Beach Walk.

The day began blowy but dry with the rain and wilder weather arriving later in the afternoon. I started my day with half an hour of standing Pilates to ease out the usual morning aches and pains. This was the first time over the holiday that I've actually got around to doing this and when I went on to FB to find one of Rachel's reels there was a video which she had posted today. If you would like to try this relaxed session you can find it here . The exercises start at 5 minutes in as Rachel gave people time to get organised first. (This bit of text won't justify.)

While it was still dry I went for a walk along the beach to blow away the cobwebs. It was fun striding up the beach with the wind pushing me from behind. Not quite so easy when I turned around but at least I had my clear wrap-around glasses on.

 

At home I had one job scheduled which was to hoover the bedroom carpet. Afterwards as usual I unwound all my long hairs that had wound themselves around the brush head. Then I noticed that the brush head was grubby inside, maybe because the utility room where the hoover is stored is slightly damp. Out came the screwdriver and I began to dismantle the brush head. It took me a while to realise I needed to ping out the two small wheels to get access to one more set of screws. That done it all came apart revealing great clumps of hair (cat and mine) and dust jamming up every corner including around the few moving parts. It took a while but I got it all out. That should help it work more efficiently. 

The storm is here in earnest now so I don't hold out much hope for any New Year's Eve fireworks for us to watch. We're not party people and will have our usual quiet evening tonight. 

Another Walk.

There was a tiny patch of blue in the sky and it wasn't raining, hooray. With the next storm and a yellow warning for wind due in tomorrow we decided to blow away the cobwebs and head out for a walk in the hills.  

Yesterday I had realised that going up to the high country behind Penrhyn-coch was the perfect place to take Peter walking. Not only was it close to home but the road along the ridge afforded amazing views on either side without the blind bends and steep drops of the mountain road that Peter really doesn't like. Also walking on a level road is much safer for his ankles as any small injury can set off his immune system arthritis. 

So off we went and had a steady stroll around Llyn Blaenmelindwr. There wasn't much sun and the light wind blowing from the north felt rather icy. But we were well wrapped up and it was lovely to be out. 

There were far fewer people around today, just a few cyclists, a couple of cars and a lady with her dog. Her dog was a springer spaniel who had a wonderful time swimming in the lake.

By the time we got home the wind was picking up whipping up the waves right across the bay. The latest news on our recycling collection is that they will try and collect next Saturday. I've put our recycling bags in the bins beside the garage as I don't fancy having the contents strewn across the street. I've also put my neighbour's bags in her bin as she isn't well at the moment.

All that's left to do today is my Duo Lingo (I'm being lazy and just doing practice exercises not bothering to write anything down in my notebook) and maybe play the piano.

A Wet Walk.

I got up while it was still dark and sat in the doorway with my tea and Speedy on my lap (just Speedy not the tea) as it looked quite wet outside. While I waited for the dark to lift I pondered on the lights I could see in the distance. Every now and again I would see the light from a lighthouse far across the sea on the Llyn. Porthmadog was hidden by the sea mist but there was the bright string of lights pinpointing Tywyn. For a while the blue lights of an emergency vehicle flashed somewhere on the coast road beyond Aberdyfi. If it was an ambulance I hope that everyone was okay. Aberdyfi itself was lit up along the coast road and then came the giant headlights of the local train coming round the corner to our local station and on to Aberystwyth. Even when it's dark there is always plenty to see.

The morning was cloudy but dry and I set off with high hopes for the Sunday group walk. But by the time I had driven along the high ridge that leads inland from Penrhyn-coch to the car park in the forest by Llyn Padarn the clouds were down to ground level and it was definitely raining. It was so wet that my camera stayed in my back pack the whole time. I was glad that I had put on waterproof trousers and jacket over my usual walking attire before we set off.  

It wasn't until I was on my way home that the clouds lifted a little and I was able to take some photos.

For the walk itself in view of the weather and the needs of some of the group we opted for a shorter circular walk on the metalled road around Llyn Blaen Melindwr. It was a pleasant enough walk and it's always nice to chat with the rest of the group as we amble along. There were thirteen of us today and we weren't the only ones out despite the weather. The car parking areas were almost full and most of the other vehicles were large vans which no doubt was how the many motor bikers and mountain bikers had come to the area. A small group of cyclists stopped and asked if they were on the right track to the visitors' centre. It took me a moment to realise that they meant the visitors' centre at the red kite centre which was at least two ridges over from us. This whole high forestry/wild country is like a playground for outdoor pursuits and there are plenty of metalled roads as well as dirt tracks criss-crossing the hills. I sent the cyclists to our walk leader as he knows the area well and could point them in the right direction. 

All the motor cyclists who passed us seemed polite and amenable but one of our group who lives only a few miles away said there is a big problem with them going off the designated tracks and messing up the walking paths. Also they can be very unpleasant in their behaviour.

