PEAR TREE LOG

pear tree log: I started this blog to keep my younger son, Jonny, in touch with life in Lincolnshire, while he spent a year working in China. That year turned into five! Now he is home and training to become a physics teacher. This is simply a patchwork quilt of some of the things I enjoy - life in rural Lincolnshire, our animals, friends, architecture, books, the gardens, and things of passing interest.



Tuesday, 27 March 2012

Blue Sky Thinking

I wandered around the garden, enjoying the sunshine and blue skies, taking the occasional photograph...
like this silver birch tree - and the chimney which George and Jonny built.  


The silver birch is beautiful, provides a little dappled shade in summer, and the sap has been used by Jonny to make wine... an interesting brew.


The chimney is a wonderful addition to the house as it means we can have a log burner at that end of the kitchen, but it also helps to secure the wobbliest wall of this old building, which was built without real foundations.


Looking at the chimney made me remember this, which I bought as a broken bargain - many years ago.  I loved the winky wonky roof line, the chimney stack, the colour of the roof.  It cost just £10.00 for this very large chunk of pottery.
This is the 'interior' of the attic.


So really it is just the front roof and chimney with half an interior, completely open at the back with a good solid base.  It is chunky and a dust trap, but I still think it is charming.  Luckily, Davina agrees...
because not long after we all moved here I gave it to her because I thought it looked like a romanticised version of her old farmhouse.
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31 comments:

  1. Anonymous27 March 2012 at 15:13

    Just for a moment, I thought it was a real house with a rather wonky roof line. Is it open on one side? I'm just wondering how you got the photo of the inside. Cute piece.

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    1. Elaine27 March 2012 at 15:34

      Hi Janet, I have just added another couple of photos, which may help explain the shape of it. It's a bit twee, I suppose, but I love that roof line and the chimneys.

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    2. Anonymous28 March 2012 at 03:46

      Oh, the extra photos explain it. What an interesting piece.

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  2. Meggie27 March 2012 at 15:45

    I tried to write a comment a few minutes ago, but I wasn't sure if that was your house roof line. Glad I came back to it. Now I understand completely! Love the photos. The broken house is worth a little dusting....I say keep it.

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    1. Elaine27 March 2012 at 19:37

      Hi Meggie, Sorry, I was a bit light on the photos to begin with; that's the trouble when you know a piece so well. The little house lives in Davina's house now, so it is a while since I have seen it. When I borrowed it this morning I was delighted to find that I still like it as much as I used to do. Luckily, she is also very fond of it.

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  3. Jane and Chris27 March 2012 at 15:48

    Beautiful, whimsical...quite mad really....but I love it!
    Jane x

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    1. Elaine27 March 2012 at 19:40

      Hi Jane, It has often been said that I am quite mad! Luckily I am fairly harmless!

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  4. Elna27 March 2012 at 16:17

    Such a cute little house *smile*. I have a small give away.

    Hugs
    Elna

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    1. Elaine27 March 2012 at 19:41

      Hi Elna, I'm pleased that you like the little house. I have popped over to your blog - I love the cushion covers!

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  5. Doohie27 March 2012 at 16:43

    For a moment I thought you were in danger of having the roof fall on your head. What a lovely find.
    Silver Birch wine? I've not heard of that one before.

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    1. Elaine27 March 2012 at 19:42

      Hi Doohie, Silver birch wine - I think Jonny found the recipe on the internet. You have to be careful to tap the tree at the right time, or you could damage the tree, but it was certainly an interesting wine. Definitely a talking point!

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  6. Joanne Noragon27 March 2012 at 17:43

    How nice we all have so much blue sky. We can't quit talking about it around here. I answered an email today that said how nice the early spring break was and I responded I loved the blue sky and sun shining on my winter coat. Lovely little house. It could be imagined by J.K. Rolling.

