Baking Day.

After a very wet night the blue gradually began creeping back. The day warmed up and by late afternoon it was hot and sunny again.

Down in the garden the plants were bedecked with glistening dewdrops. Very pretty but also a reminder of the need to cut back the plants growing over the path. 

A grey, damp day was a good opportunity to get on with some baking. I baked a lime drizzle cake, lime because Lidl only had bags of lemons so I bought a lime instead. I also baked a chocolate marble cake. These have gone in the freezer for when our friends come to stay along with a bag of crumble. I used dark instead of light brown sugar as that's what was in the cupboard and I put in oats to make it more interesting. 

Since it was looking soggy outside I went on and cleaned the porch, hoovering up all the cobwebs and washing the windows. Having the hoover out I thought I might as well sand down where I'd painted over the knot stains on the skirting board and then hoover up the dust. Then to get myself ready for the next stage of re-painting the skirting boards I filled in the tiny holes in the blue loo skirting boards that the chap had made with his damp meter. 

For the rest of the afternoon I have begun collating my holiday photos to make a photo book which I can show to people rather than subjecting them to the hundreds of photos I took. 

Not too long now and I'll be off to choir. Another busy day for me.

Warm.

We've had a very warm day which began with blue skies that soon turned grey. Much later the promised rain arrived as I was walking home from Pilates and looks set in for at least the night.

There have been so few butterflies in the garden this year that even a humble painted lady warranted a photo. 

This pair of sparrows look as if they are having an earnest conversation.

As soon as I could I drove down to the zoo to carry on tackling the weeds that appeared while I was away. I'd left the gravel by the ferrets til last as it's never my favourite patch to weed. I managed to clear over half of it and should finish the next time I'm working at the zoo.

The first plants I planted in the gravel by the wolf-dogs in what I call the gravel garden, are now big enough so that hopefully people won't just step on them and the pink and white thrift is flowering well. I just wish that somebody hadn't cut a chunk from the pheasant grass in the middle planter. I'm guessing that it was to put in one of the small animal cages but there are other clumps of pheasant grass around the place.

Four hours on my knees was quite enough but I didn't stop when I got home. With the next few days set to be wet I wanted to at least cut the stems waving along the inside top edge of the hedge. This involved climbing up on the raised bed walls and cutting by hand. All that reaching up is not the best for my back but when there's no one else you simply have to get on and do it.

At least I had Pilates to help my muscles unwind. Tonight along with the balls and bands we always use we had sliders (those discs you put under your foot or hand ). They're supposed to make you stretch out even more. Reformer beds have recently become popular in the Pilates world but of course they are very expensive so Rachel calls the sliders Ceredigion reformers, the cheap version. Next week for a change we need to bring along a dumbbell. 

A goat exercise bed.

A Cracking Time.

Yesterday evening.

And today another interesting cloudscape. It has been really warm today with enough wind to dry my washing but not so much that all the hedge cuttings blew down the road.

 

Gazing out to sea this morning I saw a seal near the cliff munching on a flat fish. Then spotted a dolphin briefly on the far side of the long reef.

While overhead a flock of geese were heading to the salt marshes by the Dyfi.

This afternoon a group of house sparrows were feeding on the old thrift flowerheads. Although I do deadhead some plants in the garden I try and leave as many flowers to go to seed for the birds as possible.

The weather was perfect for working outside and today I began work on the long hedge. I say began because although I filled ten sacks from the street side and top of the hedge there is much more to do. When I finally made it down to the end I realised that the hedge really needs to be lowered another six inches. That will mean cutting into the thicker branches with the secateurs rather than the electric hedge trimmer. But the lower the hedge the easier it is for me to reach across.

Yesterday evening we were watching tv when we kept hearing banging noises. Not regular but quite loud thumps. We walked down the corridor trying to find the source of the noise even listening to make sure nothing had flown into the bathroom or toilet. At that point we realised the noise was coming from outside so I carefully got the ladder and climbed up to see what was happening on the roof (seagulls can attack if they think you are threatening their chicks). There on the roof were two seagulls, one squawking away and the other with a rock in its beak which it was dropping on the roof of my study. I'm guessing the gull had learnt to steal other gulls' eggs as I had recently found two empty gull eggs on the path at the side of the house. No doubt the gull thought the egg-sized rock would also be a tasty treat if only it could break it open.

 

Coed Tamsin.

A real change in the weather today. Yesterday I'd needed warm trousers and a body warmer over my dressing gown to keep warm out on the terrace for my morning's quiet time watching the wild waves while today the air was warm with not a wave to be seen on the flat sea.

Our group walk today was back in Coed Tamsin. A dozen of us walked through the wood with Bob pointing out interesting things such as badger tracks and an otter holt.

There were fungi to be seen too including King Alfred's cakes. on dead ash trunks felled by ash die-back, the fungus that may eventually see the loss of this country's ash trees. Fortunately some ash trees including some in Coed Tamsin have become resistant to the fungus. 

After our walk through the woods and time to eat our lunches in the clearing we headed back to Bob and Felicia's cottage with its wonderful woodland garden.

Afterwards we sat outside in the very pretty cottage garden for tea, biscuits and even ice-creams for those that wanted. People wandered round the garden admiring the plants or sat at the table simply chatting. I ended up not getting home until 6.00. Much later than I usually do after a Sunday walk.