As I looked at this photo I realised that the darker hill on the left is the bluff above the dramatic waterfall, Craig Y Pistyll, with the steep path that the walking group has climbed several times. Then I realised that not only have I walked there but on one of our long rides we rode along this road before heading down and around the green hill in the middle of the picture and along a track that overlooked the waterfall from the far side of the valley. It's amazing to have such good walking/cycling/riding country less than half an hour from home.

I shall now feed Speedy who is trying to tell me he is starving, as ever and then I shall be good and make a start on the rest of my Welsh homework.

Misty.

The sea mist is still here. I understand the rest of the UK including airports have been fogbound too. Not good for those people going on holiday.

We're giving ourselves a bit of a break at the moment but I still like to get a couple of small things done each day. The first job was to get the rubbish and recycling out as collections are different this week. They had said that if necessary they would prioritise the general waste collection  and that is what seems to have happened. The lorry that does the rubbish and food waste came round mid-morning but so far the glass and general recycling hasn't been collected. I'll bring the recycling inside overnight rather than let the rats and seagulls get to it.

My next job was to take a few things up into the loft. Much to my despair I found some condensation up there and I've had to spread the tarpaulin over everything again. I'm getting to hate that loft.

Then came Welsh homework. We had gone through most of it with our friends but when I came to type it up to send to our tutor it needed a few changes. There's still a 50 word postcard to write but my brain needed a rest.

Last of all I had a go at making some fudge since I bought some reduced double cream yesterday. I'd seen a recipe on-line that looked quite simple, only sugar and cream plus salt to flavour though I changed that for a couple of slugs of Bailey's. The hardest part was bringing it up to temperature (120C). The meat thermometer started beeping at 100C so I swapped over to a sugar thermometer which I had to keep wiping to see through the steam. At least I had chosen my biggest saucepan but the boiling sugar looked quite volcanic. I'm just hoping that I didn't spoil it with the Bailey's and waiting for it to cool enough to cut.

Earlier this morning I had got quite excited to hear Borth mentioned on Radio 4. It was an interview with Mared Pugh-Evans, a young harpist who was recently appointed to be the royal harpist. And she came from Borth.  

Shopping.

I woke this morning to find the sea mist had rolled in once more. I can't believe how lucky we were to have such a sunny day yesterday. The sea mist remained here all day, when I came out of Morrison's in town the clouds which had been sitting on the top of the neighbouring hills had sunk to just above the roof tops making everywhere feel very grim and clammy.

With cupboards still full of food I didn't need that much in the way of food shopping but I like to have a look after Christmas to see if there are any bargains in the shops. I picked up a couple of half-price decorations in Charlie's and splashed out on another set of lights that were also half-price. I thought I had selected a set the same as the ones over the kitchen window but they turned out to be a lot longer, 9.5m! and not so dense. I guess I can either fold them back on themselves a few times or put them up around the main windows in the sitting room. In town I had a look in Tesco's, not somewhere I usually bother with but I had a £2.50 voucher to spend. I got a diary for next year to record my daily photos in and also found some note books and revision cards on offer. They should be useful for our Welsh course. I had a very brief look in M&S on my way through to Tesco's but didn't see anything apart from a really sparkly dress which would have been great for aerobics if it hadn't been £37. And that was the reduced price.

This afternoon I indulged in a double episode of the Christmas Call the Midwife. A real tear jerker but as always a happy ending, almost.

This is the third Polly's window that I failed to photograph the other week and I think the nicest. I love all the little mice and other creatures. I must find out if they are just for the window display or also for sale.

Boxing Day Dip.

The early morning cloud layer soon dispersed to give almost perfect weather for the traditional Boxing Day Dip at midday.

Last year I was just a spectator but today felt quite warm in the sun. I decided that today was a good day to actually take part in the event. I'll have to see what the weather is like for the New Year's Day Dip before joining in with that.

I'd been keeping an eye on the beach which had been looking fairly empty but we went down anyway only to find that suddenly there were crowds of people arriving for the event which is a fund raiser for Amnesty. Our next door neighbours also turned up having driven down from their home in Shropshire especially for the event.

Suddenly a shout went out for everyone to line up for a photo so down we went. (I'm behind the lass hugging the chap next to her even though that looks like it's me.)

And then in we went. Di from next door encouraged me to keep running as we hit the cool water and we made our way to where the breaking waves were chest high. We very bravely swam a couple of strokes and then headed straight back to the shore where our support teams (Di's family and Peter) were waiting with towels etc. I'd brought a towelling dressing gown as there's not a lot of point in me buying a Dri-robe which is current fad with the swimmers and surfers since I don't go in the water very often.

After a hot shower and soup I did the next lot of ironing before having a rest in front of the tv.

