Preparation Day.

After a night of heavy rain today's weather has been most pleasant. Not blazing hot but the wind has been warm and the beach has been full of happy holiday makers.

Since I've been busy today the rest of the photos are from Sunday's walk.

I've have a few frustrations today but I'm learning to focus on the positive aspects first. Mind you I'm generally a lot more upbeat when the sun is shining. I've just had a lovely half hour sitting outside in the sun watching the sea as my early evening painkillers kick in (always a good time of day). Looking back on the day my irritations, very minor in the scheme of things, despite my tendency to be a grumpy old woman, have all been solvable.

My plan was to spend the day quietly making sure everything was ready for tomorrow's carnival. Our costumes were more or less done, just a bit of chain to be found and sewn with fastenings onto a faux fur scarf for Pete. He had set his heart on having a Viking beard with beads but that did not go so well. Both the ideas I had only left him looking like an out of place Santa but eventually I cobbled together a small goatee type beard (with one plait and bead) which he hopes to fix on with double sided tape.

Next I wanted to check the bubble gun with which we hope to shoot bubbles out of the dragon's mouth. Yikes, that needed batteries and when at last our rechargeable batteries were ready we could not get the gun to work.  There was nothing to be done but drive to Argos in town to get a replacement. I took along a screwdriver and pliers and although the staff were very helpful between us we couldn't get the bubble gun or the replacement one they had to work. I was beginning to think it was the batteries even though we'd checked each one. That would have been really silly. However when we tried the batteries in a slightly bigger model everything worked though it took us a while to work out how to stop the motor running. So that is what we shall be using.

After all that and as Argos is next door to Lidl there was nothing for it but to go in to replenish my ice cream stocks. Not only is their ice-cream much nicer than the other supermarkets' but it works out at less than 50p for the equivalent of a Magnum.  

The bull in the footpath gate.  It must have known how to work the swing gate because the next minute it was in the other field.

The stone circle.

While I sat outside enjoying the warm evening I came up with yet another idea to make a pouch for my camera from the last of the faux leather coat. That way I can carry my camera in the carnival without it looking incongruous. So that's what I shall do now.

Another Giant Courgette.

It's been cloudy in the morning, sunnier in the afternoon.

We were just enjoying a cup of tea in bed this morning when we realised the builder had turned up to clean off the pavement. By the time I had dressed rain had set in and the poor junior builder was out there getting wet, again. The rain lasted for as long as he was here and it hasn't rained since. I'm sure he's used to it and no doubt the tea and biscuits helped. He did his best to scrub down the asphalt with an acid cleaner, fitted the letterbox and removed the bags of rubble that had been left behind the wall. All that's left is for the same guy that did our rendering to come and spray the cement walls. 

Today the postman put two packages through our brand new letter box. A shame they were for the house next door. He could hardly have missed our house name right above the letter-box. I expect he was too rushed to go back and put them through next-door's letter-box.

 

As everything was wet outside in the morning I harvested our second large courgette and used it to make a cheese and courgette loaf and two chocolate and courgette cakes. For once I happened to have all the right ingredients, even golden castor sugar and virgin olive oil. The only substitution was broken walnut pieces instead of chopped toasted hazel nuts. Oh and I added some grated  parmesan to the loaf simply because I have a chunk sitting in the fridge. I had a slice of the cheesy loaf with extra butter earlier and it was delicious. And for the sake of the blog I've just had a small slice of the cake which even without the chocolate ganache called for by the recipe is also very tasty. The larger cake can go in the freezer and I'll probably take the smaller one to share with our fellow Vikings at the carnival.

Although we didn't have the usual seagulls' nest to watch this year this past week two fledglings have been 'parked' next-door. They can fly and the older more confident one is often on the ridge of the house but home seems to be the garage roof. They are still dependent on the adults for food and spend a lot of time calling for food with their high pitched peeping.

The nest is usually on the flat roof behind the metal chimney pipe but this year in the spring the chimney stack was taken down and rebuilt to a lower height. I watched the builders working very carefully with spirit levels as they laid the bricks and they did a grand job but judging by the mess someone slapdash must have been sent to put the slab on the top. 

In the afternoon I made a start on cutting the hedges. I used the normal trimmer to go over the hedge at the side of the terrace and then took the extra long trimmer down to do the hedge at the bottom of the garden. I'm still not getting on with it, even carrying it down the garden felt like too much. My neighbour wants to come out next time to see if he can show me a better way to work with it but I really feel it is too heavy and unwieldy for me. I think I'll let him show Peter how to use it. If Peter can cut the hedge I'm happy to supervise (he cut great chunks out of the hedge with the trimmer the last time I let him cut the hedge) and sweep up.

