I have power

Over inanimate objects.
I'm packing. We're away for the weekend. One of my skills is the ability to confine an unbelievably large amount of stuff into a ridiculously small space. This is a good thing of course when you have little space and much to put in it (it was a very good thing when we used to cram two babies and all our worldly posessions into a mini estate). It's also a bad thing as it means I can satisfy my foolish desire to take all my worldly posessions with me wherever we go. Well nearly all.
Other people who I very much admire have the complementary skill of being able to travel light! And to live in simplicity.
If only I had the photos still, of the lawn completely covered with things I planned to get into the car and the amazing neatness with which it all fitted in...nappies and spare tyre to hand mind you.
It's to do with fear of boredom. I am horrified if confronted by the possibiity of being bored away from home. I'm not sure from where that stems...one day I'll think about it. Could be from having moved to 3 homes and five schools before I was 18?

So. We are camping in Bampton where we will fly kites, juggle and play silly games on the camp site, drink a lot, eat a lot and on Monday, watch/follow a morris team around the village all day...pausing only to eat, drink and (in my case) take a lot of pictures. (mostly pictures of the fabulous gardens and old stone houses, since I have enough pictures of morris dancers to make you wonder if I do incest too{Quote: Sir Thomas Beecham}) There will be late night long conversations (and more drinking) in the tent. There will be live music in all the pubs all weekend. there will be children everywhere. Sadly, only youngest (of ours) still comes even though it's her birthday this weekend. But she will bring GB and who knows, maybe that will be a continuity. There will be seething crowds of people we've seen year in and year out and have only nodding acquaintance with.
We've been doing this for 32 years and consequently have many good friends in the village as well as the crowd who turn up every year like us so there will be catching up to do as well.
My favourite quote from all those years was from a local publican when asked on a friday night when was closing time. "Oh about 3 oclock on Tuesday"
Er, I will be coming home on Saturday afternoon to go to music group and collect all those things which asorted people forgot to bring and need to borrow and also to collect the giant pork pie made by our local butcher which some twenty people share on Monday. But I may not have time to come here. so have a fabulous weekend everyone. See you next week (Tuesday ish when the pubs close).

I love walled gardens...with mansions probably hiding behind them.

I think this qualifies as a tree mansion?