Vintage Treasures and a Downton Abbey Moment

 The smiling dog was thrown in for extra credit.

I hope you all had a nice weekend surrounded by some hints of spring. For all the Downton Abbey fans out there, I'd love to hear what you thought of Sunday night's episode. Feel free to share your thoughts in a comment. I think this was the next-to-last episode of the entire six season phenomenon. I'm hoping that Mr. Fellowes rounds up the cast for an anniversary show in a couple years. (More on Downton at the end of the post)

Today I thought I'd post a mosaic of some backyard photos. We have lots of vintage stuff around here, and I'm pretty sure our kids are hoping we'll get rid of it soon (except for the daughter who won't let me forget that I didn't ask her if she wanted the total piece of junk red metal shelf before pitching it.) I'm a little more careful now.

 Ye Olde Grain Bin

When I was a kid, there was a TV cartoon called 'Tom Terrific.' The old galvanized steel grain bin just beyond our [frozen] garden pond always reminds me of Tom Terrific. The lights are some I strung on the basswood tree a couple years ago. They're handy in late summer evenings if anyone wants to sit out beside the little garden pond and watch mosquitoes hatch.

 Someone was enjoying the pond.

A pair of ancient skis leans against the barn door. Mr. C. found these at a demolition site. I've mentioned before that I'm often the recipient of interesting 'finds.' Some wonderful, some not quite so much. As hard as I try, I'll never forget the ancient chartreuse, ceramic bedpan he once brought home. Really.

Do you remember when skis looked like this?

 No longer storing milk in a concrete cooling tank

In years past, on dairy farms across Wisconsin, milk houses would contain concrete water tanks in which several milk cans (like the can above) would be placed, each as it was filled with milk, and cold water was pumped into the tank to keep them cool until the milk hauler arrived to take them to the creamery. That was before the advent of the bulk tank with its electric agitator and cooling unit.

 Vintage Fuel Tank
in the West Wood

 February Sunset
glowing through the string of lights

Have a great week, everyone!

P.S. And about that Downton Abbey episode, we sure weren't at a loss for excitement. The last couple episodes have given us a shot of real drama. I'm looking forward to your thoughts on the subject.  Last week,  my favorite line was uttered by Lady Rosamund to her brother, Lord Grantham, 'The English language never lets you down.'  That was perfect! I won't set the scene, in case some have not yet watched that episode. But in context, it was a great line.

The more recent episode, Season Six, Episode 8, contained one of my favorite scenes, and a subject that I've written about before in a blog post about the importance of shared history.

From a scene with Lady Mary and Lady Edith:
 
“In the end, you’re my sister,” Edith says with a shrug. “And one day, only we will remember Sybil. Or Mama or Papa. Or Matthew or Michael. Or Granny or Carson. Or any of the others who have peopled our youth. Until at last our shared memories will mean more than our mutual dislike.”

The importance of shared history - something to think about.

Linking to Judith's Mosaic Monday
and Kathe's You're Gonna Love It Tuesday
and Tom's Tuesday Treasures
and Angie's Talk of the Town
and Evelyn's Freedom Fridays

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From your vintage blogger pal,

Decorating for Valentine's

(Screen shot from a Google search)

This is just a sampling of what I found on Google as I was looking for inspiration to decorate for Valentine's Day.

I've seen so many pretty things on so many blogs, that I decided to get busy, decorate for Valentine's, and invite guests in for dinner.

So what's on the menu?

Black sunflower seed, an assortment of other seed, suet, and cranberries. This is Cranberry Morning, after all.

It was an extremely bright day and a bit difficult to get decent photos.

One of our first guests - rather cautious...

...followed by his mate and a couple brave little finches

If I already told you this story, stop me. But when our five year old grandson was staying with us, we were looking through the bird book, looking first at woodpeckers and blue jays. Then we came to the cardinal. 

Me: Do you know what this bird is?

Him: It's a Red Jay

Me: Hmm. Well actually, it's a cardinal.

Him: No, it's actually a Red Jay. It's just called a cardinal.

How can you argue with that?? :-)

It was SO much fun to have a five year old with us for the week. I love the five year old mind. It's a chuckle a minute.

Either the chickadee was having second thoughts once he saw the cardinal, or this is just before he landed. I'm not sure. I was several yards away, hiding behind a wheelbarrow, trying to be invisible.

Mr. Red-bellied Woodpecker and Chickadee

 Mr. Blue Jay
Not to be confused with Red Jay.

Crab Apple Tree Feeder

Spooked. Birds in flight!

Suet Feeder
Mrs. Hairy Woodpecker

Have you decorated for Valentine's?

Are you inviting guests for dinner? Let me warn you: Mine had terrible table manners and there was even some bickering, but I'll have to admit that they were all dressed beautifully for the occasion.

I'm going to go work on my Valentines. I hope you all have a wonderful day.

