By the time we got to Woodstock we were half a million strong,
And every where we looked there was a song and a story.

That was written by Joni Mitchell around 40 years ago,
this version happened last Sunday.
For “half a million strong” read “half a dozen strong”

But as for the “song and the story”….

Six old friends, all particularly well endowed with
the gift of tongues, who have met very little for the
last thirty years (being busy conceiving, having,
and rearing our children)
did not , I promise,
leave many lapses in song or story.

Robert, Ann, Dave and Claire, old college friends, came to dinner with us on Saturday.
Well fed, and very relaxed we decided to go and visit Woodstock Demesne on Sunday.
It was at its best.

Wonderful Autumnal Colours

There is a restoration project going on
to restore the formal gardens.

But we were greatful to see that the animals
still remain firmly behind bars.

Woodstock has a marvellous supply of rare
exotic trees.It was great to see that the
Hayesmacoyus was showing some early buds.

But Robert, who took these photos was concerned
at the evidence of strong leaf fall , surely
rare at this time of year?
A sign of Global Warming?

We left puzzling at the nature of this avenue.
Why were the trees so mysterious to us?
Was there some primal link?*

*They are in fact Araucaria araucaria
and the dictionary will solve the puzzle.

Thanks to Robert Hayes McCoy for the photos,
(except the one of the Hayesmacoyus which I took)