tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76623050963402266782024-03-05T09:53:05.475+00:00Bowsie's DiaryThis is the Blog Of Bowsie the intrepid Forest of Dean Dormouse.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger63125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7662305096340226678.post-31179525929956820612013-10-12T12:15:00.000+01:002013-10-12T12:33:23.048+01:00Little Boy Blue by Eugene Field (1850-1895) <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156">
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ansi-language:#0400;
mso-fareast-language:#0400;
mso-bidi-language:#0400;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"></span></div>
<span lang="EN-US"></span><span lang="EN-US"></span>The little toy dog is covered with dust,<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">
But sturdy and staunch he stands;<br />
And the little toy soldier is red with rust,<br />
And his musket moulds in his hands.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br />
Time was when the little toy dog was new,<br />
And the soldier was passing fair;<br />
And that was the time when our Little Boy Blue<br />
Kissed them and put them there. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">"Now, don't you go till I come,"
he said,<br />
"And don't you make any noise!"<br />
So, toddling off to his trundle-bed,<br />
He dreamt of the pretty toys;</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br />
And, as he was dreaming, an angel song<br />
Awakened our Little Boy Blue<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">—</span><br />
Oh! the years are many, the years are long,<br />
But the little toy friends are true! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Ay, faithful to Little Boy Blue they stand,<br />
Each in the same old place</span><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">—</span></span> </span><br />
<span lang="EN-US">Awaiting the touch of a little hand,<br />
The smile of a little face;</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br />
And they wonder, as waiting the long years through<br />
In the dust of that little chair,<br />
What has become of our Little Boy Blue,<br />
Since he kissed them and put them there. </span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7662305096340226678.post-29194745443917712932012-09-18T20:38:00.002+01:002012-09-18T20:40:24.861+01:00The snoring dormouseHi!<br />
<br />
It's been a long time. It's good to be back.<br />
<br />
I thought you would like this video of a close cousin of mine having a snooze!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlS3w1GGE8g">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlS3w1GGE8g</a><br />
<br />
Ciao!<br />
<br />
BowsieUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7662305096340226678.post-58334914931229331052008-06-23T20:54:00.001+01:002008-06-23T20:56:35.098+01:00Hurt No Living Thing<h3><a name="_Toc202016748"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;color:navy;" lang="EN-GB" ><o:p></o:p></span></a></h3> <h3 style="margin-left: 14.2pt;"><span style=""><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;color:navy;" lang="EN-GB" >By Christina Rossetti</span></span><!--[if supportFields]><span lang="EN-GB" style="'font-family:;font-size:12.0pt;"><span style="'mso-element:field-begin'"></span></span> XE "<span lang="EN-GB" style="'font-family:;font-size:12.0pt;">Rossetti, Christina</span>" <![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span lang="EN-GB" style="'font-family:;font-size:12.0pt;"><span style="'mso-element:field-end'"></span></span><![endif]--><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;color:navy;" lang="EN-GB" ><o:p></o:p></span></h3> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";" lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";" lang="EN-GB">Hurt no living thing:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 14.2pt;"><span style=";font-family:";" lang="EN-GB">Ladybird, nor butterfly,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";" lang="EN-GB">Nor moth with dusty wing,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 14.2pt;"><span style=";font-family:";" lang="EN-GB">Nor cricket chirping cheerily,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";" lang="EN-GB">Nor grasshopper so light of leap,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 14.2pt;"><span style=";font-family:";" lang="EN-GB">Nor dancing gnat, nor beetle fat,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";" lang="EN-GB">Nor harmless worms that creep.</span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /><span style=";font-family:";" lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7662305096340226678.post-50036453585351777672008-06-19T11:16:00.002+01:002008-06-19T11:20:15.373+01:00King Arthur<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 1pt 0cm; text-align: center;" align="center"><span style="">When good King Arthur ruled the land,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 1pt 0cm; text-align: center;" align="center"><span style="">He was a goodly king:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 1pt 0cm; text-align: center;" align="center"><span style="">He stole three pecks of barley meal,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 1pt 0cm; text-align: center;" align="center"><span style="">To make a bag-pudding.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 1pt 0cm; text-align: center;" align="center"><br /><span style=""><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 1pt 0cm; text-align: center;" align="center"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 1pt 0cm; text-align: center;" align="center"><span style="">A bag-pudding the king did make,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 1pt 0cm; text-align: center;" align="center"><span style="">And stuffed it well with plums;<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 1pt 0cm; text-align: center;" align="center"><span style="">And in it put great lumps of fat,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 1pt 0cm; text-align: center;" align="center"><span style="">As big as my two thumbs.