Above: The results of an hour of clearing the caterpillar-ridden purple-sprouting broccoli, French beans and weeds.

We have spent over a third of August away from home, so started tackling a few things in the garden again this week.  I have a lot of plans in my head, some notes scrawled on bits of paper and even a few rough sketches of plans and ideas but putting them into action is another matter! Maybe being physically busy and tired will be mentally and emotionally beneficial? Well… I’ve just done a web search and these quotes below have come up and resonate with me:

• When the world wearies and society fails to satisfy, there is always the garden (Minnie Aumonier – 19th century poet)

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• The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just the body, but the soul. 
  (Alfred Austin – 1896 appointed Poet Laureate)
  

Fun Fact:  

​In the 1970s the BBC’s dramatisation of Winston Graham’s Poldark, Godolphin House near Helston, was used as Trenwith, the home of Francis Poldark and other family members.

Having scratched the 'let's do something' itch, I can now endeavour to relax.  I am about to start my third book of the week, and intend to enjoy some reading whilst also watching the dramatic cloud formations and turbulent seas from this cliff-top house.

We are back again - indoor-camping in Cornwall!  This was not planned but greatly welcomed.  Considering that last week the temperatures throughout the UK were stifling hot, we are now enjoying some ‘wild weather’ on the coast.  It’s cooler, but it’s great fun to sit in the ‘cosiness’ of the glass conservatory on a house on a clifftop overlooking the waves bashing the rocks.  All very dramatic… I might start writing a novel!

The Museum of Cornish Life at the small market town of Helston houses one of the largest social history collections in the South West, and ranges from archaeological evidence of the earliest settlers to the Lizard Peninsula, to a fully stocked 1950s kitchen.  The museum is in the former butter market, built in 1837 – the year the collection began through the Old Cornwall Society and was displayed at points in the Guildhall. It opened as a museum, in the current building, in 1949.  The collection is wide and diverse and covers subjects of geology, local industry, social history, archaeology and costume history.
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Helston is famous for the annual 'Furry' or Floral Dance held on the 8th May.  On Flora Day there is the Hal-an-Tow, in which St George and St Michael slay the Dragon and the Devil, cheered on by a crowd in Elizabethan dress.

Helston was granted its charter in 1201 and was originally a thriving port. However, as the river silted up over the years, the port gradually ceased to be. Where the river joined the sea is now Cornwall’s largest freshwater lake, separated from the sea by Loe Bar, a long sand bar – which is close to where we are staying near Portleven.

Helston hosts a mixture of Georgian and Victorian architecture. The Blue Anchor pub was originally a rest house for monks, and became a tavern in the 15th century. It is possibly the oldest private brewery in the country, selling the strong local brew, Spingo (which means strong beer in Old English).

Paul hasn’t tried this beer yet but I’m sure he’ll make a sacrifice in the name of research!

Above:  As you can see, the house is directly on a clifftop.  I took a few photos and upon my way back to the patio steps, the waves continued to be rather dramatic - and the spray carried in the wind caught me by surprise! 

One of the conveniences of reading a book on the Kindle (whilst within a WiFi zone) is that there is the facility to check up on certain words or  references.  For some reason, and I can't remember what novel I was reading, I ended up learning a few key things  meteorological.  This was rather pertinent as we have experienced some interestingly varied weather over the past couple of days.

Simply:

GUST - A sudden strong rush of wind.
SQUALL - A sudden violent gust of wind or localized storm, especially one bringing rain, snow, or sleet.
BLUSTERY - Characterized by strong winds.

However, it gets much more scientific:

Meteorologically speaking a wind gust is defined as the maximum 3-second wind speed that occurs (or is forecast to occur) within a 2-minute interval at a height of 10 metres above ground. So, a gust is a rapid increase in the wind speed relative to the mean strength at the time, and it is short-lived.

A squall however is a non-frontal line or belt of violent convective activity, sometimes seen with vigorous thunderstorms.  Forecasters use the term "squall line" to describe a sudden wind-speed increase of 8 metres per second (29 km/hr) or more, for one minute or longer. It includes several briefer wind-speed changes, or gusts. So, a squall is a strong rise in wind speed which generally lasts for some minutes – the official definition is that the wind has to rise by at least 16 knots to a speed of greater than 22 knots and to last for at least one minute.

​Who'd know...??
Not me, that's for sure!

A cheeky visitor!  Our squirrel is becoming more confident scampering and hopping across the garden at 5.30pm on a hot Saturday afternoon.  Unfortunately I cannot upload videos at the moment (although it's on FB) but at one point he turns directly at me with a look as if to say "hmmm.. what are YOU doing here?!"

​​"Bees blew like cake-crumbs through the golden air, white butterflies like sugared wafers, and when it wasn't raining, a diamond dust took over, which veiled and yet magnified all things".
​Laurie Lee - Cider with Rosie