Here are my puny rhubarb stalks:
But I will not be cruel to the rhubarb, it leads a heathy, outdoor life. The evil ways of the Rhubarb Triangle stop at the Newcastle ferry. We don’t “force” our rhubarb to do anything it doesn’t want to do. And, frankly, it doesn’t want to do very much.
On the other side of the fence stands Holly, on her way to work:
Update. Here is a closeup of Holly’s front, left leg, so you can see where she kneels on it:
A Bad Guide 
Let me get this straight: There is not very much that your rhubarb doesn’t want to do?
Okay, I’ll try and look at it more positively.
Well, the smaller the more delicate. You should be happy they’re puny. We had the rough kind rather than the red ‘wine’ rhubarb, so we had to harvest them early for them to be edible.
Is that right? Thanks. I had no idea, though it stands to reason.
That’s exactly the right size to eat, although the stalks could be a little longer. Later in the season they’ll get thicker (if you don’t pull them all out to eat them) and they won’t be as tender.
Some people prefer Sili’s green kind, especially for pies, although the stalks on those are usually thicker, because they have a sharper, tarter flavor. (They also require more sugar in the recipe.) If you make the kind of pie with eggs and grenadine syrup (strawberries optional) , you’ll definitely want the red rhubarb.
I just noticed Holly’s knees. Are they naturally hairless?
No, we shave them every two weeks.
Holly looks so blissfully content – if you could find a way to bottle that for humans on their way to work, you’d be in the clover (or rhubarb) for life.
Why? The eyes too?
Honestly, Nij. You’ll believe anything. No, we don’t really shave Holly’s knees. I’m not sure what’s going on with them, I’ll have a look tomorrow,
I’m very sorry about your flu, Stuart. I’d mail you some rhubarb, but I don’t think it would last the trip.
Thanks for the kind thoughts. One of the things I’ve noticed about the illness is that I’ve been very observant of the language related to the incident – things like the doctor referring to it as ‘the novel flu’ and describing the virus as susceptible to Tamiflu, rather than saying that Tamiflu is effective against the virus. Also the fact that I recognised “urticaria”, which I developed in reaction to the meds. I blame the company i’ve been keeping here for this fixation on words.
I noticed the knees, too (or whatever we are supposed to call them — really homologous to our wrists), but guessed that they are a kind of normal callus in an animal that perhaps has frequent occasion to rest on that part.
However, I believed you about shaving them. I offer up this unnecessary confession in hopes that it will go a little way toward ameliorating poor Ms Camelsnose’s bad day. (I don’t know her well enough to call her Nijma, let alone Nij.)
” No, we don’t really shave Holly’s knees. I’m not sure what’s going on with them, I’ll have a look tomorrow”
Even in my addlepated state I knew that you must have been kidding. Wouldn’t it be normal for goats’ knees to be hairless, given that they can opften be seen kneeling on those very knees?
He probably lied about the arm, too.
It reminds me of the pads cats and dogs have behind their paws.
It should distract you from your misery.
And what about “tgg”? Is that Mr. or Ms. or do we have to invent a new title? And how do you pronounce it? Tug? Tag? Or is it more of a Klingon sort of throat sound?
Yesterday I was unhappy, but today my computer problems are solved.
Tha’ts okay, though, since Nijma isn’t my real name.
Yes, my arm is merely Photoshopped.
Yes.
A horse has hard skin half-way up the inside of his legs. It’s called a ‘chestnut’.
I gave essentially no thought to the selection of a screen name (is that the right term?) when I wandered into LH the other day and got hooked; I was impatient to begin commenting. I am totally new to the world of blogs. I am thinking of changing my name, but have not thought about it very hard. I need something I can live with, clever but not too clever. Suggestions are welcome.
clever, but not too clever
It’s a bit long, though.