Sunny.

Lots of sun and very windy today.

With such perfect drying conditions I did two lots of washing in the morning. The machine beeped to indicate it had finished the second load only minutes before our Welsh class was due to start. I was glad I got the washing out for that extra hour as everything was ready for ironing as soon as class had finished.

After such a chaotic start to class last week I made sure that the laptop was on stand-by with everything open and hopefully working. There was still a slight issue with the sound from my microphone but a quick call for help to Peter got it sorted. It was a good class with lots of conversation though the topic of sport and sports people wasn't really my thing. I've never had much interest in either watching or playing sports (totally uncoordinated as a child). The nearest I get to a sporting interest is riding though I've not done a lot of competing. I just enjoy the process of becoming a better rider and being able to communicate with the horse I'm riding.

This morning's wind whipped the sea into choppy white wavelets with a few gannets diving into the sea beyond the reef. After class it was just like a lovely summer's day but by the time I had done the ironing the clouds were gathering and it wasn't quite so warm as I sat outside.

I did some some admin as well and wasted ages searching for one thing. I'm sure there is a black hole in my study into which things disappear never to be seen again. On the surface my study looks very organised with everything sorted into white tubs but the tubs by the pc are also full of random things that I haven't quite got round to sorting. Plus I have the habit of thinking 'I'll be needing that soon.' and stashing said item in between boxes and then losing it forever. Apart from the letter I was looking for today recently I have lost the same book twice. The first time it reappeared quite randomly, I looked up the information I needed and then .... poof, it vanished again. 

 
 

Signs of Spring.

As it was yet another windy but sunny day Peter and I decided to go out for a walk. 

Our original plan was to walk up the hill behind Furnace but then Peter wasn't sure if his ankles were up to the hilly section which is his call as only he knows what state his arthritis is in. But after looking at several alternatives including driving up the lane and parking higher up he decided that the original plan would do. We packed up some coffee and sandwiches for lunch as although we don't usually eat lunch it's different when you're out walking. Right at the bottom of the hill we were greeted by a very friendly small black cat very much like Mitten, a stray we once had. Cat petting over we made our way up the lane to the rough land at the top of the hill. From there we turned onto the footpath that runs around the hill giving great views over the estuary and out to sea.

(Below) That's Peter on the path while I had climbed up a pony path for better views. One day I'll do the walk alone and go right up over the hill to look for the ponies that live out there. As we were eating our lunch a man came by. He told us he was going up to check on his ponies. 

The hill behind had been providing welcome shelter from the strong north-westerly wind but as we got further round the hill the wind picked up. We had our snack sheltering on the small knoll to the left of the lonely tree.

There were plenty of signs of Spring around us including a great swathe of wood anemones. The whole of the area if you draw a line from top right to bottom left of the photo above was filled with the delicate white flowers. Not something you would expect to see on a bramble covered hillside.

And there were wood violets everywhere.

We carried on round the hill then down the slope to where a wood ran alongside the old toll road. I tried my best but could not get a photo of the large yellow brimstone butterflies that kept appearing and then fluttering away. There were also some red/brown butterflies but never close enough for me to identify.

At least plants stay still for their photos.

At home I hung out some more dust sheets I'd found and hoovered the bedroom before spending some time sitting out in the sun watching the cormorants diving into the sea with that tell tale plume of water as they plunged underwater. If the fish are around hopefully it won't be too long before I get to see the dolphins again.

It will be choir tonight. At least that's not as hard work as last night's kettle bell session. 

The Mole's Revenge.

Bright and sunny today with a good drying wind too. I got the last of the dust sheets out on the line, again some only needed airing while others needed washing. 

It was a good day to cycle to the zoo, apart from the wind which I had to battle against. I think all those squats might have made cycling easier though as it is the first time I've been on the bike this year it was hard to tell. And I forgot to put on the memory foam seat cover I bought in Lidl last week. 

Once at the zoo I went to the large play area to carry on weeding. Last week I'd flattened down 20 mole hills and tidied the soil that had gone over the grass as well. This week there were a few mole hills in one corner so I dealt with those first before weeding most of the wood chip. It always gets me that a couple of tiny green leaves hide several inches of roots. I was pleased with my progress and was having a chat with a fellow volunteer whilst easing my back when !!!! there was a brand new mole hill on the spot I had cleaned up earlier. I'm afraid I made sure to push some of that soil back into the mole's tunnel as part of my clearing up. Mr Mole can go and make his hills elsewhere thank you very much.

But that wasn't the only 'event' of my weeding session. While I was working a chap and his daughter came over to me to tell me there was a dead mouse or baby rat in the rabbits' enclosure. Over I went to look and sure enough there was a brown furry creature lying on the ground. The chap said that it had been running round and round trying to find a way out but had been defeated by the concrete walls of what used to be the meercat enclosure. I hopped over the wall (long legs are useful) and as I went to scoop up what definitely wasn't a baby rat I noticed that it was still breathing. It was too big to be a mouse and it had a long tail for a vole. (I have since looked it up and bank voles have much longer tails that water voles.) I carefully took the vole over to a sunny spot in some rough ground beside the pony paddock and soon after the vole scurried off. Much to all our relief.

After cycling home (I did get off and push the bike up the two steepest slopes by the house.) I had a lovely relaxing time with a mug of tea out on the terrace. From there I can check on the progress of the latest flowers and see which garden jobs need doing next.

Not to mention watch the waves. With a strong wind blowing the spray once in a while the water droplets would created a prism effect as the sun shone through them.

I didn't do anything else apart from my exercises and preparing my supper. Shortly I'll be off to the hall for Pilates with my new mat and groan - my kettlebell. I'd been meaning to buy a new mat for some time as my old one is all crinkly on the edges and is hard to flatten out after 7 years of use.