I can only apologise for the lateness of this chapter! Christmas was hectic, and I've been away, and had exams at college. I do hope that you all haven't lost faith in me, as I have not been keeping up with my reviews either. But fear not, I think I have some free time on my hands over the next few weeks (I've begun to forget what free-time actually is!) I shall try and catch up. Anything which I was supposed to review and didn't, if you could leave me a little note in your review, it would help me prioritise!
Replies to reviews:
Gamgeefest: Sometimes we do get snow where I live, but alas, none this year. I'll keep up the work if you keep up the reviews!
Shirebound: I'm glad to have brought back memories of your own, for that is what the story is all about after all! And I really do appreciate you pointing out my mistakes, I just haven't got round to changing them yet! As for words that are spelt wrong regularly, such as Hobbiton, it seems my computer has its own ideas of how such words should be spelt, and whenever I type them, it changes them. I'm pretty computer illiterate, so I don't know how to change it!
No 1 fan: I am so glad that you are enjoying the story! I thank you for your comments! They mean so much to me.
My very own Sam: The beginning, a very good place to start! Apparently sledding is a word, I wrote sledging first off, but the computer changed it to `sledding`. I checked in the dictionary, and `sled` is there. Drat that it didn't snow this year, but I suppose it would have been too much of a coincidence if it did! And this chapter is especially for you, just think of pistachio nuts while sat on my bed. And of course, the library at college, where the idea to change that into a chapter really started off.
Celebrindal: Hobbits, snow and hot chocolate, yes, I like that combination! It was that thought (among others) that managed to get me through my exams last week! And Samisness does deserve to go in the dictionary, which is why I invented my own middle earth dictionary. So many uses for such words!
Mousegal: I'm glad that you only ever have good things to say! It would put a damper on my spirits if you came back and said that I couldn't write fanfic for all the brew in the Shire! And I tried to bring you a little bit of Christmas snow, since it didn't snow here. Loved your review, as always, keep them coming!
Bookworm2000: ok ok, I got the picture, that you like to doodle lotr in your notebook. I must admit that I do the same, though my drawings rarely go beyond the scenery, and maybe the backs of the characters. Drawing is not one of my talents!
Arwen undomiel3: I am planning to bring Merry and Pippin back into a chapter soon, the next one in fact, if all goes to plan. (Though by the way things have gone recently, that may all change!) Glad you're enjoying, please do keep up with the nice reviews, they mean so much to me.
Obelia medusa (fellow Gamgee fan club member, 50th reviewer and number 1 jellyfish fan): I am sorry to keep you waiting! I know I always pester you when it comes to updating, but I am finally beginning to understand what is meant by the term `work over load! ` Keep up with the nice reviews, the Gamgee Boys and the girls also will be making an appearance in a later chapter.
Samwise the brave: The `aw` factor is what I always strive to achieve! It's good that I seem to be succeeding! And talking of fun having a sleep over, stay tuned.. Things might just go that way in later chapters!
Cosmo-queen: what an extremely long review, and I loved every minute of it! Thank you for pointing out your favourite parts, it really does help to know what you like to read, as it helps with the way things are written and described. I'm glad you pointed out the `mischievous adventurous part of Bilbo's personality`. He doesn't tend to feature in this story very much, but he is one of my favourite characters in the whole of literature, so when he is here, I try to give him some of the best lines! And also, Sam looking up at the stars as he does so often in lord of the rings is another one of those things that I have tried to relate to his older adulthood. I believe that things about your personality change very little as you grow, so by establishing some of Sam's characteristics young, I hope to make the characters seem more like the ones which we know and love. Not only did you babble on in your review, but I babbled on in my answer also!
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Memories of a Gardener
By Michelle Frodo
Chapter 9 – Autumn Leaves
Sam sighed, and lowered himself onto his chair. Sorting through papers was the job that he hated the most, and he had been putting off these since before mid-year. They were stacked high on his desk, and today seemed like the best day to finally get down to some filing, the weather preventing him from doing much else.