Cutting the hedge with two trimmers and the secateurs plus a morning of baking and a bad night has worn me right out and I've decided not to go to choir. I need to spend the evening flopped on the sofa. 

Wet.

It has rained on and off all day.

The rain started as I was driving to the zoo but as I had my workman's jacket I carried on. I spent three hours weeding ignoring the rain and was able to clear three quarters of the large play area. However the corner at the back is the most overgrown so I expect it will take at least one session to clear it completely.

I took some plants (carex, stachys, thyme and pheasant grass) with me which I planted in the gravel by the wolf-dogs before I began weeding. Imagine my shock when after three hours working on my knees in the rain I saw that the grass and the large carex (it had filled a bucket) had gone! I didn't think it was any of the few visitors but none of the other volunteers or staff claimed to know anything about it. I've left a note asking that people don't 'weed' that patch of gravel as my thought is that one of the staff who had been tasked with sweeping all the paths had thought she was helping by getting rid of some 'weeds' which had grown in my absence. It did leave me feeling very disheartened.

Since there was no danger of 'harsh sunlight' today I applied the window film to the porch window. There are no numbers along this road only house names and now there is no excuse for anyone not knowing where we are. There are only ten houses but I can never remember all the house names as we usually refer to them by the people who live in them.

Breezy.

It's been breezy today, cool when it's cloudy and hot when it's not.

I'm glad I waited to decorate the porch windows as it has taken most of the day to do. Before starting I washed the windows again and then carried on and washed the rest of the windows that face onto the street.

I had my design drawn on paper which I stuck to the outside of the windows. The lines of the design had been divided into numbered sections with each type of glass blob marked on. I had put the corresponding glass blobs in numbered plastic bags to make reproducing the design on the windows easier and this worked well. I used clear acrylic bathroom sealant along the lines and then it was just a matter of pressing the glass blobs onto the sealant. 

I'm happy with the end result of sea-themed wave/nautilus motifs and if we get fed up with it it's not too difficult to remove.  I like glass and I also like being different and a bit quirky.

In the afternoon the postman brought the window film with the house name that I will put above the letter box. I was going to stick it on the window straight away but the instructions say not to do it in harsh sunlight so I'll wait till tomorrow morning when the sun will be round the other side of the house.

Our little car went in for its MOT today and came back with a pass. Not too surprising since we don't do that much driving but you never know. There is an advisory for some rust, again not surprising here by the sea and Jason will sort that when he services the car. He thinks the car will last for a few more years at least which is good news.

 

A Walk From Ysbyty Cynfyn.

The day began with a wet morning followed by better and better weather until by the time I got home at 6.00 it was sunny and hot.

Today's walk began at Ysbyty Cynfyn near Devil's Bridge. The circular wall indicates that it was a pre-Christian place of worship though there is debate about the placement of some of the large stones included in the wall. You can read more about it here and even follow the route we took on the included video.

 

The footpath runs between the stone wall and the wire fence but our walk leader thought it looked too overgrown so decided to climb the barbed wire fence, cut across the field and climb the fence again at the bottom. But by this point some of us were quite far behind and we opted for the footpath. You can just about make out Pete (our leader not my Pete) waving his arms wondering what we were doing. The footpath turned out to be okay though being the only one in shorts I made sure to constantly check my legs for ticks. So far I've never found any but it is sheep country and they are numerous this year.

Soon we followed a steep downhill path to a footbridge (Parson's Bridge) above the River Rheidol. The river had carved an impressive gorge on it's way down to Devil's Bridge. I have crossed the Rheidol many times but this is the nearest I've been to the start of the river.

Then it was up the very steep sided valley (there were even warnings about it on the information board) through Coed Rheidol to farmland above. Some of us lagged behind to pick and eat bilberries /whimberries and to collect some of the chanterelles that grew along the path.

We passed the village of Ystumtuen before stopping to eat our lunch amongst the stones of a ruined building.

From there we headed upwards again into a landscape of small lakes that had been created to provide hydro power for lead and silver mines in the 18th and 19th centuries.

We then dropped down towards the stone circle of Dol Y Gamfa, right where the brown cows are in the photo below. These cows were a bit of a worry as not only was there a bull them and a cow with young calves but we also had a dog (on the lead) with us. As we approached the field the bull was actually standing inside the swinging footpath gate that we needed to go through. He moved away and along with the other cattle stood right on the stone circle. 

