Miniature Ladies' Bedstraw growing on a very dry bank at Mwnt.
Restharrow in the same situation.
Wild Carrot, ditto.
Yarrow, hanging on in there.
I took these last few photos from the top of Llanllwni Mountain, which we drove across on the way home. I used to go this way to Uni back in the day, and know it well in all seasons . . .
This last photo is the view behind us, looking towards Llanybydder. Some nice rainy looking clouds, but no rain. We got all of a dozen drops this morning too . . .
I will try and add some more chat later but have just had a VERY FRUSTRATING ten minutes trying to change the delivery address of the magazine I subscribed too. But no, it won't save it and keeps going back to the wrong one. So someone else is going to get 6 Emma Bridgewater mugs AND my magazine for the next 6 months. Irritable emails (note PLURAL) have just been pinged off into the ether . . .
More chat! Not a lot to add really. I did manage a short walk this morning - I didn't want to push it as I have only just lowered my steroid inhaler and want to make sure I am functioning properly before I start to walk a bit further/faster. I just went up the valley bottom for about 3/4 mile and back again. The hedgerows are looking very weary - most of the wild flowers have either wilted or become totally dessicated, with the exception of the Umbellifers who can hack it. Some of the Blackberries have ripened early and I ate a couple yesterday. Others are growing on very dry banks and are barely producing fruit at all. I saw some wild Raspberries today, really suffering from the drought, and they looked to be sporting miniature (and dessicated) fruits.
Although we have two ponds in the garden, we also have cats, and I noticed a cock Blackbird and a Sparrow having a dustbath at the side of the lane near our house today. All I can say is, when they get home the missus is going to say, "Pooh, you smell of COWS!"
I saw something the other day I meant to mention. I never realized that Swallows were territorial. Firstly one saw off the Blackcap it saw on a ledge of the old cart shed. Then a few minutes later, a whole bunch of Swallows set upon a bird of prey which flew overhead - I think, size wise, it was a Sparrowhawk. Anyway, they weren't having any of THAT thank you very much, and pursued it upwards and upwards, chattering all the time, until they deemed it out of their patch. There must have been 20 or more chasing it.
Now our paddock has been turned back into garden (well, a lawn) again, there are lots of birds out there looking for what they can find. There are normally 2 pairs of Blackbirds fossicking about, and a pair of Thrushes (all have nested in the copse over the stream, which borders the lawn). Two Magpies were out there this morning (most unpopular birds with the Blackbirds and Thrushes) and there is normally a Jay or two about the place. The rabbit is still out there too, but he nearly met his maker the other day when Whitby-now-Sam black cat noticed him, and coopied right down, flattening himself into the grass, whilst the dozy rabbit moved TOWARDS him, and then up a bit, turning his back on him. You have to give it to rabbits, they make themselves an easy target!
All plans for this afternoon were abandoned as we suddenly had to dash into town to pay a bill we thought we had already paid (the Council don't let you forget for a minute!) Then I cooked the evening meal - a big batch of mince and some King Edward potatoes which needed using up (and OH, in his dotage, will ONLY eat King Edwards now. He won't even touch new potatoes any more). So that made a Cottage Pie for tea, and one for the freezer. I christened my new Pyrex storage dish with the plastic lid, and wish I'd bought half a dozen now, when they were on offer.
So, just wittering rather than any news, and although we DID have some rain this afternoon, it wasn't heavy enough of for long enough - though on both counts it was an improvement on the very short light shower we had earlier in the week. We may get more overnight, but I thought I had better water round everywhere just in case it didn't materialize.
We have a busy weekend ahead, and I hope you all enjoy yours.
A spectacular view for all seasons, patchwork fields and dancing trees. I hope those emails do the job - very frustrating.
ReplyDeleteNo luck from the emails so far - they will contact me in 48 hours apparently. We'll see. Meanwhile my stuff is being sent to someone else . . .
ReplyDeleteThe views up there are spectacular. I used to park the car up on my way back from Uni, and get the latest books out for my coursework and just read. . .
Lovely views. I feel your pain. I use tinternet a lot for shopping etc. And end up with blood pressure through the roof.
ReplyDeleteViews are something we have plenty of round here, I am glad to say! My blood pressure wasn't good this afternoon - all I wanted was for a live human being to send me an email telling me they would sort it - not ANOTHER link to the same site wot don't work!
ReplyDeleteHi BB we have had rain from about 6:30pm. It is still at it (9.30pm) nice and gentle the sort that will do good. Supposedly we are to have storms later. I am just grateful for the rain as we and the wildlife sorely need it. The birds feed from the feeders off the old cherry tree in our garden but also go next door. I have my mum's old stone water bath which I have filled up every evening for them to use. Hope the problem with your magazine gets resolved soon. It would be much simpler if each time we could speak to a human because things would get resolved a lot quicker than just loads of red useless tape all the time. Hope you have a successful weekend. Take care Pattypanxx
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear that you got some rain (and the right sort). We have had a few showers but barely enough to dampen the top 1/16" of the soil. Sigh. I am hoping to hear from the magazine people on Monday (it said wait 48 hours for their reply).
DeleteThose tall attenuated windmills are a familiar sight in the American west--we once had the joy of following one laid out in pieces on the back of a flatbed trailer.
ReplyDeleteI'm wondering [from the perspective of a husband who has become 'picky' about food] would K. know if you substituted a different but similar variety of potatoes?
They are meant to be eco friendly because they save the use of fossil fuel, but then you see what they do to the landscape when they are installed, and there is nothing eco friendly about that, and they don't work if there's no wind, and if it's too windy, they get turned off before they catch fire etc. Fine for individual households or perhaps small communities, but you can't run the National Grid from them. Much as I am for alternative energy, these fall short. Wave power would be much more efficient.
DeleteK, unfortunately, can tell one variety from another and I can't even microwave a jacket potato - it has to be done in the oven as the microwave makes it taste funny . . . There are a lot of brick walls with dents in round here! If he were to see me using a vegetable stock cube instead of a beef one, he wouldn't have that as gravy either . . .
I gave up trying to 'bake' a potato in the microwave--it was the texture that went funny.
DeleteRe the wind turbines: in the American western states such as Wyoming, the wind is always blowing--its a matter of degree!
Lovely views. No rain here at all apart from a few drops yesterday. The garden is so brown and we are starting to lose plants - can only do so much with a watering can in a big garden :( Countryside looks barren too and I am sure the drought will be causing problems for wildlife.
ReplyDeleteI do hope you get your magazine subscription sorted.
RR - we are recycling every drop of water here, very shallow bath water included (that's for flushing the loo). Anything which has no soap in goes in the pond and any with soap in goes on the plants. If we didn't have to use the bath water to flush the loo, that would get bucketed downstairs for the plants too.
DeleteI have several of those Pyrex dishes with plastic lids BB. They are marvellous, particularly for shepherd's or cottage pies for the freezer. They make it all so easy.
ReplyDeleteThat's it Pat - very easy. I will invest in a couple more I think. They stack a lot more neatly too.
ReplyDelete