I adore conker time and enjoying it with Sam is just so fabulous. My Dad taught me all about hunting the conker and he was probably taught by my Grandad. So passing on The Knowledge to my own son feels a little like passing on the Wisdom Of The Ancients to the next generation. I felt very happy out there in the gale today but also with a slight hint of sadness as I wish my Dad could have seen Sam enjoying this annual fun as much as I must have done when I was his age.
　

Lots of things are becoming more apparent to me about my own relationship with my Dad as Sam gets older. I passed the same milestones and landmarks as Sam is now reaching and I wonder whether Dad felt so all-consumingly proud of me as I do of Sam. I think he probably did but he didn’t express it.
　

Conker time. Spelling tests. Watching The Italian Job together for the first time. All these things and more are proving so bloody good to me as Sam’s Dad…did my Dad think the same way?

Anyway we knew all along that this year’s conker harvest would be bountiful because Nana told us so in springtime when the horse chestnuts were overloaded with their “candle” flowers. She wasn’t wrong. We don’t really have to throw sticks to dislodge conkers there are so many lying around the bases of the trees. We still did throw sticks of course that’s the most exciting part. One of last year’s sticks gave up the ghost (it conk-er-ed out a-ha) but the other returned to the flat to rest over winter.

We gathered a bumper crop. Mainly big ‘uns. Sam also found the smallest conker he could locate. On Tuesday we’ll be deciding which one is King Conker 2009 to take the crown from last year’s monster. Sam took some to his Mum’s house tonight.
　
　

On a conker-related note I texted The New Girl On The Scene (not decided how to refer to her here yet) and said that “all four of us” would go conkering next year. She was a bit surprised and asked if I was that sure I’d still be around at that time. I hope I will.