Just found this video of the dip. Peter comes into view at 30 secs and the keen eyed might spot me at 51 secs. 

Happy Christmas.

Wishing peace and contentment for all today.

It was no surprise to wake up and be told that the view was just a white-out. At times the clouds retreated enough to give a limited view of the keen surfers and people catching some fresh air on the beach. At one point it even looked as if we were going to have blue skies with just a few fluffy clouds but moments later it was cloudy once more.  

I've had a few nights recently with very little sleep so it was wonderful to get a full night's sleep last night. (Is rejoicing in a night's sleep another way we revert to infanthood as we age?) Waking refreshed but still feeling very lazy I enjoyed the mug of tea Peter brought me after which we opened our presents. We now have more tasteful art in the house. The swallows have ended up on my study window while I think the hare will find a home in the sitting room. Peter went over the top with the sweet treats and I have about a million calories calling me that I shall have to exert a great deal of self control over.

I thought about going for a beach walk but as I went for a walk on the way to the shop yesterday I got on with the first lot of ironing and looked at the view instead.

Even not counting the butter we ended up with 12 dishes for our Christmas Eve meal. Whilst prawns are not traditional potato salad and bean and beetroot salad are and we still hold to the no meat rule. We had a large breakfast this morning, too full for lunch (as usual) and dinner tonight will be salads, fish and whatever else is in the fridge. 

Still Wet.

It's a good thing Vytas and Sally are hardy souls who are perfectly happy whatever the weather as we've had typically wet Welsh weather for the whole of their visit. 

They arrived in the middle of a severe storm, nearly as bad as Storm Darragh with fierce winds and lashing rain all through the night.

By Sunday the storm had abated to just rain so after a cooked breakfast, almost a full English, we set off for Snowdonia. My original plan of going deeper into the mountains and to take the southern ascent to the rim of Cadair Idris was foiled by the fact that the road was closed due to being unstable after a landslide caused by Storm Darragh. Instead we walked the trail from Tan Y Coed in the foothills of Snowdonia. The trail was a mix of forestry tracks and winding paths through the trees. There were lots of uprooted trees some of which we had to climb over.

By the time we got high enough for some far reaching views the rain began to turn to hail which made us seek shelter in the forest for our cake and tea. (It was lovely having someone there to carry everything.) Later as we came back through the woods we walked alongside a pretty stream and a waterfall.

Afterwards we headed up to the Craft Centre at Corris as Vytas needed to find a Christmas present to replace one that had failed to arrive in time. We got to the Craft Centre with half an hour to spare before the Sunday closing time of 4.00 only to find all the little shops closed. All that was open was the central café but fortunately that also had a shop area with a reasonable selection of gift items many of which were locally made. 

After a good if wet day out we were only too glad to return to a warm home and our usual treat of a Chinese take away for dinner. 

Yesterday there was less rain and more low cloud and off we went to Nant Yr Arian - the Red Kite Centre. We hiked along the Ridgetop Trail from where on a normal day you have magnificent views right down to the coast. But yesterday the low clouds all but hid the view and even the valley floor below us. This is quite a tradition for Vytas and Sally who have hiked up a number of mountains in far off countries including Machu Picchu to enjoy far reaching views but instead were met with solid clouds. It was slightly drier in amongst the trees which were emerging eerily from the grey mist. There was even more evidence of Darragh's destruction with groups of fallen trees with their roots ripped right out of the ground. 

We got back to the visitors' centre in time to see the kites being fed and then had some closer views from the hide by the feeding area. The low light and also the fact that my camera was focussing on the tree branches between me and the birds made it just about impossible to get a decent photo. 

Our supper last night was the Brie stuffed sausages (very tasty but I used decent butcher's sausages not ones from the supermarket.) along with a selection a vegetables. And there it was that I managed to burn...... the peas! I wasn't keeping an eye on the peas, they boiled over and not only did the peas themselves get burnt but the water went underneath the saucepan and got burnt there. I'm still working on removing the burnt on muck without scratching the glass hob. A mix of washing up liquid, bicarbonate and vinegar seems to be doing the trick. The burnt peas were thrown out on the cliff grass for the birds and we made do with carrots, red cabbage and potatoes.

Sally and Vytas left straight after breakfast this morning as they would be calling in at family friends on the way and then going on to some of their friends to celebrate Christmas Eve. Since then I've been putting my study back to rights and preparing food for our Christmas Eve meal. I think I've managed to have 12 dishes if you count things like the butter. I've made enough for tonight and also for tomorrow as I'm done with cooking for the time being.

Wet.

We've had a day of rain starting with fine rain that forced me to sit inside the doorway this morning then heavy downpours that soaked the hordes of shoppers in town.

