Acorns and Dreams of the Unknown .......

'Its acorn dropping day' shouted Horensia, I can hear them falling all over the forest!'

'Best sound the alarm' said Archibold as he put on his hard hat (a bottle top with a bit of cushioning underneath and a chin strap to hold it securely in place) 'no one will want to miss out!'

Hortensia climbed up to the top of the tree house and blew into her trumpet, 'Trumph too toooo, Trumph too tooooooo' Now all gnomes instantly know the signal for a grand foraging expedition and soon the gentle plop of acorns landing in the leaves was drowned out by excited calls and rushing feet.

'I've brought my deepest basket' said Aunt Mildred as she puffed along the path, truth to tell it was hard to even see her at all as her basket was so tall and deep and Aunt Mildred was a little little even for a gnome. 'There My Dear, I'll carry it for you, that way you can collect even more' Uncle Humperdinck knew how competitive Aunt Mildred was when out foraging 'don't want to miss out on supplies!'

He had been a bit worried about her lately, she had even refused a fresh mushroom and parsley omelette for tea - one of her absolute favourites - and had then fallen asleep in her chair muttering anxiously.

Aunt Mildred was anxious for she had a secret. Every since she had been a young gnome she had dreamt of going free, of leaving the forest where they were all lived secure and happy and to wander free without a plan to see the world beyond.

'Not that I can tell anyone not even my Humperdinck' she thought 'perhaps I will leave a letter and just go one fine morning and set out and see where I end up? Today though is Acorn Dropping Day" and with that she rushed to her favourite oak tree to gather up as many acorns as she could.

'Remember to leave some for our friends and neighbours' shouted Archibold 'going to be a fierce winter and we all need supplies.' The birds chirped their thanks and looked on in amazement as the  gnomes busily filled their baskets.

Aunt Mildred found herself edging closer along the path to where the forest met the field, Uncle Humperdinck followed her and beginning to understand what was troubling her, asked a special question. 'Why don't we go one day My Dear? Just you and me on an adventure, just see where our feet take us, or even plan a visit to the sea?'

Aunt Mildred looked into Humperdinck's very blue eyes 'Oh Humperdinck, how did you know? I keep feeling the call of new sights and not know quite what to do about it'

'I have been thinking why you might have been troubled and today when I saw you gazing out over the field I just knew, we have been together for so long here in the forest and now is the time for our own adventure, just like these acorns can grow into a tree so can out dreams come true!'

So that was how it came to be that Aunt Mildred and Humperdinck came home and started to pack their baskets for a unexpected trip into the unknown!

Meanwhile of course everyone else was storing acorns and rushing home to warm up with peppermint tea and a scone or two or three!

Today's the day!

I am so sorry for the long delay in writing Hortensia's Dairy, I was unwell for a while but am delighted to now be able to continue with writing about her wonderful family and their adventures...
Alice 

"Today is the first day day for sure Archie!" Hortensia was standing under a large clump of snowdrops breathing in ecstatically  "I can smell Spring!" Archie smiled and patted his waistcoat with delight, "it is true, no question about it, I can feel the earth stirring under my feet!"

Hortensia sighed with the happiness of being able to smell snowdrops again, "nothing like the scent of a young snowdrop, gentle and soft and so sweet, Oh Archie we are lucky to live where we do!" They carried on with their morning walk, busy noticing new buds and listening to the news carried on the breeze as the birds chirped and sang all around.

Eventually they stopped at the edge of the wood and sat on their favourite log to feel the warmth of the spring sunshine on their faces. " Soon be time for picnics" said Archie "and the The Summer Revels will need planning and as for Mrs Busgrove's new vegetable patch, well we will have to decide whether to continue or not, so much to do now that Spring is on its way!"

Hortensia smiled, "Dearest Archibold, what would we do with out you thinking and planning? Simply so exciting to think of all the planting and pruning ahead of us, and isn't this the summer that we promised to visit our friends in the Far North?"

" So it is My Dear, so it is and that is quite something to think about, several weeks we will have to be gone and many are the duties that we will have to ask others to take on for us whilst we are away, but when I think of the golden summer light and of the great trees roaring in the wind, why I know we simply have to go!"

Hortensia shut her eyes and remembered the sound of the wind and of the green of the moss, suddenly she opened them wide "why Archie, we mustn't forget the mushrooms, such mushrooms as I had never tasted before, why we have to go, if only to be able to bring some home to dry for winter!'

Archie smiled with relief, he longed to be free and on a wander, "perhaps July My Dear, perhaps July might be a good month?"

So as they munched on their rather wrinkly crab apples and shared a flap jack between them, they started discussing their plans for their next great escapade!