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 1pt 0cm; text-align: center;" align="center"><br /><span style=""><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 1pt 0cm; text-align: center;" align="center"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 1pt 0cm; text-align: center;" align="center"><span style="">The king and queen did eat thereof,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 1pt 0cm; text-align: center;" align="center"><span style="">And noblemen beside;<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 1pt 0cm; text-align: center;" align="center"><span style="">And what they could not eat that night,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 1pt 0cm; text-align: center;" align="center"><span style="">The queen next morning fried.</span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 1pt 0cm; text-align: right;"><span style=""><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 1pt 0cm; text-align: center;"><span style=""> Anonymous</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 1pt 0cm; text-align: center;" align="center"><br /><span style=""><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 1pt 0cm; text-align: center;" align="center"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 1pt 0cm; text-align: center;" align="center"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 1pt 0cm; text-align: center;" align="center"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7662305096340226678.post-57768718643522422422008-06-09T10:46:00.002+01:002008-06-09T10:49:12.165+01:00Soudley Ponds<img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/EDDIEB%7E1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot.jpg" alt="" /> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-GB">Wow! Wasn’t yesterday fun!<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-GB">It’s about time we had a bit of sun, isn’t it?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-GB">I went back to my sock drawer for a couple of weeks, the weather was so miserable.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-GB">Yesterday, I was out in the <st1:place st="on">Forest</st1:place>. It was beautiful.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-GB">Down by the ponds the Damselflies and Dragonflies were out and about.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-GB">We are so lucky to be so close to the <st1:place st="on">Forest</st1:place>.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-GB">I'm off to Soudley Ponds again today – see you there!<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-GB">Ciao!<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-GB">Bowsie<o:p></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7662305096340226678.post-46623771773912421192008-06-08T11:50:00.003+01:002008-06-08T12:12:19.678+01:00The Vision<p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;">by Vivienne Corby</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><!--[if supportFields]><span lang="EN-GB" style="'font-family:"><span style="'mso-element:field-begin'"></span></span> XE "<span lang="EN-GB" style="'font-family:"> <st1:place st="on">Corby</st1:place>, Vivienne</span>" <![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span lang="EN-GB" style="'font-family:"><span style="'mso-element:field-end'"></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 2pt 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;">One day, just at sunset, we came to a hill,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 2pt 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;">The three of us, me, little Judith, and Bill,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 2pt 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;">And we saw such a wonderful sight, we three,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 2pt 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;">That it seemed like a marvellous dream to me.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 2pt 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;">For there on the grass, in the shade of the trees,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 2pt 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;">Were hundreds of fairies who danced in the breeze;<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 2pt 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;">And how their wings shone in the fast sinking sun!<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 2pt 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;">We wanted to kiss them, yes, every one.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 2pt 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;">And then Billy sneezed, and they all flew away.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 2pt 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;">But still we are hoping to this very day<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 2pt 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;">That we’ll see them again, on top of the hill,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 2pt 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;">The three of us, me, little Judith, and Bill.</span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 2pt 0cm;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 2pt 0cm;"><br /><span style="" lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 2pt 0cm;"><span style="" lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7662305096340226678.post-67091799623033278152008-05-31T11:07:00.002+01:002008-06-08T12:26:16.545+01:00The Ride-by-Nights<p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;">by Walter de la Mare (1873-1956)</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> <br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> <br /></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;">Up on their brooms the Witches stream,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;">Crooked and black in the crescent’s gleam;<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;">One foot high, and one foot low,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;">Bearded, cloaked, and cowled, they go.