Playing with Potions

Yesterday I had the great good fortune to go on a day workshop in "compounding and concocting" run by St Martha's Botanica in Glastonbury.

From the left:

• Double Fast Luck
• Money Drawing Oil
• Commanding & Compelling
• Dixie Love Oil
• Fiery Wall of Protection

In the bottles:

• Glory Water
• Peace Water
• Four Thieves Vinegar

In the packets:

• Commanding and Compelling
• "Go Away" Powder
• Money Drawing Powder

This was such fun  ( unfortunately the recipes are not mine to share)   and I've picked up a few useful tips and tricks to try with my own recipes so all in all an extremely good day. The oils will take a week or two to infuse properly before I can try them out.

Firstly though  to find out if the "Go Away" powder works on mice ( and  large spiders!)....   

Water water everywhere

Well after my observation last night that it was raining - it went on to pour. All night I think - at least everytime I woke up I heard the rain lashing down.

It was obviously going to be a fun trip to work so I took a camera with me.

The Cheddar Gorge didn't disappoint. Last time it was this bad, part of the road itself washed away.

Today it was just unpleasant. The main problem is the torrent washes the stones from the edge into the middle of the road , where covered with water you can't always see them.

Drying Times

Yes autumn must be here. The wind is lashing the rain against the windows and there is a steady sizzle from the fireplace as the water comes down the chimney.
 
Last change then to pick and dry things. The apple crop has been a complete and utter failure. A cold wet snap at the wrong time kept the bees away and instead of a good supply of apples for the winter we have barely any. Most of the plum trees had no fruit at all and we got a small bowlful from the one tree that did manage to set fruit.

I have however managed to get hold of a hop bine this year which is drying nicely in the kitchen. I'd like to say I grew it myself but this was from an internet site. Not a lot of hops are grown around here.

Putting it up was "fun" but the flowers we lost in the process are now drying nicely for use in a hop pillow.  Also in the picture are a few rowan berries ( the strung ones are almost but not quite completely dry and a burdock root.

I'm not sure what I'm going to use that for at the moment but the plant has been the bane of my life all summer so it has given me great pleasure to dig it up. The roots go pretty deep and and thick and strong. I may need to take a hacksaw to the main rootstock.