of a football field, so this highly intelligent person had a brainwave, I will buy a old fashioned push mower to cut his lawn, the upshot, he now employs a Mexican gardener to cut his lawn like every other respectable Texan.

Nevermind, you could always buy a long cloak with a hood, could be a opportunity for a new career move, you also might need to buy a horse and call it Binky.

Gonnagle.

[Bramble]

Gonnagle,

I confess I once thought of buying a push mower too but then remembered trying to push my gran's as a child! My perfect garden wouldn't have a lawn at all, or only a very small one. Unfortunately, our house came with 3 lawns, made worse by being strange shapes with lots of trees and other obstacles to get in the way when you're trying to cut the grass. One of these I soon abandoned to nature and it does what it wants. The others would go much the same way if it wasn't for other votes in the family, so I've turned much of the grass over to wildflower meadow, which means only one or two cuts a year, for which a scythe will prove ideal. The rest I have to keep short and this is where scything becomes challenging. In the old days people did maintain fancy lawns with scythes (the great lawns at Versailles were cut this way) but it's very difficult to cut short grass like this. To do it well you have to cut at dawn, when the moisture content of the grass makes it resistant to the sweep of the blade. Lazy folk like me want to cut it during the middle of the day when the grass is all floppy and just bends over when the blade contacts it. This is why I took so long to cut the grass the other day. It was, after all, my first attempt and I trust I'll improve with practice. In future I plan to leave the grass until it is longer before I cut it.

[Gonnagle]

Dear Horsethorn,

just bought my first metal practice broadsword

Have you, have you indeed

This reminds me..........................................................................

If you need a bit of practice, Brambles has a lawn to cut, actually you and Brambles should get together you would only need another two to make the complete set

Gonnagle.

[Gonnagle]

Dear Bramble,

It all sounds fascinating, the best thing, I hate the sound of a lawn mower disturbing my quiet Sundays

Gonnagle.

[Rhiannon]

I always thought the challenge with scything was to keep one's feet attached to one's legs.

[Bramble]

Dear Bramble,

It all sounds fascinating, the best thing, I hate the sound of a lawn mower disturbing my quiet Sundays

Gonnagle.

Yes, there's altogether too much noise these days. Scythes make a wonderful quiet susurration and disturb nobody.

Re broadswords: my wife has 2 of these and practices her tai chi on the lawn with them. Watching her thrust them into invisible foe like one of those nifty bints from 'Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon' I've often wondered whether she's actually visualising me 

[Bramble]

I always thought the challenge with scything was to keep one's feet attached to one's legs.

You can't cut your own legs with a scythe - just other people's!

[Rhiannon]

You can't cut your own legs with a scythe - just other people's!

Can you not? I always thought that was an occupational hazard.

[Bramble]

Can you not? I always thought that was an occupational hazard.

Well, you probably could if you tried hard enough but remember the blade is attached to the far end of the snath (the long wooden thing with handles) and so is kept permanently distant from your own body. People do have nasty accidents with their scythe blades because they are very sharp but this only happens when one isn't actually scything.

[Bubbles]

Gonnagle,

I confess I once thought of buying a push mower too but then remembered trying to push my gran's as a child! My perfect garden wouldn't have a lawn at all, or only a very small one. Unfortunately, our house came with 3 lawns, made worse by being strange shapes with lots of trees and other obstacles to get in the way when you're trying to cut the grass. One of these I soon abandoned to nature and it does what it wants. The others would go much the same way if it wasn't for other votes in the family, so I've turned much of the grass over to wildflower meadow, which means only one or two cuts a year, for which a scythe will prove ideal. The rest I have to keep short and this is where scything becomes challenging. In the old days people did maintain fancy lawns with scythes (the great lawns at Versailles were cut this way) but it's very difficult to cut short grass like this. To do it well you have to cut at dawn, when the moisture content of the grass makes it resistant to the sweep of the blade. Lazy folk like me want to cut it during the middle of the day when the grass is all floppy and just bends over when the blade contacts it. This is why I took so long to cut the grass the other day. It was, after all, my first attempt and I trust I'll improve with practice. In future I plan to leave the grass until it is longer before I cut it.

My husband has a scythe.

It one of those Austrian ones

http://www.thescytheshop.co.uk/picturegallery.html

He's attended a course on sything at a game fair.

