Barbecue Time.

We woke this morning to torrential rain but by lunchtime we were back to blue skies and sunshine. After an exhausting day yesterday we didn't feel like doing too much. I don't like a day to go by without doing anything at all so I cleaned all the spots of paint from the glass of the front door using a scalpel. I also got Peter to re-align a light switch on the kitchen wall so that I could tidy up the wall around it with filler. Those small tasks done I had some 'holiday time' sitting out on a sun lounger with a book and an ice cream. Peter made us a barbecue so I had my sausage and new potatoes which although probably not as nice as the ones at the festival yesterday still made a lovely supper. To catch the evening sun I got a table out by the scree garden. Sheer bliss to be in our little valley with just the sounds of the birds and the occasional huff from the horses.

Now as promised more snapshots from Green Man Day.

Some of the residents had decorated their windows, this year the theme was shepherds. 

Apart from all the chocolate based goodies my biggest regret was not being able to have some freshly brewed coffee. One stand was a small van kitted out with a full barista machine in the back, the smell of the coffee was amazing. Another stand sold scrummy looking organic/ethical brownies of different varieties which you could have with home-made ice-cream. Had to pass on those as well. Down in Rotary Gardens you could feast on jerk chicken, jerk pork, curried goat or home-made sausages. Back in the street there were all the usual burgers, hot dogs, fish & chips, Indian dishes, vegetarian cooking and no end of home-made cakes and biscuits. 

There were plenty of interesting craft stalls, this was the first time I had seen this lady with her felted pictures and little toys.  

Another newcomer was this lady crocheting covers for re-cycled glass jars and these cute little boats.

I had to smile at the safety glasses being worn to operate this historical foot driven treadle saw.

This isn't part of the festival but a re-use of an existing telephone box. Inside is a defibrillator that can be operated by anyone should the need arise. I've heard of these being put in shops but I think it's a great idea to have one out in the street. I expect the staff in the shop next to it have had training but the whole idea is that once you suspect someone is having a heart attack the defibrillator monitors the patient and tells you what to do.

While I personally would have thought that the noise and crowds would be stressful for dogs there were quite a few people who had brought their dogs along. I hope these three got some chips as their reward for waiting patiently outside the chippy.

That's just a sample of the what was on offer yesterday. There were activities and games for the children, the owl rescue people with owls and a falcon, the bat lady with a small bat, wildlife groups, gardening groups, local history and much more.