Post by Tracy on Oct 4, 2017 15:58:36 GMT -5
Excerpt from the Redwall Abbey records.
I'm a bit late on my seasonal update, but I shall do my best to catch everything up, my reader.
Looking back on my entry from the Summer Solstice, it's clear I was a mite too hopeful for our summer weather this year. Our heavy spring rains continued right through our summer, and the summer really only served to make them that much more severe. The drenching rains brought along the company of strong winds and terrible thunder and lightning. On the clear days that are becoming a little more frequent at last, one can see from our walltops a truly astonishing number of our tallest Mossflower trees felled by the summer storms.
That is, if you can find your way to sneak up to the walls. Sadly, our efforts in shoring up our south wall have been undone by Mother Nature. The soaked earth and heavy winds have made the situation even worse and it seems we'll need to properly rebuild a large section of it this season. Although it seems the rest of our walls are sound, we're being discouraged from spending time on the walltops until a thorough inspection is done of it all. Dibbuns aren't allowed up at all. Of course, they had little to no interest in being up there until the very moment they were told they couldn't. I am forever wrangling down little ones that sneak up the stairwells.
Under ordinary circumstances, the need to rebuild a portion of our sturdy walls wouldn't be much cause for concern, and seems perfectly reasonable after so much time. However, there has been clear unrest in Mossflower, and the western woodlands. So far all accounts that have come by Redwall have been secondhand at best. Rumors of vermin bands, isolated incidents of violence and unknown vessels near the western shore and in our waterways. The accounts are becoming more and more frequent, but still too disjointed to know what, if anything, is happening in Mossflower.
We did have a visit earlier in the summer from a couple members of the Long Patrol, one former Redwall resident Ripley Contarelle and another Cordin Dorchester. Although I didn't have much chance to speak with them myself, through conversations with Abbess Bardineta and with Hafi, it seemed the Long Patrollers were already concerned something was afoot in our woodlands. This was before any whispers started to reach our abbey, so by all accounts we had very little information to provide them, and they had very little to give us in return. I hope we hear from the Long Patrol again before long.
I've only just realized I've come so far along in this entry, and I haven't even mentioned the name of our new season! We have christened this the Autumn of Long Rice. We supposed from all the rain causing overflowing waterways and new small tributaries in our woods, an unexpected wild crop of long-grain rice has taken up residence in areas not far outside the abbey. Although we are all plenty over the rains, a surprising abundance of rice in our own woodlands is a consolation.
Another small favorable outcome of all this rain is the new game some of our more adventurous residents have concocted. Some sources say our own Tobber came up with the game, but there are perhaps half a dozen others staking that claim. Using the wood from some of our locally downed trees, there have been repeated contests of who can make the sturdiest raft and they then use the winning rafts to wrestle each other off into the water. This is obviously for our stronger swimmers, but you would be surprised how many of our youngsters are becoming expert swimmers with our swollen pond and flooded orchard.
Whether you are reading this as one of our own or a temporary visitor, I am happy you found a little time to hear our stories and join our lives. As always, Redwall's gates are always welcome to the kind-hearted, and to the empty-bellied. Come in and have a bowl of our creamy rice pudding. If you find yourself in some far-flung future where we've somehow forgotten our recipe, I've been careful to transcribe it below. Many happy returns.
Faithfully,
Priya Yewbrush, Recorder of Redwall Abbey.
I'm a bit late on my seasonal update, but I shall do my best to catch everything up, my reader.
Looking back on my entry from the Summer Solstice, it's clear I was a mite too hopeful for our summer weather this year. Our heavy spring rains continued right through our summer, and the summer really only served to make them that much more severe. The drenching rains brought along the company of strong winds and terrible thunder and lightning. On the clear days that are becoming a little more frequent at last, one can see from our walltops a truly astonishing number of our tallest Mossflower trees felled by the summer storms.
That is, if you can find your way to sneak up to the walls. Sadly, our efforts in shoring up our south wall have been undone by Mother Nature. The soaked earth and heavy winds have made the situation even worse and it seems we'll need to properly rebuild a large section of it this season. Although it seems the rest of our walls are sound, we're being discouraged from spending time on the walltops until a thorough inspection is done of it all. Dibbuns aren't allowed up at all. Of course, they had little to no interest in being up there until the very moment they were told they couldn't. I am forever wrangling down little ones that sneak up the stairwells.
Under ordinary circumstances, the need to rebuild a portion of our sturdy walls wouldn't be much cause for concern, and seems perfectly reasonable after so much time. However, there has been clear unrest in Mossflower, and the western woodlands. So far all accounts that have come by Redwall have been secondhand at best. Rumors of vermin bands, isolated incidents of violence and unknown vessels near the western shore and in our waterways. The accounts are becoming more and more frequent, but still too disjointed to know what, if anything, is happening in Mossflower.
We did have a visit earlier in the summer from a couple members of the Long Patrol, one former Redwall resident Ripley Contarelle and another Cordin Dorchester. Although I didn't have much chance to speak with them myself, through conversations with Abbess Bardineta and with Hafi, it seemed the Long Patrollers were already concerned something was afoot in our woodlands. This was before any whispers started to reach our abbey, so by all accounts we had very little information to provide them, and they had very little to give us in return. I hope we hear from the Long Patrol again before long.
I've only just realized I've come so far along in this entry, and I haven't even mentioned the name of our new season! We have christened this the Autumn of Long Rice. We supposed from all the rain causing overflowing waterways and new small tributaries in our woods, an unexpected wild crop of long-grain rice has taken up residence in areas not far outside the abbey. Although we are all plenty over the rains, a surprising abundance of rice in our own woodlands is a consolation.
Another small favorable outcome of all this rain is the new game some of our more adventurous residents have concocted. Some sources say our own Tobber came up with the game, but there are perhaps half a dozen others staking that claim. Using the wood from some of our locally downed trees, there have been repeated contests of who can make the sturdiest raft and they then use the winning rafts to wrestle each other off into the water. This is obviously for our stronger swimmers, but you would be surprised how many of our youngsters are becoming expert swimmers with our swollen pond and flooded orchard.
Whether you are reading this as one of our own or a temporary visitor, I am happy you found a little time to hear our stories and join our lives. As always, Redwall's gates are always welcome to the kind-hearted, and to the empty-bellied. Come in and have a bowl of our creamy rice pudding. If you find yourself in some far-flung future where we've somehow forgotten our recipe, I've been careful to transcribe it below. Many happy returns.
Faithfully,
Priya Yewbrush, Recorder of Redwall Abbey.