The air's gettin' chill and the harvest is near to done out in the fields, now that Wintring's come. Seems I'm all manner of confused about what they call Harvestmath, though. The festival called that, which don't happen until just after the month called that ends, ain't a harvest festival at all, which I reckon makes sense since the harvest is near done. I don't know what it's meant for to be. There's all manner of unsettlin' things going on there and I don't much care for it, but whatever it is, it's sure as it ain't a place to take someone for dancin' and merriment. There's no races and contests to win a prize for your lass, no music to dance to, no displays of bountiful food, none of the joy and mirth as I were hopin' for. We got horses ready to go up to the festival grounds but there's near to nothin' there. I were so lookin' forward to takin' Lumina to it. I reckon we'll have to save that anticipification for the Yule Festival.
But there was a Harvestmath Ball afore it, hosted by a Miss Piper, what I did mean to take her to, and wish as I could've done. It had all the things as I were hopin' from the festival, except that there weren't much dancin', leastwise not afore I left. But there was merriment and folk dressin' up, and even contests. (I got pushed into one about eatin' pies -- just think, a contest about eatin' pie! Anyone can eat pie, you can't do it better or worse. But I reckon someone got mixed up atween what a contest and a race is; this one were who ate the pie faster.) I even got a fancified costume made up, made from silk and real gold embroidery, prob'ly cost more'n all the other clothes I ever had in my whole life put together, made up to look like a prospersome merchant from the Dale-lands as I saw when I was there (though didn't win that contest neither). The sad part, though, is Lumina took ill just afore the ball, and didn't feel up to comin'. It were fine merriment, but could been so much more with her there, and with me gettin' to see the princess costume she were meanin' to have for it.
Instead I left the ball early so's I could hurry back to Hookworth for to take care of her. She's pretty much moved in entire to my house (reckon I should say our house) which made it easier for to care for her. In fact I gave up them rooms at Windview (already paid to the end of the month though so I still got them) now that we're both settled in Hookworth together. The house smells of spice and peppers now (she’s dryin’ peppers for cookin’, and gave me a jar of 'em to take with me when I eat at the Pony to spice things up). She even been cookin’ things for me to take with me to the stable to eat partway through the day; Master Rosewood’s envious some, though not too much, on account the spiciness don’t appeal much to most Bree-folk.
It's almost like us movin' in has waked up Hookworth itself -- I saw folk movin' things in and out of the old pub what closed down while I were away up north, and it's openin' again with a new name, I hear tell. That'll be nice, though now I got a most fine cook livin' in my house I won't have near so much need of a pub in town! The Turtle always made good food, but Breeish, and now I've been havin' hot and spicy Haradhrim food and took a liking to the pepper and spice, Breeish food seems plain and ordinary to me. Imagine what my ma would think to see me turn my nose up at reg'lar roast and stew! (Come to think on't, imagine what she'd think to see me havin' a lass livin' in my house with me…)
