Warm.

We woke this morning to warmth and sunny skies. The sea was flat and perfect for paddleboarders. Later on we saw paddleboarders clearly reflected in the sea as they lazily moved across the mirror-like sea. (Still using the phone camera so not the best quality.) 

It's my birthday today, 65 years young though Peter's card really made me smile. 

Roses and chocolate treats from Peter and later a delivery of local artisan chocolates and a card from Vytas and Sally. They know me too well.

With the lovely weather it was a good day to go for a walk. At first I thought about going to Cader Idris in Snowdonia until I read that the walk from the carpark is graded 'hard' and takes 5-6 hours for the round trip. (I've just read further and it seems there are nice easier walks without going all the way up the mountain.) For today we decided to go to Ynyslas again. 

I'd hoped to take the longer path through the dunes and the wetlands, only 2 1/2 miles which should have been a good starter walk. However after following the blue arrow which led us down the main track to the beach there was a distinct lack of signage. Plenty of signs warning about the dangers of ordnance, no digging in the sand dunes and no swimming due to strong currents from the river but no blue arrows. 

There was a red arrow for the dune walk pointing back down the beach and as we later found out by looking at a map in the visitors' centre the blue walk went the same way. All it needed was a 6 inch square bit of wood with a blue arrow painted on fixed to the posts already there.

Instead we turned the other way and avoiding the dry sand which was roped off with notices advising that golden plovers were nesting on the sand, walked around the top of the beach on the damp sand. We called in at the visitors' centre before returning to the car park and I mentioned to the chap manning the centre about the lack of signage. He said he got lots of complaints and had passed them on but nothing had been done. I might send an email to the relevant authority to stir them into action. The chap also told us that yet another bit of suspicious ordnance had been found and they were waiting for it to be dealt with. Later on when we were back home and sitting out on the terrace we heard the boom of the ordnance being blown up.

After calling in at the visitors' centre we walked into the dunes to find somewhere to sit and have some coffee. We chose a bench rather than just sitting on the grass inviting though it looked as there have been reports on our local FB page of at least one person and two dogs and even a horse being bitten by adders.

Back home I spent the rest of the afternoon ironing the sheets that had been hanging out on the line before snatching an hour out on the terrace. Right now Peter is cooking up Mediteranean vegetables with barbecue spare ribs for supper. Romas rang for a chat which was lovely. He's drumming with a new band and is using holiday time from work to go on a 17 day tour with the band soon.