Some of the group still went up to the stones while the rest of us looked at the stones from a distance before going through the next gate. Discretion being the better part of valour and all that. The stones are only a few feet high and are believed to be part of a Bronze Age cairn rather than a ceremonial circle.

From there we followed an even steeper path down through the woods back to Parson's Bridge clinging gingerly to every tree and tiny sapling to avoid slipping or falling. Then it was back up the other side of the steep valley to the church and our parked cars and away home.

Windy.

The morning was a bit cold and grey but eventually it brightened up whilst remaining windy.

In the morning I drove down to the community gardens for the monthly jumble sale. My main reason for going is to meet and chat with people while we eat cake but somehow I always end up buying something too.

This time one of the things I came away with was a very soft cotton skirt (50p). It's a bit loose but I can add some elastic for a better fit. I also bought one of those ultra light padded walking jackets, the kind with horizontal stitching. I'd been eyeing some up in Charlie's but hadn't got round to justifying buying yet another jacket. But the jumble sale price of £2.50 was too tempting. This one is black without a hood and big enough for either of us. Peter also benefitted from a notebook with a leather cover. He wanted the cover and I've claimed the notebook as it has plain, thick art type pages which he wasn't so keen on. To finish off I got a couple of plastic folders with clear pocket pages, always useful and in purple too.

I took the giant courgette along and Mary said if no one else wants it she'll use it to make a chocolate courgette cake for the next jumble sale. I've had her cake before and it was delicious. 

Back home I threw some washing in the machine and then got out the pressure washer and went over the mess on the pavement. It's a lot better now but the builder needs to come and clean the rest off with the special cleaner they have. I also turned the pressure washer on the street wall as I plan to paint that soon.

Much as I'm keen to get on with sticking the glass blobs on the windows I didn't want to do a rushed job. Instead I tried out all the different types of varnish/stains we have on an offcut of wood that the builder used to make the bench in the porch. Sadly none of them are quite right so I'll need to buy some varnish next week.

Square Halt.

This morning the sun was shining but already there was a hint of the haze/ sea mist that closed in later in the afternoon bringing tiny speckles of damp chasing the holiday makers off the beach. (Can't really call them rain drops.)

There were only four of us in the riding lesson this morning which gave us more room to fit in lots of circles to encourage 'bend' in our horses. It also meant that we could do transitions on the track as well as across the school. I rode Hazel and she went so well. Hardly any head tossing and mostly on the bit on a very soft rein. A lot of this is due to the schooling other riders are doing but I feel my riding is improving too and I chose to do a great deal of sitting trot. The main exercise today was coming to a square halt inside four cones. With just four of us that meant we could take our time to try and nudge whichever leg was out of line into a better position. Hazel did have a couple of tiny spooks, once at either a water bottle or a swallow swooping past her and the second time at Katie holding the muck scoop. (Any droppings have to be picked up straight away to keep the school surface which is chopped up rubber (tyres?) clean.)

Afterwards I did the shopping and found these H&M sports leggings in the Oxfam shop for £5.50. They will be great for disco aerobics and maybe for other occasions too.

Once I get home on Fridays I don't tend to do much. I throw everything in the washing machine and have a large mug of tea out on the terrace. Today I also finally got round to planting the white lavender in the shingle and harvested one of our round 'courgettes'. I'd thought about making a courgette and cheese loaf but when I checked the recipe it only uses 200gms of courgette and this little beauty weighs seven times that! I may pass it on to someone and use the next courgette which is a little smaller.

Sunset last night. 

When I zoomed in I could see sun spots on the sun's surface. To make sure I wasn't just looking at dust on the camera lens I went to this site. I have no idea what the different categories of sun spot mean but I was impressed at seeing so many.

Lost and Found, and Lost.

The weather kept chopping and changing today. One minute would be blisteringly hot and the next the cold and clammy sea mist would blow in.

Last week I lost one of the studs I wear to keep the piercings in my ears open. It was gone after I had washed my hair. I looked everywhere but to no avail. Then today I found it, nestled in my gardening shoes under the airing rack where I'd hung the towel. I bought a number of sets of studs in the January sales but of course that pair is my favourite so I was very pleased.

I was not so pleased when at the end of the afternoon I saw that the stachys I'd planted in the gravel at the zoo on Tuesday had gone. It was there earlier when I added  some thrift plants that I'd grown from last year's seed heads. I can only assume that one of the many children visiting the zoo had pulled it up and probably fed it to the goats. I have more stachys at home that I want to shift but that was annoying. I had been advised that the plants would get trodden on especially while they were still small so there's nothing precious in there but I wasn't expecting to have whole plants pulled up.

