Sunny.

There were a few clouds around first thing this morning but the strong westerly wind blew most of them away giving a fine sunny day for everyone to enjoy.

When I got to the stables I found that for a change I was riding Cadno. He's an experienced horse and it wasn't hard to get him going with his neck nicely rounded. The next exercise really confused me, something it's not that hard to do. We had to trot a 20m circle and instead of simply making sure the horse's body was following the curve of the circle we had to maintain the curve in the back but ask the horse to bend in the opposite direction in the neck. At first I thought the instructor had mixed up left and right but eventually I understood and even managed to get Cadno to do it. The purpose of the exercise is to create suppleness in the horse but it was the first time I'd ever had to do it. The last exercise played to Cadno's nature which as a mature horse is to slow down whenever he can get away with it. We had to keep them on the bit but slow down the trot as much as possible without falling back into walk. Cadno managed this brilliantly and I got a few nice comments which always boosts the ego. 

Afterwards it was off to the shops as usual and in Charlie's I bought a Senecio Angel Wings that I had been thinking since I saw it last week. At £10 it was a bit more than I usually spend but should it survive the winter rains it will make a lovely addition to the shingle garden. And because it was on the reduced rail I bought myself the long sleeved version of my blue riding top to wear when it gets colder.

While I was planting the Senecio I heard the familiar piping of young seagulls. The next door fledgling has been gone for a few days but this pair of younger birds was walking around on next door's terrace. One of the families that comes down is obviously here but must have gone to the beach so I left a note on their drive warning them they might get attacked by the parent birds.

Before settling to enjoy the sun on our terrace I gave the carnival cardboard pieces a coat of paint on the back. I wasn't going to do this but as the paint on the 'good' sides dried it made the cardboard bend. Hopefully it will now bend back the other way and straighten itself up.

Cake & Cultivate.

The day began by looking quite grey with a warm wind blowing. It stayed dry and by late afternoon the sun had reappeared.

I've had a busy day starting with a walk down to the surgery to hand in the 24 hour ECG. Naturally I had had fewer incidents of palpitations but at least last night I was woken half an hour after falling asleep by the usual thumping. That often happens and is very annoying. At my last appointment the nurse kept saying that the palpitations were probably due to being anxious but I'm not sure how I can be anxious when I'm sleeping. The nurse this morning (a different one) said I'd get a phone call to let me know the results one way or another but of course they phoned when I was out and although they said they would phone later they never did. I do dislike waiting for a phone call and then when they don't even phone .... 

Next on my list of jobs was giving the cardboard for the carnival another coat of paint after which it was time to go down to the community gardens. I drove rather than cycled in case it rained plus I was feeling a bit weary. I brought along a bag of seeds that I had collected from the Welsh poppies in my garden and scattered them along the main track and in the wildflower bed that was sown this year.

 

The wildflower bed.

Because pesticides are not allowed some people grow companion plants among their vegetables while others grow flowers simply for their beauty. There are a number of overgrown and neglected plots too. After trimming around the benches by the watershed we chatted and enjoyed delicious blondies made with blackcurrants from the garden.

Next on my list of things to do was to use the curtain that Peter bought for me to make the skirt of my Venetian carnival costume. It was only a single curtain and though wide wasn't quite sufficient to go over the hooped underskirt, hula hoops are a lot bigger than I thought. Luckily the curtain was very long and the excess was enough to make an extra panel. Now the skirt is done and looks so much better than my first attempt.

Last of all was disco aerobics, the final session for the summer. Numbers were down a bit as a lorry had overturned on the main road to Aberystwyth causing long tailbacks so some people gave up and went home. 

Wet.

A mix of light rain, heavy rain and sometimes but not often - no rain.

I've been up and down the road a number of times today. First time was right down to the surgery to be fitted with a 24 hour ECG monitor to see why my heart thumps at random times usually when I'm sitting down. I was told to keep on with my normal routine but today is one of the few days when I have nothing active planned. I decided to at least go for a cliff walk and having given up waiting for the rain to stop went off in the drizzle in the afternoon. 

The other trips down the road were to the boat park to measure up the boat and make a template for the thingy that goes at the front of a gondola. I took paper and scissors down with me and then Gill, who manages the RNLI shop gave me some big pieces of card. Having made a template I used it on a piece of old hardboard then when the rain wasn't too bad went down to check it on the boat before taking it home and painting it white. I've also cut out some large cardboard pieces to make the gondola seat etc. and painted them white too. I found a large tin of white paint that doesn't smell too good but I'm sure is okay for temporary carnival stuff.

When Peter said he was going into town I caved in and asked him to buy that red curtain for my carnival costume so that I don't have to look like a Disney princess.  

I thought the seagull fledgling had gone this morning as it was very quiet first thing but it's still around. Down on the beach many young seagulls have joined the general crowd of herring gulls, lesser black backed gulls and black headed gulls. 