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;">‘Neath Charlie’s Wain they twitter and tweet,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;">And away they swarm ‘neath the Dragon’s feet.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;">With a whoop and a flutter they swing and sway,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;">And surge pell-mell down the Milky-Way.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;">Betwixt the legs of the glittering Chair<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;">They hover and squeak in the empty air.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;">Then round they swoop past the glimmering Lion<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;">To where Sirius barks behind huge Orion;<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;">Up, then, and over to wheel amain,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;">Under the silver, and home again.</span></p><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> <br /></span></p><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"> </span></span><br /><span style="" lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7662305096340226678.post-51365039689082262812008-05-05T13:05:00.002+01:002008-05-05T13:09:15.112+01:00Oxfordshire Children’s May Song<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-GB">Country Rhyme</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"> <br /><span style="" lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-GB"><span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-GB">Spring is coming, spring is coming<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 14.2pt;"><span style="" lang="EN-GB">Birdies, build your nest;<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-GB">Weave together straw and feather,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 14.2pt;"><span style="" lang="EN-GB">Doing each your best.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 14.2pt;"> <br /><span style="" lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-GB"><span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-GB">Spring is coming, spring is coming<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 14.2pt;"><span style="" lang="EN-GB">Flowers are coming too:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-GB">Pansies, lilies, daffodillies,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 14.2pt;"><span style="" lang="EN-GB">Now are coming through.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 14.2pt;"> <br /><span style="" lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 14.2pt;"><span style="" lang="EN-GB"><span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-GB">Spring is coming, spring is coming<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 14.2pt;"><span style="" lang="EN-GB">All around is fair;<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-GB">Shimmer and quiver on the river,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 14.2pt;"><span style="" lang="EN-GB">Joy is everywhere.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 14.2pt;"> <br /><span style="" lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 14.2pt;"><span style="" lang="EN-GB"><span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-GB">We wish you a happy May.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"> <br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"> <br /><span style="" lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7662305096340226678.post-90599222544134573702008-04-29T14:11:00.002+01:002008-04-30T15:14:03.669+01:00Old Shellover<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;">by Walter de la Mare (1873-1956)</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:lucida grande;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:lucida grande;"><br /><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;"><?xml:namespace prefix = o /><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;">“Come!” said Old Shellover.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;">“What?” says Creep.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;">“The horny old <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 /><st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Gardener</st1:place></st1:city>’s fast asleep;<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;">The fat cock Thrush<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;">To his nest has gone,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;">And the dew shines bright<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;">In the rising Moon;<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;">Old Sallie Worm from her hole doth peep;<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" face="lucida grande"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;">Come!” said Old Shellover<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="FONT-FAMILY: lucida grande"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;">“Ay!” said Creep.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family:';font-size:16;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7662305096340226678.post-50612367674944556092008-04-29T09:10:00.008+01:002008-04-29T14:15:26.070+01:00Bowsie Awakes<span style="font-size:100%;"><br /> Bowsie:</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">(yawns)</span><p class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;"> Boddington:<span style=""> </span>Ahh I see you have woken my friend.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;"> Bowsie:<span style=""> </span>Yes, I have. How’s bluebell?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;"> Boddington:<span style=""> </span>Fine, fine.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;"> (Bluebell appears)</span></p> <span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;"><o:p></o:p></span> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;"> Bluebell:<span style=""> </span>Oh hello Bowsie. I thought you were awake!!!!!!!!!!!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;"> <span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;">Bowsie is Awake!