I usually only garden at the zoo once a week but the weeds had grown so much I felt a second day's work was needed. Apart from planting the thrift I had a quick weed of a flowerbed and then set to work clearing the gravel area by the guineafowl. I cleared about three-quarters of the gravel which includes several picnic tables. The very end has little gravel and is constantly walked over so is difficult to weed which is why I left it for another time.

When I had a walk around at the end of the afternoon I was shocked by the amount of weeds in the large play area. I think it's going to need some serious digging and raking to clear that lot.

I ended my afternoon at the zoo with Otis and Truffle. 

They both like to be scratched at the same time so it was hard to take photos. They remain in their relaxed positions for a brief moment once I stop before getting up and giving me plaintive looks.

Merlin the zoo cat also came over for a quick stroke.

I didn't do a lot when I got home apart from giving the pavement by the porch a going over with a metal brush and a broom. It now looks a bit better than the way the builders left it. (Below)

New Shoes.

The day began with the sea like a mirror, perfect for the early morning paddleboarders. However it wasn't long before the wind began to pick up. A chilly and misty haze appeared on the hill tops and by the end of the day conditions were more suitable for kite and wing surfers.

This morning Peter had to go to the hospital for his regular knee injection. I drove him as not only is he not supposed to drive afterwards but it's almost impossible to find a space in the hospital car park or the nearby streets so whoever is not being seen at the hospital has to do the drop off and pick up. 

Once I'd dropped him off I drove down to Lidl to get a couple of things and then went round to the Matalan car park where you get three hours parking. From there I walked to Craft to check out their glassware but nothing caught my eye today. 

That was until I glanced at the shoes. I have a bunion on my foot which I'm convinced was caused by the cyst and my current walking sandals, the kind with Velcro straps, aggravate the bunion. I had intended to go and try on some sandals in Mountain Warehouse but there in the very limited choice of shoes in Craft was a brand new pair of soft blue leather Fly Flot sandals. They were about my size and when I tried them on they were really comfortable. Although they were more 'old lady' style than walking sandal comfort won me over. At £15 they were not cheap either but I've looked on-line and they sell for £35 so still a bargain. 

Back home it was cold and windy so I postponed my hedge cutting plans and instead gave the porch a thorough clean. The plastic is easy to wipe down though I wish the builders had been a bit more careful where they put their sticky fingers. I also wish they hadn't dropped lumps of cement all over the asphalt pavement. (I'll wait and see what they plan on doing about that mess.) It took several hours to remove all the dust and grime but now the porch looks even better. Fingers crossed for a quick return by the builders to do the finishing touches.

Finally here is Pacman (my jiggity joggity mount for the all day ride) being ridden by Manon Davies at the Royal Welsh Show where they won the trekking class. That's a great achievement. 

Back To The Zoo.

Odd weather today. At first it looked as if it was going to rain, then didn't. Got cold and then became very hot in the afternoon.

This morning we saw the builders' van pull up but after a bit they drove off again. We think they must have been checking to see how the render was drying.

I spent the whole afternoon weeding at the zoo. After an absence of eight weeks the weeds had taken over the woodchip play areas and the gravelled areas. It was hard to know where to start as everything looked urgent with many of the weeds in flower.

In the end I began with the gravel by the wolf dogs as I was interested to know which of the plants I'd put in, if any, had survived two heatwaves and torrential rain. The self seeded lemon balm was flourishing and there was so much of it that I moved some to the other end of the gravel and some to fill in the gaps in a narrow border by one of the paths. The pheasant grass, linaria and ground cover sedum were doing well but I only found a couple of the thrift and a single santolina. That's better than I expected and today I added more sedum and a rooted stachys.

Once that was tidied up I weeded the whole of the small play area as there were nettles and brambles growing which are not the best for small children. My last complete weed was inside the barrier by the guinea fowl as the weeds there were tall and about to go to seed. I meant to stop there but cleared part of the gravel patch there before realising that my back had had enough. 

Afterwards I went and spent some time with the pigs. Even though they had been fast asleep in their shelter as soon as I opened the gate and called 'piggy, piggy, piggies' in a high voice they came running over for tummy scratches. They've grown a lot in the past eight weeks. When they first came they were about the size of a corgi but now they're more like a large and chunky labrador with very short legs. I suspect they may get even larger.

It was quite late when I got home but I still had time to put up the wood in the utility room and add a row of cup hooks to store small items. And then since it was warm and dry outside I used the rest of the mastic in the tube to seal up the cracks around the back door so that it will be ready for when I get round to painting it.