January Journey

[puddleshark]

A grey day. Not much light. 5 degrees C. The wind in the north, but not strong. Dropped the car off to be serviced at half eight. It's a rural garage, a couple of miles from the nearest bus stop. But that's fine. It's a pleasant walk along the back lanes to a neighbouring village: quiet roads, where you meet only the occasional builders' van or septic tank engineer, a few cars belonging to people heading out to check up on their horses in the fields.



Things seen along the lane:

A white builders' van, not very clean. Written in the dirt on the back, some unusually cryptic messages, including "Time for Plan B!"

The stumps of several freshly felled ash trees. Ash Dieback has reached here too.

Red Campion in flower, out of season.




Pennywort (Umbilicus rupestris). Umbilicus for its navel, and rupestris ("of rock") for its habit of growing on rock or on walls. Common in rainy places: south-west England, Wales, Ireland. The fleshy leaves are supposed to be edible, though I've not tried them. A folk remedy for cuts and chilblains was to peel the cuticle from the bottom of the leaf and place the flesh of the leaf against the site to cool inflammation.

Arrived in the neighbouring village with time enough to snaffle up a pastry from the bakery, before catching the bus home. Bus fares are still capped at £2, and the doubledecker bus very busy.

Things seen on the bus:

The driver greeting a regular customer, a very elderly lady with a walking frame, as she slowly climbed on board, with a cheery "Hello again! Don't you go making trouble, you hear!"

I'm not sure whether the elderly customer was responsible or not, but a couple of miles later, the driver pulled up at a bus stop, and switched the engine off. Came upstairs to make the announcement that the bus had developed a leak in a coolant pipe, and the engine was overheating. He was waiting for the bus company to send either an engineer or a replacement bus.

Luckily I was only twenty minutes walk from home at this point, so I got off and headed home on foot.

Comments

[kaishin108]

The Pennywort is beautiful!
I am sorry for your bus ride, bus breaking down but at least you were close.

[puddleshark]

I love Pennywort - like so many magical green pennies growing in the darkness of the sunken lane.

It was quite an exciting bus ride! But I do hope the replacement bus didn't leave the other passengers stranded for too long.

[heleninwales]

I didn't know pennywort was edible. I wonder whether you are supposed to eat it raw or cook it? Ah, a quick google suggests eating it raw in a salad. Next time I see it, I will pick a leaf or two and try it, just out of curiosity. A few of us on a different online forum are doing a 200 plant foods in one year challenge, and the Co-op's fruit and veg selection is somewhat limited, so a bit of foraging will help.

[puddleshark]

From what I've read, the taste of Pennywort depends which type of rock it is growing on... I'm quite curious now, so maybe I will pick a leaf next time, too.

[bunn]

I like pennywort as a snack, though I don't see it much here, there was a lot around in the Tamar Valley though, it loves the wet. A bit leathery at this time of year, but the young leaves are rather nice, bit of a fresh young pea flavour.

[puddleshark]

I often see it growing along sunken lanes here. It seems to love the sandstone walls and the damp.