Pizza and painting

 I did the usual chores this morning, then cut up ingredients for and cooked a pizza topping for tea tonight.  Veggie topping with tomatoes, mushrooms, yellow and green courgettes and a red onion.  Topped off with good Cheddar, grated.  

The Library phoned to say I had a book in, so I took two back and picked up the other Horatio Clare book about his childhood in Wales, Running for the Hills.  Then picked up a Joy Ellis (Shadow over the Fens) and another Welsh book, Welsh Folk Tales by Peter Stevenson.

Lulu on my "lawn".

I chopped up the pack of mushrooms I bought this week, now in freezer, along with 3 Pak Choi, and 2 pointy sweet red Peppers.

I also put another coat of blue paint - properly mixed today - on the front door and the step of the French doors, as when I painted them yesterday, I didn't mix the paint properly and it came out too dark.  I have watered round, watered in the greenhouse, pollinated tomatoes and cucumbers and did the polytunnel ones yesterday (cucumbers and melons in there).  Everything is struggling because of the heat, and here we go, warming up again tomorrow and heatwave next week.  I could do without it, truly, esp. as I have to water my neighbour's greenhouse whilst he's away - 6 to 8 watering cans daily.  The least I can do as he helps me a lot.

Lots of tents have been put up on the hillside above the Royal Welsh showground, ready for tomorrow's show.  

Grateful for:  

Lots of books to read

Being given Organic Cucumbers and Courgettes by my neighbour

Having such a helpful neighbour

Having a good picking of really fresh runner beans daily

Living in a beautiful area

Finding out that Deerhurst, the 8th C Anglo-Saxon Priory Church of St Mary, and Anglo-Saxon 8th C St Odda's chapel can easily be on my route home from Malvern at the end of the month.  Whoopee!!!  I have wanted to go there for so long.

Now I am bushed, and looking forward to putting my feet up.  

Pottering

The fields are still pretty brown . . .

I had a nice walk earlier on, after I'd done the main chores.  Just up the valley a mile or so. I had a natter with my horsey friend, and went to check out the blackberry patch which is normally reliable.  The only ones worth picking were unreachable though.  But I managed 1 lb 10 oz from a bush about 200 yds from home :)

I've been out in the garden, having a bit of a tidy up but after two barrow loads, called it a day.  I may touch up the blue paint on the French doors and front door, as it's not so hot it will dry before I've removed the brush from the door.  

I am relieved to say that the application of Sudocrem to the horse fly bites worked really well, and removed the soreness and then the itching.  Thankyou Mr Google for finding that one.

An indistinct photo of the work done yesterday - the plank screwed in place and then coated with cob, which is still drying.  Now I am glad to report it is wasp proof.

The window over the sink (a double glazed one), didn't have any covering over the pipes above it and had gaps where the wasps could drop through from above.  The dark colouring is the cob mixture. To the left is the wooden stable partition, still left in place.

Gail - have replied to your query, so you can contact me.

The 125th celebration of the WPCS (Welsh Pony and Cob Society) is taking place on the showground this weekend, with a horse show.  I might pop down for a couple of hours.

Buzzy buzz buzz

 I have come into the Utility room the past two mornings to find 4 or 5 Wasps trying to get out of the shut window.  Opening the window involves standing on a chair, climbing onto the counter opening the window, and then in reverse a few moments later.  Not very safe . . .  The bottom of the wall above the window aperture (where two pipes go across) has never been covered over, hence the wasps can come down.  So I had to ask neighbour Ed if he could come and box it in for me, which he did very efficiently with wood, sealed round with cob (he has been making a new shed with cob floor and walls.  He loves working with clay.)  I am now baking him a nice crusty loaf, as he said he would prefer that to cake.  Nothing simpler - bring ingredients to dough in bread mixer, then chuck into oven.  Yummy.

Pippi has been keeping me company on the sofa, as though cooler, still hot for cats in fur coats.  I am desperate NOT to touch the horse fly bites on my back as they are driving me crazy.  It had a blardy good meal from me, that's for certain!  A female one as they can't breed without blood . . . human blood or horse, it matters not!

