I understand that May Day, or Beltane, is a day for merriment and revelry, halfway between spring and summer.
I am looking forward to that.
Meanwhile, it is wet and grey here this morning with a steady drizzle. The gang of very friendly men working on the railway track beside our garden have been back again this week with their big boys' toys to finish off the job they started at Easter. They seem to work nonstop from 8:30 am until 5:30 pm. No slacking!
P has been out working in the garden every day so they have been chatting over the fence on and off. During the spell of warm sunny weather our neighbour brought them all choc ices to cool them off. When the weather returned to its usual temperature, P bought them bacon and sausage baps to warm them up again. They also asked if they could cadge some electricity to put their cordless drills on charge so P rolled out the long extension cable for them a couple of days during the week. In return, they have given us a few unwanted lengths of used timber and the digger driver has just been round to clear away a patch of scrubby grass that we intend to gravel over as a car parking area. They are a great bunch.
We had to put up a "Private" sign yesterday at the bottom of the drive as we have had a few people wander in recently, perhaps not realising that the Memorial Garden is only open on Sundays. There is a sign to that effect at the gate but I am not sure that everyone actually reads it. We shall see.
If the drizzle stops this afternoon I may go out for a stroll, after all, we are supposed to be halfway to summer now.
My May Day bells are still jingling - just back from the Morris dancing event. Why did Lord Peregrine have to buy those fellows bacon and sausage baps when his wife could have easily prepared them herself? He only had to ask. After all, his wish is her command.
ReplyDeleteI did offer but he said "No, my beloved. You need your beauty sleep"
DeleteIt's a mizzle day here down on the Irish Riviera. Do the workmen curse and swear when they are working?
ReplyDeleteThey may do Dave, but I can't hear anything!
DeletePeople 'over the fence' can be a life affirming surprise. When my Mum moved into town from the farm we were interested to see how she coped with having close neighbours - especially the motorcycle gang clubhouse over the back fence. She adapted to them surprisgly well, encouraged I suspect by being invited to help herself from the neglected peach trees in their back yard. All good mates before long!
ReplyDeleteA motorcycle gang?? Not the black leather, skull and crossbones type????
DeleteYup that type, but they had peach trees in their backyard.
DeleteOh well, they must have had a soft centre.
DeleteBit of a drizzly start to our day over here in Nova Scotia but the sun is trying so hard to make an appearance for May Day!
ReplyDeleteSame over here but the sun is not winning the battle.
DeleteIt is chilly and cloudy here today but not raining so I will meet up with my daughter for a hike! That will make it a happy May Day for me!
ReplyDeleteHappy May Day to you too, JayCee!
Enjoy your day Ellen!
DeleteA warm and sunny day here, a perfect May Day.
ReplyDeleteI'd forgotten that the Spanish like to celebrate any important day noisily, and a couple of hours ago it sounded as though World War III had broken out in town. Possibly not the best way to celebrate, given the on-going battles elsewhere.
Oh yes, I remember all the noisy goings on at fiestas when we lived in Tenerife. Such fun.
DeleteMay day here is a big holiday. It's supposed to be a worker's holiday but workers here are doing overtime with the crowds of visitors.
ReplyDeleteWe have the same experience with friendly labourers . We look after them and they look after us
Even better when they are a great bunch of guys.
DeleteHere in The Dales we have no seen the sun all day.
ReplyDeleteWe had small bursts of sun here and there but certainly not very warm.
DeleteMay Day here in Melbourne was sunny and dry…..reached 19c in my suburb so not warm (by my standards😊). I don’t think anything special went on in the city (Labour Day here is in March) but we’re halfway through a federal election campaign so it would have been overshadowed by that on the news
ReplyDeleteI would be very happy with 19C!
DeleteApril 30th was glorious here but not so much today - dull and drizzly with strong winds. Not much celebrating going on!
ReplyDeleteSame here Chris.
DeleteIn France we gave sprigs of Lilly of the Valley to each other on May Day.
ReplyDeleteOh that is very sweet.
DeleteI have no idea what Beltane means. It doesn't sound very pleasant.
ReplyDeleteIt is the Gaelic May Day festival and was celebrated in Ireland, Scotland and other Celtic nations, usually in the form of a fire festival.
DeleteHow nice to have your goodwill reciprocated!
ReplyDeletexx
It was Vronni xx
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