reminder that locals have been making their own amusements (breeding, drinking, eating, burning things, sacrifices, singing) for an unknown number of millennia, and the apple remains the True King.

Happy Old Twelvey, and good health and quiet prosperity for your year ahead, if you've read this far.

Wassailing was one of a loose variety of traditions and rituals which constantly changed, fragmented, died out, reappeared, and so on. Jabez Allies had a decent stab at documenting some in the 19th century. And the recently dug up bone box, two miles away, was a...

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Growing up in orchard country (Vale of Evesham, Worcestershire) in a village with some unusual history (pictured: family house between apple trees) there were several local variations on Wassailing.

We also made and sold scrumpy (strong cider), some of which was drunk on the night of old twelvey.

Wassailing is fun. Similar to some druid, pagan, wiccan and other events and rituals, it's a chance to arse around outside at night with others, illuminated by fire, candles, burning torches, or whatever else is at hand.

Which can occasionally be a bit risky...

www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAaf...

The earplugs are essential if I go to one of the Wassails where, as tradition, shotguns are fired over the apple trees to ward off evil spirits (not Morris Dancers).

philipstrange.wordpress.com/2016/01/22/k...

Some notes on Wassail (includes reference to figgy pudding menaces).

Contemplating which Wassailing to go to this evening; there's several around rural Worcestershire and Herefordshire within a stroll of a train station. Will need layers, earplugs and a flask.

www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/Wa...

At the same time, day on day, the sun is a fraction of an inch higher in the sky, the shadows a fraction of an inch shorter.

If it's the same organisation whose website I was looking at earlier, I flinched at the membership costs. That's surely only value for people who love attending conferences and have the time and other resources to do so.

I'm in three professional organisations in other fields; all *much* cheaper.

There was a cat.

But the cat took exception to being photographed, and left.

Hashtag #cat

"Walk underneath a blue sky, when you can, while you can" - Lucy, 2014.

Yes, I take pictures of trees containing mistletoe. This is partially as I'm thinking two courses ahead, and potential projects within the parameters of a long term theme.

#MistletoeNerd

I think you already know that you should join. In fact, I suspect it was you who screamed.

Echoes of 'Free Bananas in the Kitchen' by @garius.bsky.social back in the day.

www.metafilter.com/78177/PLEASE...

(3/3) Back at base and working from bed. Where there is no mud, and no trees, but there is a hot mug of coffee spiralling tiny steam whisps, and a grey British shorthair cat who snores while I attempt to read academic research papers.

This will do for a while.

(2/3) Bare trees, excepting the ivy or the mistletoe. Trees which appear to be shrieking, or making a stand, or shirking away, or grieving.

Clearances, the scouring of wood and plant; stumps and piles of trunk, branch and twig. Brooks and streams, clear through to brown. Always the mud. January.