The Valley of Ravens has been finished and sent on to my friend Gay, who will devour it as quickly as I did, I am sure.  My friend Pam had never read any of Barbara Erskine's books, so I sent her home with Lady of Hay and the Dream Weavers.  My good deed for the day.  I am reading The Plague Maiden by Kate Ellis now,

Podcasts this week - part 1 of A Murderous Affair: Death at Mayerling, will do part 2 today.   Part of a Dark Wales Tours podcast about the Haunting of Plas Mawr - not very impressed.  Something from In Our Time - that made a lasting impression, clearly!  I was trying to get part 2 of Mayerling on the way back from the Fair on Saturday but it hadn't loaded.  

Now trying to get baked on jam off the bottom of my maslin pan.  Apparently baking soda and water, simmered for 10 mins, does the trick . . . and indeed it has.

Country happenings

 

Fresh blooms on my beautiful rose, The Lark Ascending.

This is a video, but it's not appearing on my video clips.  We had two nests of young House Martins launch themselves into the ether today.  They were so joyous in the air, and it was a delight to watch them.

At one point they came back to their nest but "perched" somehow hanging onto the wall below it.

This was a video too, of the flying ants leaving their nests and about to take off on their wedding flight.  Not so good as a still!

This morning I went blackberry picking, as it was wonderfully cool.  Picking a bit with rain but as I picked beside the reservoir at the Elan valley, it came on to rain.  I soon had sopping wet feet as it had clearly rained in the night too, and I was glad to get home and peel off my wet socks in exchange for dry ones.

Above the car park . . .

The fruit of my labours.  I will wash these and freeze them on a tray and they are a free, organic and healthy addition to my winter food stash. 2 1/2 lbs fruit.

Now I am off to put anti-itch cream on the nasty insect  HORSE FLY bites I got in the garden yesterday - my gardener was here to mow the lawn, which was shaggy on the cooler side of the house and standing hay elsewhere . . .

An improvement  . . .

Down in the doldrums - Fair report

 Not my finest hour.  I am at present contemplating if it is worth more investment, but I need to give the Unit the full 3 months and hope the next couple of Fairs might even things out.  Otherwise, a giant half price sale in the spring and draw a line under it all.  I said I was in the doldrums . . .  I worked out that the profit margins on what I paid for the 3 items I sold first thing (to other dealers) plus the couple of pounds on the ONE item sold to a walk-in customer for £9 (bought so long ago I haven't a clue what it cost, but probably four or five pounds) didn't even cover my pitch fee of £45, let alone the diesel for the journey.

Other folks' stands, as I know some of you like seeing them, and including some from the last Fair.

A really lovely Welsh blanket.  That won't have come cheaply.

Looks lovely, but I draw the line at selling used paint brushes and old paint spattered painting cans. . .  not me.

This friend always finds amazing things which the dealers drool over.

The French shabby chic look. Really lovely.  I don't channel this and don't cross the Channel to buy French stuff either . . .

Another fab old Welsh blanket from the last Fair.

Aren't they all lovely and original?  My purse doesn't run to potted plants for window dressing.  Wish it did.

The horse's head drawing is dated 1913, and the girl went on to be a Milliner (I researched her on Ancestry).  I have enjoyed it a good few years now, 10 I think.  Got it in Brecon Auction back in the day, but it is time to have less "stuff" and I thought a horsey friend was coming to the Fair and might have been tempted.  She didn't show.

I am hoping someone will buy my signed and boxed copies of Richard Bebb's amazing 2 volume opus on Welsh vernacular furniture.  He has missed nothing out and Keith and I used to love visiting his shop in Kidwelly.  When his books were launched, we went down to buy our set and get them signed.  Quite collectable now.  I no longer need to own them.  I will stick with Victor Chinnery's book about  oak furniture.  The stone next to the gloves is a serpentine carving from Zimbabwe.  I think Keith must have found it at an old boot sale in Carmarthenshire when we lived there.  A dust gatherer from his gran's dresser.  All the pieces to the left on the small stand are from a forgotten box from the stables.  