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><span style="" lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size:100%;">Welcome Back Bowsie</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"> <br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; font-family: arial;"> Written by Ellie</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"> <br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"> <br /><span style="" lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7662305096340226678.post-35043712773797206952008-04-26T11:14:00.010+01:002008-04-26T11:23:41.135+01:00A Child’s Poem<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-size:130%;">by Robert Bridges (1844-1930)</span></p> <br /> <br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1cm;font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p><br />Look! Look! The spring is come :<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1cm;font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-size:130%;">O feel the gentle air,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-size:130%;">That wanders thro’ the boughs to burst<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1cm;font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-size:130%;">The thick buds everywhere !<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1cm;font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-size:130%;">The birds are glad to see<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1cm;font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-size:130%;">The high unclouded sun :<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Winter is fled away, they sing,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1cm;font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-size:130%;">The gay time is begun.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1cm;font-family:lucida grande;"> <span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1cm;font-family:lucida grande;"> <span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1cm;font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Adown the meadows green<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1cm;font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Let us go dance and play,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-size:130%;">And look for violets in the lane,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1cm;font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-size:130%;">And ramble far away<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1cm;font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-size:130%;">To gather primroses, <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1cm;font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-size:130%;">That in the woodland grow,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-size:130%;">And hunt for oxslips, or if yet<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1cm;font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-size:130%;">The blades of blue bells show :</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1cm;font-family:lucida grande;"> <span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1cm;font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-size:130%;">There the old woodman gruff<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1cm;font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Hath half the coppice cut,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-size:130%;">And weaves the hurdles all day long<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1cm;font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Beside his willow hut.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1cm;font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-size:130%;">We’ll steal on him, and then<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1cm;font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Startle him, all with glee<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Singing our song of winter fled<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1cm;font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-size:130%;">And summer soon to be.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt;font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-size:130%;"> <br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt;font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-size:130%;"> <br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt;"><br /><span style=";font-family:AGaramond;font-size:16;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7662305096340226678.post-60899954375620086732008-04-08T12:17:00.003+01:002008-04-08T12:22:50.513+01:00Whoopee!! I'm awake!!!Hi Everybody!<br /><br />I'm awake. It's a little early for me but it was warmer last week.<br /><br />Today it's freezing.<br /><br />Perhaps you saw me Saturday? I was out walking in the Wet Wood near Boys Grave.<br /><br />It was VERY WET. I nearly fell into a puddle a couple of times.<br /><br />I had a cup of tea with Bonnington and Boddington yesterday. They said they have enjoyed looking after my blog, but they got a bit tired towards the end!<br /><br />Well I hope I can stay awak, because Im looking forward to som new adventures!<br /><br />Ciao<br /><br />BowsieUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7662305096340226678.post-61883642756983827112008-04-05T00:56:00.002+01:002008-06-08T12:27:37.184+01:00Alms in Autumnby Rose Fyleman (1877-1957)<br /><br />Spindle-wood, spindle-wood, will you lend me, pray,<br />A little flaming lantern to light me on my way?<br />The fairy folk have vanished from the meadow and the glen,<br />And I would fain go seeking till I find them once again;<br />Lend me now a lantern that I may bear a light<br />To show the hidden pathway in the darkness of the night.<br /><br />Ash tree, ash tree, throw me, if you please,<br />Throw me down a slender bunch of russet-gold keys;<br />I fear the gates of fairyland may all be shut fast;<br />Give me of your magic keys that I may get past;<br />I’ll tie them to my girdle, that as I go along<br />My heart may find a comfort in their tiny tinkling song.