The Hobbit Hole V - Where Many Paths and Errands Meet...

ecurbh

[ecurbh]

Welcome to The Hobbit Hole!

Where Many Paths and Errands Meet...

• First thread: New Zealander builds Hobbit hole
• Second thread: The New Hobbit Hole
• Third thread: The Hobbit Hole III - Journey to the Cross-roads! (Congratulations, we filled it up!)
• Fourth Thread: The Hobbit Hole IV - The Road Goes Ever On...

The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.

[My back yard]

This is the poem for today at the poetry place I check out in the morning. I love this Browning. Thought you would enjoy it too.

How They Brought The Good News From Ghent To Aix


I SPRANG to the stirrup, and Joris, and he:
I galloped, Dirck galloped, we galloped all three;
"Good speed!" cried the watch as the gate-bolts undrew;
"Speed" echoed the wall to us galloping through.
Behind shut the postern, the lights sank to rest,
And into the midnight we galloped abreast.

Not a word to each other: we kept the great pace--
Neck by neck, stride by stride, never changing our place;
I turned in my saddle and made its girths tight,
Then shortened each stirrup and set the pique right,
Rebuckled the check-strap, chained slacker the bit,
Nor galloped less steadily Roland a whit.

'Twas moonset at starting; but while we drew near
Lokeren, the cocks crew and twilight dawned clear;
At Boom a great yellow star came out to see;
At Dueffeld 'twas morning as plain as could be;
And from Mecheln church-steeple we heard the half-chime--
So Joris broke silence with "Yet there is time!"

At Aerschot up leaped of a sudden the sun,
And against him the cattle stood black every one,
To stare through the mist at us galloping past;
And I saw my stout galloper Roland at last,
With resolute shoulders, each butting away
The haze, as some bluff river headland its spray;

And his low head and crest, just one sharp ear bent back
For my voice, and the other pricked out on his track;
And one eye's black intelligence,--ever that glance
O'er its white edge at me, its own master, askance;
And the thick heavy spume-flakes, which aye and anon
His fierce lips shook upward in galloping on.

By Hasselt Dirck groaned; and cried Joris, "Stay spur!
Your Roos galloped bravely, the fault's not in her;
We'll remember at Aix"--for one heard the quick wheeze
Of her chest, saw the stretched neck, and the staggering knees
And sunk tail, and horrible heave of the flank,
As down on her haunches she shuddered and sank.

So we were left galloping, Joris and I,
Past Looz and past Tongres, no cloud in the sky;
The broad sun above laughed a pitiless laugh;
'Neath our feet broke the brittle, bright stubble like chaff;
Till over by Dalhem a dome-spire sprang white,
And "Gallop" gasped Joris, "for Aix is in sight!"

"How they'll greet us!"--and all in a moment his roan
Rolled neck and croup over, lay dead as a stone;
And there was my Roland to bear the whole weight
Of the news which alone could save Aix from her fate,
With her nostrils like pits full of blood to the brim,
And with circles of red for his eye-sockets' rim.

Then I cast loose my buff-coat, each holster let fall,
Shook off both my jack-boots, let go belt and all,
Stoop up in the stirrups, leaned, patted his ear,
Called my Roland his pet-name, my horse without peer--
Clapped my hands, laughed and sung, any noise, bad or good,
Till at length into Aix Roland galloped and stood.

And all I remember is friends flocking round,
As I sate with his head 'twixt my knees on the ground;
And no voice but was praising this Roland of mine,
As I poured down his throat our last measure of wine,
Which (the burgesses voted by common consent)
Was no more than his due who brought good news from Ghent.

Robert Browning

[Pippin]

HAPPY NEW YEAR ALKHIN!!!

[RMDupree]

I was wondering what those were! *grin*

Frodo is fine, but VERY easger to get back home to Washington. He's homesick after all of this travelling.

[HairOfTheDog]

I am sure he has arrived in Florida more weathered than when he left here, but as good as can be expected.

[Pippin]

With what? :O)

[Alkhin]

Oh, I should say, those little peppers in the bag are for PLANTING, not eating. Hopefully, if the seeds take, they will grow into the plants. The peppers are best when 'eaten' or 'pickled' fresh.

[RMDupree]

Yup! I didn't want to cook it until each of you said how you wanted it done. There are just so many ways to fix shrimp!

Shrimp cocktail for you? Excellent choice!

[Overtaxed]

Or we could always do Balrog shrimp....

[HairOfTheDog]

And his low head and crest, just one sharp ear bent back
For my voice, and the other pricked out on his track

He was actually a rider to know that! Thanks!

[Professional Engineer]

Pay to see, or pay to NOT see?

[Sam Cree]

I haven't been around the thread too much recently, but see that your birthday went by so

HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY!

[JenB]

As long as they're cooked, I'm happy.

Mmm... I love shellfish...

[Corin Stormhands]

You know you want to.

[Alkhin]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

[Sam Cree]

Corin, there is some construction on 95 around Kenly, NC. If it has the traffic backed up, 301 is right there, so you can get off if necessary and follow 301 for a few miles.

We came through there on Sunday, so the workers were off, no problem. But awful traffic both sides of Savannah.
However, I believe that was due to the holiday ending which is not the case this weekend, so I think it should be just fine around Savannah.

Safe driving for you and Junior.

[Alkhin]

</font size=1>belatedly *sheepish grin*</font>

[Corin Stormhands]

Thanks Sam.

[JenB]

I've been to Florida a couple times... actually to ksen's area twice, and once to Fort Lauderdale. The first time we went, I was eight. On the way home my dad got a book for Mom to read aloud to make the journey shorter... guess what it was?

"The Hobbit"! Florida and Tolkien have always had a connection for me.

[My back yard]

I had heard that the chiltepin or chile petine are not able to be cultivated. I have had trouble growing them in pots, but that doesn't mean anything. I know a guy who grows them successfully under his mesquite trees. He says the sugar beans that drop from the mesquite trees and fertilize them are the key. He knows some people who have been trying to grow them commercially, and no luck so far. I don't know. but I do know they are wonderful in vinegar, yeah. Some things are just supposed to be free range I guess. Have you managed to get them to grow in pots?

[RMDupree]

Thank you both very much!