Today I rode Margaret again and as all the work was in trot I did pretty well. At one point Iola (the owner) began filming us as we went around leg yielding and I wondered if she was going to post it on the FB page but nothing so far. It certainly made me sit up straight and pull in my tum. For a change as well as leg yielding down a long side we had to spiral in from a 20m circle to a 10m and then leg yield back out. The next lesson won't be until January when the horses should be fun to ride after their nice long rest.

Afterwards I did the usual shopping. There were slightly more shoppers than usual but it wasn't too bad.  I expect it to be much busier for the next few days as everybody feels they have to have groaning tables in order to celebrate Christmas. In Morrisons there were a lot of extra pallets of goods to restock the shelves all over the place which made navigating the aisles more difficult, that and the fact that my trolley had a mind of its own. The handlebar was bent right in so maybe it had been in an accident. That's what I told fellow shoppers when my trolley refused to spin around corners causing me to mutter darkly. I had a quick wander around Charlie's to eye up the decorations with the post Christmas 70% off sale in mind. Then into town, again fairly busy, Lidl and home. The country route home that I prefer was finally opened yesterday and as I left town I could see why it has taken so long to clear the road. Right on the edge of town is a caravan park and all along the road is or rather was a row of mature conifers, each a good 40ft high. All but one of them had snapped off and a crane was moving the massive trunks out of the way. Such a shame. Further down where the road runs through a steep wood there was another scene of carnage with the sawn off stumps of many trees both large and small on either side of the road.

 

I too had stocked up both for Vytas and Sally's visit and also for Christmas or in our case our traditional Christmas Eve meal, 12 dishes but no meat or dairy. I had to take almost everything out of the fridge and do a careful reorganising to fit everything in. Then it was a matter of finding space to put away the non fridge stuff. I hope I remember where I put everything as it's a case of open a drawer for a mixing bowl and find a loaf of bread instead. Then I pulled out the trundle bed in my study which is now our guest room.  It's a relatively simple process but still takes time and effort. 

No blogging for the next few days but providing the weather brightens up I'll be back soon with some interesting photos. Happy Solstice.

Not Much to Report.

A lot more blue sky today along with very strong winds and numerous heavy showers. I kept an eye out but no sign of any rainbows.

With no Welsh class or aerobics today I've had a whole day to finish felting one last decoration and then to get on with lots of cleaning. I gave both bathrooms a deep clean and did more tidying in my study. And that's been it. 

Wet.

The wind began to rise as I walked down to the hall last night heralding the start of the next storm. Not as severe as the last storm but still very wet. I got to the hall unscathed but five minutes later one of the class arrived with her coat soaking wet. As we lay there twisting ourselves into stretches that we were assured were good for us, we could hear the rain pounding on the metal roof but by the time we finished so also had the rain. 

At least for a while. It rained in the night, cleared for a bit and returned later in the day. 

As we ate our breakfast a break in the clouds gave us hope that we had hopes that the weather front was being blown away but that wasn't the case.

My plan for the day was to do the final present wrapping something I thought wouldn't take too long. But my wish to make everything look lovely, even a curled shiny ribbon makes something look much better, led to a day of walking back and forwards between the kitchen and the study whilst fending off Speedy's help (he ended up shut in the utility room). I take great pleasure in being as creative as possible with the resources from my admittedly large stash (bought in the sales) of paper and trimmings. I feel that giving a beautifully wrapped gift shows that you have cared enough about the recipient to make the effort. At last everything that could be has been wrapped. I finished one felted tree ornament and another is half done and they are the last presents to do.

Choir and the afterparty have been cancelled, something I was expecting anyway. A shame but then again I'm very relieved not to be out driving in this heavy rain. A quiet night in will suit me fine.

Speedy demonstrating the affinity cats have for boxes.

Gin Anyone ?

There were more patches of blue in the sky while I was down at the zoo but now the wind has begun to blow and it's raining lightly.

As said I went to the zoo this morning and spent over three hours pulling grass out of the large play area. Only one more section to go and then I can go back to the beginning and remove the new grass that has appeared. It was very quiet at the zoo with just a few volunteers working about the place. The wolf dogs were quiet today and I worked to the sound of the turkey making soft turkey noises. The top netting has been taken off their run, I suppose the avian flu restrictions have eased, and Mr. P. the peacock kept jumping in to steal their food. He usually hangs around the visitors as he prefers human food such as crisps, cake and sandwiches.

When I came home I put the last Bara Brith in the oven. My stash of baking ingredients; blocks of butter, pounds of chocolate, nuts, extra flour etc. has diminished and instead my cupboards are full of boxes of biscuits, truffles and cake. I brought in the sloe and blackberry gin from the garage and decanted it into smaller bottles. It seemed a shame to put the gin soaked berries into the food waste. Instead I threw them over the cliff for the birds. There should be some very happy seagulls tomorrow.

Off now to Pilates.