<br /><br />Holy bush, holly bush, help me in my task,<br />A pocket full of berries is all the alms I ask;<br />A pocket full of berries to thread in glowing strands<br />(I would not go a-visiting with nothing in my hands);<br />So fine will be the rosy chains, so gay, so glossy bright,<br />They’ll set the realms of fairyland a-dancing with delight.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7662305096340226678.post-30793436161035054632008-02-18T15:58:00.002+00:002008-02-18T22:38:32.215+00:00(12) The Night WatchBonnington and Boddington are doing the night watch. They are happy with that. It is their best time of day. Their eyesight is perfectly adapted for seeing things in the dark. Their sense of smell gives them an early warning of anything untoward.<br /><br />Bonnington and Boddington are very brave badgers. They are afraid of nothing… but tonight is not like any other night.<br /><br />‘If we see the litter louts, should we say anything?’ says Bonnington<br /><br />‘No! Bowsie asked us to watch what they do and find out who they are’ said Boddington.<br /><br />‘Find out who they are? They are the Tall People like Emma and Jane only very naughty.’ said Bonnington.<br /><br />‘That’s right.’ said Boddington.<br /><br />‘I’m confused now,’ said Bonnington, ‘let’s have a nice cup of tea!’<br />‘We are two miles away from the sett. How can we have a cup of tea?’<br /><br />‘Emma lent me a special bottle for keeping tea hot, called a “Thermos”, look.’ and with that Bonnington poured two cups of strong tea.<br /><br />‘Two sugars, please!’ said Boddington.<br /><br />‘Hmmmmm! Hmmmm!’ said Bonnington and Boddington together.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7662305096340226678.post-57252209407653211952008-02-05T15:39:00.001+00:002008-12-10T13:59:05.332+00:00Bowsie's Forest of Dean Adventure (part eleven)Bowsie and his friends have decided to set up a 24 hour watch for litter louts. They are all very excited.<br /><br />They trotted down to the Cannop Ponds and walked along the path towards the stone works.<br /><br /><br /><br /><p align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5163524104741046978" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik6HcpEdAWUxIXmM5PL9e8JYZJ5QaoGLOI5FMQPDH9iSU6CIa756_r3-Aut8byZ45nOnxcqvHKYebcBqdzL5XDLxPSZ7GVD8AcWR82woRhPD8fL0woQGn-KL21a8B3D-tH7KonmWajCmkU/s320/080120+Cannop+Pond+50+mm.jpg" border="0" /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(this is a view of Cannop Pond from The Stone works)</span></p><p><br />They were shocked by the amount of rubbish that had been left along the bank. There were lots of beer cans, plastic bottle, cigarette packets and even supermarket bags full of rubbish tied to trees!<br /><br />‘Oh! This is terrible!’ said Bowsie, ‘I didn’t realize it was this bad.’<br /><br />‘Please be careful. It would be so easy to cut your feet.’<br /><br />‘It’s not a very pleasant place to bring children.’<br /><br />‘Or Grannies!’ said Emma and Jane.<br /><br />‘This is the place to watch.’ said Bowsie.<br /><br />‘We’ll have to have a rota. Who wants to do the night watch?’<br /><br />‘We’ll do the night watch.’ said Bonnington and Boddington together, ‘we’ll be awake anyway.’<br /><br />‘Me too.’ said Bluebell.<br /><br />‘We’ll do some of the day watch.’ said Emma and Jane together.<br /><br />‘I’ll fill in the gaps with some Forest friends.’ said Bowsie.<br /><br />‘Let’s get together on Saturday to discuss our findings.’<br /><br />‘Anyone for a cuppa!’ said Bonnington.<br /><br />‘I thought you’d never ask!’ said Boddington.<br /><br />So they all went back to Bonnington and Boddington’s sett for a nice cup of tea. They were all very excited about the adventure and little bit frightened too.</p><p> </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7662305096340226678.post-2040902305288193312008-01-17T23:18:00.000+00:002008-12-10T13:59:05.521+00:00Coal SeamsBoys Grave and Cannop Ponds Forest Trail<br /><br />Stop 6 – Coal<br /><br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5156590318750926306" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7xDcYwVehCQSycpeIb-6gIwKlh8TPoImOlfnMse-MygOnkFPEGxlaFGs-UHE1t3vCxbMRnthMamGUnPXNiC8dufxm-yGntYXF3ftG74ojHHUeO7qWL66wdcUrYPpfxOIH7Wmzspk-Dggz/s320/000_0451.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /><br />You are standing in front of an outcrop of shaley Pennant sandstone and thin bands of coal. Look at the diagram notice how numerous coal seams of the ’Crow Delf’ series, tilt and come to the surface (‘outcrop’) between here and Cannop Ponds.<br /><br />This particular outcrop is thin and unworkable so has not earned itself a name, but it lies between two much thicker bands of coal called ‘Starkey’ and ‘Rockey’, both of which have been mined extensively.<br /><br />When you move on you will see across the stream grey, clay coal waste tips which are now tree covered, evidence that ‘freeminers’ of the Forest once worked here, mining the ‘Starkey’ seam.<br /><br />Other seams you will cross have romantic sounding names like ‘Breadless’, ‘No Coal’, ‘Bry’, ‘Twenty Inch’, and ‘Little’, names that almost tell a story in themselves. Can you imagine what heartbreaks ‘Breadless’ caused before it earned such a name?<br /><br />All these coal seams were formed 300 million years ago by plants in shallow lakes dying and accumulating as peat; this is compressed, as sand is piled on top, and eventually fossilizes into coal. You can almost see the plants have been laid down in layers with the occasional washing over them of sand laden rivers.<br /><br />Follow along by the Stream<br /><br />The path goes through a mixed oak wood. The leaves decay quickly and give a rich humus to the soil which enables many small animals to live in it. You are approaching the main part of the circular valley round the Forest, where most of the important coal seams are found, and the stream crosses these every few yards. If you look carefully, you will see traces of some coal seams mentioned above in the banks.<br /><br />Brambles are common. The thorns they carry are to help them clamber over the brushwood, not just to hurt people.<br /><br />The stream you have been following is called the Mersiche Brook, and odd name, probably from the Anglo-Saxon meaning ‘boundary stream’.<br /><br />It has many meanders here, which is typical of a stream flowing over a fairly flat floor to a valley.