Taking Things Easy.

We have had some glorious sunshine this afternoon but I have been taking things a bit easier today. Romas and a friend from university have gone surfing for the day, not a lot of sea in the Midlands. I've been doing the mum thing and baked a chocolate chunk cake for when they get back. I also completed a pair of shell earrings and did some more work on the shell necklace.

Slow Uploads.

The Internet is running so slowly at the moment. I would blame it all on having Romas home and his and Linas' pcs doing stuff on the Internet all the time which doesn't help but it started to go slow last week when the rain started. We know that our telephone line is damaged, it probably has water getting into the cable when it rains but until the whole system finally crashes BT won't come out and replace the cable. I've spent most of the day in hospital having the last of my spinal injections. It was better this time, the surgeon got the needle in first go so there wasn't all the stabbing that happened last time. Yet again I talked my way out of the place saying that Linas was going to pick me up at the front door. They don't like you to drive yourself but I was perfectly fine. I did feel guilty but it was the only practical way of getting home. I even dropped in at school to see how all the new IT installation was going (messy and slow) and then went to the supermarket where I couldn't resist buying more 50% off meat. Romas is cooking a nice shoulder of lamb for supper and we had to repack the freezer to fit everything else in.

There has been a very warm wind blowing today , 8C, but with an overcast sky. There are buds on the kingcups in the pond and the white skunk cabbage has 4 spathes ready to open.

Purple Grass.

I was outside gardening as always when I took a closer look at the seed heads on this ornamental grass planted along the side of the drive. They were shining purple in the sunlight. Less than half an hour later as I carried on with clearing everything from an ornamental grass bed I came across the label which had obviously come with the original plants, pennesitum purpureum. I planted that bed about 15 years ago so I had forgotten some of the names of the grasses in it.Last night Peter and I went to a 40th birthday party. I wasn't sure about going as it was one of Peter's friends and it was a 'punk' themed party.

Peter was very keen so I made the effort even though my end result was more goth than punk. The sad thing was that apart from the dramatic make up and a belt around my neck, nearly everything I was wearing (black jeans and t-shirt teamed with silver & black jewellery including ear cuffs and a pair of bajoran earrings) was part of my normal wardrobe. (Peter definitely does not go around with earrings or any other jewellery.) Fancy dress seems to be quite common nowadays and people often dress up for major events. New Year's Eve sees young and old in town dressed as everything from ballerinas to zombies. My sons tell me there are a lot of fancy dress events at university as well.

Most people had made an effort. Kilts seemed to figure prominently. I don't recall them from the original days of punk but I was only an observer in those days having gone from 'hippy child' to 'rock'. We didn't have a tv back then but I can remember being shocked by seeing people with safety pins sticking into them. That's what punk was all about, going against the system and shocking people.

Last night was all in fun.The second band was a punk band and the lively music certainly made you want to get up and dance/jump. Some people had a lot of the moves but I didn't see anyone pogo-ing. We met one of my work colleagues and her boyfriend (do you say boyfriend for people over 30?) and we all got on really well which made it an enjoyable evening. It got rather hysterical when we decided to breathe in the helium from the balloons on our table and sing silly songs. My choice was the Lonely song (Lonely. I'm so lonely, I have no body to call my ow....n.) which makes me laugh even when I sing it with my normal voice. This was all on diet cokes because I don't drink.

I noted that Peter didn't get up too early this morning. I spent the afternoon gardening & listening to the roaring of the wind in the trees. It was blowing up from the south-west so was quite warm. Earlier as I had been taking some scraps to the chickens I noticed Belle agitatedly trotting up by the fence. Looked again and saw that Ben had climbed through the fence and was on the road between the 2 fields. Sarah was already on her way up to shepherd Ben back to the gateway and re-unite him with Belle. Naughty foal.
The diet is still on the go, a whole stone lost! I seem to have settled into a sensible eating plan resulting in a gradual but steady loss. Sad face for yesterday because although I stuck to the crudites at the party I did have a piece of profiterole cake and nibbled on Indian snacks.