Oh wait!  Before I sign off, I hear that some of you missed Downton Abbey last night. Here are a couple photos from the most recent episode:

If those girls of his would ease up on the wardrobe,

Lord Grantham's finances might not be such an issue.

Mary's and Edith's costuming has been fantastic this season.

photos Telegraph.co.uk

I think she's only got a couple more episodes to decide to marry Tom.

This is not looking good, is it.

Linked to Mosaic Monday

Cooking and Crafting with JJ 

You're Gonna Love it Tuesday

Roses of Inspiration

A Creative Princess
Freedom Fridays

Saturday's Critters

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Have His Carcase, Lord Peter Wimsey, Anglophile Friday

Three of the Dorothy L. Sayers 'Lord Peter Wimsey' novels, set in the 1930s England, were made into movies in the late 1980s, starring Edward Petherbridge and Harriet Walter (both Shakespearean actors). In the book, 'Strong Poison,' Harriet, a mystery writer, had endured a harrowing murder trial, having been accused of poisoning her ex lover. In the end, she was acquitted, thanks in part (in great part) to the indefatigable super sleuth Lord Peter Wimlsey, aristocratic, witty, and ... persistent in his attempts to persuade Miss Vane to marry him.

No deal. She decided that what she needed more than to get into another relationship was to head out to the West Country to clear her head, try to forget the past hideous months, and begin work on her newest novel, 'The Fountain Pen Mystery.'

 Harriet, backpack and sensible shoes, 
walking along the coast of The West Country

But where is that coastline in the photos?

Where was Have His Carcase filmed??

I have been wondering that ever since I saw the movie.  Wouldn't it be fun to discover the location and walk along that coastline.

 Harriet Vane

'whilst working on the plot of her latest novel...'

Harriet closes her eyes to think, and like most of us, soon falls asleep.

Many times I've looked at various sites on the internet, trying to find the answer to my question, but all was in vain (get it? Vane.)

When Harriet awakens, she hears vultures (or some bird of prey), and looks up to see them circling overhead. She also notices that the tide is coming in, and eventually discovers a man, presumably asleep, on [Flatiron] rock. In an attempt to wake him so that he doesn't get trapped by the tide, Harriet climbs the rock and discovers much to her horror...a bloody body whose throat had been cut.

NOTE:  In response to Vee's comment below, the only blood shown is in the few seconds that we see the body on the rock and then much later in the movie when Lord Peter, Bunter, and Harriet are reviewing the sequence of events. Only a few seconds, and you can always fast forward through that. I don't like to see blood either. :-) 

 Harriet Walter, doing the best job I've ever seen 

of someone being totally repulsed by a horrid sight.
You've got to watch this to believe it.

With the tide coming in and no other options available to her, Harriet takes photos of the body, tests one of the shoes against a footprint on the rock (or beach), and picks up a straight-edge razor that was near the body,

 Harriet Vane, hands spattered in blood

and manages to pull a glove off one of the hands. These items she puts into her backpack (I'm sure the Brits have a better word for it, like satchel or something,) and heads down the road to find the nearest place where she can telephone the London newspaper (to give them the scoop on the bloody body on the beach, and get a little promotion for her new novel at the same time)...and the police.

Lord Peter and Harriet Vane

Back at Flatiron Rock, the scene of the crime.

 Lord Peter, Bunter (his valet) and Harriet Vane,

wondering why the expensive razor of a prominent barber (Endicott)

would be found on a bearded man who wore shabby footwear and couldn't afford a new hat.

Having Tea at The Resplendent in Wilvercombe

You'll have to watch the three movies, 'Strong Poison,' 'Have His Carcase,' and 'Gaudy Night,' if you want some seriously good mysteries. All the Lord Peter Wimsey books by Dorothy L. Sayers, and there are several, make great reading. But if you enjoy great costuming, as I do, track down the DVDs.

 BUT WAIT!

I got carried away in the telling of the tale.  The whole point of this post was, that after searching for what seemed ever - to find the filming location of 'Have His Carcase,' I discovered it just the other day, online.

On a site called, VulpesLibris  in an interview with Edward Petherbridge, he mentions, "It was the end of a happy collaboration; the early mornings in muddy car parks on location near Lulworth Cove for Have His Carcase..."

And, coincidentally, I had just recently heard of Lulworth Cove for the first time. Last week, Mike Biles wrote about Lulworth Cove on his blog. So now, if anyone else wanted to know where Have His Carcase was filmed, it was at Lulworth Cove in Dorset. And if you want some great photos and a fun and witty post, find it at A Bit About Britain.

Mystery solved. Finally.

As for Have His Carcase, you'll have to read (or watch) it yourself to see how it ends - and for the sheer pleasure of hearing Lord Peter talk 'piffle.'

All photos in this post are from the BBC DVD of Have His Carcase, except for the one below, which was from the UK Telegraph.

By the way, Downton Abbey fans would recognize Harriet Walter in another recent role she played, that of Lady Shackleton.