<br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><br /><br />___<br /><br />This text was written by B. V. Cave of the Wilderness Wildlife Centre Mitcheldean and M.J. Dunn, Forest Warden, for the Forestry Commission 'Boy's Grave and Forest Trail'. © 1974<br /><br />___<br /><br /><br /><br /> </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7662305096340226678.post-1021083141462628692008-01-06T17:42:00.000+00:002008-12-10T13:59:06.024+00:00Bowsie's Forest of Dean Adventure (part ten)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9foOyJ4w8XiKt420VIyzJ0S1M2hsd9nHYC7q70x8cMKm3fBKJk9iI8WQOZ54gWglGh1QSngDxe55cywkV-jG-K_QlGmsiRGiBGweuQ4c1qR2cIIJhhApTso8zrHphvK81xS28__LM0LSR/s1600-h/000_0449.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5152421262716175826" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9foOyJ4w8XiKt420VIyzJ0S1M2hsd9nHYC7q70x8cMKm3fBKJk9iI8WQOZ54gWglGh1QSngDxe55cywkV-jG-K_QlGmsiRGiBGweuQ4c1qR2cIIJhhApTso8zrHphvK81xS28__LM0LSR/s320/000_0449.JPG" border="0" /></a>Bowsie and all his friends were relaxing by the small pool.<br /><br /><br />Bonnington and Boddington were sipping tea.<br /><br /><br />Emma and Jane had Lemonade.<br /><br /><br />The Blue Fairy was drinking nectar from a buttercup.<br /><br />Bowsie was trying to relax, but he had a question nagging him. He turned to the others and said, ‘Why has the litter problem got so bad recently?’<br /><br />‘We’ve always had a problem,’ said Boddington, ‘but it seems to have got a lot worse.’<br /><br />‘Especially around the ponds.’ said Bluebell.<br /><br />Bonnington rubbed his nose gently, ‘When I was in the hospital, everybody was talking about it!’<br /><br />‘It was so sad to see all those injured animals.’ said Emma and Jane together.<br /><br />‘The cigarette burns are the worst. I wouldn’t like one of those!’ said Bonnington.<br /><br />‘Where did you get that metal thing from in the first place?’ asked Bowsie.<br /><br />‘Down by the large ponds a bit further down the path.’ said Bonnington.<br /><br />‘I know what we’ll do!’ said Bowsie jumping up suddenly.<br /><br />‘What!?!’ asked every body at the same time.<br /><br />‘We’ll keep a watch and see who is leaving all this rubbish’.<br /><br />‘Wow! Spy on the Litter Louts! You ARE BRAVE BOWSIE!’ said Bonnington, spilling his tea.<br /><br />‘We know that! ‘ said Emma and Jane together.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7662305096340226678.post-90778426094453059622007-12-29T13:44:00.000+00:002008-12-10T13:59:06.229+00:00The Forest of DeanThe Forest of Dean is a place of natural beauty and poetry as well as mystery and magic. It is the home of beasts and fairies, men and elves. All these elements form the warp and weft of Forest history. Nature and Supernature combine to create this multi-dimensional environment only equalled within the liberties of Old London Town.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1PU-FqlKauGOdHA_0ydT4lWKH3dSrOiQgjxqP9j38RvU7TSphkAwIqddWFwuswbjmpwQ5mesIX1KDafs-iUPHbcoloWMvqJzD0MpQVqWCnWFJCEgCBF7ScREPLNWTyMp4six9gaHLAYcg/s1600-h/2007+12+28+Boys+Grave+Walk+05.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5149491854502135234" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1PU-FqlKauGOdHA_0ydT4lWKH3dSrOiQgjxqP9j38RvU7TSphkAwIqddWFwuswbjmpwQ5mesIX1KDafs-iUPHbcoloWMvqJzD0MpQVqWCnWFJCEgCBF7ScREPLNWTyMp4six9gaHLAYcg/s320/2007+12+28+Boys+Grave+Walk+05.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Many have come here with the lust for land and domination but none could subdue the spirit of freedom and equality permeating the very air itself and coursing through the bodies of these unique and enchanted beings. Soon they would be absorbed and became part of this body, adding and enhancing the whole.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Every molecule of every breath you breath in the Forest has wafted through the hair or blown the fires or cooled the blood of a thousand Celts, Romans, Anglo-Saxons and Normans who walked these trails.<br /><br /><br /><br />Within these woods many characters of legend and myth have breathed and walked.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7662305096340226678.post-864289891894920752007-12-27T20:52:00.000+00:002007-12-29T13:55:13.657+00:00A Small Pool<span style="font-family:arial;">Stop 5 – A Small Pool<br /><br />This pool, formed artificially by the diversion of the stream, will eventually fill up by silting and the growth of plants, but meanwhile gives the chance for water plants and animals to live. The tall alder trees by its edge usually grow close to the water. The roots of these trees have large reddish swellings on them which contain bacteria which help the roots get nutrients – a difficult process in water-logged soil. The stems lying around are in many cases attacked by fungus which will result in their decay into dust. Bacteria also help in this decay.<br /><br /><em>(Follow the path on the other side of the stream downhill and soon you should cross the brook and climb up the other side to the open ground.)</em><br /><br />As you travel along you will see the cut stumps of trees. Trees stop growth each year and this leaves a ring. You may be able to count the rings and see how old these trees were at felling.<br /><br />Squirrels jump from branch to branch hereabouts. Kestrels hover over open ground seeking for mice. A large winged buzzard may be seen circling, also seeking prey. A strong ‘musky’ odour will tell you if a fox has passed nearby.<br /><br />A number of the trees have ivy climbing up them and wild honeysuckle clambers over others. Neither hurts trees, unless they circle and strangle them, which honeysuckle is more likely to do.<br /><br />Through the trees dark spruces can be seen in the distance. So many greens can be seen: dark green spruce, yellow greens of the grass, and various greens of ivy, oak and other trees. Why are they all green? Why are plants green?<br /><br /><br /><em>This text was written by B. V. Cave of the Wilderness Wildlife Centre, Mitcheldean and M.J. Dunn, forest Warden, for the Forestry Commission 'Boy's Grave and Forest Trail'. © 1974</em></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7662305096340226678.post-7252343542801570082007-12-27T20:25:00.000+00:002007-12-27T20:26:32.002+00:00Bowsie's Forest of Dean Adventure (part nine)After a couple of days of the special ointment and the green spotted bandage and lashings of sweet tea, Bonnington’s nose healed beautifully.