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    1. Elaine27 March 2012 at 19:46

      Hi Joanne, Are you sure you are not English? (Our reputation for talking about the weather!!) It is wonderful to see blue skies, invigorating and energising. I hope your back is well and truly on the mend now. I shall suggest to Davina that she make up some bedtime stories about that little house. Harry would love it!

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  7. Green Dragonette27 March 2012 at 17:49

    Loved that wonky line of the roof Elaine-classic-very clever and of course, quite, quite mad!!!

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    1. Elaine27 March 2012 at 19:48

      Hi Green Dragonette, I love that wonky roof line too, there is a house in Horncastle which has a similar line because the tiles used to re-roof were too heavy for the roof timbers. Next time I am there I shall take a photograph and post it. I would be worried if it were my roof, but it does look awfully cute.

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  8. Scarlet27 March 2012 at 18:55

    Love the little dust trap! They had silver birch trees for sale in Aldi this morning for £5.99. I went back to get one this afternoon and they'd all gone! I bought a hawthorn instead aswell as a beech and a flowering cherry. We planted a silver birch seedling at the bottom of the allotment a couple of years ago - it's over 8 feet tall now.

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    1. Elaine27 March 2012 at 19:50

      Hi Scarlet, What a shame that you missed out on the silver birch - it still sounds as though you did well with the bargains, though! Cherry blossom against a blue sky - one of the delights to come!

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  9. Molly27 March 2012 at 19:47

    I think the little pottery house is lovely. What a snip for just a tenner. Hope George's back is better now.

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    1. Elaine27 March 2012 at 19:52

      Hi Molly, I'm glad you like it! George's back is much better today, now I just need to find a way to make him take things easy for a bit longer... a hammer seems a bit drastic, any suggestions?

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  10. Linda Starr27 March 2012 at 20:32

    Oh you had me fooled thinking it was a real run down house, this potter is lovely and so realistic, great inspiration in this one. Never heard of wind from a birch tree must be an interesting drink.

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    1. Elaine28 March 2012 at 07:25

      Hello Linda, It is a lovely piece of work; it's a shame it was so badly damaged - but then, if it hadn't been, I wouldn't have been able to buy it and enjoy it so much.

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  11. Ms Sparrow27 March 2012 at 21:43

    The little pottery house has such a story-book quality. Just imagine all the fairy tales you could make up about it!

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    1. Elaine28 March 2012 at 07:30

      Hello Ms Sparrow, It could be the start of something very special. We often make up stories about the little folk who live behind a little wooden fairy door which we have - I'm sure Harry would love to hear stories about the attic. I'll let you know.

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  12. Chris28 March 2012 at 08:38

    I was just about to recommend a builder Elaine!

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    1. Elaine29 March 2012 at 16:34

      Hi Chris, We had a really good one, he was very sympatico with the old building - a really lucky recommendation. The model house had to suffer my repairs!!

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  13. Cuby29 March 2012 at 10:09

    I love silver birch trees. The winky wonky cottage was an absolute must have as it is great.

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    1. Elaine29 March 2012 at 16:35

      Hello cuby poet, Silver birch trees against a blue sky are wonderful. I can't believe how much that one has grown over the years we have been here.

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  14. Moving with Mitchell29 March 2012 at 14:55

    I panicked and thought, "How could they possibly feel safe under that roof?!?" I love the fact that your real chimney looks just like the pottery chimney. I love that pottery and am so glad you found it before I did!

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    1. Elaine29 March 2012 at 16:37

      Hi Mitch, Isn't it funny, until I brought the model outside I hadn't realised just how alike the chimneys are, even down to small details. George and Jonny must have been subconsciously working to the plan!

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  15. Little Blue Mouse3 April 2012 at 21:00

    That is fantastic! It looks so real against the sky.
    What's that black thing hanging up inside, to the left of the window? It looks like a dead crow!

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    1. Elaine3 April 2012 at 21:40

      Hi LBM, I know just what you mean - that's exactly what I thought it was, but it is the remains of a coil of rope. It's one of the broken bits!

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