Lady Shackleton and the Dowager Countess

at Tea

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Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. The expression 'mad as a March hare' originated with a fictional character who is distracted and frantic. When were you last 'mad as a March hare' and what was it that made you that way?
  
If I'm thinking I'm going to be late to something (anything), I border on frantic. I can't think of anything that brings out frantic in me as much as the thought of being late. If I'm driving on icy roads (which is rare) I'm very focused.  On the other hand, my husband often accuses me of having ADOLAS (Attention Deficit, Oh Look! A Squirrel!!)  Maybe that's just when we're in the car together - because anything like an old barn, a cow, a beautiful tree or a sunset or a flower can divert my attention and totally derail our conversation.

2. Mardi Gras this year falls on Tuesday, March 4th. Have you ever been to Mardi Gras, and if so what did you think? If not, do you have any interest in going?  Purple, green, and gold are the colors of Mardi Gras. Which one is most prevalent in your wardrobe? How about in your home?

I have never been to Mardi Gras and have no desire to attend. However, I would like to go to the old part of New Orleans to see where General Longstreet's office was after the War (Civil War, that is).  Purple and gold are royal colors, making me think of kingly robes and golden crowns, but green is my favorite. Most of my wardrobe (besides the blue of bluejeans) is green of some sort, or brown.  Even a couple of our living room walls are a sage green. But my favorite green is the green that's lying under the 3 feet of snow in our backyard. You won't be able to pry me away from Wisconsin when May arrives. It's GREEN and alive and gorgeous.

General Longstreet

1872 New Orleans

National Archives

3. Are you old fashioned?

I think that depends upon who you ask. If you were to ask anyone older than I am, they'd probably think that I'm not old fashioned. If you asked my grandkids, they'd say YES, I'm old fashioned. That's probably how it is with any generational difference. I love my laptop and blogging and my smartphone and text messaging and reading my Kindle - all newfangled things. But I HATE what's on TV, so we almost never watch it. I like old fashioned mysteries like Miss Marple or Hercule Poirot or Lord Peter Wimsey or Campion - where you usually came in after-the-fact and tried to solve a mystery - NOT where you see murder and mayhem on the television screen. Also, I like to hear 'please' and 'thank you' and to see a gentleman pull out a chair for a lady (assuming he's not pulling it out from under her as she's sitting down.) Cooking and gardening and canning are things I enjoy, so I suppose in that sense I'm old fashioned. According to the number of people who were buying dinner at the deli the other day, I'd say that cooking must be an ancient, nearly-lost art. But I still love it.

Did you want these answers to be short?? 

ITV

4. Do you carefully plan your vacations, or do you prefer the days to be more spontaneous?

I plan vacations nearly to the minute, even including where we'll eat each meal. That said, I like to reserve the right to do something entirely off-schedule, should the opportunity for something better arise out of nowhere. But planning forces one to research, making sure you're not going to miss something you'd later regret. Also it means there's no time wasted, where people sit in a hotel room wondering 'what should we do today?'   That would drive me crazy. So I'd say plan, plan, plan, but be flexible. And don't overschedule, trying to cover too much in one day.

5.  March is National Sauce Month...what's your favorite sauce, and what do you most often top with this sauce?

The only sauce I ever eat is something I've made myself. Sauces at restaurants or on the grocery store shelves are notorious for containing headache-inducing ingredients.  I actually prefer things without a sauce, unless it might be a lemon or blueberry sauce.


6.  What's something that easily brings a tear to your eye?

I'm not really much of a crier. Until about 5 years ago, I think I probably cried at only a handful of movies - ever.  That was before Downton Abbey. Good grief, I've cried over that stupid show more in one season than in all the other movies put together in my life!  Why?  Because of scenes like this, between Lord Grantham and Matthew as they're walking the grounds of the estate (back in season one):

Lord Grantham: You do not love the place yet.

Matthew Crawley: Well, obviously, it's...

Lord Grantham: No, you don't love it. You see a million bricks that may crumble, a thousand gutters and pipes that may block and leak, and stone that will crack in the frost.

Matthew Crawley: But you don't?

Lord Grantham: I see my life's work.

or this one, after Matthew is talking about dismissing the 'superfluous' valet, Mr. Moseley, who didn't fit his lifestyle:

Lord Grantham: “We all have different parts to play Matthew, and we must all be allowed to play them.”

7. If you could own any sports team, which one would it be and why?

First of all, I don't even know what sports teams are out there. But I'd find someone who could tell me which is the most lucrative - and I'd want to own that one - so that I could sell it and travel, as well as own a home next to each of our children. Ha!  Just kidding! (in case any one of them is reading this.) And then of course, there's that little stone cottage in Yorkshire...

But I'd love to see this more often!

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

This should be easy, because I have a lot of random thoughts. But the one that springs to mind today is this:  Why is it that after poring over seed catalogs with photos like this:

my order finally arrives and it looks like this (below)

What a disappointment!

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Thanks for The Hodgepodge, Joyce! Be sure to stop in and visit her at 'From This Side of the Pond.'

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