<br /><br />Nurse Florence removed the bandage for the last time and took a good look.<br /><br />‘This is much better.’ she said.<br /><br />‘Good! Thank you very much.’ said Bonnington.<br /><br />‘What do you want to do today?’ said Emma and Jane and Bowsie.<br /><br />They had come to see Bonnington every day while his bandage was on, but they couldn’t understand anything he said. Now, with the bandage off, his voice was clear again.<br /><br />‘It’s lovely and sunny today. Let’s go and sit by the pond. It’s just a little way down this path.’ said Bonnington.<br /><br />‘Goodbye Nurse Florence. Thank you for everything. We’ll be back later.’<br /><br />They followed the path down to a beautiful quiet spot by a little pond.<br /><br />‘Oh, it is nice here.’ said Emma and Jane.‘Yes, it is, ‘ said Bowsie, ‘but what are we going to do about all this litter?’.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7662305096340226678.post-36401368884812196932007-12-21T14:01:00.001+00:002008-12-10T13:59:06.456+00:00King Arthur's boyhood was spent in the Forest of Dean<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhLPQU9PVEsYuyRjlZqEvM5ab5rM7F_13n-y4EdwbyNSSN7UVZ5TtnxxVLISKzMQ77P1CRZF1ufX1aOiCi2BerOA6j4gjtylt-vPYGvbQ8ZahCUVHyyPnjmcj0hN_sX5OaGpmQbknjsYY5/s1600-h/Arthur+01.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146428404653753778" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhLPQU9PVEsYuyRjlZqEvM5ab5rM7F_13n-y4EdwbyNSSN7UVZ5TtnxxVLISKzMQ77P1CRZF1ufX1aOiCi2BerOA6j4gjtylt-vPYGvbQ8ZahCUVHyyPnjmcj0hN_sX5OaGpmQbknjsYY5/s320/Arthur+01.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The Forest of Dean is a place of beauty and history as will as mystery and magic. It is the home of beasts and fairies, men and elves. Every molecule of every breath you breath in the Forest was here when the Celts, Romans, Anglo-Saxons and Normans walked these trails. Within these woods many characters of legend and myth have breathed and walked.<br /><br />…and none of these heroes is more entwined in the tapestry that is the story of the islands of Briton than Arthur.<br /><br />Between the departure of the Romans and the domination of the Anglo-Saxons, Arthur was born: Son of King Uther Pendragon and Lady Igraine.<br /><br />Arthur was brought to the Forest of Dean by Merlyn to protect him from the sorceress Morgana le Fay. Merlyn carried the baby Arthur to the cave, now bearing his name: King Arthur’s Cave, on the Little Doward near Symond’s Yat. The cave was well protected below the Hill fort. Merlyn’s next task was to find a family to bring up the boy Arthur.<br /><br />The woods were more extensive then and covered all the land between the Severn and the Wye.<br /><br />As he watched the blacksmith hammering a horse's shoe or fashioning the blade of a sword, neither knew anything of his lofty birth nor could guess at his illustrious future.<br /><br />Arthur would run with the deer and climb with the polecats and pine martens. He became fast and agile on the ground and in the trees. He respected the animals and they him.<br /><br />A fraction of the blood that ran in his veins was from his faerie forefathers, so he was aware of the elven folk that inhabited the Forest and understood their ways. Sometimes, he was allowed to cross that gossamer web that separated the two folk that inhabited the Forest, and live amongst them for a while.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7662305096340226678.post-26840607747035716992007-12-21T12:49:00.000+00:002008-12-10T13:59:06.630+00:00Bowsie's Forest of Dean Adventure (part eight)<div><span style="font-size:0;"><?xml:namespace prefix = o /><o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">‘<span style="font-size:100%;">First of all, let me take a look at Bonnington’s nose.’ said Florence the Nightingale.<br /><br />‘Oh dear! How did you do this?’<br /><br />‘I got my nose stuck in a a shiny cylinder thingy.’ said Bonnington.<br /><br />‘You should know better at your age!. We’ll soon have you cured. I’ll just rub on some of this special ointment and you’ll have to keep this bandage on for a two days.’ </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxJ3NBdZhIC969Pumd5NPI8AxMz2by_1NlW3C92MVdY0_rcc5jUSNlzHbIUCiBlawm_zqSYeLM_GIAyabcmELgleTZNk-xY0Z4CbasEfblo-LDGcL5wz3alsdFa27VsTayJ4vv9GXgQ7sq/s1600-h/bonnington+plus+bandage.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146425677349520802" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxJ3NBdZhIC969Pumd5NPI8AxMz2by_1NlW3C92MVdY0_rcc5jUSNlzHbIUCiBlawm_zqSYeLM_GIAyabcmELgleTZNk-xY0Z4CbasEfblo-LDGcL5wz3alsdFa27VsTayJ4vv9GXgQ7sq/s200/bonnington+plus+bandage.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:100%;">‘Hmnnnmm! Nghgiigj! hnnnmm!’<br /><br />‘I know you won’t be able to speak or eat, but it will be worth it when you’re better.’<br /><br />‘Hiimlkklklk! Uyyu! Gneee!’.<br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"></span></span> </div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"></span></span> </div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:100%;">‘Cup of tea! If you can’t go without a cup of tea, perhaps you may take the bandage off for a couple of minutes. ‘<br /><br /></div></span></span><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:100%;">‘But you be sure to wipe your nose dry and put the bandage back on.’<br /><br />‘ssHiiwaaaynccy’ ooo!’<br /><br />‘You’re welcome.’</span></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7662305096340226678.post-53296003286243412072007-12-19T16:05:00.001+00:002007-12-19T18:19:54.341+00:00Bowsie's Favourite Games: What kind of Animal am I?This game is fun to play with your friends or you can play it with your Mum and Dad, Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles!<br /><br />Attach a picture of an animal to the back of one of the children or grown-ups playing the game.<br /><br />Be careful not to show the picture to the person because they have to guess who they are by asking questions.