Just call me Busy . . .

Today's photos are from a long walk I took yesterday.  My Fitbit steps for the week were down and because we had been to auction twice in Gloucestershire that meant a long time sitting in the car especially as we got held up in a 2 mile traffic queue to join the M5 on Tuesday, arriving at the auction with just 3 minutes to view it!  We just bought one thing at the auction (prices are higher there) and left bids on others which would be sold after we left - it was a slow day bidding-wise and went on till 7 p.m.  Having properly viewed the furniture - the stuff we were interested in was in the schoolhouse building - we bid on line the following day and drove down again on Thursday to pick it up.  This time we took the motorway route as we weren't driving down in rushour traffic, and got there in 1 hr 55 mins, compared with FOUR hours on the Tuesday!

Now all we need is for people to start buying things at our Units, but trade in both places has been extremely slow.  I just hope that the Fleamarket next weekend is better than it has been - last time it was a complete waste of time as we took just £65 - and it costs £55 just to stand for the day!

I managed to get some more Chutney made on Monday, Indian Chutney, an old favourite of mine which really does improve with keeping and what's more, uses up some of the apple mountain.  It came in handy yesterday, as one of the chaps from the Shoot next door, came over with a bag of venison for us, so we rewarded him with three big jars of chutney and a gigantic box of apples . . .

Now I am fitter, I put myself to the test with this walk which is unrelentingly uphill for the first half hour, then a slightly flatter bit and then climbing again.  As you can see, the weather was wonderful although the views were all a bit milky.

On the bank below a hedge, this Primrose decided to let itself be encouraged by the sunshine and put out a tentative flower.

Wishy-washy fields beyond the hedgerow.

Looking across to a neighbour's farm at "top o'bank".

Looking back across the Towy Valley here.

Now there's a challenge - clambering up that hill would certainly test my fitness!

The higher fields suffer with bracken, and given half a chance would soon revert to scrubby woodland.  They have never forgotten being reclaimed from the wildwood.

That steep hill again with a barely discernible Black Mountain scarp behind it to the right.

I carried on climbing, and shedding layers!  I was down to a t-shirt by this time and fed up with carrying a jumper and a jacket.

Looking across the Cothi Valley to fields bisected by sheep tracks.

This farm trackway was tempting . . .

On the way home.  Single track lanes are the order of the day round here, and passing places few and far between.  The overhanging trees framed this view perfectly, and it is about to become a new header photo.

Downhill all the way back (the reward for effort).  On the right is a wilding apple tree with small red-striped apples.  I brought two back with me to plant along our hedgerow.  This walk was about 11,000 steps and all in all I did over 17,000 yesterday and walked 9 1/2 miles.

I shall be away from my computer Monday - Friday next week as I am down in Southampton with my best friend Trisha.