He began to write the date at the top of his ledger, when he suddenly stopped. September 22nd. It was Frodo and Bilbo's Birthday. For the first few years after Frodo had left, Sam had celebrated his friends' birthday non-the less. Now he had forgotten about it.
Sam scribbled some numbers down on a piece of paper, and came to the conclusion that today Frodo was celebrating his 74th birthday. He scribbled some more, and discovered that dear old Bilbo would be 152. If he was still alive.
Would they be having a party, wherever they were now? Sam tried to think back to everything he had ever learnt about the elves, and couldn't think about them mentioning birthdays before. But he was sure that the day wouldn't pass unnoticed by Gandalf.
All thoughts of filing papers forgotten, Sam stood up from his chair and walked over to the shelf, where Frodo's box lay. It had been so long since Sam had opened it, a thin layer of dust had settled along the top. He opened it now.
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It was autumn. The Shire was turning from its usual green to a mass of browns, reds and yellows. The inhabitants of Hobbiton were getting themselves ready for winter.
Bilbo had sent Frodo to pick up a book from Bywater, along with a few last minute items that couldn't be bought from the local market.
Sam had been sent by his mother to gather some blackberries, so that she could begin to make some jam. The pair had met at the bottom of the lane. Sam had accompanied Frodo to Bywater, and now they were journeying home slowly, looking for berries as they went.
"Ouch!" Frodo sighed, sucking his finger where he had pricked himself for the hundredth time that day. "I know, I know," he said, even before Sam could open his mouth. "Be careful of the thorns Mr Frodo," the tween said, imitating his friend.
"How'd you know I was `bout to say that?" Sam asked with an amused smile.
"Because you're said it a hundred times already" Frodo answered, slightly annoyed.
"Well, you've gone an' pricked your finger only as many times." Sam said. Frodo opened his mouth, but couldn't really think of a good reply to that, so he closed it again. They both glared at each other, before breaking into laughter.
"Think we've just 'bout got 'em all off this bush." Sam said, and they carried on walking towards Hobbiton, keep an eye out for more blackberry bushes along the way. They passed beneath an apple blossom tree, flowers long gone, and its leaves all different shades of red, many of them already littering the ground.
"Don't you just love autumn?" Frodo asked, breathing deeply.
"Not really" Sam answered, a slight frown appearing on his face at the sight of all the dead leaves.
"You don't?" Frodo replied slightly surprised. "Why not?"
"It makes me sad. All the trees an' the flowers an' the plants dyin' like."
"Well, they have to die to grow again," said Frodo matter of factly.
"You have to be sick to get better again, but that doesn't mean you have to enjoy it." Sam sighed. "Gaffer'd most likely say I was bein' silly. After all, tis only a season, an' it comes every year, jus' like spring. But I enjoy spring, when all the flowers are just startin' to grow, an' the gardens are comin' to life. Then the autumn always comes, an' all the hard work you put in to make them nice is a waste, they all jus' die."
"Well look at it this way," Frodo said, trying to cheer his friend up. "If you didn't have autumn, you couldn't have spring."
"I suppose not," Sam said, stopping to start picking blackberries off another bush. "But I still don't enjoy it."
"But there's lots of good things about autumn" Frodo said, being careful not to prick his fingers again as he parted another branch.
"Name one" Said Sam, popping a blackberry into his mouth.
"That" said Frodo with a smile.
"What?" Sam asked, looking around puzzled. Frodo laughed.
"Blackberries. You only get blackberries in autumn, without autumn, we'd have none of your Mam's jam, nor any blackberry tarts."
"That's true enough" Sam said with a smile, "Though we aren't goin' to have many anyways, judgin' by the amount you've just eaten, beggin' your pardon for sayin' so."
"How many did I eat?" Frodo asked, looking concerned.