The cottage almost out of sight beyond the pond and bountiful vegetable garden.

Some Cretan Wildlife.

It's been a bright and windy day today. Perfect for drying the washing which has been ironed and put back on the bed. 

After a rough night (I need to divide heavy shopping between smaller bags so I don't strain my ribs lifting them out of the car) I've had a quiet day at home. I spent a fair proportion of time in the kitchen preparing food for when our friends come to visit. Normally I try to spend as little time cooking as possible (without using UP foods) but I'm culturally hard-wired to make sure any visitors have plenty of the best home cooked food I can manage. Which is why I try and plan and get things in the freezer in advance. And of course I prefer to spend time with visitors rather than stressing in the kitchen.

I also did some gardening and even sat outside in the afternoon (with our neighbour roaring up and down on his ride on mower cutting the grass on the cliff-top.)

Sunset last night.

 

And for the last time, more photos from Crete. This time of some of the local wildlife.

A rather blurry shot (because it was high above) of a griffon vulture seen when we went up to Lato in the mountains.

Closer to home, under the roof tiles of the neighbouring property, we watched a northern wheatear bringing large insects to its young. The next day they had gone but this prime residence did not stay empty for long as the following day a pair of sparrows moved in.

Down below in the garden Peter spotted this locust perched on the leg of an abandoned table. Luckily it was only the one and not a swarm.

One evening, as we sat on our usual bench by the sea waiting for the Spinalonga lights to turn on I realised that what at first looked like a small stick was actually a millipede making its way up and over the low wall in front of us and then disappearing over the other side. The there was another, and another. four or five in all. This only happened on one occasion. The only information I can find is that millipedes will follow scent trails to get to their food (decaying matter). The one in the photo was on our terrace and like most of the ones we saw was the diameter but half the length of a pencil.

Stranger looking was this four inch long long headed/ oriental grasshopper which I saw while we were walking on the island. Crete has 378 species of grasshopper, wow!

Apart from a shed skin we did not see any of four species of snake on Crete only one of which is mildly venomous. I couldn't persuade Peter that this meant we weren't in danger whenever we went walking. The only creature to worry about would have been a scorpion but we didn't see any of those either.

Nearly All Bull.

This morning the grey sea mist hid everything beyond the village. It was still lovely and peaceful sitting outside for my 'contemplative' moment.

By late afternoon the sea mist had retreated and we had warm sunshine, though still very windy, instead.

I had Betsi the grey arab mare again for today's riding lesson. There were only five of us and it was mostly canter work, hooray. It was especially fun for me as Betsi besides having a floaty trot is well schooled and goes into canter the minute you ask. The exercise was cantering half circles across the school whenever there was a gap.  After some initial corrections in the way I was sitting I had some really nice canters.

Afterwards I took some stuff to the dump, called in at Wynnstay's but they only have the same make of hat I already have and did the food shopping. I bought myself this chunk of amethyst crystals in a charity shop for just £2 which I thought was a bargain.

 

A last look at some of ceramics and frescoes from Knossos.

It's quite amazing how they have managed to reconstruct so many of the frescoes with only the smallest of original fragments (the raised sections).

I wonder if originally they had some kind of net made of ropes threaded through the handles of these storage jars as even empty the nearly 6ft high jars would have been incredibly heavy.

These cups and other ceramics would not look out of place in a modern day gallery or shop.

And of course being Knossos the bull motif was everywhere.

The impressive 2ft wide bull's head was heavily restored.

At first glance the bull dancer looks to be made of metal but it is in fact made of ivory. Looking at the holes in the top of the head I wonder if they were fixings for hair?

More bulls.

And a bird themed mosaic floor.

I'm not sure about the mosaic but all the other items were from 1600 -1400 BC.

Knossos (The buildings).

Oh dear, it's raining and has been all day and night. I guess I'm driving to the Hall tonight for disco aerobics. I did go out to get some milk when the rain had eased and was even tempted for a short walk on the beach before the returning rain sent me quickly to the shop and home.

Today was our last Welsh class of the academic year though of course we will be meeting our friends for our library sessions. And I shall continue with my daily Duo Lingo and perhaps attempt to watch the Welsh tv channel.

Now for a bit more sun.

Long before our neighbour told me about their Cretan holidays I had wanted to visit the Palace of Knossos.

It was a good choice to wait until the spring as it wasn't as hot as it had been in September though I was grateful for my loose silk shirt. We were also fortunate in that entry was free (and to the museum) on May 18th, International Museums Day which was a saving of E80.

I expect like most people I had thought that the term 'labyrinth' referred to underground cellars and tunnels in which possibly the minotaur had lived. But the term simply referred to the vast maze of rooms and corridors of the palace in which no doubt it was quite easy to get lost.

This model in the museum shows the size of the palace with some parts, three or even four stories high. It may have been four thousand years ago but this was a very sophisticated civilisation.

To avoid the crowds of people walking round with guides we headed around the outside of the site first before making our way to the centre with its grand plazas and ceremonial rooms. Note the peacock, of which there were a number, perched in the tree above the walkway.

The Hall of the Axes behind which were the queen's chambers.

And of course the famous reconstructed bull fighting fresco.

Open staircases brought light and air into the lower floors.

The ceremonial throne room with its stone throne. A room where religious rites may have been performed.

I took too many photos to put them on one post so will save the frescos and ceramics for tomorrow.