The sun rises into a cloudless sky. A real Indian summer. Down in the valley the farmers have started to harvest the sunflowers. The clouds of chaff a sure sign the year is about to turn a page. Here at the Rickety Old Farmhouse Sophie continues to glare at the birds nesting in the wisteria. From time to time she'll briefly race off to join Bob on guard at the front gate. Passing pilgrims merit a quick yelp and then she's back to deal with the wrens.
'The mystery of the Hanging Garden of Babylon' written by Stephanie Dalley, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Antiquaries. Thoughtful, measured, difficult at times but an absolute delight. She sifts through the ancient texts to let us know where the gardens were and what they looked like. History as detective mystery. Not often you come across a book that contains a line like this : "As an Assyriologist I work on clay tablets written in cuneiform script by Babylonians and Assyrians ". It seems there is as much literature from Nebuchadnezzars time as there is Latin text. The perfect book when you have two PON's at your feet and a glass of champagne in your hand.
9 comments:
Glorious September weather. Glad to see you and those beauties of yours are enjoying it. We lost our Sussex Spaniel, Finney, on June 30th. He lived a lovely life, but we miss him so.
The book looks good, I have just ordered a copy.
Some pages are a joy to read. At other times every paragraph deserves to be revisited. The author must be a very formidable lady . Thankfully she takes everything along at a logical walking pace.
Losing a dog is a sad affair that changes all the rythmns of the household. Are you going to get another ?
Looks like a good book to read with a contented WFT curled up on one's lap and a wee dram of Highland Park to hand, as the nights draw in.
I think something a lot stronger to get to grips with that book! Actually, I'd sooner watch the wrens. Lesley
Just checked my sunflower oil.....it is made in Turkey...I thought with a name like "Aysan" it would have been French...thought it was a word play on Paysan....oh well, it's still good sunflower oil.
I saw a documentary on the Hanging Gardens of Babylon years ago that was extremely interesting.....enjoy the book and the PON company and of course that glass of champagne.
So the gardens actually existed?
Fascinating. As I child I was fascinated by the thought of this.
Too bad the book is a difficult go. Too many daunting things going on for me now.
Bob loves to be top dog, doesn't he.
Last week we enjoyed 'wine and book' weather during the day, with an array of dogs around the feet. Back to winter today....typical Spring.
(Dui ensures that our garden plants are hanging.)
Post a Comment