Down by the Cattle Pond

Nighttime on Still Waters

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There is a spot of ground that is special to me. Perhaps you have one too. They often are not particularly attractive, but somehow they are places we can go to find quietness. Join me to tonight when we visit one of my special places as we go down to the cattle pond with the help of Wendell Berry.

Journal entry:

27th July, Wednesday

“Drifts of mist rise and ghost upon the water
In the pre-dawn light.
The air is deliciously cool.

The heron is in the cow-splash down by the oaks
I climb the hill
And look down on dawn.

And wish for rain.”

Episode Information:

In this episode I read a very short extract from Simon Barnes’ excellent, quirky, and altogether wonderful, A Bad Birdwatcher’s Companion published (2005) by Short Books.

I also read Wendell Berry’s poem ‘A Standing Ground’ which can be found in his volume The Peace of Wild Things: And other poems published (2018) by Penguin Books. You can listen and watch Mary Berry read this poem here: ‘A Standing Ground.’

For more information about Nighttime on Still Waters

You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com. It will also allow you to become more a part of the podcast and you can leave comments, offer suggestions, and reviews. You can even, if you want, leave me a voice mail by clicking on the microphone icon.

General Details

In the intro and the outro, Saint-Saen's The Swan is performed by Karr and Bernstein (1961) and available on CC at archive.org.
Two-stroke narrowboat engine recorded by 'James2nd' on the River Weaver, Cheshire. Uploaded to Freesound.org on 23rd June 2018. Creative Commons Licence.

Piano and keyboard interludes composed and performed by Helen Ingram.

All other audio recorded on

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For more information about Nighttime on Still Waters

You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com.

Chapters

1. Introduction (00:00:00)

2. Journal entry (00:00:45)

3. Welcome to NB Erica (00:01:12)

4. News from the moorings (00:02:27)

5. Simon Barnes on gold finches (00:04:06)

6. Cabin chat (00:13:22)

7. Down by the Cattle Pond (00:15:54)

8. Wendell Berry's poem 'A Standing Ground' (00:17:15)

9. Signing off (00:32:10)

10. Weather Log (00:32:28)