Sunny.

For most of the day it has been very warm but as soon as the clouds appeared, just I arrived back to Borth it got a lot colder.

For once the roads were almost completely empty as I drove to the stables. That is until I turned on to the track that runs along the steam railway. There my way was blocked by the cows that graze that meadow. They had started to move off the road as I reached for my camera and my windscreen is blurry from the sea salt that builds up but I thought it was an amusing start to my day.

When I got to the stables and checked the 'list' to see which horses we had been given I was surprised to see that it said 'hack' rather than lesson. We didn't mind too much as it was a glorious morning but in the end it turned out to be a simple mistake and we had our lesson in the school as usual. I had Cadno as the girl who leases Margaret was riding her in the lesson. We did that odd thing again of riding a 20m circle but with the horse bending the opposite way. It helps the horses' suppleness and is the basis for some of the more advanced dressage movements. It takes a lot more concentration from the rider though at least this time I knew what I was trying to achieve. I didn't do so well with the cantering we did later, I'd run out of steam by then and Cadno was happy to take advantage and fall back into trot before I asked him to.

I still don't know if we're going out for a full day's riding on Monday. I have to wait for a phone call as I think it depends on the numbers.

 

After the lesson I called in at Screwfix on the industrial estate and bought more filler for the doorframe and then went and bought some bright blue gloss paint for the door. 

Town is buzzing at the moment, filled with holidaymakers and petrolheads as Aberystwyth hosts Rali Ceredigion, a rally car event both in town and in the surrounding countryside and mountains. While being aware that motor sports are inherently bad for the environment at the same time it is good to see the town filled with so many people. There are two large areas, the playing fields down by Morrisons and one much nearer to the centre of town where the rally teams are set up and those who are interested can go and stare at noisy cars. There's also a beer festival going on with one of the small side streets cordoned off and given over to tables so that people can enjoy craft beers and listen to more music.

Coming in from the stables I was nipping down the main road at about 50mph, well within the limit for that road, with a steady stream of cars going past me in the opposite direction when suddenly there was a Whoosh and a car shot past me. For a second I thought it was a police car by the way it was lit up but when I looked in my rear view mirror I could see a rally car fishtailing along the road as the driver realised there were cars ahead. That sort of irresponsible driving is not only very dangerous but p.......s everyone else off.

I didn't have a very successful shopping time in town. My first mission was to take the mount (from inside a painting I want to hang in our bedroom) to the picture framer in the Market Hall. The mount was affected by the condensation in the loft and has foxing (small marks caused by mould) so I want to have a new mount cut. However after I had tramped all the way up the hill I found the framers was closed with a note on the window saying they wouldn't be opening until September 5th. (A passer-by told me this was due to illness in the family.) That meant having to carry the large mount around the rest of the shops until I got back to the car. Then since I hadn't had my camera with me last night I thought I'd go in the museum and take some photos. But when I got there I found that it was closed for lunch so had to abandon that plan. By this time I was getting hot and bothered in my riding gear especially seeing lots of people in shorts and summer wear.

By the time I got home I was worn out and only had the energy to throw everything in the washing machine before trying to catch the last of the day's sun out on the terrace before the fast approaching clouds rolled in.