Tuesday 12 December 2017

Snow part II, and Alfie's Paw . . .


This was the lane downhill to home.  There were a few icy spots where the sun hadn't reached, but easily avoided.  You can see from these photos that the snow had just fallen lightly on the higher ground, and there is a definite snow-line.  In the photo above the view is our Cothi Valley, then across the Towy Valley and the hills on the far side.  I'm glad I was able to get out and take these photos as today, after several hours of freezing fog, which bedecked the hedgerows and trees with a spangling of silver, it came on to rain and is warmer, so much of the valley snow will be gone in the morning. 



A great hill for sledging (provided you could stop at the bottom and not end up amongst the trees that border it!) but a heck of a climb back up to the top!


Looking towards the far side of the Towy Valley again.  You can see we really did have just a smidgin in places.


Black Mountain in the distance.  As you can see, I have an excellent zoom lens!, as the header makes it look like I was stood just a hill away.

A busy day here today, as I had to see my Respiratory Nurse first thing about my problems with the asthma medication I am on, and the side effects of the palpitations/arrhythmia.  I have a different inhaler to try in tandem with the stronger Fostair I am on, so fingers crossed.  The results of my heart tests had come back and I am fine in that department, apart from it being slow, but it's been like that for years now, and as the Consultant said in hospital, whilst I will probably need a Pacemaker at some point in the future, I'm OK at the moment.  P.H.E.W.  The best thing is I am cleared to walk as much as I want, hills included (I do them though they make me puff).  Oh, and apparently I HAVEN'T had a heart attack . . .

Then after lunch we had to take Alfie to the vet as he has an abscess brewing on the paw that Theo bit.  Serves him right!  He was very good at the vet's and didn't even flinch when he had his jab, but he was very vocal travelling.  It could have been worse - remembering those "open the blardy windows quick" moments when other of our cats have got scared and you-know-whatted in the cat carrier . . .

So then I had a lazy afternoon as there was only an hour or so before it was time to start making the evening meal.

Reading-wise I am 1/3 way through a novel about the Ghosts of Culloden Moor, which isn't an approach I would have thought of.  I shall see it through, although Phil Rickman still gets my vote, along with Diana Gabaldon for escapist reading matter.  Books you can read and re-read.  We have now come to the end of the current series of DG's "Outlander" on tv, so I think I will have to watch it over again, an then wait until it comes out more cheaply on DVD before I buy series 3.  Any other followers?

Tonight we are going to watch something I recorded the other evening, "The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel", so I'm looking forward to some colour in the middle of this bleak winter.  This morning I was down early and watched David Attenburgh's programme about Jumbo, which was really interesting - the poor creature suffered during his life of captivity, and his beloved Keeper, a rather dour and unhappy chap, used to sit and share beer and whiskey with him!

Right, this won't do.  Bathtime calls.  Keep warm.


10 comments:

  1. You really are quite the writer, you must know! I so enjoy reading your lovely blog. I will admit to being a bit envious of your magnificent zoom lens. Wow! The fifth photo down is my today's favorite...love the greens and whites together with the oh-so-beautiful blue, blue sky. I was glad to read that heart tests came out well, but do take care!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Glad you like the photos so much Chip. My camera was my birthday present from the family last year (with a BIG top-up from middle daughter). It still has a lot of functions I haven't come to terms yet.

    This is just me blathering today. Some days I feel like writing more than others. Sometimes I write a post about something I find really interesting and get zero feedback, so think I must be a little too bizarre in my interests. Blogging's a lovely way to make friends though, even when it's ones I know I can never meet.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Beautiful photos, the 5th one besides your header is wonderful.
    Good news about your heart !

    cheers, parsnip

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. When it's snowy, there are lots of opportunities for better than usual photos, as winter light normally isn't conducive to scenic photos.

      Delete
  4. I do like your photos of a 'plotted and pieced' snowy landscape, although it having been a chill and gusty day here, the thought of walking in the cold lacks appeal.
    I don't suppose, being a cat, that Alfie equates his present affliction as just consequence of tormenting Theo. Yes, we've had that unhappy experience of a cat [cats] whose control of bodily functions deserted them while in the cat carrier.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A very controlled landscape, which occasionally gets overcome by bracken on the higher last-claimed-from-the-wild fields. It's the wilder elements of landscape which I love.

      I am sure Alfie hasn't had joined-up thinking about the consequences of having a fight with Theo, but he WAS being very affectionate last night (he's a sofa cat, and Little Whale is a bed cat).

      Delete
  5. Your header is stunning BB. Our covering of snow has gone too this morning and it is just a cloudy day after days of bright sunshine.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I shall have this one up for a while. I always feel a pang when I take down a header photo to replace it, as the ones I use are the pick of the bunch. We have had lots of rain, and the river is high, but no snow around locally now. I expect the mountain still has some on.

      Delete
  6. Beautiful landscape photos and so pleased to hear the good news about your heart. Hope new asthma medication works better.

    I am getting very tempted to re-read all the Merrily books and I discovered all the Jamie books in a storage box - some I haven't read so I may start the series all over again. Not seen it on dvd - will wait until I have made a decision on when to read the books :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh you MUST see it on DVD as they have been so faithful to the books (Diana Gabaldon was the adviser on the programmes). Re-reading the Merrily books is like visiting an old friend, and as I normally read them flat out, almost like reading them for the first time again.

      Delete