"Near eleven by my count, or I'm a cave troll."
"Well, can't leave it on an odd number" Frodo said, picking the remaining two ripe berries, ate one himself, and passed the other one to Sam.
"What else do you like about autumn Mr Frodo?" Sam asked, as they carried on walking.
"The weather" Frodo answered, looking up at the sky.
"The weather?" Sam asked, also looking upwards. "What could you like about the weather? T'aint warm, an' it ain't cold like, it don't rain proper, only that little bit o' rain that comes in from the side, but still gets you wet in seconds. What's there to like?"
"Well" Frodo hesitated, trying to find the right words. "The weather…its…..Well its…it's blustery." He finally said with a smile.
"Blustery? Now I reckon you made that up Mr Frodo, I ain't never heard o' Blustery before, and that's a fact."
"Whether the word is real or not, that's what I like about the weather all the same. I've never been fond of hot weather; I tend to get sunburn too easily. In autumn the sun is not as hot, and it's not too cold. You have to wear a coat, but not a cloak, it's not too hot, not too cold, it's just right."
"But the wind pulls all the poor leaves off the trees."
"I like walking when the leaves are falling. I used to pretend that every leaf you caught as it fell made a wish come true."
Sam laughed heartily. "Daisy used t'play that game with me when I was littler."
"When you were younger." Frodo corrected.
"Yeah, that too." Sam said with a smile, as they continued down the path. "I wish the trees were green all year round. They're so much prettier when they got a bit o' green on them"
"There used to be trees in Buckland which were green all year round. Merry used to call them `always greens`."
"Aye, Gaffer mentioned them to me like, but we're not supposed to get them round here, soils not right."
"Are you sure?" Frodo asked with a smile, as just at that moment, a great pine tree came into view just off the path.
Sam stood in the shadow of the immense tree, with its little green needles clinging stubbornly to the branches.
"This must be the only tree like that for miles." He said absent-mindedly, not even realising he was talking aloud. He took a step backwards, and yelped. He had stood on a pine cone. While he was cursing and rubbing the bottom of his foot, Frodo picked up the `blasted thing` and held it out to Sam, who took it from him.
"There you are Sam, whenever you feel like Spring will never come, just remind yourself that there is always greenery somewhere."
Sam laughed, and looked at his pine cone.
"It looks like a hedgehog. And look!" he pointed to another slightly smaller version. "We can have a family of them!"
"I shouldn't think that your mum would be very pleased if a family of hedgehogs moved into your house Sam." Frodo laughed, picking yet another cone up.
The pair continued to talk about pine cones and hedgehogs all the way home. They had to laugh at the number of people who gave them funny looks as they passed, talking such nonsense. It really was no wonder that people in Hobbiton thought of Frodo as being `cracked`.
They parted at the front gate of Bag End. Frodo dashed up the steps two at a time with Bilbo's parcel. Sam continued off down the path, when he heard Frodo shouting from behind.
"Beg pardon Mr Frodo?" Sam shouted back, not quite hearing him.
"I said" Frodo shouted back "That you have to like autumn, because it's my birthday soon!" and with that, he walked through the door, and was gone.
Sam walked back down to number 3, and met his Gaffer at the gate.
"Want a word with you Sam my lad." Hamfast said.
"What abou' Da?"
"People in town was tellin' me some funny stories when I was walkin' home, somehtin' about you an' Mr Frodo talkin' about hedgehogs which grow on trees."
Sam laughed. "That's one of the good things about havin' close friends Da'." He answered. "You can talk absolute nonsense, an' they will talk it with you."
~*~
Sam smiled as he replaced the pine cone back to the box. Secretly, he wished Frodo a very happy birthday, wherever he was, whatever he was doing. Then he sat back down to finish his paper work.
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May Elbereth bless my reviewers; Flames will be used in destroying the Ring
This chapter was brought to you by Long Bottom leaf & co. (Not a distant relative of Treebeard we might add)