Oedipus and antlers

We went up to Galway last night to the Town Hall Theatre to see Pan Pan's production of Oedipus Loves You, a play by Simon Doyle and Gavin Quinn. It's described as 'a new work based on and inspired by the Oedipus the King plays of Seneca and Sophocles and the writings of Sigmund Freud'. It was the Oedipus story told within the setting of a modern (and fairly disfunctional) family mixed with punk songs. It was wild and full of energy. I don't think I've ever seen anything quite like it. The opening scene was particularly striking.

We stopped at Paddy Burke's in Clarinbridge on the way back with Erin for a debriefing drink. I always find plays take a while to assimilate enough to be able to talk about them, but we managed it pretty well. I'm still thinking about it though, and whether it really worked or not. Great night out regardless. But wild weather on the way home. Horizontal rain and gale-force winds. The electricity was out when we got home. One of those nights when we'd no torch with us, but at least we knew where to grope for one just inside the door. And most of the candles were still in place from Thursday night last when we had the previous power cut. Bed by candlelight. Could be romantic but it wasn't. Just Very Cold. The range was still lighting when we got home but no central heating.

The wind from last week may have knocked the antler sculpture flat, but we had a great view of the real thing yesterday. Three female deer and a fine-headed stag in the field at the back. They all cantered off across the field when Joe opened the door. They're probably the same ones who've been tramping about in the Hollow across my newly cleared beds and the garlic and eating the swiss chard.



The deer in the photo was captured on film the other day, but it's the same field.










The garden is full of fallen apples and leaves. The blackbirds have made a good start on the apples, and I'm expecting the flock of fieldfares any day now - they usually arrive towards the end of November for the apple feast - although I'm a little fearful there won't be any. So many were killed in the January freeze. 

Leaf raking is a great winter activity. Nothing like it for keeping you warm, and for being outside in winter sunshine. And wind. No end of wind at the moment. Joe and I raked/packed black binliners with leaves at the weekend. The binliner business is for making leafmould, a glorious substance for improving the structure of the soil. I haven't tried the binliner business before, but the usual container is still full of not-yet-rotted leafmould from last year. It takes two or three years to make really good stuff. I hope I've knifed enough holes in the black plastic bags so it doesn't simply turn to slime.