Midnight Mystery.

HAPPY EASTER.

Peter and I went to our local church for the Easter Service. Very traditional and I do miss the much more lively worship at the Fellowship we used to worship with but have moved away from for various reasons.

Shirwell Church is a lovely old church and the barrel roofing shows the use of boat building techniques.The church was full but not overflowing with around 50 people. It is a sad reflection of our times that this is the total of worshippers from 3 parishes. One vicar serves all 3 parishes and though there were communion services being held at the other 2 churches later in the day, this was the main Family Easter Service. (And there are no other churches in the area.) There were about 6 children at this morning's service even though there are about 50 children at the village school. Britain claims to be a Christian country but for most people that simply means that they don't belong to any other religion, possibly believe in God and would like to get married in a church. Everyone of course celebrates Easter with lavish expenditure on chocolate Easter eggs. I do begrudge paying inflated prices for all that packaging. When the boys were little we would go to the shops after Easter and buy the eggs at half price but they soon worked out it was still cheaper to buy bars of chocolate. When the boys were very little our London hens managed to lay chocolate eggs, must have been the chocolate we fed them the night before.


Now for last night's midnight mystery.
Fact 1- Elwen, the smallest of our cats, always climbs up onto the conservatory roof and cries at our bedroom window on that side to be let in.
Fact 2- The feathers found on the conservatory roof look like owl feathers.
So what happened? Late last night we heard thumping out on the conservatory roof, a lot more than Elwen usually makes. I stuck my head out of the window to see something large and round scrabbling away and sliding down to the edge of the conservatory roof but I couldn't make out what it was. I rushed downstairs but there was nothing on the ground. Back upstairs, shone my torch out onto the roof to see a lot of feathers. Shortly afterwards Elwen was back on the windowsill. I let her in and there was not a scratch or mark on her.
Possibilities. Had Elwen climbed up on the roof or windowsill at the same time as an owl was sitting there to the surprise of both of them? Or had Elwen been the focus of an owl attack? She is really tiny, about the size of a 6 month old normal cat (her mother is tiny too but her brother is a big fatty.) She bullies Squeeky and has been known to kill full sized rats so I don't think an owl would have stood a chance against her. We will never know.


Had to include this picture of 3 day old Ben being admired by my 2 sons who were togged up to the eyeballs (literally) ready to go off and shoot each other with their air rifles. Such macho men. No signs of Coral's foal yet. Ben is happy to wear a tiny foal's halter as he follows his mum back down to the stables.

450 Mile Trip.

Today's journey to collect Romas from Keele University was a round trip of 450 miles, took 8 hours of driving and cost about £50 in fuel. The things we do for our children's education. Keele University is a sprawling collection of modern-ish buildings set in the largest self contained university campus in Europe.

The buildings verge on the ugly but I can imagine that in the spring and summer when the many mature trees are covered with leaves it is a very pleasant environment. There are also woods, lakes and trails which being an outdoors sort of person, Romas enjoys exploring.

There are large car parks (paying) and a network of roads linking the various parts of the campus.

The whole campus is just outside Stoke and Newcastle-under-Lyme (not to be confused with Newcastle upon Trent or Newcastle where Geordies come from). The 2 towns are merged together in one urban sprawl. I am so glad I don't have to live in that sort of environment.

I find this Midlands city quite ugly and Romas assures me that the rest of it is the same. (Apologies to any inhabitants of Stoke who love the place.)

I could probably take just as grim pictures in Barnstaple but there were also many ugly tower blocks and examples of horrible 70s urban development.

The actual journey wasn't too bad and we had a welcome break an hour and a half down the road at our friends in Tewkesbury. Before leaving Tewkesbury we had to fill up with fuel at Morrisons (large store) so we popped into the supermarket to see if they had any bargains. Arrived at the right time to pick up bagels, fresh croissants and muffins reduced by about 85%. When we got back to Barnsataple we did another supermarket check at Tescos and found them selling store baked loaves of bread,pastries and sandwiches for 10p. Our freezer and cupboards are now bulging.