I unpacked the car this morning, did a load of washing and hung it out on the wooden clothes horses ("Maidens" is what they were called in Manchester) and have them all dry.  I've done the shopping, and read more of my book.  I made a Hungarian Goulash for my tea tonight, served with wholegrain, red and wild rice, plus runner beans I've grown in the garden.  They couldn't be any fresher.  Looking forward to my mini bottle of wine this evening.

My gosh, that hit the spot!

Aberedw and its history

 I will do a separate post for the church at Aberedw, later in the week.  Here are the photos from the castle remains and Llewelyn's Cave.  Trying to get back the excitement of the day, but am feeling quite depressed after my worst-ever Fair yesterday and the Microwave now being on the way out.  It would seem that this year it is money out all the time, and always in BIG chunks.  If I didn't have savings, my credit card bill would be enormous.

Sadly the castle which Llewelyn ap Gruffudd would have known was plundered for stone when the railway line went through so only the motte and bailey layout remain.

A lovely view from the top.

Everywhere is scorched by the endless sunshine.

A pair of Holly Blues on a Bramble flower.

Out of the wall below the church!  Remains of a Halloween celebration I'm guessing :)

Apparently it's half a mile to Llewelyn's cave - well, it seemed a lot further, and a steep hill on the lane and then quite a steep climb up to the cave.  We didn't push ourselves anyway.  Apparently Llewelyn's Cave was also inhabited by various religious hermits in the past, including in his time.

This would seem to translate into "we will rise again". . .

"In memory of Llewelyn ap Gruffudd, Prince of Wales".

This was a much-visited place, and there was a lot in the way of graffiti initials and dates.

There was a Marian mark in the bit above . . .  The conjoined VV. Meaning Virgo Virginum - Virgin of Virgins - and a protective mark often found in house beams.  A "witch mark" to protect a site.

It looks like all lads had penknives with them, back in the day . . .

A more serious momento from these chaps, the year before WWI broke out.  

Llewelyn ap Gruffudd - or Llewlyn the Last - was Prince of Gwynedd between 1255 and 1282.  He proclaimed himself Prince of Wales in 1258.  Henry III of ENgland recognized him thus in 1267, in the Treaty of Montgomery.  Sadly there were so many different factions warring in Wales and his brother Dafydd was aligned with the English, and land-holdings granted him caused problems.  Wikipedia tells the story with greater alactrity than me, especially at 2.20 a.m. (I can't sleep).  

The tale of Llewelyn's demise at Cilmeri involves him having his horse shod by the blacksmith at Aberwedw, the shoes being put on backwards to confuse anyone following his trail.  Unfortunately he didn't get to meet up with his Army and was struck down and killed at Cilmeri.  There is a stone raised in his memory.  He was decapitated and his head washed in a spring there .  It was sent to London and crowned with Ivy (to show he was a King of the rebels and a mockery of the prophecy which said a Welshman would be crowned in London as King of the whole of Britain).  It ended up on the Tower of London for at least 15 years.  His body is believed to have been buried at Abbey Cwm Hir, which is about 8 or 10 miles beyond Llandod.

Well, I shall go back to bed now and try to sleep and not worry about bills and how to pay them.

Shattered! and Prince of Wales, Llewelyn ap Gruffudd, d. 1282

 I had a really LOVELY morning, exploring Aberedw (church, motte and bailey castle and then Llewellyn's cave) with friend Pam.  Amazed that I could manage the quite steep hills, esp. after not exercising much during these heat waves.  Cave was brilliant (HAD to see that because it stars in the new Barbara Erskine book, The Valley of Ravens).

I will answer all your lovely comments tomorrow - am off to bed now (8.40 pm!) as spent all afternoon preparing for tomorrow's fair, watering round etc.  I didn't even bake - so the people I share a room with tomorrow will be disappointed.  Although I do have a Lemon Drizzle cake in the freezer . . .  I will leave you with one photo of the cave, from the outside . . . Billy, church it ain't but it used to be home for hermits, so has a religious connection and lots of fabulous graffiti . . .