It's quite good but the grass needs to be even rather than tussocky.

He sharpens it every time he uses it.

I've not tried it as it's made for him, size wise.

[Gonnagle]

Dear Brambles,

Scythes make a wonderful quiet susurration and disturb nobody.

Susurration, a wonderful old word, one of Pratchetts favourite words, a word that sounds like the sound it is describing.

Gonnagle.

[Shaker]

a word that sounds like the sound it is describing.

There ought to be a word for that

[horsethorn]

There ought to be a word for that

Oi, Aladdin, where are you?

I'm on a mat, up 'ere!



ht

[horsethorn]

Yes, there's altogether too much noise these days. Scythes make a wonderful quiet susurration and disturb nobody.

Re broadswords: my wife has 2 of these and practices her tai chi on the lawn with them. Watching her thrust them into invisible foe like one of those nifty bints from 'Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon' I've often wondered whether she's actually visualising me 

I'm sure she could come up with a grass-cutting form, lots of low spinning with both blades out...

It's good to know other people practice in their gardens, though - I'm always worried that someone will call the police when I do!

ht

[Gonnagle]

Dear Brambles,

I was far to busy looking at susurration to notice "those nifty bints" sorry but it brought a smile to my face

Gonnagle.

[Bramble]

I'm sure she could come up with a grass-cutting form, lots of low spinning with both blades out...

It's good to know other people practice in their gardens, though - I'm always worried that someone will call the police when I do!

ht

I'll be sure to suggest this. To date her 'grass-cutting form' has lacked enthusiasm 

[Sassy]

Music was always my first love.
Walking and sight seeing was amongst my most pleasurable especially old buildings like Churches.
Holidays away with Church groups from about the age of 15 was always fun.
Fire flies on the Isle of wight was a really good memory. First time I had seen them.
Open countryside and views from the hills having walked up them.

I love swimming when I get the chance and dancing I do not get to do anymore.
Also eating out with friends when I get chance.

I guess sometimes life feels as if passing me by now...

[Brownie]

Hopefully many more years to enjoy Sassy, especially if you keep well.  You is one young little girl, girl!

I don't do that much these days and am very conscious of it.  Only a few years ago I did a lot of walking, loved it, read a great deal, listened to music, went to concerts and the theatre, sometimes film.  I also liked drawing and painting.  I don't have health problems but lack motivation these days.  Ah well, maybe it will come back.

Bramble, loved the talk about your lawn and garden.  I have to tell you my husband mowed the back lawn yesterday morning as he had a day off from work.  He put the grass cuttings in green garden waste bags and was bringing one through the house to put in the green bin when I heard a loud exclamation.  I went into the hall and the bag had burst.  Honestly, what is compacted into a bag becomes an enormous pile when it is released!  It was everywhere, grass, leaves, weeds and probably loads of insects.  Anyway we got it cleared up quickly enough but when I first looked at it, it seemed overwhelming.  Quite miraculously, I didn't get bitten which usually happens to me so am grateful for that.  After we cleaned the carpet I sprayed some fly spray on the floor, just in case.
Then he went back into the garden to put the mower away, slipped on the path and fell over, bruising himself.  It was one of those days........

[Samuel]

I wouldn't say I have any passions as such. Not like shakers books or those wonderful scythes everyone is talking about. But, I am a gamer I suppose. That is video games. I own an Xbox one and a laptop that can just about manage some newer titles.

It used to be that I liked nothing more than to sit for most of the day and get absorbed in a new game. That was when I did shift work and before I had children though... these days I'm lucky if I get a couple of hours here and there.

I recently joined a story telling group and last week told my first tale! It was my own invention and although nervous I really enjoyed the telling. It my firsts time showing off anything truely creative of mine in public. Anyway I have a taste for it now and am already cooking up my next one... a rather dark story that runs as a sort of sequel to the elves and the shoemaker.

[Rhiannon]

Eventually we'll have our creative writing board up and running, Sam...

[Brownie]

That is an excellent idea Rhi.
We could have a funny one too, where anyone can add a short paragraph, a never ending story (until everyone is fed up with it  ).

[Sebastian Toe]

Darts
Guinness
Dominos
More Guinness.
(...falling down, bonus hobby  )