The 2nd half of my walk

Outside the church, by an ancient tree, is the old mounting block, so that the less able (who rode to church) would be able to remount their horse with ease. I dare say the horse appreciated it too!  I always hated to see a saddle dragged across a horse's back as someone heavy or none too limber heaved themselves aboard.

Y Plas - when we first moved here it was on the market, and needed "doing up" and we tried to buy it for my mum to live in, but the chap who owned it was a bit "twp" (not quite right!) and when we made an offer, he then upped the asking price.  He was sleeping rough in one of the bedrooms, and in a moment of madness (drunk?) had painted all the half timbering in the walls different colours of GLOSS paint - it would have been very difficult to remove.  Whoever bought it in the end solved the problem by "modernizing" it, and plastering over the top of all the beams.  It's been on the market several times since and now is for sale once again.  Not a happy house, perhaps?  The other end of the cottage to the left is in the photo below . . .

Once thatched (judging by the pitch of the roof and the wriggly tin which replaced the thatch), this cottage is falling down - half of the inglenook fireplace back has fallen already and the whole wall looks ready to go . . .  It will end up as a building site eventually.

A VERY fat little Shetland - that'll have Laminitis if it stays much longer on such lush pasture.

First of the year - Stitchwort on a bank beside the lane, near Llywn Fortune, where once a Roman hoard of coins was discovered.

Across the fields, a well blown up photo of Dryslwyn Castle in the distance.

Above and below: brood mare and foal at the TB stud.

This was the lane behind me . . .  One car's width these days (and one cart's width in the past . . .)  This leads past the Thoroughbred stud, and the Equine Vet's place.

I had an Admirer!  A touch of Shire blood added to a Welsh Cob base by the look of his hairy legs!  Personally, I would never leave a headcollar on a horse in the field (unless it's an absolute fiend to catch).  It can be a recipe for disaster, if they get caught up on something.

It was lovely to see the first of the wild daffodils in flower.

Above and below, Section A's on a local stud.  Possibly related to our little palomino Merlin, who came from this same stud, many, many years ago now. He'd be nearly 30 now!

Hooray - the first of the Mollyblobs - Marsh Marigolds - in flower.