It was good to get out for a cliff walk despite the light drizzle. I managed to set my heart pounding by the time I'd walked up to the Monument but that was all even though I went down to the beach at Aberwennol, the next cove along which of course meant coming back up again. I had a stroll along the shingle at Aberwennol and fortunately I wasn't near the cliff edge when there was a small rockfall. One rock was double the size of a loaf of bread which would have done some damage if it had hit anyone.

Sunny.

A lovely summer's day today.

I had a bad night (my ribs again) so I didn't make my usual early start. Once I had surfaced I planned a quiet day of working on my carnival costume. It took all afternoon to make the over skirt from the purple voile with extra pieces of lighter purple dust sheet. But now it is done I don't like really like it. It is too much like a child's Disney princess skirt. I've put it to one side and have been working on some of the props for the 'gondola' instead.

The Gull Story contd.

Yesterday morning I saw the parent bird feeding the two fledglings but by the time I came home only one of the fledglings was still on the roof. Still only one this morning and then I looked up to see it on my next door neighbours' roof with the parent bird keeping an eye on it from above. 

The fledgling hopped about on the flat roof, bounced its way up the sloping roof to the ridge and then back down to the flat roof over their porch.

There it discovered a puddle (we had a lot of rain in the night), had a bath and a flap around. No doubt it will be making its way to the sea very soon.

I've been to Pilates in the Hall and now I'm hoping for a better night's sleep.

An Evening Out.

It rained in the night, was grey and humid for most of the day with occasional light drizzle and some sun in the afternoon.

I went to town in the morning hunting for carnival costume stuff. My wish list comprised - gloves, fan, cravat and purple fabric or dye. I managed to find some navy blue satiny gloves and a large piece of purple voile with a gold trim sewn on but not the other items. What I did come across was a pair of curtains in a dark wine-red brocade type fabric which would have been perfect if I hadn't already got the other fabric and at £5 I decided to leave them. I spent the rest of the day unpicking the gold trim which I will reuse and making the over skirt with the purple fabric. It could do with being 6" longer so I'll have to add a border using a light purple dust sheet from my stash.

 

This is only a quick post as this evening we went to a free gig at The Star of the Sea. The band playing was Truckstop Honeymoon, a lively bluegrass group. So lively that even I got up and danced though not in quite as exuberant a fashion as the group of people who obviously go to the local swing dance club/class. Being free it was well attended and there were quite a few people there that we knew as well as the couple from the rowing club that we sat with. We didn't get home until nearly 11.00 which is late for us hence the rushed post.

A Walk In the Mountains.

We've had a reasonable summer's day with sun and clouds. Warm for most of the time though the wind in exposed areas of the mountains was much cooler.

Today's walk was up in the Cambrian mountains starting at Lyn Pendam, through forestry land to Llyn Craig Y Pistill and back through the forest. It's only half an hour away and is a lovely drive to get there. Leaving a small village you take the road which is helpfully signposted as 'The Mountain Road', and drive along the spine of the land with magnificent views into the valleys on either side.

The first part of the walk was through forestry land, silent under the rows of conifers which block out the sun allowing no plants to grow. No plants, no insects and no birds.

Then we came to a section which had been felled since we were last up here. The path by the fence remained so that was fine until we came to another block also recently felled. There the path that had once gone between the trees had been obliterated and we were forced to pick our way over piles of brushwood, brambles and bracken until we found ourselves walking past a sign that said 'Footpath Closed.'

Back onto a steep, overgrown, muddy and very slippery path which brought us down to the next valley.

We skirted the holiday cottage that sits nestled in the valley and sat ourselves down by the stream to eat our lunch.

From there we crossed the stream by a handy wooden footbridge and made our way to the path which begins about halfway up the hillside and continues uphill along the side of the gorge.

It was a very narrow path but worth the effort for the views of the waterfalls and across the mountains.

Eventually we made it to the top where after a brief rest we crossed the dam holding back the waters of Llyn Craig Y Pistill before swinging back and completing our circular walk.

All of today's photos were taken on my phone since although I had my camera with me I had quickly discovered that I had forgotten to put back its battery which had been on charge. The phone is not ideal for me as I can't really see what is on the screen and it was worse today with the bright sun. I relied on taking lots of photos and then editing them on the pc. Also I had to keep checking that I hadn't dropped the phone from my pocket of my shorts. Still it did the job.

Very Wet.

We had our two days of summer and now we are back to lots of rain. At least it has been very warm but that has made it quite humid.

No very early start for me this morning though I did manage a short time outside before the rain began.

 

The young seagulls looked to be worn out too while down on the water other fledged seagulls were practising landings and take-offs on the water.

My day has been spent on carnival costumes. First I went up in the loft and brought down any fabrics (I have stashes everywhere) that I thought might work for my costume.

Next step was to make a hooped underskirt using an old sheet and my hula-hoop. Speedy thought he would help me and ended up being such a nuisance that I had to shut him in the utility room.

Eventually I got the skirt made. I may add a bustle underneath to create more of a 17thC outline. Once that was done I did some draping and the red voile curtains and a light purple sheet should enough to make an over skirt and fancy headgear. Having looked at more pictures on-line I've decided to stay with the whole face mask and stick lots of decorations on it. It's the blank white masks that are too scary.