After all the non-lovely urban development of the Midlands it was a welcome relief to see the rolling hills of North Devon. No wonder people flock here for their holidays.

Hooray, The video of Ben finally uploaded. I left it uploading when I left the house to collect Romas. At the time I didn't realise it was Belle and not Coral. Coral was not out in the field tonight when we came home so maybe she's had her foal too.

A New Baby.

Looked out of the window as I was getting ready to go and do some gardening to see a new foal out in the field. What a little cutie. (I did film him but the internet has taken nearly an hour to upload 3 photos so I'm not attempting to get that on yet.) He was racing round the field on slightly wobbly legs with his mum keeping close to him.Of course I was straight up there cooing and taking photos. I spoke to Sarah a bit later and found out that he was born yesterday afternoon. His mum is an Exmoor pony called Belle and he will be known as Ben though he does have a long registered name too.
Watching with great interest from the other field are Persy (born last year) and Gift. Persy's mum, Coral was also in the field and is due to foal any day now as well.

Constant showers and foal watching interrupted my gardening but at long last the scree garden is clear of autumn leaves. During the heavy rain I sit under the shelter at the end of the garden and enjoy the view. It was a bonus to see this rainbow and luckily my camera was close at hand.

A Visit To The Drive-Thru.

Although yesterday was the last day of the children being in school (we have 2 1/2 weeks' holidays at Easter, 2 weeks at Christmas and 6 weeks in the summer as well as having a 1 week half-term holiday in the middle of each of the 3 terms), today was a non-pupil day which was being used to have a good clear out of all the old equipment and furniture. A large skip (dumpster) arrived in the playground for us to throw in anything old or tatty. We filled 1 large skip and a second had to delivered to take the extra. Hopefully there will be enough funds for us to replace items with nice new equipment. We also had to have a major reshuffle of the furniture in the classrooms as we are all having 6 pcs installed. An electrician came to put in new sockets and wiring, after much debate (2 hours) over the actual positioning of the pcs they are going in the original spot we wanted. We were all taken out for lunch by our Head at a local pub and I had a delicious piece of cod in light and crispy batter. I was able to resist the chips (fries) as they came in separate dish. If they had been on my plate I'm sure I would have eaten some. Instead I ate the other (boiled) vegetables with a clear conscience.

I only work half day on Thursdays so after a long lunch I drove down to South Molton to my favourite shop, Mole Valley Farmers. It is such a place of rural dreams, whole aisles of chainsaw parts, stock wormers, a vast selection of wellington boots including expensive pink or purple Hunter boots, yard tools and every style of work boot. Even though I haven't ridden for years (lack of cash) I was drawn to the racks of jodphurs and jackets and the new style riding helmets. You could spend an absolute fortune in there. I managed to confine myself to a box of ear mite drops for the cats, chocolate for next Tuesday and 2 bags of mixed corn for the hens which were the reason for my visit. All the feed and big equipment (fencing, crushes, septic tanks etc) is out in another yard and they now have a drive-thru system which was quite fun. (Drive-thru is very limited in this country due to lack of space. The Macdonald's and maybe the Wimpy on the edges of town have Drive-thru but that's all and I've never wanted to eat at either place.) I didn't think much of the slogan on the wheel cover of the Range Rover in front of me though the dog was quite sweet.
This is definitely my sort of Drive-thru. You drive into the shed, hand over a sales slip through the window to one of the staff and they throw your goods in the back of the car for you. The lady in front had to make a couple of stops as her items were in different parts of the shed. I had to drive along the Link Road and the traffic was already very heavy with holiday traffic, caravans and motor homes coming into North Devon. The traffic news on the radio told of many miles of traffic jams as people try to get away for the Easter week-end and holidays. I think I'll leave as early as possible on Saturday to drive up to Keele to collect Romas even though I'll be going against the flow of traffic down to the West Country.