<br /><br />Ask the person to turn round so that everyone else can see what the animal is.<br /><br />The chosen person then has to discover who they are by asking questions.<br /><br />For example:<br /><br />‘Have I got four legs?’<br /><br />‘Have I got stripes?’<br /><br />‘Do I live in Africa?’<br /><br />The other children can only answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’.<br /><br />Take it in turns. It’s great fun!!!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7662305096340226678.post-91844786287651629972007-12-10T15:16:00.000+00:002007-12-22T22:13:20.988+00:00Fairy Stories (i) (by William Shakespeare)<pre><br /> Over hill, over dale,<br /> Thorough bush, thorough brier,<br /> Over park, over pale,<br /> Thorough flood, thorough fire,<br /> I do wander everywhere,<br /> Swifter than the moone's sphere;<br /> And I serve the fairy queen,<br /> To dew her orbs upon the green:<br /> The cowslips tall her pensioners be;<br /> In their gold coats spots you see;<br /> Those be rubies, fairy favours,<br /> In those freckles live their savours:<br /> I must go seek some dew-drops here,<br /> And hang a pearl in every cowslip's ear.<br /></pre>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7662305096340226678.post-40796613624522093152007-12-08T22:17:00.000+00:002008-12-10T13:59:07.307+00:00A Deciduous WoodStop 4 – A Deciduous Wood<br /><br />‘Deciduous’ means the leaves fall off in Autumn, evergreen trees also shed their leaves, but they always have a new set on first.<br /><br />Here is a little holly tree, common enough. Do you see that some of the leaves are marked as though an animal has eaten between the layers of the leaf? This is indeed what has happened. A fly maggot has done this damage. In the wild, such diseases are kept in balance, so that plants would not normally die. In cultivation, diseases often get the upper hand. In the wild, certain tiny wasps attack the fly maggots, and birds also winkle them out of the leaves.<br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><br /><div></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLt1MVG8Ln1H6plhwghpASifWmGvXjQ3ZwDnL2xhC6234jqQ4P76c6eKQxNTr3hTpzzJi3Z4DopobseV1NbVI5AfshPNJT_8KlkzSJwXMDOHYIcE86owQpELJgeJqh5lXtOswnaGr_pdka/s1600-h/Bluebells+02.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5141740530946900770" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLt1MVG8Ln1H6plhwghpASifWmGvXjQ3ZwDnL2xhC6234jqQ4P76c6eKQxNTr3hTpzzJi3Z4DopobseV1NbVI5AfshPNJT_8KlkzSJwXMDOHYIcE86owQpELJgeJqh5lXtOswnaGr_pdka/s200/Bluebells+02.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCfOEyjYUdLfx5xrsJwiFhNfEGoWMpl9cUbDeiaLWhuBFVSdolHvXGNbD50aCcCVGk_dHRx_7oM9tvcGoNTnTLk757_yKTYAfizVQKQM7IFF8F1Wam9kRmQSIRqhK-F54ME0v3urzFAVkM/s1600-h/Wood+Sorrel+02.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5141740694155658050" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCfOEyjYUdLfx5xrsJwiFhNfEGoWMpl9cUbDeiaLWhuBFVSdolHvXGNbD50aCcCVGk_dHRx_7oM9tvcGoNTnTLk757_yKTYAfizVQKQM7IFF8F1Wam9kRmQSIRqhK-F54ME0v3urzFAVkM/s200/Wood+Sorrel+02.jpg" border="0" /></a><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5141740603961344818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmBZxkDQf8AOGChwLPNsA1TnjUiaNraK0HqoeAtgfbVut9CWlKXuv42-XFdv_jrz2ZGcd69Wu440iTbXcocXSrvtMPvqeuM_z07KekAMlkA4ZAmDkOS4q-PSupEQkgNMrB88o8htzwJYmZ/s200/celandine+02.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSN9zNv9XLa6RgbUhRG5XfGDbAErEnSdawlOmwSvYg_rdsj00QmSjv2F8lIZQWiqelVz2SlUEFcAsBOYAmDMcMG3NPdIbAInttrh9vllRG-0uwTmnTvLO4ulK7jcVyXmJCWoT5d6WHFao6/s1600-h/Wood+Sorrel+01.jpg"></a></div><div></div><div>The woodland floor is here carpeted with the plants characteristic of an English woodland. Bluebells, wood sorrel and celandines are here. Such plants produce leaves early in the year to make use <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvnSmR4NMqqWkLpQcSeoNh35NAjtFzxO0eOkzZ3HzwEjeLN2fMSW3QZ547NppQsafXmcPQnDIA10ZdvlAXNNhgF8Wy54Nkn1fI5_FX0uo_AFosrPo-srSo8RGssr-d2SDCyuIn67qXHdbY/s1600-h/celandine+01.jpg"></a>of the sunlight before the trees shade them too deeply. They are well adapted to their life. </div><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Y7Xz4cksCb_L4TKd7EFkIrn3I0nJ_tgs3H-umQmqSmKDa9Ey_RKMk0ovCmFIZ3zSNL3NX0CbmohBjJmnIh06830xVDvOmKJ9Jwpu0a5IvAxgAo4SPr9y3-CdjYdWkX3chJ5b3QK9KJAG/s1600-h/lichen+01.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5141731588824990354" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Y7Xz4cksCb_L4TKd7EFkIrn3I0nJ_tgs3H-umQmqSmKDa9Ey_RKMk0ovCmFIZ3zSNL3NX0CbmohBjJmnIh06830xVDvOmKJ9Jwpu0a5IvAxgAo4SPr9y3-CdjYdWkX3chJ5b3QK9KJAG/s200/lichen+01.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSN9zNv9XLa6RgbUhRG5XfGDbAErEnSdawlOmwSvYg_rdsj00QmSjv2F8lIZQWiqelVz2SlUEFcAsBOYAmDMcMG3NPdIbAInttrh9vllRG-0uwTmnTvLO4ulK7jcVyXmJCWoT5d6WHFao6/s1600-h/Wood+Sorrel+01.jpg"></a></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Y7Xz4cksCb_L4TKd7EFkIrn3I0nJ_tgs3H-umQmqSmKDa9Ey_RKMk0ovCmFIZ3zSNL3NX0CbmohBjJmnIh06830xVDvOmKJ9Jwpu0a5IvAxgAo4SPr9y3-CdjYdWkX3chJ5b3QK9KJAG/s1600-h/lichen+01.jpg"></a></div><br /><div></div><div>As you go along you will see that many trees have grey crusty lichens on them. This shows that the air is reasonably pure here. They will not grow in smoky towns. Lichens are curious plants, half fungus, half algae.<br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />You now pass into an open area recently felled and replanted; there is a luxuriant growth of grasses. As you cross the man-made ditch you will see its bottom consists of heavy clay. The clay was formed by the action of ice in the ice age grinding the surface rocks into a heavily compacted clay mass.<br /><br />Keep to the path by the edge of the Oak Wood and turn towards the stream.<br /><br />Grasses have greenish flowers like rushes but have flat leaves. The flowers have pollen blown from plant to plant by the wind to fertilize the female parts to produce seed, quite unlike other flowers which use insects to transfer the pollen. The pollen blown in the wind causes hay fever in some people.<br /><br /><br />This text was written by B. V. Cave of the Wilderness Wildlife Centre Mitcheldean for the Forestry Commission 'Boy's Grave and Forest Trail'.</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0