Back in Devon.

We're back home again after another working 'break' in Borth. Both the journeys proved trouble free with just a smattering of rain and the usual miles of speed restrictions on the motorways. Before we left Borth this morning we called in at a chap's cottage with some bags of coal Peter had found when clearing out the coal store (a horribly mucky job). We have no use for them so Peter asked around in the pub if anyone wanted them and was put in touch with a disabled man who could use them.

While there were a few showers while we were in Borth they generally didn't last long. For some reason the air usually seems balmy giving a real holiday feeling to the place. We still can't quite believe that this isn't just for a holiday but soon will be our full-time home. Popping out to buy some milk  and walking down the road alongside the sea feels unreal and amazing at the same time. 

My first task on Thursday after the long drive was to continue clearing the middle section of the front garden getting as far as the gates that separate it from the lawned front of the garden. Sitting up on the terrace I've been allowing plans for the front garden to gradually evolve, thinking of how I can re-use what's already there and what to do with the plants which are so very overgrown. We brought the electric hedge trimmer with us and on Saturday Peter cut back a lot of the lower section of the hedge while I chased the branches being blown up and down the road and got them into bags. Even with the stepladder Peter could only reach halfway into the hedge but a lot of the width will be cut back from the garden side. (Forgot to take a photos.) For our rest breaks we sat out on the terrace watching the mountains, sky and sea and of course people. This time the stronger winds brought more surf and surfers. Conditions are never going to be as good as Putsborough but I'm sure Romas will be out there on his board while Sally and Vytas bodyboard. 

We call these the Enchanted Isles as sometimes they are there and sometimes not. In fact the only real island Bardsey is out of sight to the left while the others are high points on the Lleyn Peninsula 30 miles to the north across Cardigan Bay. 

We're still waiting for a start date from the builder but the electrician called round and was most impressed with the amount of work we've already done. I took the wallpaper off a couple of walls in the room that will be my study/guest room but most of our work this time was outside. We've been wondering if it would be possible to simply tile over the existing fully tiled walls in the kitchen, bathroom, utility and 2nd toilet. The walls are 8 1/2 ft. high so that's going to be a lot of tiles to hack off. Peter has taken advice and it seems that although you can score the tiles first before tiling over them we really  need to take them off. Oh my.

Sunset yesterday evening. While I was watching the sun go down a brother and sister aged around 10 years old were playing hockey on the newly cut cliff top. I kept hoping that they wouldn't hit the ball right over the cliff and they didn't. I expect the number of dog walkers we see on the cliff will drop when the 'No Dogs On The Beach' restrictions are lifted at the end of September.