Roots and Routes, Et. Al.

 

I hate bulging tree roots when I'm trying to mow the lawn.  

Since we moved here nearly 17 years ago, the tree roots around the yard have extended considerably and have risen above the ground. 

It's not fun mowing around the trees, and these days the weed eater is getting more and more use as the roots continue to expand. 

When I'm not mowing the lawn and simply strolling around, the tree roots don't look so bad, especially those that develop intriguing artistic patterns as they expand. 

Our poplar trees have the most interesting roots, while the others stick up around the evergreens are simply a pain. 

Yesterday was mowing and weed-eating day.  I completed about half of each job and will finish up today. 

Meanwhile, this is a big day for the horses.  

This morning, they received an abbreviated breakfast.  Soon they'll head down the lane, one by one, for their first taste of pasture. 

I'm hoping some of the barnyard mud, caked on their hides from rolling,  will fall off while they're eating. 

Yesterday's mud rolls brought out new frontiers in ugly, especially for Lily with her overall white coat. 

I'm sure it felt good, and I know they'll be really happy horses once they snip off that first bite of green grass. 

Keeping it short, so you can check out Annie's news and pictures below. 

Happy Tuesday. 

Oviedo, Spain, where the Camino Primitivo pilgrimage begins. 

Annie set off on the 199-mile Camino Primitivo today.

 https://adventuregirlannie.com/2023/03/04/the-camino-is-callingand-i-must-go-again/

https://adventuregirlannie.com/2023/05/08/a-long-but-smooth-day-of-travel/

In the second link above, you can view pictures of her walk around Oviedo and her first hours spent in Spain after a long flight from Los Angeles followed by a shorter flight from Madrid to Oviedo where she spent the night. 

The first link takes you to her general "Adventure Annie" blog, in case you've missed previous posts. 

The Camino Primitivo or Original Camino is the oldest Camino de Santiago Route. King Alfonso II the Chaste was the first-ever pilgrim on this route. 

He walked the Camino from the city of Oviedo, in Asturias, to Santiago in the 9th century with a mission: to confirm the remains found in Santiago were indeed those of St James the Apostle.

At the time Oviedo was the capital of the Kingdom of Asturias and the King’s pilgrimage inspired many others to make the journey to Santiago de Compostela.

Pilgrims on the Camino Primitivo came not only from Asturias and other parts of Northern Spain but from further afield and overseas. 

Pilgrims from northern countries would travel by sea and land on the Northern shores of Spain before continuing their journey on foot.

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The scallop shell is one of the most iconic symbols of the Camino de Santiago. 

Today, it is used, along with the yellow arrow, to guide pilgrims heading to Santiago de Compostela along its many different Camino routes. 

Its lines represent the different routes traveled by pilgrims from around the world which all lead to one point, the tomb of Saint James, the Apostle, in Santiago de Compostela.